When Wisdom Was Born

Do you have some people in your life that you would say you have “history” with? You two have gone through some stuff and come out on the other side? I’m not just talking about romantic relationships; about that guy/girl you liked back in in 8th grade or went on one date with. I mean, do you have some people in your life or maybe just one person who when their name comes up, and someone asks you about them, or how you know them you’re thinkin’, “Man, how long you got? Cause I have a story for you!” I have some people like that in my life and I bet you do to. We all do! Having “history” doesn’t always mean “bad history” it just means there is quite the story behind you and that person and your connection to one another.

Well, there are two people in the Bible that have quite the history and if we could sit down with them I bet they would have a story to tell us. Typically when we think of King David and Bathsheba what do we think? Affair, right? David had an affair with Bathsheba, she became pregnant, and then David had her husband Uriah killed to try and cover it up. David repents, but when the child is born it still becomes ill and dies. That is usually were we stop; we don’t go any further than that in talking about these two. But, they have quite the story if you keep reading.

In 2 Samuel 12: 24-25 David and Bathsheba’s child has just died and David has gone in to comfort, his now wife, Bathsheba. It says in verse 24-25, “Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; and because the LORD loved him, he sent word to Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.” 

David did not continue to dwell on his sin. He returned to God, and God forgave him, opening the way to begin life anew. Even the name God gave Solomon, Jedidiah (beloved of the LORD,” 2 Sam 12:25) was a reminder of God’s grace. When we return to God, accept his forgiveness, and change our ways, he gives us a fresh start.

Now flash forward to 1 Kings 1:29 we see King David promising Bathsheba that her son (their son, Solomon) would be the next King after him.  Not long after that we see David beginning to mentor his son Solomon for the future that lies before him. I find it interesting that before Solomon ever prayed for wisdom in (1 Kings 3:5-15) King David said, “you are a man of wisdom...” He called him by who he was meant to be, not who he was in the moment. 

Want to have your mind blown even more about the powerful redemption of our God? David and Bathsheba's son (Solomon) is in the linage of Jesus.

"David was the father of Solomon (whose mother was Bathsheba, the widow of Uriah)."- Matt 1:6 

Our God redeems. I'm not sure why we never finish the story of David and Bathsheba. I don't know if it's because we're afraid it will promote adultery--which it doesn't. David and Bathsheba lost the child the was the result of their affair. There were major consequence to their actions. God didn't let them off scott-free. Solomon was the son born out of a marriage union, a son born out of repentant hearts. 

I share all that to really just share something very simple. Even though David and Bathsheba’s situation was not the ideal in how they came together: it gave birth to wisdom. Their first son who was conceived in sin and died, but then afterwards Bathsheba gave birth to another son and he became known as the wisest man that ever lived.

It reminds us that what the enemy meant to harm, God can turn around for our good and His glory. David was repentant and I’m sure Bathsheba was too. They couldn’t change what happened, but I’m sure they learned from it.

Sometimes things don’t always go as planned. I’m not advocating having an affair or cheating but what I am saying it that God took their sin and redeemed it, and as a result it gave birth to wisdom. Solomon is in the Genealogy of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:6). The same of true of us. When we are repentant of our sin, when we are faced with brokenness we can't fix ourselves, if we will give it to God he will not just mend, but he redeems. He makes new. He makes beauty from the ashes. If we will allow it, our past sins and mistakes can also give birth to godly wisdom. 

Remember, Jesus came from the line of King David. Before Jesus was ever born, he already had a linage of redemption. He came from a line of person, after person, after person that God had made new.

There are certainly relationships in my life that I wish looked differently than they do, I wish certain things had not happened the way they did or at all. There are things I’ve done and had done to me that were hurtful.  I’ve made choices and said things I later regretted, we all have. But, from them, if we repent, and ask for forgives,  and wisdom, God will give it to us without finding fault (James 1:5).

Lately ,when I think about certain circumstances or relationships, I have this image of a pitcher with cracks all throughout it. It’s not perfect, but oh, how I wish it was. The Lord continues to remind me that the cracks, as much as I may not like them, allow for His glory to shine through. I want flawless. No bumps. No imperfections. But all those imperfections, all those things I wish had not happened allow for God to show himself all the more!!! 

I’m sure David and Bathsheba didn’t want things to happen the way they did…but they did happen. But from that came wisdom. Same goes for you and I. We can’t change the past, but God can redeem it, restore it, and use it for His glory! Will we allow wisdom to come from the past we cannot change?