Bathsheba, mentioned by Matthew as significant in the line of Christ, was a virtuous woman. For the past several weeks, our team at IMM has been working day and night to recount these virtues. In one scene in the movie, we see Bathsheba doing many of the things that a great woman does according to Proverbs 31. But what was it in her character that propelled her to do these virtuous things?
From what we know of Bathsheba, she endured tragedy, made mistakes, and kept on believing for something better. Here we see her in sackcloth and ashes at a low point in life when she probably wondered if God cared for her.
The remarkable character exhibited by Bathsheba (and David) is marked by humility and surrender before God. As David wrote in Psalm 51,
“Create in me a clean heart, O God.
Renew a loyal spirit within me.”
On the days we filmed David and Bathsheba confessing their adultery, we wanted to invite God to search each of us on set, in the attitude of Psalm 51. We prayed together and sang Keith Green’s “Create in Me a Clean Heart”. What a sweet time it was!
What is the source of the virtues that we are known for? Our beliefs and attitudes directly influence the actions that are seen by the outside world. I encourage you to take time today to pray David’s prayer, “Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts!”