“Bathsheba looked directly toward the threshing floor and the king’s store house directly behind the palace. David was giving a staggering amount to this work [the building of the temple]. But she would expect nothing less of him. He was a man devoted, consumed, in his passion for the Lord his God. A generous man who had learned the gratitude that comes of sins forgiven.”
Bathsheba was King David’s eighth wife, but he was not her first husband. She was originally the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of the King’s Thirty most trusted captains. Uriah was loyal to the rules King David, the king of Israel, established for his soldiers during war, which included celibacy. Wars could last months and Bathsheba was often very lonely.
During the beginning of this biblical fiction book, King David’s favorite wife, Abigail, died after giving birth to their third child and King David was very distraught. He stayed behind from a battle and eventually met Bathsheba on her roof. They were both attracted to each other, but they stayed away from each other, knowing they were married.
Still depressed, King David, stayed back from another war. His wives quarrels had become too much for him, Abigail had often been the peacekeeper. King David and Bathsheba kept bumping into each other until one night he sent for her.
In all the four years Bathsheba was married to Uriah, she had never conceived. Bathsheba had grown accustomed to the idea that she was barren. However one evening with the king brought forth a child. When Bathsheba told the king, he called Uriah home from war and suggested that he go home to his wife. After two nights, Uriah stayed faithful to his men at war and slept at the castle’s front gate with the guards. He did not want to fail his men.
Knowing that by the time Uriah returned from war, the pregnancy could not be covered up and the consequences for adultery was death, King David ordered Uriah the Hittite to the front line, where certain death came. After the allotted time of grieving, King David took Bathsheba as his bride.
The birth of David and Bathsheba’s first son brought the attention of Nathan the profit with a message from God. The truth was revealed and David repented. God forgave David and Bathsheba but He took their first son. God also said that sword would never leave his house, while he was alive.
Years later, after David and Bathsheba had know the forgiveness of God for their forbidden romance and raised their 4 sons, King David announced his son Solomon as his successor. He had never know war and was the one to bring peace to Israel. King Solomon would go down in history as being able to do things that King David would never have been able to do.
Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith is #3 in a three part historical fiction series of the Wives of King David: Michal, Abigail and Bathsheba are wonderful novels. Each book is powerful and can stand on their own. Michal, telling about David in his youth and running from King Saul. Abigail tells of King David as his kingdom is established. Bathsheba shares about his last years. King David was a strong and passionate leader and these three of many wives helped him in so many ways. I highly recommend these Christian fiction books on their own or as the series.
I got this book from my personal collection. You can get your own copy of Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Bathsheba by Jill Eileen Smith showcases the humanity of King David and Bathsheba and the love and mercy that God offers for His own pleasure and purpose. I found myself having compassion on both characters because there was so much sadness and loneliness around them. I could understand how they might have been able to cling to each other, even though they had their own spouses. Among the pain there is growth and forgiveness and that is the theme of life. I truly enjoyed the Wives of King David series, this book being #3. I highly recommend this fiction book to anyone that likes to read, even if you are not a Christian.
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My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven. For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information. If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this: Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world. I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me. I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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