God’s Promise and Scripture

God’s Promise: He is Close to the Brokenhearted.

Scripture: Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! (Psalm 34:8)

Devotional

I love the how the entirety of the Bible ties together, how in some way every story from the Old Testament points to the promise of our coming Savior, not just in Christmas, but in what He came to do on this earth - to provide a way for man to be reconciled to Himself. There are stories revealing who Jesus is and what He would do, and He would do it perfectly. King David, “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22), who though he was called this, sinned in very big and obvious ways, as we all have. One of the most well-known ways he did this was through the story of Bathsheba. 

2 Samuel 11-12:15 outlines the multitude of mistakes that led to devastation for the many people involved. Essentially, David didn’t go to battle when he should have, and he was idle, which can often lead to temptation. This temptation led to lust after another man’s wife, which he acted upon. Well, Bathsheba became pregnant with King David’s child, and he tried to cover it up by bringing her husband, Uriah, home from battle so that Uriah would think the child was his. Uriah, faithful to his nation, wouldn’t go home, so since David couldn’t trick him, he sent Uriah to the front lines of battle where he would ultimately die. Nathan confronted David in his sin, and destruction for his family and kingdom would be the consequence. Some would take place later on in his life or even after, but most immediately, his baby would become ill and die. (Seriously, go read the story even if you have read it before.) 

Maybe it’s motherhood that is constantly reframing my view of the world, but all I could think about while reading this was what Bathsheba must have experienced and endured. She was home while her husband was in battle. The king decided he wanted her, which resulted in pregnancy with David's child, not Uriah’s. Then, her husband was killed. She was grieving the loss of her husband, then the loss of her child. We know David was devastated, but could you imagine what she is going through here? My question in grieving for her many losses was, “But what about Bathsheba?” Yes, she later bore Solomon who would succeed David as King of Israel, and yes, she would be the one closest to David at the end of his life making sure that this succession happened as it was supposed to, but I know she would have grieved the loss of the first son she bore for the entirety of her life. My flesh wants to ask, “How is this fair?” Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “For your thoughts are not My thoughts, neither are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”

A “better David" would come from the tribe of Judah through the line of David and Bathsheba. The Matthew 1 genealogy of Jesus is so full of sinful, broken, grief-stricken, yet chosen people. “And Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah.” Matthew 1:6 (ESV) Ten verses later, we get to Joseph (Jesus’ earthly father), and we also know that Mary came through the line of David. 

Sometimes we get to see the fulfillment of His promise to be close to the brokenhearted. I was saved by the grace of God at a young age partially due to parents who faithfully taught me about Jesus. However, I didn’t walk faithfully with Him until later in college due to selfishness, complacency, and a desire for approval in a dating relationship. This certainly wasn’t God’s will for me, but I often look back on my wandering and broken time. I see what He has done since, and I know He was always near to me then. He saved me, in spite of many mistakes, and has continued to teach me through His Word and His people how to faithfully pursue a relationship with Him. I am still learning and pursuing to walk intimately with Him. He has used my mistakes for good, just as He did in the story of David and Bathsheba. Though she must have grieved her losses for the duration of her life and she didn’t live to see the ultimate triumph that it brought, God used her to bring forth His Son one Silent Night, so that He could live as a man, yet without sin, die, and three days later rise again, so that we, too, might truly live.

Reflection Questions:

1. Can you think of a time when you experienced a trial, but looking back you see how God used it for good

2. How has God drawn near to you through times of repentance or brokenness?

3. How does realizing that Jesus our Savior and King came from a line of people just as broken and sinful as we are make you view His grace differently this Advent season?