Today, let’s talk about mothers (parents in general) who may have had a rough start. Some might have judged them. Some might have said they were promiscuous. Some might have labeled them fornicators. Some may have called them bad wives or all the worst vile things you can imagine.
But these women didn’t let one mishap determine the course of their lives. They still went on to receive forgiveness from God and to serve Him. Some of them ended up raising some of the most amazing men and women we know or have read about. Many of them allowed God to change their stories for good.
God literally rewrote history for them because He can…. This is God we’re talking about.
This is one of His areas of specialty; calling forth good out of bad, light out of darkness, making messages out of messes.
Romans 8:28 says “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” Isaiah 61:3 also says To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.”
Today, we celebrate mothers like this. We celebrate Bathsheba.
Her story begins in scandal. David saw her, desired her, and sent for her while her husband was at war. (2 Samuel 11:2–5). One thing led to another, and she became pregnant. What followed was deception and murder. Our beloved David orchestrated the death of her husband, and took her as wife. The child from that union died. But God was not done with her. 2 Samuel 12:24 says “Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him.” God didn’t just wipe away their tears and give them another child, He loved that child. He was specially invested in that child.
Bathsheba’s impact was so phenomenal in Solomon’s life that scripture shows us the deep reverence he had for her. She won his ears as a child and kept his ears even after he became king. He listened to her. He honored her. 1 Kings 2:19 says “Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand.”
Can you imagine what kind of mother a king would bow to, one he would even honor with a throne beside his own? This was a mother her son trusted, respected, and recognized as wise. He knew, “This is a woman I want around me, someone I can listen to and seek counsel from.”
When Destiny Is Threatened, A Mother Rises
Bathsheba rose to action! It was through her help that Solomon ascended the throne, just as King David had promised. (1 Kings 1:15-17). She didn’t fold her arms and act like a weakling while everything was about to be snatched from her son. Neither did she manipulate or scheme to get for him what was never his.
She did what a mother of destiny does. She took her place. She stood in the gap. And don’t miss this, the very fact that she had an ally in a prophet of God like Nathan, tells you something. She must have been highly regarded, considering she wasn’t the only wife David had. 1 Kings 1:11–12 says “Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, ‘Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.’”
Redeemed, Not Disqualified: A Legacy Beyond the Past
Maybe you’ve been in Bathsheba’s shoes. Maybe you’ve had a rough start. Maybe you had a child out of wedlock. Maybe your life doesn’t look like the perfect picture of what a Christian woman “should” be. Maybe the whispers have followed you for years; “promiscuous,” “fornicator,” “bad wife,” “irresponsible woman.” Can I tell you something from my heart? Your life doesn’t have to end that way.
2 Corinthians 5:17 says “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”
Joel 2:25: “So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten…”
John 8:10–11: “When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, ‘Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said to her, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.’”
You can still receive the redeeming, transforming power of God. Your past doesn’t disqualify you from guiding your child into God’s plan. You are not disqualified from purpose. You are not too far gone for God to use. Your mistakes are not your legacy. Your child can still become everything God has destined.
And can be part of that transformation story.
Today, we honor Bathsheba. We honor you; the mothers, fathers, and parents walking through redemption. Those who started in the mud, but who are letting God wash, renew, and raise royalty from their homes.
A Legacy of Wisdom
I truly believe Bathsheba’s story was so turned around that the Proverbs 31 woman we teach about and quote today was probably inspired by her. Solomon must have watched his mom closely. He saw what to be and what not to be. He gleaned wisdom from her. And he gave it to us.
Proverbs 31:1: “The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him.”
Proverbs 1:8: “My son, hear the instruction of thy father, and forsake not the law of thy mother:”
Proverbs 4:3–4: “For I was my father’s son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.”
We’re not 100% sure Solomon wrote that exact chapter, Proverbs 31. But most parts of the book of Proverbs is attributed to him. And many Jewish scholars and early fathers of the Christian faith believe King Lemuel was just another name for Solomon, a nickname, maybe. So if Lemuel really was Solomon… Then can you imagine what kind of woman he had for a mother? It’s no surprise he gave her a throne next to his.
Can you imagine the kind of strength, honor, grace, humility, and wisdom he saw modeled in front of him every day? Can you imagine the way her words shaped a king?
The way her life helped build the lens through which he viewed women, purpose, and legacy?
Today, we remember Bathsheba, not for where she started, but for where God brought her. We celebrate mothers whose beginnings were messy, but whose endings are wrapped in the beauty of God’s redemptive hand.
Don’t count yourself out. If God can use Bathsheba, He can use you.
And now, dear mothers and fathers…
Can your impact on your children be so immense that long after they’ve left the confines of your home, they still trust your judgment and discernment?
Will you still have their ears like Bathsheba had Solomon’s
Will your voice still carry the weight of God’s wisdom in their hearts?
That when they’ve prayed and fasted and are still unsure, they can come to you not just as “Mum” or “Dad”, but as someone they trust to help them hear God?
What a legacy that would be.
And by God’s grace, it’s not too late to build it.
May we raise kings and queens who not only carry crowns, but remain grounded in the wisdom, presence, and Spirit (the Holy Spirit) of their upbringing.
