This army soldier broke his neck after a fall. His neck is unstable and he needs a special device called a halo to keep his neck from moving while the fracture heals. If he were allowed to move his neck freely he is at risk of damaging his spinal cord and possibly being paralyzed. Shortly after coming to our area he asked to see me. I approached this soldier who was laying flat on his back with a neck brace on and the brace was secured to the bed. He could only look at the ceiling. He wanted to talk to me about his injuries. He wanted to know if he were going to have any lasting injuries. I explained that at this point it is hard to tell but the fact that he has a normal neurological exam now is promising for his future as long as his neck is allowed to heal. His next question was shocking due to its valor. He asked, “Will I be able to come back to my unit after my neck has healed?” I responded that I wasn’t sure how long it would take for him to recover and what the Army would do with him after he had recuperated. He then said, “I came here with my unit and I want to leave with my unit.” What honor! Many would have used this as the ticket home. I do not think anyone would begrudge someone who has a broken neck from getting a ticket home. But this soldier was different. He had a commitment to his unit that superceded his own welfare. It would have seemed only natural for him to look forward with being done with his tour in Iraq; but no, he was committed and didn’t want to break faith with his fellow soldiers.

So what famous Biblical soldier did this young man remind me of? There is one soldier who stands out in David’s army who was absolutely committed to his troops above his own welfare. That man was Uriah.

In the eleventh chapter of 2 Samuel the story is told of when David’s soldiers went out to war and he stayed behind. While Uriah was fighting, David slept with his wife Bathsheba and she became pregnant.

So David sent word to Joab:”Send me Uriah the Hitite.” And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your House and wash your feet.” Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all of the master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
When David was told, Uriah did not go home,” he asked him, “Haven’t you just come from a distant? Why didn’t you go home?”
Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
Then David said to him, “Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. At Davids invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home. 2 Samuel 11:6-13

Since Uriah would not sleep with his wife to cover the fact that David had gotten her pregnant he eventually told Joab this, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” 2 Samuel 11:15

The soldier of whom I speak today is worthy of praise. It humbles me to serve with men who have such honor.

Soli Deo Gloria