All right, let's be turning to 2 Samuel 12. 2 Samuel 12, and I want to read verse 24. And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her, And she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him."

Now, to this point, the scriptures have only dealt with David's sin. It's only addressed David's sin and the judgment that God meted out to David for his sin. But really not a lot has been said regarding Bathsheba. Not much has been said, nothing's been said about her sin and the trouble that she would have experienced at this time because of her sin and her part in this matter.

David didn't just lose a son, Bathsheba also lost a son. a son. She lost her son too, and we don't know what Bathsheba thought of the Lord God of Israel at this time. Nothing's really said on it, but we do know something by our own experience that when a sinner is made to see the holiness of God. When we see the judgment of God and what he is able to do by his power and to do as he pleases, we do know that it puts the fear of God in us. When we've experienced that, when we've seen just how holy God is and how he deals with sin and how much he hates sin, he's able to put the fear of God in us, to behold that.

The scriptures say that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God. And you can imagine that when her child was struck with an illness and for seven days lay there getting worse and worse until he died, that seven days later, she was given a painful understanding of God's displeasure with sin, and with her sin in particular, with David's sin, and with her sin in particular, in a very intimate and personal way.

And we know, anyone that's been chastened of the Lord, whom the Lord is dealing with, we know that God knows just how to touch us in such a manner so as to make me, right? Each one of us to know my sin, what I've done, my part here, right? He makes us to know just what sinners we ourselves are. And so he does that And he does it to show us our need of his grace and mercy to save us. He can do it in just such a way to show me, Lord, I need grace. I cannot bear this. Lord, I need your grace. Save me, Lord. Deliver me from this.

When he shows us what we've done, and when God raises himself up before our eyes, and he shows himself in all his glory and power, we can say in that situation, we can say with Job, who said, I have heard of thee with the hearing of the ear, but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. And that's true of all of us because we, for many years. We can go to services. We can hear the Lord for many years. We can give assent to the things that we hear. We can believe. We can believe and profess the Lord Jesus Christ and even have an experience of feeling our sin and knowing our sin.

But there are times when the Lord reveals himself in that manner again, where he makes us to know our Father, when he makes us to know how far we've gone astray in ourselves in order to bring home that weight of I'm the sinner. Lord, I need your grace, how careless I've been, how lukewarm I've been. And so he's able to do that. And when it happens the first time to a sinner, when you hear these things, you give assent to the word of God and you confess Christ. But when he makes you to see your sin, that's when you know your need. of a Savior. That's when you know, I need His grace. This is more than just an outward show. I need His grace inwardly. I need that salvation that is spoken of here. I need to see. I need the grace of the Lord to do this for me. And He does it when He shows us these things.

Now, Bathsheba had a husband. husband who knew the Lord and a husband who was known by the Lord and loved by the Lord dearly so that the Lord dealt very graciously with David at this time. That's who I'm speaking of. He dealt with David very graciously at this time so that David, having been taught of the Lord and been been recovered by the Lord. He was able now to comfort his wife Bathsheba with the comfort that he had been comforted of God. And that's what we see here when it says David comforted his wife. And brethren, the thing that we draw from that is that we too, brethren, have a husband, a spiritual David. who is loved and precious in the sight of God his Father. And he's been given to us by God the Father to be a comfort to us who are sinners. You see that? He's been given to us to comfort our hearts. When we are made to see our sin, it is the Lord Jesus Christ, the husband of his bride, the church, that draws near to us, that is the comfort of our souls. It's not our works. It's not our repentance, professed repentance. It's not something that we do. It's Christ that comforts our souls. And that's because He's the Savior. He's our Savior. For His sake, we are forgiven. For His sake, the Lord our God draws near unto us, and is reconciled to us, and forgives us of our sins, and blesses us all in grace. all in grace for the Lord Christ Jesus' sake. And so when the Lord visits us, shows us our sin, arises gloriously, and shows us what vile sinners we are, stripping us down of all vain earthly comforts, it is Christ that comes and comforts his people. And that's the joy that we have in this. It's not about me arguing and finding out ways to say that I've not sinned. It's the Lord brings me to confess my sin and to own what I am, taking sides against me. in agreement with the Lord, that yes, Lord, you're true, you're just, I'm not, have mercy on me, save me, Lord, please be merciful to me.

So, first we notice what's said here, that David comforted Bathsheba, his wife. Now, we're told back in chapter 11, that after Uriah's death, it says in verse 27, that David sent and fetched Bathsheba to his house, and she became his wife. But then we saw that while the Lord was chastening David, while he chastened David and exposed his sin unto him, she was still called Uriah's wife. When he was under the chastening, the word was, Uriah's wife. It was spoken to Uriah's wife. Look there at verse 15 in chapter 12, saying, the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. But now that David has been converted by the grace of God, when God dealt very graciously with him in chastening David, And in showing David his sin for the first time now, the scriptures call Bathsheba his wife in an approving manner. You see that? David comforted Bathsheba, his wife. No longer is she called Uriah's wife. Now she's called David's wife here. The Lord has forgiven them. The Lord has reconciled to them. And there's a comforting thought here for the people of God. As we recall, the times of when our Lord chastens us, when we were in sin and rebellion against our God, in league with the world, going the way of the world, the course of this world, and loving this world, Or even when we went astray, despite the spirit of grace for us, when we're sinful, when the Lord's dealing with us for our sin, though he chastened us, though he exposes our sin, though he brings us to shame for our sin, And we're trembling and afraid for what we've done because we've been so stupid, so willfully ignorant, so willfully rebellious against the Lord. And he makes us to see what we are in this nature. Especially if you thought that you were improving and getting better. You see, I've gotten no better. I'm only worse. I'm only worse. than before. And the Lord makes us to know, we fear. And there's times where the chastening is so severe that you feel like, I'm cut off. I'm cut off. How can the Lord forgive me? How can the Lord love me? How can the Lord keep me? Why wouldn't the Lord cast me forth from his presence?

But then, He comforts his child with a view of the Lord Jesus Christ. He blesses that word of grace to our hearts, and the Lord draws near to us, and he cleanses our hearts, and he cleanses our guilty conscience, and he comforts us with words of grace, and peace, and reconciliation.

We're told of this in Hebrews 12, verse six and verse 11, saying, for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. That's just fact. That's how the Lord deals with his people. And I mentioned that I always see sin in myself when the Lord's chasing me. That's not the only purpose for chastening. It does draw us nearer to the Lord. It does strip us of the cares and the love and the attraction of this world and draws us nearer to the Lord.

Now, he says, no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, it is painful. Nevertheless, afterward, it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. And so the Lord does do that to his children. He does chasten his children. There are things that the Lord will deal with us as he's growing us in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It's just so. It pleases him to do it. If you're a son, he does it. It's what he does.

Seeing her son sick and then die, whom she had conceived in adultery with David while she was Uriah's wife, that had to afflict her sorely. That had to make her feel the depths of her sin, how low she's capable of stooping in spite of what she knew. It just showed her just how sinful she is.

It's one thing to hear about how sinful people can be. It's another thing to see how sinful I can be. It's a whole other impact to us to see that I'm capable of doing this wicked thing that I used to condemn other people for, that I can do such a thing. And so it had to make her feel the greatness of her sin, just like we saw in David. David felt it. David repented. David felt the grievousness of his sin.

And perhaps she thought, maybe David isn't going to want to see me. Maybe David's going to want to put me away and cast me away and send me out in shame, right? her part in the whole thing. She might feel like he might not even want to see me anymore, just be so disgusted with the whole thing and just put me out of his kingdom.

Then again, we don't know, maybe she even considered doing that herself, saying, I have no business being here. What was I thinking? And then taking herself away, voluntarily departing from David and the kingdom, just to go off in shame, because That's what flesh does. We think, well, you know what, I'll just do the right thing and I'll just punish myself. I'll just do it and just go and just beat myself on the back to try and reconcile myself to God and show him how upset I am.

That's what men do. That's what the flesh does. We think to do certain things and I have to do certain things to make this right. Maybe sometimes there's a point in certain reconciliation, but largely what we think of, though, is very fleshly. It's very carnal, especially when we're thinking of division, and separating, and putting away, like such a thing would have been. We're just doing it to try and lift God's anger from us, because we think that's what we should do. That's what the world would do, something like that.

But that's not what the Lord was after. And we see that. That's not what the Lord was after at all. And so the Lord, by his spirit of grace, was working true godly repentance to show them their sin, to show them the gravity of their sin, and to bring them to Christ, to bring them to a godly repentance that didn't then require extra fleshly things for them to do to make it up to God. That wasn't at all what we see in here. The scriptures don't speak like that. That's not the gospel.

Once the Lord had showed the sin and exposed the sin, all the blessings of peace and comfort were restored. That's what is seen here, where David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her, thus consummating that marriage bed there proper. And the Lord blessed their marriage, witnessed here, when it says, and she bare a son. And he called his name Solomon. And the scriptures tell us the Lord loved him. God was reconciled. God was at peace with them. Their sin had been put away, and they would not die. The child died to silence the enemies, but the Lord restored them in peace and in comfort.

So let us consider here this token of grace here, this forgiveness that's shown to David and Bathsheba, witnessed in this joyful thing of them bearing a son. of the Lord giving them a son. So first, she bear a son. Now this son whom God gave was not given in adultery and not taken away in judgment, but he is a son conceived in the bonds of marriage with God testifying to his honor of it as a token of his reconciliation to them, to show them I'm reconciled. I'm at peace with you. I'm not angry with you anymore, David. I'm not angry with you anymore, Bathsheba. I've received you. I've put away your sin and I've received you. And he's a son whose name is recorded among the living. in Jerusalem. He lives, he lives. And so there's a testimony of grace seen here in the birth of this son, right? We see this in scripture. This is not the first time that something like this has happened.

After Adam and Eve had fallen, and they go out of the garden and they have a son, Cain and Eve thinks, this is the promise. This is the son whom the Lord spoke of as a promise, that I would have a son, and here comes Cain, only Cain doesn't love the Lord. And Cain isn't a godly man. Cain is a fleshly, carnal man who worships God in the flesh. And what happens? He slays his brother Abel, who worships God in spirit and in truth, and Adam and Eve witness the horrors of that. They find out, my son Cain has slew his brother Abel. And they see, this is my sin. Wow, the horrors of what we did in the garden, we did that. We brought sin and death into the world. And here it is, so that our own flesh and blood, our own child, our own sin has been taken from us. And so, they see that horror there of that. And then what do we read in Genesis 4.25? It says, And Adam knew his wife again, and she bare a son, and called his name Seth. For God, said she, hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew. So the Lord intends in these pictures recorded here in scripture that he remembers his promise of the seed which should come, right? It's a picture there that I've not left you, I've not abandoned you. Yes, you see your sin and the horrors of it, again, worked out in Cain slaying his brother, but I've visited you and given you another son.

Another son there, it's a picture of that same grace there, a son who, and it just shows that God remembers the promise, right? He remembered the promise in giving Seth. because Seth was a picture of that seed extending through whom the promised seed should come, the Lord Jesus Christ who would crush the head of the serpent and destroy the works of the devil and deliver his people from their sin and their corruption and their death and to give them life and salvation and light in him. And so the Lord does that. He did that with Adam and Eve. there, and we see it also in David and Bathsheba, through that line continuing, and we see it with Christ. When Adam fell, well, Christ came. It shows the promise of God, the last Adam, being the very fulfillment of the promise of God, who would come and save us in grace, in grace and in mercy.

What he does is he testifies of what he has done even in our life, even in our salvation. We're dead in trespasses and sins. This old man is dead and cannot do anything good, and yet our Lord gives us a new birth. by his spirit, right? It's a new birth. The old is dead and the spirit lives. And so there's a new birth there in that. And then the second thing that we see in this is he called his name Solomon. He called his name Solomon and the Lord loved him. And the name Solomon means peace or peaceful or peaceable. And again, it's a token that God is at peace with Israel. David and Bathsheba, that their sin is put away. And it speaks to the peace which would rest upon this son under whose rule this kingdom would be. He would be the king to succeed David, and he would be a king of peace. And in his days would be a time of great peace between God and men. all right, picturing that peace of our Lord here.

And under his hand, the kingdom grew, grew, grew, and it expanded and extended, and it was a glorious kingdom, all right, because there was peace. There wasn't warfare and troubles and problems all the time. It was a good time. And I found this in 1 Chronicles 22, 9. It actually says this about him being named Solomon, Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest, and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days." And so it just, it speaks to when the Lord has put away the sin of his people, when he's done that, there is peace. There is peace, there's forgiveness, there's salvation, there is peace in our souls, and we don't go on looking for another salvation beyond Christ. because when Christ is wrought in the heart, he's all, forever, he's all, and he remains first and foremost.

And so all this concerning Solomon here is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace, the King of kings and Lord of lords, Jesus Christ the righteous. He's the Savior. Look to Him. Look to Him, sinner. He's the one who alone gives peace in the heart. He's the one who alone establishes peace between us and holy God.

Now, the very birth of the Lord Jesus Christ testifies, at His birth, God testifies of the peace of God through him. Testifying it there, as the angels declared to the shepherds, glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace, good will toward men. The Lord is showing, I'm at peace. I'm giving my son for peace to sinners. All who look to him, all who come to me in him, find peace and reconciliation and life for your souls.

And Solomon's name also foretold of the peace that should be to him and his kingdom. And so our Lord's name foretells of what he would accomplish in his days. For example, the Lord sent us an angel to Joseph telling him thou shall call his name Jesus. for he shall save his people from their sins. So just as Solomon speaks of the peace that should come to the kingdom, so Jesus speaks of the salvation that he should accomplish for his people according to the word and promise of the Lord our God.

Now, there's a third blessing here that we see in the birth of Solomon to Bathsheba and David. wherefore it testifies to the grace of God in Jesus Christ, that he will bear righteous fruit in his people. Romans 7.4 speaks of the salvation of our God, what Christ accomplishes in us who are dead, who bring forth fruit unto death, as we saw there with David and Bathsheba, in their adultery, fruit unto death. Romans 7, 4, wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ, that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.

Ephesians 2.10, we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. And so it speaks to what our Lord does for us. When he's reconciled to us in Christ Jesus, when there's forgiveness and peace, he brings forth the fruit of the Spirit in his people. Faith and love and hope and joy and kindness and gentleness patience, and long-suffering, He brings forth these fruits in us, meekness and temperance, to the praise, honor, and glory of His name.

And so we see the Lord here accomplishing His fruitfulness in them, and it's a picture of the fruitfulness which He accomplishes in us who are called of God and brought out of darkness and given life and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Psalm 103, 9 and 10 says, He will not always chide, neither will he keep his anger forever. He hath not dealt with us after our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. And so, knowing this, brethren, when we are being chastened of the Lord, And we see David being chastened of the Lord, and he casts himself upon the Lord. And he resigns himself to the Lord. You, too, may resign yourself to the Lord, knowing that what he's doing is for our good. And when he's finished with what he's doing, it's for our good. He giveth the peaceable fruit of righteousness in its place. because we're stripped down of the flesh, we're turned from our erring ways, and brought near to the Lord by His grace and power drawing us to Him. Trust Him in it. Trust Him in it. You see it with David, and you see it in the scriptures, and you see it in your own heart. Believe Him. Cast yourself upon Him, for He careth for you.

Additionally, just quickly now, let's read verse 25. 2 Samuel 12, 25. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet, and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord. Now, it would seem that it's the Lord who sent Nathan the prophet. to call this son Solomon, to call him Jedidiah. Now the name Jedidiah is different. It means beloved, beloved of Jehovah, beloved of the Lord Jehovah. That's what that name means. And this is how I believe they knew that God loved this child. God sent Nathan specifically there to tell them this is Jedidiah. This son is loved of the Lord. He shall not die. He shall live there.

And so brethren, so it is with our Lord God. He tells us the son of his love. In Matthew 3, 17, he bore witness of Christ at his baptism, saying, this is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. And then on the Mount of Transfiguration, when the disciples, James, John, and Peter went up with the Lord to that mount where Christ was transfigured, They saw the brilliance of His light. They saw the glory of the Son, which He had with the Father before He took on Him the flesh. They saw His glory that He was returning unto, and they wondered at it. And a voice spoke out of the clouds, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye Him.

And that's what the Lord is telling us through the gospel. That's what he's telling us through these scriptures when he's repeating the promise. And he's repeating the promise of the son who should come and crush the head of the serpent. And he's showing us, testifying of his grace, of his mercy, of that covenant that would be established by the blood of Christ on that cross when he went there, not for his own sins, because he had no sins. He's perfect, holy, righteous, and just, obeying the Father in all things. but he went there willingly, bearing the sins of his people, to sacrifice himself unto the Father to make an atonement for our sins, to put them away forever, and to satisfy the justice of God. and to give us life in himself.

And so the Father is continuing to testify to us through the preaching of the gospel, through the finding, the seeing, the beholding of Christ in this word, he's saying, go to Christ. Believe Christ. This is Him whom I've sent for this very purpose, to save your souls, to reconcile you unto myself, to forgive you of all your sins, to cleanse you of your iniquities, to purge you of your guilt and shame, and to establish you in my Son, and to bear the fruit of righteousness, the fruit of the Spirit, in Him, and by Him, who is your husband, your friend, your salvation, your all.

And so we need this perfect righteousness. This is the righteousness of God given unto us. Christ is Jedidiah. He is the well beloved son in whom we have life, peace, forgiveness, reconciliation, and salvation. So look to Christ. He's our comfort and he's our peace. And so just as David comforted Bathsheba, I pray, Senator, that you are comforted by the Husband of the Saints, the Savior of the Saints, the Lord Jesus Christ.