"Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to 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 through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah (loved by the LORD). "
2 Samuel 12:24, 25 (NIV)
Solomon's parents did what parents have doing since the beginning of families: they named their child. No doubt they discussed it and the reason behind the name, but the LORD sent a prophet to tell them that He wanted a different name; a name that reflected how the LORD viewed their baby son. The LORD loved him! If there is any passage in the Bible that reveals the grace of God, it is these two verses.
Grace is unmerited favour. David and Bathsheba deserved death. They received mercy through forgiveness and punishment. In any court of justice, David, who was a murderer and an adulterer, would be dead. Even if he was shown mercy by the courts because of his position as king, surely God would not bless his union with Bathsheba. It was only right and just that their first son died; what were they thinking of, making another child? Do they have no shame? Do they have no conscience? Do they really think that God would bless such an action? But God is a God of grace; a God who not only forgives, but gives you good things on top. God not only allowed them to conceive, but He brought forth a healthy son, and then He loved the little boy.
Make no mistake, this birth of Solomon, over 3,000 years ago, has eternal consequences, for a descendant of Solomon came up out of the water of the Jordon 1,000 years later and everyone present, heard God say: "You are my Son, whom I love. With you I am well pleased." (Lk. 3:22) The grace of God, only the grace of God! Passages like this give me hope in the midst of my broken world.
No comments:
Post a Comment