2 Samuel 11:14-27 KJV
14 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
16 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.
17 And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war;
19 And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king,
20 And if so be that the king's wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?
21 Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
22 So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for.
23 And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.
24 And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king's servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.
25 Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another: make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and encourage thou him.
26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.

Bathesheba is the name of the wife of Uriah, she would become a wife to King David. David knew unless Uriah the Hittite was a good soldier he would die in battle. Messengers were people that went and gave the message to the King, or other war generals in battle. He was a runner of sorts. This was not Uriah main job in the military but he got assign to the duty, when David found out Bathesheba was pregnant by him and not her husband. His hope was when he brought him word and plan to send him back he go to his wife for one night and he be free of his sin of coveting this man's wife. Instead he stay outside the door of the King's house instead. David having no choice in his mind but to send him in the thick of battle and in hopes it would kill Uriah unknown to Joab one of his generals. Joab would send back word to David Uriah was dead.

One of the worse sins in history. God did not prevent the act of murder, but he would chastise David heart over and over. Many Psalms reflecting his sin. Many breaking of his heart. He would loose the baby of his new wife Bathesheba, despite his sin, he made her his wife, to cover himself that only exposed him.

This chapter really only reflects the messenger Uriah, but to understand that Uriah life is in jeopardy and yet he is a soldier to the man that wants him dead. Uriah is a man, in the middle of the Kings struggle of gross sin against his nation, through the plot of murdering one of his own. Yet Uriah prefect soldier down to not going to his wife once home, instead being as the rest of the soldiers were absent from their wives.

His called to be a messenger to a king only because of who his wife was. A wife that been respectful of her husband until the night King require her to lie with him, despite she was married. Yet when she discovered she was pregnant she goes to the King, and probably knew not his murderous plot that would unfold because of her pregnancy.

The call of messenger to deliver as instructed the message of war. A job no one truly wanted because it might anger the King. Yet no thinks of the King wanted to destroy you because of your wife. Uriah would return with a message that would put him in the frontlines of battle, where surely he be killed. Yet because of his call to be a soldier he went bravely to the frontlines and died a soldier of valor.

John the Baptist was a messenger or forerunner for Christ. His death would be because of what he said about the king brother's wife. He would loose his very head. It did not matter he serve God and what he said was truth, it only matter he offend the King's wife. It matter not that the King had married his sister inlaw, John had said he was wrong for doing so, for this he lost his head for speaking of it, and the queen desired John the Baptist head. What that means is power sometimes kills those that deserve not death to save their own hid, but it never works. It never works with God. Messenger of God have the same problem as soldiers in military of man. You better be on the right side of the human king. His orders might cost one their life. To be servant of human power over you is not a job others should relish in. Freedom in the land of America declares all are equal, but in truth the power of the government often lords over man. If nothing more by the laws. Yet in truth our president becomes a normal citizen when he steps out of power. His power only by his own merit of work outside the government. In other nations that have kings, there power is lifetime. To function as a nation of that only allows power for several terms of office means man only has so many years to make changes in government for the people, and hopefully to benefit everyone not just himself.

This day and age with text messaging and so forth communication between higher powers come easier, yet before then the telegraph was often used, or a telephone, radio, and other electronics. The communication changing the way messages are delivered to the president, to the kings of the world and so forth. The need for the messenger may only be to deliver documents and yet those documents are now sent by texting, email and electronic communication only known to governments around the world.

Today as we think of what it means to be messenger and the duties of messenger to follow orders to speak truth of events, yet Uriah followed not the orders of the king for him to see his wife. He had permission from the highest power in the land and yet he felt it was his duty not to go because his men did not return home to see their wives too, he slept has his men did. He would pay the price of loyalty to his men and his nation. He died in duty with honor.

John the Baptist a messenger would die not in what is valor but in truth, despite the anger it caused another. John the Baptist was feared by Herod because he was a just man and an holy. He liked John the baptist but not enough to disobey the words of his wife for John to beheaded. Yet John was faithful to God and preached righteousness. He came before the Messiah, and knew who the Messiah was. John the baptist in his fame had to die out for Christ ministry to grow. in recourse it was also God's will for John to die. Hard to except death coming in form of murder by the will of God. Cain murder Abel, God allowed it, God allowed the murder of Uriah and the murder of John the Baptist. Yet he consider these men righteous before him, because they believed in him. The murder of own son at the cries of man.

John death with purpose, Jesus death with purpose. Abel death with purpose or Uriah? No, murder was of sin, all murder is because of sin. Murder done to cover up one's actions, cover up sin of another that important perhaps, cover of sin of jealousy, to controlled a situation that can not be controlled.

Messengers of truth do not always win in this world only for eternity, because their eternity is with God. You are messenger of God from the first day you believed. Hold to truth, and righteousness. God not done with you yet. Share the good news today. May your faith matter to someone and be witness of God's truth.

Dear Heavenly Father, messengers were another form of work that died with our technology, only in the political world, may we as believers continue to be messengers of faith despite the cost. In Jesus precious name, Amen.

Continual Scripture Study: Mark 6:16-20 KJV
16 But when Herod heard thereof, he said, It is John, whom I beheaded: he is risen from the dead.
17 For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.
18 For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.
19 Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:
20 For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.