This lesson on David and Bathsheba is not taking the expected direction. Oh sure, we will discuss the obvious but in the past few years the old way of telling the story is taking a different direction with many biblical scholars in the 'me too' era. Not that I heard this Bible story often growing up...you can kind of put it in the category including the woman with the issue of blood and any cutting off of foreskin Bible story. Those aren't the kind of stories to tackle with children but when you get into junior high and high school, the David/Bathsheba story is usually used as a lesson to thwart those raging hormones during the discussion of how far can we go before we are sinning when dating. Do they even discuss this kind of stuff anymore? But of course, I digress.
The lesson takes the turn in II Samuel 12, when Nathan is sent by the Lord to see David and confront him...only with a story. One of the few uses of parables in the OT. So Nathan starts out telling David an animal story. I don't know about y'all but that animal care commercial where dogs are in the snow, chained to a stake, cats trying to keep warm...all get to me so much so I have to turn the channel and this particular commercial must be one of the longest commercials time wise cause I flip back too soon. Not only does Nathan tell an animal story, but he tells a sheep and lamb story...of course, the sure way to a shepherd's heart. A rich man and a poor man round out the story except for the traveler that is mentioned who comes to see the rich man. Rich man doesn't take a sheep out of his herd to feed the traveler but takes the poor mans one little lamb. Of course David is livid, says the rich man should be killed and replace the lamb fourfold. Then Nathan says, Thou Art The Man....What has pulled my interest is the word traveler. Everything I have read concerning the usage of this word in reference to the story means, of course one on a journey, wayfaring man, one walking on a road or path. The traveler is also a reference to David, so he is a rich man and the traveler is the thought or process causing him to sin against Bathsheba, Uriah, baby and the soldiers killed in battle with Uriah. There are also variations on the depth of the word traveler known to those living in that time. The meaning could be one that passes by, then it becomes one who stays from time to time and the final stage is taking up residence. David was quick to confess his sin when confronted after about nine months of keeping his sin hidden. We can read Psalm 51 to gain insight into his heart. But sadly his best days are behind him as his family begins to fall apart and they are repeating the pattern of his sin where David doesn't or can't say anything.
The front flowerbed needs so much attention because the weeds are taking over the front part of that bed. I also need to check on the ginger gold apples because they are the first apples of apple season. Last year that little tree produced about 50 apples but production doesn't seem to be that many this year, although the apples look bigger than last year. One of the peach trees died so I need to get another planted, maybe in the fall or do I wait till spring, I don't know but I will find out.
From the window I am watching a mockingbird protecting his perceived territory on top of Mary Joyce's house. He is marching on the roof line like a soldier. Quite funny to watch. It used to be that the bird feeder in the back ran out of food before the front yard feeder but guess feral cats keep visits to the back at a minimum. Think the blue birds and woodpecker have moved on because almost anything that remains in the feeder is meal worms.
I have been thinking about the 50th anniversary of the moon walk in 1969. I watched it on a black and white TV. It seemed so unreal yet so monumental. It was the summer before starting high school. I had that anxiety riding in the pit of my stomach all summer, not about the moon... I already knew and knew from the first question in the interview I had not made it into the Rebelettes. Rebelettes were the drum, bugle and fife core of my high school, being before dance squads. The first question of the interview was, if you don't make it into the Rebelettes, would you play volleyball? So this being back in the olden days, tryouts would happen after school began. What if I didn't make it? Well, I did make the team and even before starting high school had my first official car date. Yep, in the summer of 1969 things were looking up for me after men walked on the moon.
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Monday morning is overcast and gray. We are under a flash flood watch and the rain is forecast to begin this afternoon. I might try and get out this morning for a couple of errands. Tomorrow the temps are to be in the 70's. That's a welcomed relief.
This weekend I watched two documentaries and learned about the theory that a Secret Service agent accidentally shot President Kennedy in the heat of trying to defend him and then last night about the rampant drug use for WWII beginning with Germany's usage. Never even heard of either of these things.
After church yesterday I went to lunch with Brenda and her cousin Jackie. Jackie loves books just about as much as I do, maybe even more. We had a lovely time and nearly closed down the lunch rush of the restaurant. I came home and took a much needed nap. I felt the beginnings of a sore throat Sunday morning and that is a sign I need to take a rest break. This past week I decided to finally tackle a few things here at the house that I have been putting off too long. Didn't go to choir last night cause still felt fatigued and Buddy was enjoying the back porch so much, didn't have the heart to bring her in early. It rained during the afternoon enough not to have to water the front flowerbed last night. With the break in the temps from the rain cooled air, the little family of three kept together in the backyard. Strawyer joined in the rollicking play of Punky and Mr McBeavy. He usually watches stoically. I found one of Riley's toys in the garage and brought that out for the Mr. He played with that for a solid thirty minutes. As dusk overtook the sky, it meant it was dark enough to play red laser light and Punky still enthusiastically plays.
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