2 Corinthians 1:3-4 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.
As wonderful as Christmas is, it can also amplify the brokenness in our lives and our families causing grief and pain. The holiday season can be a sharp reminder of loneliness, separation, loss, hurt, and longing. But I have good news. The very reason Jesus came to Earth is to heal and restore His children.
Bathsheba is the fourth woman named in the lineage of Christ. Her story is usually told from the perspective of King David in 2 Samuel 11 &12, but I think a lot can be learned from Bathsheba’s viewpoint. Keep in mind she was a woman with no rights and no voice in a patriarchal society. One evening, while performing the mundane task of bathing, David saw her from the palace. King David inquired about Bathsheba and learned that she was the wife of one of his soldiers, Uriah, who was off fighting in battle.
Knowing she was a married woman; Kind David summoned her to his palace (2 Samuel 11:4). We don’t know the intricate details of the consensual nature of the encounter, but she was a woman summoned by her king and her husband’s commander. Maybe she was terrified of saying no, maybe she felt honored to be noticed by the king, or maybe she felt it could benefit her husband’s military position if she was agreeable with the king. Whatever was going on in her mind, we do know that the entire event was initiated by King David who was supposed to be with his army instead of creeping out the window in the palace.
Bathsheba became pregnant and sent word to King David. Being pregnant while your husband is at war would have been a capital offense punishable by death for Bathsheba. David tries to cover up the pregnancy by inviting Uriah to return home to his wife, but when Uriah didn’t cooperate, King David had him placed in battle where Uriah would be intentionally killed (2 Samuel 11:14-15). Now a widow, Bathsheba mourned for her husband (2 Samuel 11:26).
David brought Bathsheba to the palace as his wife, saving her life and his honor (2 Samuel 11:27). Although David thought he had covered his sin, it was still seen by God. God uses the prophet Nathan to confront David’s sin explaining that the consequences would be the death of the child that Bathsheba was carrying (2 Samuel 12:9-14). Bathsheba had lost her husband Uriah, her child, and the old life she had before that night with the king. It can be so easy to look at her story and label her an adulterer, but when you take a closer look, it is a deeply tragic story full of death, secrecy, and decisions outside of her control.
As we look at the lineage of Jesus, we see that He comes from a long line of dysfunctional sinners. Many of us can relate to this. We may have a past that is full of shame, pain, and hurt. What is so important to see is what God did, despite the brokenness of this family. God used these very people to bring us our promised Messiah. The One who would not only empathize with our grief but also be the Comforter in our sorrow.
Hebrews 4:14-16 reminds us, “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is not only able to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has also been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”
Whatever shame, guilt, or pain you may have in your past, Jesus is our Healer and Comforter. Just as this was not the end of the story for Bathsheba, it is not the end of the story for you and me. Bathsheba later became the mother of King Solomon, the wisest and most successful king in Israel’s history. God had a plan to use her for His glory and good regardless of her broken past and the path leading her to the palace. God has a reputation of taking the broken, shattered, and hopeless and working things out in amazing ways and He is faithful to do this for you and me.
We can boldly enter the presence of God repenting of our own sin and asking for restoration from the pain inflicted by others. This is why Jesus came, to give healing and hope, to restore and redeem, and to show compassion and new life to those who trust in Him.