When I was younger, the story of David and Bethsheba was just a cautionary tale on the consequences of wanting what you shouldn’t have. The story centers on David, who had it all, but was not immune to the allure of wanting what he couldn’t have. Driven by desire, David plotted and murdered an innocent man. He was later confronted for his actions, repented, and accepted the consequences.
Now, as a grown woman, I see it was much deeper than that. That story was a doorway into something painfully contemporary. It wasn’t just a story about a man who made poor choices, suffered the consequences and came out a better man: but a story about a woman who was caught up in the wake of man’s temporary urges, and had to live with the consequences for the rest of her life.
David had set everything in motion, repented, and had gotten to resume his old life. The same could not be said of Bethsheba: pregnant, grieving her husband, her old life, and later on, her child…
Today, we see smaller versions of that story everywhere: men making decisions, and women carrying the aftermath.
Maybe he regrets it and is sorry.
Maybe he has changed and moved on.
Maybe he was young but has grown up.
Maybe he looks back and regrets his decisions.
But repentance changes nothing for the woman. There are mistakes no amount of repentance can undo…