Producing Solomon

Let me begin by saying that God is neither the author or approver of sin. 

However, as the Creator of all things, God upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest event to the least, by His Sovereign Providence, so that as God, within His providence, makes use of means; yet is free to work within those means, outside those means or against those means ... at His pleasure.

I believe God ordains whatsoever comes to pass ... but what looks like permission to sin by giving man a free will and the capacity to sin knowing that man would sin … even so, the sinfulness proceeds only from the man and not from God who, can neither be the author or approver of sin.

R.C. Sproul says ... "We trip and stumble over the word ordain.  We think that affirming divine ordination of all things must mean that God either does evil or imposes it on righteous creatures, forcing innocent people to do sinful deeds.  No.  He ordained that His creatures should have the capacity for sin.  He did not force them to exercise that capacity, but He knew that they would exercise it."

I suppose one could say that because God gave man ... a free will ... that means God ordained sin.  Evidently, for reasons known only to Himself, God made the decision to let sin happen.  God could not and did not sanction it, but He did not stop it. 

So ... in choosing not to stop it, God therefore ordained it.

We just don't know why God allowed sin in the world.  But we do know that when God ordains anything, His purpose is always for good.  Am I saying that sin is good?  No.

But I am saying that sin exists, only because in His sovereignty, God had a purpose in ... ordaining it.  Evidently, God has esteemed that sin should be allowed to happen in this world.
 
I said all of that because I have been thinking about Solomon ... more specifically about his parents ... David and Bathsheba.  Think about this ... had it not been for the David and Bathsheba story ... Solomon would not have been.
 
David would go up to the rooftop patio of his palace home in the cool of the evening ... perhaps to be alone or to meditate and pray.  It was there that he could raise his heart in his hands as he looked up to heaven and worshiped God.  But one evening, he turned his eyes next door, and there was Bathsheba ... in all her naked beauty ... bathing in the dim light of the setting sun.

It's as if it's Adam and Eve all over again.  Just as the enemy of their soul was in the garden to offer them the forbidden fruit, here that night with David, that same old enemy ... who seems to always be around, waiting for the right opportunity ... presented the forbidden to David's eyes. 

David had a choice.  What would have happened if David would have diverted his eyes and turned away from what would naturally be pleasing to his soul of flesh?  Bible history would be changed, and the beauty of this woman would not have been more than a surprised ... "wow" ... what a beautiful woman.  But instead, a longing look grew into a lustful desire for the forbidden.

Did David make his plans to make her his own after seeing her just one time?  So I wonder ... how many times did David go to his rooftop in the evening, hoping to see the forbidden fruit again?
 
But what about God?  Did He play a role of any kind in this story?  It seems as though God places choices in front of us daily.  Of course it could be just how life works.  Either way we do have to choose, don't we.

As far as man is concerned, choice started with Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden.

Ancient Hebrew writings teach that the Tree of Life stood directly beside the Tree of Knowledge in the midst of the garden.  In fact, some of these writings suggest that these two trees grew from the same root.  This of course cannot be proven.
 
But, since all life comes from God, could not this common root represent the fact that all life … whether it produces good or evil … has its life source rooted in God?

If the ancient Hebrew writings are correct ... both of these trees were located "in the midst" of the garden.  In order for Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Life, they would have to come near to the Tree of Knowledge, close enough to see the forbidden fruit … the only tree they were commanded not to eat from.  They would have to … confront it … each time they went to the Tree of Life. 

If God placed this choice before them, should I conclude as well that He may also do the same with us?  Does God have a role in any testing we may face?
 
I don't know if the enemy of his soul set David up, or whether it was allowed by God in His Sovereign Providence, making use of those things at His disposal to bring about His purpose for the nation of Israel.

So David takes Bathsheba as his own and bad things happen.  Urias, Bathsheba's husband was sent to the front lines to die in battle.  David and Bathsheba's first child dies as well from the hand of God. (II Samuel 12:15) 

Which brings me back to my thoughts about Solomon.  Had it not been for David seeing Bathsheba taking a bath ... Solomon would not have been born.  Solomon was the offspring of this marriage/union between David and Bathsheba.

I know many people will question my earlier statement that ... "God ordains whatsoever comes to pass."

Did God have a role in the story of Joseph?  Consider how Joseph's brothers sold him into slavery.  It seems as though God ordained or arranged for his brothers and the slave traders to cross paths so God's will would be accomplished.  Look what Joseph years later says to his brothers ... "You meant it for evil, but God meant it for good."  

The Apostle Paul said in Ephesians 1:11, that it is God who ... "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will."  Even slave traders, sin, and evil?  Why not. 

A Sovereign God can use any and all means at His disposal to bring all things to pass according to His purpose and decree.  I believe this is what happened with David and Bathsheba.  Even Satan can be an instrument God uses to bring about the end result He desires.

Am I saying that God caused David to lust after Bathsheba?  Absolutely not.  God does not tempt man to sin.  But as we have already seen, He may place something before you to test your resolve as He did with Adam and Eve.  The other tree.   

God knows the heart of each man, and He can use man's free will of choice to accomplish His purpose in the matter.  I suppose God could have used another way for David and Bathsheba to give birth to Solomon ... but He didn't.    
  
It's to bad that David didn't know what Solomon would later say in Proverbs 4:23 ...

"Keep and guard your heart with all vigilance and above all that you guard, for out of it flow the springs of life."   (Amplified Bible)

So once again history proves Romans 8:28 to be true ...

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

That just about says it all.


Comments are welcome.