Abiathar was angry.  He was going to confront Uriah.  As the priest that David
trusted in he would not allow this Hittite to worship Baal in the camp.

He stormed up to the camp fire where the noted warriors were lounging.  The fire
flickered on the swarthy faces of these hodge podge freedom fighters.

When he walked up, silence invaded.  It always does when the preacher walks in.

With steel in his voice he challenged Uriah.  'Have you been worshipping your
God here in the camp of Israel?'

Funny how silence can suddenly freeze every sound. Uriah was slow to answer.  He
was not about to take anything from any man, but this was the priest.

How he answered could easily start major trouble with men who wore their swords
ready to hand.  He had seen bloodshed in a flash not long ago when Abner met
Joab.

His eyes were steady as he looked up at Abiathar.  Slowly he stood.  He looked
up to only one man.  The man he gave his allegiance to.  David.

He respected Abiathar, but he feared no man. While the elite fighters of David
waited to see how this would go down, he said, "actually no I have not".

He waited.  Abiathar was seething with a righteous vengeance. 

"What are the remains of the altar I found today?  The word is that you
worshipped your god of the Hittites there.  I demand an answer!" Abiathar half
shouted.

Other men gathered around.  The small fire was now surrounded by a legion of
David's fighting men.

Uriah said tersely, " You asked If I worshipped in the camp.  I did not.  I went
to a high place and there practiced my own beliefs."

Abiathar snarled "How dare you?"

Uriah stood his ground.  "I did not join David's religion.  I joined his cause
to fight for his Kingdom.  He has never spoken to me of my faith.  I have done
nothing wrong."

Abiathar's eyes were those of a zealot.  Smoldering, angry, barely contained,
eyes.

It was a standoff of proud men both who felt they were right.

It was Joab of all people who deescalated the moment.  

Slowly Joab rose to his feet.  All eyes shifted to the General.

Joab slowly and calmly said to the priest, "Uriah is not asking you to approve
of his worship Abiathar.  He is asking you to ignore his religion."

Everyone there could feel the release of tension.  It was a word fitly spoken. 

Abiathar stalked off into the night.  Uriah stretched his hands to the fire and
said nothing.

It is not the things that we are forced to approve that are our danger in 2011.  

It is the things we ignore.

Did Uriah's religion factor in to David's taking Bathsheba?

Why did Bathsheba have enormous influence on David until his death?

Did Joab resist placing Uriah in the forefront of battle? He was after all a
Baal worshipper?

I do not know these things, but I do know this......

The world is not asking me to approve of Gays.  The world is asking me to ignore
them. 

 Pulpit silence.  

The world is not asking me to approve of abortion.  The world is asking me to
ignore it.

Pulpit silence.

The world is not asking me to approve social drinking.  The world asks me to
ignore it.

Pulpit silence.

Maybe just maybe had Abitahar forced the issue, the entire course of Israel's
history might have been redirected.

I have decided I will not approve, nor will I ignore certain things.

I will speak, and maybe some Uriah's may yet live!

Thanks for reading today.

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