We don’t know a lot about Bathsheba before her assault. Her story might have ended there. But it didn’t.
Have you ever heard of wise Solomon? Bathsheba was his mother. Legacy-wise, she ended up becoming mother to the second-most celebrated king of all ages.
Then [Bathsheba] purified herself after her defilement and she returned to her house. – 2 Samuel 11:4b (as translated in A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year B)
But the Bible tells us more, if we’re willing to listen. Bathsheba was able to take her pain … and turn it into her power. The Bible tells us that Bathsheba ruled alongside her son, Solomon, after David died. And that Bathsheba worked with the prophet, Nathan, behind the scenes to advance her son, Solomon, to the throne. Past all of his older brothers.
Bathsheba was a victim of David’s abuse of power. The story is age-old. Many of you—not just women—have been victims of power abuse, too. You have a deep and abiding pain. And you need grace, the gift from God, to turn that pain into your power. To put you in the right rooms with the right people to step into your strength.
Which you have, already. You have strength untold. It’s not over.
There are powers seeking to step into principalities all over this world who want you to feel helpless. Out of control. Who want to grab you. Like David did. But there are no foregone conclusions. After David had his way with Bathsheba and gave her unspeakable pain, God had a new way and gave her unspeakable power.
Pain to power. That is God’s work. You’ll see it again and again in the scriptures. And if you train yourself, you’ll see it in your life, too.
Prayer ~ God please. Transform my pain to power. Meanwhile, I give you praise. Amen.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kaji Douša is the Senior Pastor of The Park Avenue Christian Church, a congregation of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and the United Church of Christ, in New York City.