Bathsheba

Women In The Days of The Kings
Bathsheba

Bathsheba: Wife of David and mother of Solomon.

Key Scripture: Samuel 11:2, 3; 12:24; 1 Kings 1:11-31; 2:13-19; 1 Chronicles 3:5

Her Name Means: "The Seventh Daughter" or "The Daughter of an Oath"

Her Character: She seems to have found the courage to endure tragedy. She was beautiful, faithful, wise and protective.

Her Sorrow: Her husband was murdered and she suffered the loss of her first child.

Her Joy: To have given birth to five sons, one of whom became king of Israel after David's death.

Pre-Story: Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, and the  grand-daughter of Ahitophel, a shrewd military and political counselor of David. She was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who was a high-ranking professional soldier. Her father and husband were stationed at Jerusalem, directly under the control of the king. They were David’s personal bodyguards, his champions, renowned for their bravery.

Her Story: Bathsheba's story is set against the backdrop of David's war against the Ammonites. The story begins with the significant phrase, “But David tarried still at Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1).
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent his army and they ravaged the Ammonites.

One evening, David was relaxing and walking on the palace roof. From the roof he saw a beautiful woman bathing. Bathsheba was most probably on the house’s flat roof, a tented area often used by the women of the family for a variety of tasks. David sent messengers to find out who she was and summon her to the palace. The man returned and said, "She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite." (2 Samuel 11:3).

David's passions were aroused. David, ever attracted by lovely women, coveted her, and became guilty of an outrageous disgrace. Despite David knowing that she was married, he sent for her; "She came to him, and he slept with her." (2 Samuel 11:4). Then she went back home. 

Bathsheba later sent word to David that she was pregnant. Learning of Bathsheba’s pregnant condition, David sent word to Joab, the commander in chief of King David's army, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." David was nervous that his sin of adultery would now be found out.

The King called for Uriah to come home so that he would spend a night with his wife, Bathsheba and cover up the sin that Bathsheba was pregnant with David's child. However; "But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house." (2 Samuel 11:6-13.)

David was filled with anger that his plan did not work. When Uriah went back to war, King David sent a note to the army commander with instructions to have Uriah put at the frontline and to withdraw so that he would die.

After the accustomed period of mourning Bathsheba became the wife of David.

What David had done displeased the Lord. The prophet Nathan visited King David and told him of the Lord's disapproval and displeasure with David. Even though David repented of his sin, Nathan told David that the son Bathsheba was expecting would die. The child died within a week of his birth.

God blessed David and Bathsheba with another son whom they called Solomon. God so loved Solomon that Nathan the prophet called him Jedidiah, which means "beloved of Jehovah." Solomon, would become the wisest ruler of Israel.

Bathsheba was a faithful wife to David. Years passed, and Bathsheba and King David grew older. We hear nothing about Bathsheba’s life during these long years. With exception of David's oldest son, Adonijah's attempt to usurp the throne. (1 Kings 1:5-53).

Bathsheba was especially loyal to her son Solomon, becoming his closest adviser, making sure he followed David as king, even though Solomon was not David's firstborn son. (1 Kings 1:5-53).

The new king valued his mother's help so much that he had a second throne installed for her so that she became his closest adviser until her death. "Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon.... And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king's mother; so she sat at his right hand." (1 Kings 2:18).

Her Place in God's Divine Plan: It was through Solomon, the line to the Messiah flowed.

Her Challenges Along the Way: The woman whose beauty resulted in adultery and murder. Her beauty made her a victim to a king's desire.

Her Victories: She became an honored Queen.

Lesson We Can Learn from Her Legacy: Women had few rights in ancient times. When King David summoned Bathsheba, she had no choice but to sleep with him. After David had her husband murdered, she had no choice when David took her for his wife. Despite being mistreated, she learned to love David and saw a promising future for Solomon. Often circumstances seem stacked against us, but if we keep our faith in God, we can find meaning in life. God makes sense when nothing else does.

Genealogy:
Hometown: Jerusalem.
Occupation: Queen, wife, mother, counselor of her son Solomon.
Spouse: Uriah the Hittite - David
Sons: An unnamed son, Solomon, Shammua, Shobab, and Nathan.
Parents: Eliam
Grandfather: Ahitophel

*In the gospel of Matthew, there are five women are included in the genealogy of Jesus. Bathsheba is the fourth of these women.

*The story of Bathsheba and David has proved so enduring that its plot has been borrowed for countless romance novels, movies, and daytime dramas.