Very Special Lady
King David had a few wives and more than a few concubines. One of his wives Abigail is described as follows.
And she was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance.
1 Samuel 25:3
Abigail is portrayed in the bible as a wise woman doing the right thing even if it meant being disobedient to Nabal her husband’s wishes. She obviously took a liking to David from the beginning calling herself his handmaiden from the first time that she met him. She was also no doubt stroking his ego a little but we also learn from scripture that she was a humble woman and that when told that David wished her to become his wife that she hastened to be with him.
Another and more famous wife does not get quite such good press and yet she was more beautiful and even more intelligent. Her name was Bath-sheba. She is also called the wife of Uri’ah the Hittite. We know that she was very beautiful because the bible tells us so.
And the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
2 Samuel 11:2
Now the difference between beautiful countenance and very beautiful to look upon is significant especially when we consider that the first time we are introduced to her is as the king sees her taking a bath
The fact that she is constantly referred to as the wife of Uri’ah the Hittite is to let no one forget that she was the wife of a man murdered so that another man might posses her for that beauty.
We know that she committed adultery with King David but at his instigation for he was king and the absolute power and she was his subject and as such under his authority and obedient to his demands. Did she love David? I have no doubt that she did come to love him not only as her king but also as her husband.
That love had to be deep for both King David and Bath-sheba had to live the rest of their lives with these two sins as a starting point to their relationship. She also had to bare the loss of the first child she carried in her womb for nine months.
Bath-sheba is often portrayed by many as an evil or wicked woman but I believe this is not so because we are also told in scripture that she honored Uri’ah by mourning him when told of his death and it is unlikely that the king shared with her his decision to arrange things in such a way as to have her husband killed in battle. David brought lust, shame and disgrace to Bath-sheba along with his love for her. She had a lot to forgive him for.
So what makes Bath-sheba so special? Well everyone wants a wife just like her. Puzzled? Let me explain.
How many times have you heard men say I want a Proverbs 31 wife or a woman say I am a Proverbs 31 lady? Just who is the Proverbs 31 lady referred to in the bible? She is Bath-sheba. Bath-sheba had a unique son named Solomon and he is the author of Proverbs thirty-one. What makes him unique well for one thing his names.
Most important people in the bible had two names for example Abram/Abraham; Jacob/Israel; Joseph/Zaph-nath-paane’ah; even Moses must have had two names one given to him by his Hebrew birth mother and another (Moses) by his adoptive Egyptian mother. Why is Solomon then unique? Well he had three names. King David named him Solomon. Nathan the prophet called him Jedidiah and Bath-sheba called him Lemuel.
Proverbs thirty-one begins the words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. In other words the author of the most famous phrase in Proverbs thirty-one is Bath-sheba.
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies
Proverbs 31:10
She also gives all men wonderful advice through her son when he writes.
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman who feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
So the next time you look at all the qualities Solomon lists for a good wife please remember that his role model was his mother. Is that why the old song says I want a girl just like the one that married dear old dad?
Perhaps but only if she is as virtuous as Bath-sheba was . . .
And she was a woman of good understanding and of a beautiful countenance.
1 Samuel 25:3
Abigail is portrayed in the bible as a wise woman doing the right thing even if it meant being disobedient to Nabal her husband’s wishes. She obviously took a liking to David from the beginning calling herself his handmaiden from the first time that she met him. She was also no doubt stroking his ego a little but we also learn from scripture that she was a humble woman and that when told that David wished her to become his wife that she hastened to be with him.
Another and more famous wife does not get quite such good press and yet she was more beautiful and even more intelligent. Her name was Bath-sheba. She is also called the wife of Uri’ah the Hittite. We know that she was very beautiful because the bible tells us so.
And the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
2 Samuel 11:2
Now the difference between beautiful countenance and very beautiful to look upon is significant especially when we consider that the first time we are introduced to her is as the king sees her taking a bath
The fact that she is constantly referred to as the wife of Uri’ah the Hittite is to let no one forget that she was the wife of a man murdered so that another man might posses her for that beauty.
We know that she committed adultery with King David but at his instigation for he was king and the absolute power and she was his subject and as such under his authority and obedient to his demands. Did she love David? I have no doubt that she did come to love him not only as her king but also as her husband.
That love had to be deep for both King David and Bath-sheba had to live the rest of their lives with these two sins as a starting point to their relationship. She also had to bare the loss of the first child she carried in her womb for nine months.
Bath-sheba is often portrayed by many as an evil or wicked woman but I believe this is not so because we are also told in scripture that she honored Uri’ah by mourning him when told of his death and it is unlikely that the king shared with her his decision to arrange things in such a way as to have her husband killed in battle. David brought lust, shame and disgrace to Bath-sheba along with his love for her. She had a lot to forgive him for.
So what makes Bath-sheba so special? Well everyone wants a wife just like her. Puzzled? Let me explain.
How many times have you heard men say I want a Proverbs 31 wife or a woman say I am a Proverbs 31 lady? Just who is the Proverbs 31 lady referred to in the bible? She is Bath-sheba. Bath-sheba had a unique son named Solomon and he is the author of Proverbs thirty-one. What makes him unique well for one thing his names.
Most important people in the bible had two names for example Abram/Abraham; Jacob/Israel; Joseph/Zaph-nath-paane’ah; even Moses must have had two names one given to him by his Hebrew birth mother and another (Moses) by his adoptive Egyptian mother. Why is Solomon then unique? Well he had three names. King David named him Solomon. Nathan the prophet called him Jedidiah and Bath-sheba called him Lemuel.
Proverbs thirty-one begins the words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. In other words the author of the most famous phrase in Proverbs thirty-one is Bath-sheba.
Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies
Proverbs 31:10
She also gives all men wonderful advice through her son when he writes.
Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman who feareth the Lord, she shall be praised.
Proverbs 31:30
So the next time you look at all the qualities Solomon lists for a good wife please remember that his role model was his mother. Is that why the old song says I want a girl just like the one that married dear old dad?
Perhaps but only if she is as virtuous as Bath-sheba was . . .
posted by Wisdom at 10:19 PM
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