Daily Devotionals

David comforted his wife Bat-Sheva (2 Samuel 12:24).

Here is perhaps King David's greatest moment. After his humiliating exposure before the nation, and the death of his newborn son, he could have turned and blamed Bat-Sheva (Bathsheba) for everything. "It was all your fault! You were bathing on that rooftop on purpose to cause me to sin! I wish I had never laid eyes on you!"We can well imagine such words being spoken. Yet, not from David. He shouldered the load of his sin like a true mentsh (Yiddish for a "person with integrity").

David went to the woman he had violated—through the abuse of his God-given power as king—and comforted her. He did not distance himself from her, but stood by her. He did not make her his scapegoat, but made her his companion. In so doing, he gave the world King Shlomo (Solomon); and Bat-Sheva became a symbol of the grace of God towards a king who chose not to hide his human frailties at the expense of another. David never shifted the blame to Bat-Sheva by claiming "she made me do it." David learned this truth and lived it well, to the benefit of the entire nation under his charge.

...seek grace to be a mensch in the sight of God and man. I will learn the art of saying, "I was wrong."

BC