“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 and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.“

2 Samuel 12:24-25 

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December 18, 2025 

Bathsheba’s life was filled with heartache. In a short amount of time, she was violated, widowed, married to the perpetrator, and lost her child. Any one of these things might be enough to drive someone to despair. She experienced them all. What must she have felt? I can only imagine how the darkness and feelings of hopelessness must have threatened to overcome someone in her position.

Maybe you haven’t experienced all the awful things Bathsheba did, but no one born on this earth escapes unscathed. We will all experience heartache in a world broken by sin. Maybe this year was an exceptionally hard one, and the Christmas lights don’t seem to shine quite as bright as you remember. Maybe the cheerful holiday music brings you more pain than joy.

But the thing about Bathsheba’s story is that it doesn’t end here. God looked at this woman who had been abused and stripped of everything she loved, and He gave her a son who loved and respected her: Solomon. Her son would grow up to become a kings of Israel. 1 Chronicles 29:25 tells us, “The LORD highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Israel ever had before.”

But that is not even the most important part. From King Solomon would eventually come the King of Kings—God Himself. God chose Bathsheba, a mistreated, hurting woman, to be part of His plan to save the world. Because of the Child who would come from Bathsheba’s line, we too find hope in the midst of our suffering.

Though the world we currently live in is marred by sin, we rejoice in the hope that the King of Kings is already at work and will one day set all things right. We rest in the knowledge that the One who conquered death will one day wipe every tear from our eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things will have passed away (Revelation 21:4).

Questions for reflection and discussion:

  • Are you or anyone you know struggling with heartache this Christmas?
  • What encouragement can you take from Bathsheba’s story?
  • How does Jesus offer hope in the midst of suffering?

Church Reading Plan: 2 Chronicles 21; Revelation 9