David was a man after God's own heart. (1Sam 13 v 14) & (Acts 13:22) so what happened with Bathsheba? What was David thinking? Maybe things were getting too good for David. He was King of Israel and Judah. The kingdom was prospering. God seemed to bless everything that David touched. This is DAVID, King of Israel! Psalm writer! Yet he had his weaknesses, like all of us.
I'm sure you all know this story in today's reading, if it were current news headlines it may read:
God's favourite king in illicit affair!
Hero of the Bible implicated in adultery and murder!
King David steals generals wife then has him executed!
This is the same man who wrote so many of those beautiful, tender Psalms. One of which is Psalm 51, a Psalm of repentance written shortly after his affair with Bathsheba.
It's stories like this that add authority and authenticity to the Bible, if we were writing the Bible, might we try to cover up this blemish on the Royal Line?
David eventually marries Bathsheba, their son Solomon, built the Temple, wrote Proverbs and desired wisdom as a gift from God. David, Bathsheba and Solomon are all in the family tree of Jesus as revealed in Matthew's genealogy. Solomon being listed as "the son of Bathsheba, who had been Uriah's wife"
My point is, the story doesn't end here. David doesn't get away with it as far as keeping his dirty little secret and God won't let him, we can't hide our heart from God. Even though David commits a callous and heartless act he is still Israel's king and after he confessed it, he is forgiven. Even God's chosen one, King David (my, favourite messer-upper) had spiritual weaknesses. There are consequences to our sin, as there were for David; however, if we are willing to face God -- and ourselves -- with the same painful honesty as David did, healing and restoration follow.
Each day I mess-up to some degree, it is always such an encouragement to me that God chooses flawed people to do fabulous things. He can fulfil his work without me, and without you, yet he chooses us and changes us when we choose to give him our hearts and our time.
Dawn Milward
Read the bible in a year: Psalm 71:1-8, 2 Samuel 11:1-12:31, Acts 4:1-22
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