Uriah the Hittite

Today marks 142 days since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7th. With genocidal hatred, Hamas inflicted the deadliest attack against the Jews in a single day since the Holocaust. They killed over 1,200, and they captured as hostages over 240. As of today, over 130 still remain in Gaza where evidence shows they suffer systematic sexual violence.

Furthermore, antisemitism continues to rise globally. For example, a recent report revealed 4,103 anti-Jewish incidents happened in the United Kingdom for 2023, “by far the largest-ever total recorded” in a single year. Most of these happened after the Hamas attack in October, and these numbers don’t reflect the unreported incidents.

My own children could contribute a dozen antisemitic incidents to the report––not because they are Jewish, but because they stand in solidarity with the Jewish people. After the war began, a classmate said to my son, “Hitler was right.” The mood in their school reflects a sympathetic justification of Hamas and an overall demonisation of Israel. I could write a lot of stories to back that up.

In the face of this evil, what should our posture be?

Just after the war began, I found myself inspired by someone in scripture you may not think about a lot––especially as a heroic figure. His name is Uriah.

While Uriah is away at war, King David committed adultery with his wife, Bathsheba, and impregnated her. To cover up his sin, David called Uriah back from the front, telling him to enjoy a night at home. He clearly assumed Uriah would sleep with Bathsheba. That way, Bathsheba’s pregnancy would look as though it came from her own husband rather than from David.

Uriah did something David didn’t expect, though. Instead of a night at home, Uriah “slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house” (2 Sam. 11:9). David was surprised and annoyed. His cover-up scheme didn’t going according to plan. When he questioned Uriah, the response was quite stunning:

And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.” (11:11)

As long as Israel was at war, Uriah refused to be comfortable. He refused to spend one night acting as though everything was normal when it wasn’t. He refused to enjoy his own bed and his own wife as long as his brothers were sleeping in tents on the ground.

David needed to still hide his adultery, so he got Uriah drunk, thinking that will surely cause him to wander home, looking to enjoy himself. Uriah’s resolve was so strong, though, that even intoxication did not sway him. Eventually, Uriah’s loyalty cost him his life. David and his commander, Joab, conspired, ensuring Uriah died on the battlefield.

While Uriah’s commitment and selflessness are inspiring generally, there is a twist to his story that makes his life even more relevant for us. Uriah was not a Hebrew. He was a Hittite. He didn’t belong among the children of Israel, and he certainly shouldn’t have been fighting in her wars.

When 2 Samuel 11 introduced Uriah, it called him, “Uriah the Hittite.” Later, David called him by the same title (11:6). In Genesis 15:20, Exodus 33:2, and Deuteronomy 7:1, God named the Hittites among the enemies of Israel. They were a part of the nations mightier than Israel whom God drove out to give Israel the promised land. Therefore, Uriah should have been fighting against Israel––not with her. Somehow, though, Uriah lived a different story. Rather than setting himself in antagonism and violence against the children of Israel, he chose to live among them and fight for them. He did so at the expense of his own comfort and, ultimately, his own life.

After October 7th, I kept pondering Uriah as a model for the non-Jewish Christian church. Perhaps, we ought to refuse to be comfortable as long as our Jewish brothers are fighting a war––a war they didn’t start and they didn’t want. A war that began with the deadliest attack against the Jews in a single day since the Holocaust. A war that is engulfed in global antisemitism and unfounded accusations against Israel.

As I considered this in the week following October 7th, I went to a baby shower for friends. I was stunned when I asked the baby’s name. They responded, “It’s Uriah.” It seemed to me the Lord was confirming Uriah’s life as a paradigm for me and for the church. Israel needs us to remain vigilant, sober, and awake as intercessors and advocates.

How do we walk this out practically? Here’s a simple starting point: Resist information fatigue. In our world of social media, we can quickly lose the shock-factor of traumatic events. The first couple of times we see violent images they incite some kind of a response. Eventually, though, we just scroll past without thinking too much about the lives within the pictures. In prayer, fight for sensitivity to this issue. Resist the urge to see the casualties of war as mere numbers. Jewish and Arab people are suffering greatly because of the reckless hatred of Hamas. This should bother us.

In a previous blog, I wrote about how to pray for Israel. We must continually do that again and again without wearying. Additionally, there may be other things God leads us to do, such as fasting. If we ask Him, God will ignite a fire in us on behalf of Israel, making us the Isaiah 62 intercessors that take no rest and give Him no rest until His promises for Jerusalem come in fullness. After all, the name Uriah means “flame of God.” May His flame, His passion for Israel make us Uriahs in this hour. May we be Hittites among the Hebrews–contending along with them, not against them, for the peace and promises of God.