Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite.  While he was away at war, King David caught a glimpse of Bathsheba bathing on the roof of her home.  He found her beautiful and sent for her.  He slept with her and she became pregnant.  In order to try to cover his sin, he brought Uriah home from war to sleep with his wife, but he did not, citing the fact that no one else was allowed the luxury of returning to their home, so he wished to stay with his men.   This was very troubling to David, who was hoping that Uriah could claim the pregnant Bathsheba as carrying HIS child.  When this plan didn’t work, David had Uriah sent to the front lines of the war where he would no doubt be killed.   When Bathsheba got word that her husband had died, she grieved for him.  When her mourning period was over, David brought her into his household as his wife.

Nathan the prophet was sent to David to express the Lord’s displeasure in what he had done, and Bathsheba’s son was stricken ill and died.   Soon after the baby’s death, Bathsheba bore another son, and they named him Solomon.

In David’s old age, Bathsheba next appears to plead to the king that her son Solomon should be the next king, not Adonijah.  David proclaimed that Solomon would be his successor and had him anointed king.

In 1Kings 2, Bathsheba was also asked to be a messenger from Adonijah to his brother, King Solomon.  Bathsheba is mentioned as the mother of Solomon in 1 Chronicles and also in Psalm 51:1

You can read the full story of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11:1- 12:25, 1 Kings 1:1- 2:22, 1 Chronicles 3 and Psalm 51.

July 25, 2011
Categories: Biblical Studies . . Author: spicynutmeg . Comments: 1 Comment

Sarai was the wife of Abram.   Sarai was unable to conceive a child and was barren for a very long time.  Sarai faithfully followed her husband to many new lands, both traveling by faith.  Several times, Sarai was asked to lie for her husband.  He told her twice to tell the ruler of a land they entered that she was Abram’s sister, so that he would not be killed for her beauty.  The Lord inflicted bad illnesses on the households of the rulers who took her as his wife, so she was returned to her husband and they were told to leave the land.  Sarai’s barrenness caused her to lose faith that God would provide, so she gave her slave, Hagar, to her husband in hopes that Hagar would conceive a child for her.  Hagar did conceive and gave birth to a son, Ishmael.  Sarai mistreated Hagar and she ran away, but the Lord promised to increase the descendants of Ishmael, so she returned to Sarai.  For Abram’s faithfulness, God changed his name to Abraham (when he was in his 90’s) and changed Sarai’s name to Sarah.  The Lord told him at that point that Sarah would conceive him a son and they would call him Isaac, and the Lord would bless the descendants of this son.  Abraham and Sarah laughed, since she was such an elderly lady, but the Lord kept his promise.  Sarah conceived a son when she was in her elderly years and named him Isaac.  Sarah lived to be 127 years old.

You can read more about Sarai/Sarah in the book of Genesis (Genesis 12 – Genesis 23)

July 18, 2011
Categories: Biblical Studies . . Author: spicynutmeg . Comments: Comments Off on Introducing … Sarai/Sarah

We are first introduced to Mary Magdalene in Luke 8.  She is described as a grateful follower of Jesus.  Luke 8:2 tells us that Jesus had expelled 7 demons from her, and she followed him, listening to the Good News and helping to support his ministry out of her own means with several other women.  Mary was also a devoted follower of Christ and a witness to Jesus’ death on the cross. When all the other apostles were denying Christ and leaving the scene of the cross, she remained until his death and followed to find where he was to be buried.  This is recorded in each of the Gospels (Matthew 27:55-56; Mark 15:40-41; John 19:25)    She was one of the women who went to the tomb and found only an angel where Jesus was buried (Matthew 28:1-8; Mark 16:1-9; Luke 24:1-11; John 20:1-2)  There are also biblical reports in John 20:11-18 that Mary Magdalene was one of the first witnesses of the risen Christ.

For more information about Mary Magdalene, you can read further the chapters and verses I have mentioned in the article above.

July 11, 2011
Categories: Biblical Studies . . Author: spicynutmeg . Comments: Comments Off on Introducing … Mary Magdalene