Fri, 16 September, 2005: Today’s Bible readings.
24 Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the LORD loved him 25 and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
Yesterday, David sinned with Bathsheba and had her husband killed to cover it up. Today, Nathan the prophet confronts David about his sin. David is not hardened in his sin. When he is confronted by Nathan, David immediately repents of his sin and throws himself upon God’s mercy.
As the chapter continues, we see the sad episode of the death of the baby who was the fruit of David’s sin. But then we come to the two verses above. Solomon is born.
What do we learn from this?
In God, there is forgiveness for even the greatest sin as we truly repent. Be sure that consequences will remain. (The baby died. Absalom will rebel against David.) But we can be confident in our ultimate forgiveness for our sins as we repent and trust in God.
See how great God is in His forgiveness. David and Bathsheba lose their baby as the direct result of their sin. But God gives them another child. And what a child! Solomon. The wisest, most prosperous ruler of Israel. The builder of the temple. The beloved of the LORD, for that is what Jedidiah, the name given to Solomon by God, means.
Even after our great sin, as we are living out in the consequences of our sinful choices, if we come to God in faith, we are forgiven, accepted, loved, and comforted by God.
Where is Christ in this passage?
Solomon was a great king. He was beloved of the LORD. But Solomon also had great failings, as we will soon see. Solomon will continue the promise to David of a son to sit upon the throne. But Solomon, in all his greatness, only foreshadows the great King to come. Solomon points us to Jesus Christ who is the Beloved of the LORD.
