David's Mighty Men of War - Uriah The Hittite

King David was the second king of Israel. He is well known for fighting the giant, Goliath, and for siring Solomon, the king known for his great wisdom. During his time as king, and even before that, David was protected and served by men who believed that it was their righteous duty to follow him. These mighty men, as they were so called, were skilled in battle and loyal to their king. They would risk their very lives in the blink of an eye for their anointed king.

Uriah the Hittite was one of David's mighty men. It is interesting to note that Uriah was not an Israelite. He was of the Hittites, one of the peoples who were Israel's enemies. They were listed with the Canaanites, the Amorites, the Ammonites, the Moabites and many more as enemies of Israel. The Hittites were first mentioned in Genesis Chapter 15, when God promised that the land of the Hittites would be given to Abraham's seed. It is also interesting to note, that for a long while archeologists doubted the existence of the Hittite people, as the only record of them was found in the Bible. Today, there are many artifacts found that prove these people did indeed exist.

So here was Uriah, a man in David's army, loyal to the king as any Israelite could be, only he was not an Israelite. Uriah's wife was Bathsheba. She was the daughter of Eliam who was listed among David's strongest warriors. Eliam's father was Ahithophel the Gilonite, the great Counsellor of David, who betrayed him and conspired against him with his son, Absalom. Gilonites were Hittites who had settled in Gilon and so Bathsheba was also a Hittite.

Not much is known about Uriah and the great feats he did as a member of David's army. His name translated means 'God is light'. He did, however, willingly stay by the king's side, vowing to protect him. When David instructed him to go home and rest he insisted that it would be wrong for him to seek pleasure while the rest of the army remained vigilant. He though it to be a wicked thing if he deserted the king in order to feel comfortable. Honor meant a lot to him and his honor was wrapped up in his loyalty. He also faced the enemy and went calmly to be slaughtered at the front lines where David had instructed he be placed. In doing the right thing and serving his king unselfishly, Uriah's name was not only mocked but his life was taken. For this alone, I think he deserved to be on that list of brave men. For he served the king with his last breath while the king coveted and stole what belonged to him.

It is not known whether Uriah ever found out about Bathsheba's betrayal with King David. All is known is that he died as a result of that betrayal. David repented wholeheartedly when his sin was pointed out to him but Uriah could not be brought to life again and what was done could not be undone. He did what was right and took Bathsheba as his wife. As a punishment, the Lord took their first son away from them.

The tragedy of Uriah and what happened to him could convince people that practicing righteousness can be a dangerous thing. But things like this happen to both the righteous and the wicked everyday. At the end of it all, Uriah was able to stand before God with clean hands. He had done all that he could for his anointed king. He had served him wholeheartedly and proven himself to be mighty.

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