Have you ever made assumptions about someone based on their past or their parent’s past? I have. As a matter of fact, I did so just the other day. I was reading 1 Kings Chapter 1 and came across verse 11. This verse reads, “Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon . . .” Let me be completely honest: My initial response was “Bathsheba!? She’s Solomon’s mama??!!” Then I remembered I had the exact same response when I read 2 Samuel where the birth of Solomon is recorded.
Why am I so shocked that Bathsheba is Solomon’s mother? (You may also wonder why I can’t seem to log this fact into my long-term memory. Each time I read it, it’s as if it’s “new information.” [sigh])
I think the reason I was shocked about who Solomon’s mother is may also be the reason I am shocked when I consider the lineage of some other people I come across. We, yes, “we” (I’m not owning this issue by myself :))—we, have a tendency to place limits on the possibility of certain people to produce greatness or be great themselves if they don’t fit a certain mold or come from a certain type of background.
The events my mind associated with Bathsheba were that she had an affair with King David, ended up pregnant by David, then her husband ended up dead. The thoughts that come to mind when I think about Solomon are centered around his wisdom, his wealth, and his writings. Given these contrasting perceptions, my mind was not able to link these two people. Therefore, when I read that she was the mother of Solomon, one of Israel’s most famous kings, I was like, “her?”
God said, “Yes, Christy, HER!”
Solomon—the child of this woman who had an affair with King David, ended up pregnant by David, then her husband ended up dead—basically says to the readers of these passages, “That’s King Solomon to you and yes, Queen Bathsheba is my mother!”
Bam!
I, in response to my humanity and a bunch of other issues WE need to work on, may have only associated Bathsheba with her adulterous actions with David and her conspiracy to commit murder, BUT GOD, in His greatness and perfection, associates her with David’s repentance (2 Samuel 12:13) and blessed her with a reminder of His grace through the birth of Solomon.
As ironic and counterintuitive as it may be, this child was indeed conceived by David and Bathsheba and named Solomon which means “loved by the Lord.”
I don’t know if you have allowed your past or the past of your parents and ancestors to limit you. I don’t know if you have decided others have limits based on their pasts or lineage. Perhaps you have a hard time associating people of certain backgrounds, races, socio economic classes, or genders with greatness. Perhaps you have been the victim of such behavior. If either of these is true, please know, this is wrong. The lives of David, Bathsheba, and Solomon teach us that when we return to God, accept his forgiveness, and change our ways, He gives us a fresh start.
Despite what we were guilty of or what the people on our family tree were guilty of; despite our color, size, pay-scale, or “rap sheet”, we ALL have the potential to produce greatness and be great thanks to His love and His grace.
Don’t believe me? Ask Bathsheba. Queen Bathsheba, that is!
Her? Yes, Her!
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