2 Samuel 11:27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the LORD.This is the final verse in chapter 11. Bathsheba had very little time left before her tummy would start showing. She mourned as was custom and soon after David made her his wife and she had a son. Now if you read further on in the next chapter, the baby does not live. Let's compare the lives of Bathsheba:
She had an upright, honorable, loyal, man of integrity as a husband. She looked beyond that to see the power of a King and how she could feel if she were in his arms. Now it was to become a reality. The life that Bathsheba thought would be so glamorous ended up being quite the opposite.
Bathsheba not only bore the burden of having a child pass away, but now she lived with a man who was sharing his bed with many other women. Maybe when you have an affair with a man, it doesn't matter if he's sleeping with a score of women - but I can imagine that feeling changes when you marry that m
an. I believe that Bathsheba was repentant. I think she knew how wrong she had been that one night and confessed it. The dramatic result of her repentance was in her son - Solomon - who would be in the lineage of Jesus.
If we ever think that our sin that has caused our life to head down a path that we never meant for it to head - God can take us and put us right back on course. He's done it for me - and I know He'll do it for anyone who asks.
Jonah 4:2 He prayed to the LORD, "O LORD, is this not what I said when I was still at home? That is why I was so quick to flee to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity.Oh my goodness! This is so ironic to me. Jonah is complaining because the city is in repentance and God forgives them. Jonah then prays to God and tells God that he KNEW He would forgive them even though they've been SO bad and that justified why he didn't want to go to Ninevah in the first place. Jonah is actually trying to
JUSTIFY why it was okay for him to try and run away - even after all has been said and done and God had just forgiven him! God had just forgiven him and now Jonah is lecturing God about forgiving Ninevah. AAAAAAHHH!
And get this irony. . . IF Jonah had gone to Ninevah the first time he was told - he would have not been all scary looking from the whale vomit - he would've probably been cleanly dressed - an average person on an average day walking around the city = Ninevah probably wouldn't have given Jonah a second thought and would not have repented.
Jonah, in his disobedience, gave the Ninevites exactly what He was not wanting them to have - a 2nd chance. God is always right - in all His ways - He uses even our disobedience for His miracles - how great is our God. . .
Jonah 3:5-9 The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When the news reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust. Then he issued a proclamation in Nineveh: "By the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let any man or beast, herd or flock, taste anything; do not let them eat or drink. But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth. Let everyone call urgently on God. Let them give up their evil ways and their violence. Who knows? God may yet relent and with compassion turn from his fierce anger so that we will not perish."
Well, the results of Jonah's jaunt are clear here. The Ninevites truly believed what Jonah was saying and knew that God would do what He said He would do. The king hears this and puts a plan into action. Tells everyone to repent and stop acting so bad - can you imagine if the president of the United States would do that? The king laid down some specific decrees and in hopes that God would forgive them and not destroy them.
Two things here: One, the importance of a leader who does the right thing and follows through. So often today - even in the church - there are people who are not willing to admit they are wrong. All it does is make things worse for those that are under them (can you imagine what would have happened to the Ninevites had the king not humbled himself and made a change). As someone in authority - it is important that we realize that we are never the final say in anything we do. No matter how high up the chain you go - you are still under the final authority of God. If what you're doing does not coincide with God's Word - you have an obligation to get it right with God before you can continue to be effective as a leader.
Two: As was mentioned in yesterday's blog - the expected time to get word to all the Ninevites was three days. It only took One. Before Jonah gets to day two, the city is in a state of repentance.
If you need to get something right with God, it shouldn't take a length of time. The moment you realize you're out of line with God, you should be working to get back in line. The king knew how serious the situation was and got word to everyone as fast as he could. Maybe we can follow his example. . .
an. I believe that Bathsheba was repentant. I think she knew how wrong she had been that one night and confessed it. The dramatic result of her repentance was in her son - Solomon - who would be in the lineage of Jesus. 
