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Bathsheba

Bathsheba, another unlikely woman chosen by God to be found in the genealogy of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Again, we might think this place of honour would be reserved for those with a blameless past, but Bathsheba’s story is our reminder that God can extend grace to our most shameful moments and turn our heartache into a story of his redemption.

Although we read most of the story of Bathsheba from the perspective of King David, we can’t forget that on the other side of this story was a woman who made mistakes, who suffered great loss, and who experienced heartbreak and pain.

Unlike some of the other ladies we’ve looked at in our devotional, Bathsheba didn’t come from a humble, lowly background. She was a woman of status and of good reputation. She likely got married at a young age, and the man she married was one of the king’s best soldiers, one of David’s mighty men, Uriah – a man of good character. She was born into a well-respected family and was likely wealthy, some historians even claim she might’ve been of noble birth.

Her father was also one of Kind David's mighty men, and her grandfather was Ahitophel - it’s said he could’ve been the famous Ahitophel, who features throughout David's story as one of the king's most trusted advisors who later went on betray the king.

Perhaps it was the scandal surrounding his granddaughter and his murdered grandson-in-law that contributed to Ahitophel's change of heart towards King David.

Bathsheba’s life was turned upside down in one fateful day. One wrong decision that resulted in the murder of her husband, the death of her firstborn son, a new marriage and a change of destiny.

We can never be sure if Bathsheba was a willing or unwilling participant to King David’s sin, but either way that one moment of sin, that one mistake changed her life forever.

Despite the sin, despite the betrayal and the heartbreak, God was able to turn Bathsheba's story around. She ended up as one of the most powerful women in Israel’s history, raising King Solomon - the wisest king to ever lead Israel.

Bathsheba was a woman who suffered greatly, but God redeemed Bathsheba’s pain and was able to bring beauty out of her suffering.

In the same way, if you are reading this today and feeling the pain of regret and heartbreak, loss and shame – you can be encouraged by Bathsheba’s story, that God’s grace is sufficient for even the most shameful, darkest parts of our lives. Her life is an encouragement that God is able to redeem our pain and brokenness, and bring something beautiful and powerful out of our suffering.