“…So [Bathsheba] gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; and because the LORD loved him, He sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.” – 2 Samuel 12:24-25

But doesn’t the Bible have an incredible sense of humour?

Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, was previously another man’s wife, legally married to Uriah, one of the generals in David’s army. 

One evening when David was at the balcony of his palace, he looked in the distance and saw Bathsheba bathing.

Immediately, lust ripped through his body like a fire.

He called over one of his body guards and sent for her.

When she told him that she was a happily married woman, he told her to leave that to him to deal with.

Shortly afterwards, David masterminded the death of Bathsheba’s husband so he could add her to his other wives.

Of course David’s sin displeased the Lord so much that Bathsheba’s first child with him died after God “struck him with a disease” as a punishment to David.

Solomon was her second child with David, but God’s attitude to the boy was completely different.

Our Scripture says; “The LORD loved him; and because the LORD loved him, He sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah” (meaning ‘beloved of God’)!

You’re kidding me; God is sending a whole prophet to give a special name to express His love for a so-called ‘child of sin’?

“But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation.”

2 Thess. 2:13

Of course David had older kids that were more ‘deserving’ of the name Jedidiah.

Some of them were born to him while he was a prayer warrior composing wonderful poems and psalms and living in ‘complete holiness.’

Surely, not this Solomon – the child of a ‘stolen wife’! 

Well, this was the boy that God chose not only to be David’s heir to the throne but also to be in the lineage of our Lord Jesus Christ!

Beat that kind of grace!

In Greek, the word for ‘beloved’ is ‘agapetos,’ derived from ‘Agape,’ which denotes divine love.

So, ‘agapetos’ literally means ‘the loved-by-God-kind-of-love’ – unconditional, unbridled, unfailing, undeserved, unrivaled!

God simply chose to love Solomon unconditionally; for no reason whatsoever.

Indeed, Solomon, who also wrote the book of Song of Solomon, uses the word ‘beloved’ 32 times in the book.

That shows he was conquered by Agapetos, which is a perfect picture of Christ’s love for His Church.

Indeed, the Scriptures say that the ‘Agapetos’ that God bestows upon us is the same love that the Father bestowed on His Son Jesus Christ. 

Okay, let me show you something.

At Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 4:17, a voice came from heaven, saying, “THIS IS My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

But in Luke 3:22, the same Voice said; “YOU’RE my beloved son, in You I am well-pleased.”

When the Father said “this is My Son,” He was addressing John and the people at the Jordan river at the time.

He was confirming Christ as the object of His love.

When He said, “You are My Son,” in Luke, He was speaking to Christ personally.

He was affirming Him in the presence of the people including His religious adversaries.

God still does the same today. Through His Providence, He lets everyone know about His ‘Agapetos’ for you by both confirming you and affirming you, though of course some people say; “shaaaaa”!

For many people, it just doesn’t make sense that a Holy God would love an ‘undeserving’ person like you.

But also, He continually affirms you as His beloved saying; “I love you unconditionally – just because I am love.”

The Bible says in 2 Thessalonians 2:13: “But we are bound to give thanks to God always for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning chose you for salvation.”

Today, regardless of your background, God says you’re Jedidiah, the one He has purposely chosen to call His beloved!

Prayer:

Almighty God, thank you because I am the one You graciously chose to make the object of your love.  Help me to revel in your unconditional love and to make it known all the days my life. Amen!