"Don't Go Chasing Waterfalls"

2 Samuel 11; 12: 1-24

"Don't go chasing waterfalls
Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to
I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all
But I think you're moving too fast"

I tell you, as the bible and "Relationships" in the bible go, it has been a couple of very exciting and even exhilarating weeks for me. Surely you all know that I had riotous good time with Jonathan and David. I think I've been scratching like a dog with fleas to talk about that untold and conveniently ignored love affair between those two men. As such, I may have gotten a little carried away. But, hey, "Truth crushed to the earth, shall rise again." Okay, moving right along.

Our next "Relationship" encounter is that between David and Bathsheba. And yes, that is the chorus to another song at the beginning of this post, but I warned you early on that I believe the sacred is secular and the secular is sacred! So ya'll g'on need to get your mind around this thang. Now, make no mistake, I do not believe this particular relationship was one of mutual consent. By biblical accounts, we know very little about the historical lives of women in near Eastern culture. What we have been able to glean from scriptural texts and commentaries, however, is that women were controlled by the men of their family. In the texts, they are often times referenced only as, "a certain woman," or either one man's daughter or another man's wife - and without being one or the other, their status, safety and security was precariously vulnerable and subject to abuse and exploitation. But something happens throughout 1 and 2 Samuel that baffles my mind. David puts a whole new spin on "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor," that calls into question whether or not women were safe at all, even by virtue of being one man's daughter or another man's wife (NRSV 20:17). And of course the woman, Bathsheba, has no say in the matter. Let's begin shall we?

Shortly after we are first introduced to David, we see a man who is gifted more than his share from men and women alike. "Everybody loves David!" Jonathan gets naked and abdicates the throne for him - no, I'm sorry, he hands the throne over to him. And, I believe Saul would have done that and much more, if he had found favor in David's eyes as Jonathan obviously did. Yes, that is mere speculation on my part - there is no factual or biblical basis for that statement, just the wanderings of what some might call an "over-active imagination." Okay, alright... Don't go getting your panties in a wad over it. Back to the narrative.

Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, after paying a rather hefty, and might I add, a nasty and bloody dowry of 200 foreskins (100 more than required) of those uncircumcised Philistines, Saul gives his daughter, Michal to David to marry. Michal, like her brother Jonathan, loved David and she also defied her father to help David escape. After which, David goes about his business warring with anybody and everybody that got in his way. As a consequence of his adventures on the run and successes in battles, he acquires the wives of the defeated, as well as Abigail, the wife of Nabal, who died of a sudden and obvious, massive heart attack after she told him that she had gone behind his back and showed David some kindness he had previously refused to (1 Samuel 25: 2-42). Another wife picked up along the way was Ahinoam. Who pretell is Ahinoam? Hmmm.... Verr-ry in-terr-resting question!

The only other reference or mention of Ahinoam is in 1 Samuel 14:50. Drum roll please.... "And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam, the daughter of Ahimaaz." Umph, umph, umph.... So, now David has three wives - Michal (Saul's daughter), Abigail (Nabal's wife) and Ahinoam (Saul's wife). Now if you've being paying attention - and I know you have - then you know by virtue of them being David's wives, he now has two more reasons that validate his claim to the the throne. Uh oh, but wait a minute now! Sumptn' just happened... If Ahinoam is Saul's wife and Michal is Saul's daughter, hasn't somebody [David] uncovered somebodies [Ahinoam's and Michal's] "nakedness?" The evidence presented states, "Now the sons of Saul were Jonathan, and Ishvi, and Malchishua: and the names of his two daughters were these; the name of the first-born was Merab, and the name of the younger Michal: And the name of Saul's wife was Ahinoam" (1 Samuel 14: 49, 50a). In honor of my attorney friends out there, may it please the court, "You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter... For [she is] her near kinswoman: it is wickedness " (Leviticus 18: 17a and c). I suppose David gets a pass on that - or does he? Put a pin there. What he does do is continue collecting "more concubines and wives" (2 Samuel 5:13).

Clearly David cares nothing about "uncovering the nakedness" of anybody. Whatever king David wants, king David gets. So, when he observes Bathsheba taking a bath from his rooftop and "inquires" about her, I can't for the life of me understand why. After all, when he is told that; 1) "'This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam [son of Ahithophel, one of David's advisers] and, 2) the wife of Uriah the Hittite,'" he doesn't seem to care one damn bit. Instead, he sends messengers to "fetch her, and she came to him, and he lay with her... Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, 'I am with child'" (2 Samuel 11: 2-5). Once again, what happened to, "You shall not covet your neighbor's wife?" Furthermore, what right did she have to decline his summons? None. What right did she have to deny, or say 'no?' None. Her body was not her own. But, if that wasn't enough, he takes it a step further! After learning Bathsheba is with child, David tries to cover up the misdeed by sending for her husband - Uriah, who was off at war, fighting valiantly for his king (little k) - so that he may, "Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet" (v. 8a). ;) ;) Funny thing, Uriah doesn't go to his house, instead, he sleeps at the door of the king's house. Upon hearing this David, tries a different approach by getting Uriah drunk the following night. But again, Uriah, a loyal soldier til the end, sleeps outside with the rest of David's soldiers, servants, and the Ark of the Covenant. What happens next could only be rivaled by a Shakespearean tragedy. David sends a letter by Uriah to be delivered to Joab, the head of the army, instructing him to, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die" (vv. 8-15). What! Say it ain't so! Well, it is. And so it was, Uriah was killed, Bathsheba mourned her husband, David takes her to be his wife and with his misdeeds, adultery and murder all neatly covered up - they lived happily ever after. Or did they? Where's that pin? Take it out, because God is pissed. Too strong? I'm sorry, S/HE is "displeased."

"Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more... You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife... Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house... Thus says the LORD; I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor and he shall lie with your wives before this very sun. For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all of Israel and before the sun" (12: 7b-12).

The Word of God, for the people of God - Thanks be to God. ;-)

"Don't go chasing waterfalls
Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to
I know that you're gonna have it your way or nothing at all
But I think you're moving too fast"
© Dorinda G. Henry, 2010

THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!

"Everybody Loved David... But David Loved Jonathan"

Jonathan and David - Part II
1 Samuel 19: 1-7; 20: 30, 41, 42; 2 Samuel 1:23, 26, 27

Did you miss me? I missed you!

Honestly, I tell you, this narrative about Jonathan and David is so in your face that I've had a very difficult time taking the time to write about it. I can't for the life of me understand how anyone, especially these "jump up" preachers - who will read a contemporary western understanding of homosexuality into ancient Near Eastern culture and texts, that require a major stretch in associating the text to present day understandings of sexuality - justify ignoring this same-sex love story. And, if I may be so bold to suggest that there is arguably significant evidence that point toward a marriage between these two men. I mean, really, they make all this noise about there not being anything in scripture regarding homosexuality, except for those texts previously touched upon in early posts. Each of them have been misrepresented and misinterpreted, knowingly and unknowingly, as examples of God's condemnation of homosexuality and those who are homosexual, bisexual or just plain ole free with their expression of their sexuality. But how do they explain away, "Thou son of the perverse rebellious woman, do not I know that thou has chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness" (King James 1 Samuel 20:30)? They don't! They just ignore it. Not only is Saul calling his son, Jonathan, a SON OF A B^%@H, but he is clearly identifying something else when he continues with, "do not I know that thou has chosen the son of Jesse [David] to thine own confusion, and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness." Are you still playing naive? Alrighty then, let's go.

Last week I referenced 1 Samuel 18:1-4. Remember that? "And it came to pass, when he [David] had made an end of speaking unto Saul, the soul of Jonathan was knit (bound) with the soul of David and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. And Saul took him [David] that day and would let him go no more home to his father's house. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle" (King James). Wah Lawd! I don't know about you, but I feel a song coming on... "It's gettn' hot in here, so take off all your clothes, c'mo sing it with me, I am get-ting so hot, I wanna take my clothes off!" Okay, okay.... I'm back... Now, for integrity sake, I must elaborate on a couple of things. Aside from the fact that Jonathan was so moved by David's oratory skills that he had to get naked to cool off, he hands over to David, his clothing - robe, garments, sword, bow and his girdle - all of the accouterments of a soldier and a Prince. He gave up the family jewels ya'll! Everything that symbolized his status and his power as the heir to the throne, he handed over to David - the first time he laid eyes on him. Still fighting it huh? Wow! Okay, I love a good fight.

Riddle me this; What if this story was about a man and a woman? What if we had read in the text that a certain man, upon hearing/seeing a particular woman, was so moved by her that he fell in love with her at first sight, asked her to marry him and sealed the marriage with a kiss and his most prized possessions - the entire kingdom, would this be an issue? Would we even question that this was a "love at first sight" encounter? No, we would not! We'd probably hear about it every Valentine's Day weekend. It would be the text to preach from! Two love stories come to mind, the obvious of the two is Romeo and Juliet of course, but the other, though probably less familiar, is the story of King Edward VIII of the United Kingdom, who in 1936 abdicated the throne to marry an American divorcée, Wallis Simpson (Wallis was a woman by the way). This is precisely the "confusion" Saul was referring to. But what of this comment, "and unto the confusion of thy mother's nakedness" (1 Samuel 20:30b)? My goodness, what on earth could he possibly be talking about? I thought you'd never ask.

In the Hebrew scriptures, specifically, Leviticus, where we find the "Holiness Codes," whenever there is a reference to "nakedness," or the uncovering of a family member's "nakedness," it carries a sexual connotation that is improper or incestuous. When Saul chastised Jonathan by associating his behavior and affection for David to "the confusion of thy mother's nakedness," Saul was charging him with sexual impropriety that had brought shame upon the family. Still not convinced? Okay, stay with me. Because I know I recommended a reading of all of chapters 18-21, then I know you know that Jonathan and David had met in a field in secret prior to this dinner table showdown between Jonathan and his father Saul. They devised a plan to ascertain Saul's intentions toward David - was it all a misunderstanding or was Saul indeed intending to kill David? In that secret meeting in the field, they made another covenant between one another with God as their witness. They swore, one to the other, that their "seed," (offspring) would forever be cared for by the other should either of them die. Then they devised a method by which Jonathan could get the 411 and give David a heads up to escape before Saul could get to him. David even makes the suggestion that if he is to die, that it be by Jonathan's hand and not Saul's (1 Samuel 20). But hold on to your tail feathers because the best is yet to come. ;) ;)

The kitchen table brouhaha between Jonathan and his father, makes it painfully clear that Saul means to kill David. After Jonathan dodged his own bullet, I mean spear, he goes out with his armor-bearer and carries out the signs according to his and David's devised plan. He warns David that his father truly means to kill him. Afterwards, Jonathan releases his young armor-bearer, and sends him back into the city. Shhh... I have to whisper something in your ear, so you have to come a little closer for this... " As soon as the lad was gone, David arose out of the place toward the south, and fell on his face to the ground, and bowed himself three times; and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded" (1 Samuel 20:41). Wah Lawd! Hammercy on my soul! Do I really have to tell you what "exceeded" means? Really? Do I? Okay... The Hebrew word translated as "exceeded" is Gadal. It simply means "to grow, to enlarge, or become great; to promote, or to make powerful." Now I know that some of you will try to argue that what that means is that Jonathan, who is later killed in battle, diminishes in status and power and David who we know becomes King, "grows" in status, power and greatness... NOT... Saul, the King was still alive and, so was Jonathan, the heir to the throne, thus the reverence David pays to him every time they meet by bowing his head to the ground three times. No Dearheart, at this particular moment, in this particular context, the Hebrew translation of "exceeded," Gadal is .... Yes, a fully "grown," "enlarged," erection! Realizing this was the end of their love affair, Jonathan and David embraced, cried all over each other, kissed all over each other until they got all "swolt" up with and for one another and then had a "great" time before parting ways.... Shhh... Don't tell nobody I told you that.

If you read the rest of the story, you will learn that Jonathan and Saul both perish in battle and upon hearing of their deaths, David laments and sings for his lost love, "How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places, I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant has thou been unto me: Thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women" (2 Samuel 1:25, 26). Umph... Whoop dere it is. Thank you King David for clearing that up for us. Oh yeah, one more thing - remember that promise/covenant made between Jonathan and David regarding their offspring? David honors it in 2 Samuel 9:1-13... Okay, that's it, I'm tired, and admittedly after this, I'm feeling a little frisky myself, so I'm gonna close this thing down.

But, if by this I have grieved you, forgive me and let not thine heart be troubled by what thy maidservant speaketh, for it is the Word of the Lord thou spake thence in thine hearing. In other words, don't be mad at me; it's in the book!

© Dorinda G. Henry, 2010

THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!

"The Love That Dare Not Speak Its Name"

Jonathan and David - Part I- An Introduction
1 Samuel 18:1-4; 19: 1-7; 20: 30, 41, 42; 2 Samuel 1:23, 26, 27

"When David had finished speaking to Saul, the soul of Jonathan was bound to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. Saul took him [David] that day and would not let him return to his father's house. Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that he was wearing, and gave it to David, and his armor, and even his sword and his bow and his belt" (NRSV 1 Samuel 18: 1-4).

*I recommend that you read all of 1 Samuel, chapters 18-21... I'm just saying....

TWO LOVES
by
Lord Alfred Douglas, 1894

I dreamed I stood upon a little hill,
And at my feet there lay a ground, that seemed
Like a waste garden, flowering at its will
With buds and blossoms. There were pools that dreamed
Black and unruffled; there were white lilies
A few, and crocuses, and violets
Purple or pale, snake-like fritillaries
Scarce seen for the rank grass, and through green nets
Blue eyes of shy peryenche winked in the sun.
And there were curious flowers, before unknown,
Flowers that were stained with moonlight, or with shades
Of Nature's wilful moods; and here a one
That had drunk in the transitory tone
Of one brief moment in a sunset; blades
Of grass that in an hundred springs had been
Slowly but exquisitely nurtured by the stars,
And watered with the scented dew long cupped
In lilies, that for rays of sun had seen
Only God's glory, for never a sunrise mars
The luminous air of Heaven. Beyond, abrupt,
A grey stone wall, o'ergrown with velvet moss
Uprose; and gazing I stood long, all mazed
To see a place so strange, so sweet, so fair.
And as I stood and marvelled, lo! across
The garden came a youth; one hand he raised
To shield him from the sun, his wind-tossed hair
Was twined with flowers, and in his hand he bore
A purple bunch of bursting grapes, his eyes
Were clear as crystal, naked all was he,
White as the snow on pathless mountains frore,
Red were his lips as red wine-spilith that dyes
A marble floor, his brow chalcedony.
And he came near me, with his lips uncurled
And kind, and caught my hand and kissed my mouth,
And gave me grapes to eat, and said, 'Sweet friend,
Come I will show thee shadows of the world
And images of life. See from the South
Comes the pale pageant that hath never an end.'
And lo! within the garden of my dream
I saw two walking on a shining plain
Of golden light. The one did joyous seem
And fair and blooming, and a sweet refrain
Came from his lips; he sang of pretty maids
And joyous love of comely girl and boy,
His eyes were bright, and 'mid the dancing blades
Of golden grass his feet did trip for joy;
And in his hand he held an ivory lute
With strings of gold that were as maidens' hair,
And sang with voice as tuneful as a flute,
And round his neck three chains of roses were.
But he that was his comrade walked aside;
He was full sad and sweet, and his large eyes
Were strange with wondrous brightness, staring wide
With gazing; and he sighed with many sighs
That moved me, and his cheeks were wan and white
Like pallid lilies, and his lips were red
Like poppies, and his hands he clenched tight,
And yet again unclenched, and his head
Was wreathed with moon-flowers pale as lips of death.
A purple robe he wore, o'erwrought in gold
With the device of a great snake, whose breath
Was fiery flame: which when I did behold
I fell a-weeping, and I cried, 'Sweet youth,
Tell me why, sad and sighing, thou dost rove
These pleasant realms? I pray thee speak me sooth
What is thy name?' He said, 'My name is Love.'
Then straight the first did turn himself to me
And cried, 'He lieth, for his name is Shame,
But I am Love, and I was wont to be
Alone in this fair garden, till he came
Unasked by night; I am true Love, I fill
The hearts of boy and girl with mutual flame.'
Then sighing, said the other, 'Have thy will,
I am the Love that dare not speak its name.'

Wah Lawd! Yes indeed child! Ya might wanna get your King James out for this... See ya next week!
© Dorinda G. Henry, 2010

THEOLOGIA HABITUS EST!