Bathsheba

By Guest Writer

Editor’s Note: Some passages in Scripture deal in subject matter which might be especially painful for some readers. Though many of the wounds we receive in this life are deeply personal and unimaginably painful, when they appear in God’s Word, we are reminded that He sees them. Whenever sin is addressed in Scripture—whether through teaching or story—it comes to us in the context of God’s unwavering commitment to bring an end to all evil in this world through the finished work of Christ (Revelation 21:3–4). We are praying for and with you as you read.

The story of David and Bathsheba is full of sin, bloodshed, and death—and the Bible gives a clear assessment of King David’s role in the matter. In his absence from the battlefield, in his adultery with Bathsheba, and in the cold-blooded murder of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, “the LORD considered what David had done to be evil” (2 Samuel 11:27).

Interestingly, the Bible passes no such definitive judgment upon Bathsheba. Obviously, Bathsheba’s life was fraught with hardship and tragedy: uninvited sexual advances from the king, which she was powerless to refuse (11:4), an unplanned pregnancy with a man who was not her husband (v.5), the untimely death of her husband at the hands of the king (v.17), and the death of her infant child (12:18).

Though the beginning of their marriage was less than ideal, Bathsheba received comfort from David after the death of their child, and the Lord ordained for her to bring forth another son into the world (12:24). 

That son—Solomon—would later receive the throne of his father (1 Kings 1:30). Bathsheba advocated for her son in this regard, and when Solomon became king, she received the honor due the king’s mother.

As I read the details of Bathsheba’s life, I wonder what it all means. My own life is constructed of triumphs and tragedies that often seem devoid of greater meaning and purpose. To anyone who has joined me in wondering, What is the meaning of my life? or Why are certain things happening to me? the larger context of Bathsheba’s life offers very good news. 

Through a union she never asked for, the Messiah came into the world; Matthew records that Jesus Christ was born David’s line through Solomon (Matthew 1:6). The Bible’s ultimate judgment upon the life of Bathsheba was that it was of monumental importance to the Father’s redemptive work, not because her triumphs outweighed her tragedies, but because her life was overseen by a Savior whose purposes are always good.

The same is true of your life as you walk with Christ. You are in His hands as He works through tragedy and triumph, and in all things in between (Romans 8:28). Life by life, the Father is redeeming and restoring the Creation He loves. Will you thank Him today for His faithfulness in all things?

Written by Davis Lacey