God Brings the Best Out of the Worst

Matt 1:6 “And Jess the father of King David, David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.”

Matthew reports the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, “The son of David, son of Abraham (v.1).” He goes all the way back to Abraham, who obeyed God’s call to leave his homeland and establish a new nation. Matthew highlights David, who became Israel’s greatest king. This is significant because Jesus was referred to as “The Son of David” during His ministry.

But notice what Matthew does when he reports that David is Solomon’s father. He specifies Solomon’s mother “had been” Uriah’s wife. What happened to Uriah? This is where it gets interesting. King David had many wives (2 Samuel 5:13), which was considered acceptable in that day. Then, one day, from the roof of his palace, David sees a beautiful woman taking a bath and sends a servant to get her. The woman, Bathsheba, comes to King David, and King David sleeps with her. He sends her back home, and eventually she sends word she is pregnant with his child.

After learning this, David calls Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, back from battle, and arranges for him to return home in hopes he will sleep with his wife. But Uriah refuses to go home, and because of his solidarity with his brothers in battle, sleeps on the ground at the entrance to the palace. David sends Uriah back into battle and tells his commander, Joab, to put him on the front lines. Soon, Uriah is killed. David then marries Bathsheba, and she bears David’s son. Thus, David both commits adultery and arranges Uriah’s death.

So as Matthew reports Jesus Christ’s genealogy, he truthfully lists the flawed King David in the line of relatives, and further identifies Bathsheba, the widow of murdered Uriah, as Solomon’s mother, one reason we can believe scripture is true and reliable is because it does not cover up the unpleasant, sinful realities. Here is the best coming out of the worst. The savior of the world descended from a line that included such egregious sin. This tells me that God can take the worst out of your life and mine and make something good come from it.

God doesn’t take David’s sin lightly. God’s prophet Nathan confront’s David to reveal his sin and rebuke him (2 Samuel 12:7). During this encounter, David confesses, “I have sinned against The Lord (12:13).” Nathan responds with “God’s forgiveness, but tells David his unborn son will die. David’s full repentance is recorded in Psalm 51: “Hide your face from my sin, and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, oh God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me (vs 9-10).”

After this, David follows God faithfully. By the time we get to the New Testament, Paul preaches about David and recalls God’s assessment of him: “I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do. (Acts 13:22)

David becomes the greatest king in Israel’s history, and eventually, he is the channel for the savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

God brings the best out of the worst. For that we say, Glory be to God!

Lee Eads

Sidney Church of the Nazarene