Bathsheba
Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 11:1-5
David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife.
Matthew 1:6
Bathsheba was an Israelite who had married a foreigner. And her husband, Uriah, who was born a Hittite, was a faithful soldier to King David. But David dishonored Uriah. In a scandal that rocked Israel, David had Uriah killed in battle to try to cover up the fact that Uriah's wife was pregnant by David himself.
Along with Uriah, Bathsheba was a victim of David. God sent a prophet, Nathan, to confront David (2 Samuel 12), laying sole responsibility on him as king. Bathsheba had been a pawn to a king who had forgotten that he did not have the last word on matters of morality. The king of Israel was responsible to God, the King of all kings who called for justice, kindness, and compassion.
I can only begin to imagine the devastation that all this meant for Bathsheba. Violated by a man of great power who then had her husband killed on the battlefield, Bathsheba must have felt her life was ruined.
But the Lord would not be stopped by circumstances such as these. God's possibilities thrive in impossible situations. Just when it seems as if history is at another dead end, God opens a new path forward. Bathsheba became the mother of a king whose glory was exceeded only by Christ himself.
Dead ends are all around us. But God specializes in opening new roads.
Lord, some of us have had our lives destroyed by the greed and injustice of others. We don't know where to turn. Comfort us, and open up a road to your peace, we pray. Amen.
About the author — Bob Heerspink
Dr. Robert Heerspink was director of Back to God Ministries International from 2006 until 2011, when he passed away. He had previously pastored several Christian Reformed churches. Bob loved to write and was a frequent contributor to the Today devotional.
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