2 Samuel 12:24 – 31 “Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. So, she gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved the child and sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah because the LORD loved him.
Meanwhile, Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal fortress. Then Joab sent messengers to David to say, “I have fought against Rabbah and have captured the water supply of the city. Now, therefore, assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise, I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.”
So, David assembled all the troops and went to Rabbah; and he fought against it and captured it. Then he took the crown from the head of their king. It weighed a talent of gold and was set with precious stones, and it was placed on David’s head. And David took a great amount of plunder from the city.
David brought out the people who were there and put them to work with saws, iron picks, and axes, and he made them work at the brick kilns. He did the same to all the Ammonite cities. Then David and all his troops returned to Jerusalem.”
The first son David has fathered with Bathsheba has died. David has repented. (For David’s prayer of repentance, see Psalm 51.) Now Bathsheba becomes pregnant again, and the result is Solomon, the son who will eventually become king. The prophet Nathan carries a message from the Lord ordering David and Bathsheba to give Solomon a second name, Jedidiah, which means “Beloved of the Lord.” You might be surprised. After all, David had Bathsheba’s first husband murdered. What is it about Solomon that attracts the Lord’s special attention?
The infant Solomon has nothing to do with David’s previous sin, and the Lord recognizes that fact. God wants Solomon to have a certain genetic makeup; evidently, Bathsheba and David together create a DNA combination that will result in one of the wisest and most intelligent men of all time.
Earlier, we spoke about the ripple effect of David’s sin. Here in Joab’s message, you can already see that Joab has lost some of his respect for David. Had David gone to the battlefield with Joab and the troops, he would never have seen Bathsheba, and Uriah would still be alive. While Joab might have been willing to murder Abner in revenge for Abner having killed Joab’s brother, it’s quite likely that Joab is very angry at being ordered to place Uriah’s life in jeopardy so that the Ammonites would kill him. Joab sends a message to David that is barely respectful: “assemble the rest of the troops, lay siege to the city, and capture it. Otherwise, I will capture the city, and it will be named after me.” David realizes that Joab is correct and takes the necessary action. The battle of Rabbah ends David’s wars against the Ammonites, with David putting the Ammonites to forced labor.
APPLICATION: Somehow, it almost seems unfair that Bathsheba should become the mother of the wisest king of all time, the king who will succeed David. Why couldn’t Abigail have become the mother of Solomon? Abigail is a virtuous woman. But God chooses Bathsheba. Perhaps Abigail and some of the other wives have already reached menopause or are not even alive at this point. We know that Michal is barren. Solomon’s mother has to be a full – fledged wife and not a concubine; otherwise, his kingship will be in jeopardy from the start. In addition, Bathsheba is innocent. In a time when the king’s word is law, any woman summoned to the palace has no choice. Arguing with the king would not only be useless but possibly dangerous. In some respects, Bathsheba and her first child by David are both victims of David’s pride and lust.
The story of Solomon’s birth should encourage any woman who has given birth to a child under forced circumstances. God blesses Solomon, even though Solomon’s father has sinned. God does not blame an innocent baby for the circumstances of his or her conception. Even if the circumstances of conception are difficult, God can still bless any child.
What is missing from this account? There is nothing to indicate that David is grateful to the Lord for his victory over the Ammonites; in fact, from this point onwards, we hear less about David’s psalms of praise. David’s sin has begun affecting his family, and things are only about to get worse. God has kept His promise and has not killed David; however, David is about to face far bigger problems within his own household.
What can we learn from this story? David repented completely; had he not, Solomon would never have been conceived. God can bless any child, regardless of the circumstances of his or her conception or birth. But sin will still have lasting and far – reaching consequences. If you demand that subordinates do something wrong to help you cover up your sins, they may follow your orders, but you will lose their respect.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, bless all children, no matter the circumstances of their conception or birth. But Lord, help all of us to realize that we are always before You and that no secret is hidden from You. Help us to follow hard after You all the days of our lives. In the matchless Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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