DAVID – THE MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART
SCRIPTURE: I Sam 16-11 Sam 24
INTRODUCTION: David means “beloved.” He was the youngest of the eight sons of Jesse, and the second and greatest of Israel’s kings. He was an eloquent poet and one of the greatest figures in the history of the world. He was also used by the Holy Spirit to pen a number of the Psalms. Volumes have been written about this mountain peak among Bible characters. David’s father was a simple man who lived in the obscure little town of Bethlehem and trained young David to tend his sheep. (The statement in I Sam 17:12 ” … and the man [Jesse] went among men for an old man in the days of Saul.” is quite significant. It is indicative both of his prowess and his character–he was respected and even admired by other men–and gives us a hint as to the source of some of David’s character development.) It pleased God to take David from such humble beginnings and set him upon the throne of Israel. There are so many aspects of David’s life that merit careful study; but due to limited time, our major focus will be on the things he learned which prepared him for stellar success as Israel’s king! The key Principle of Leadership in David’s life is LEARNING TO RULE. He learned in
Stage ONE – as a Son how to
1. get along with difficult people (his brothers)
2. endure criticism (from the family)
3. respond to authority (he was obedient, dependable)
Stage TWO – as a Shepherd (while still a son) to
1. spend time alone wisely (honing his skills with the harp and with the sling)
2. walk with God (he meditated on God’s Word and wrote some of the Psalms at this time)
3. be faithful to duty (fought off a lion, fought off a bear protecting the sheep)
4. perform humble tasks
Stage THREE – as a Servant (while still a shepherd) to
1. look after the needs of others (he ministered to Saul while still handling responsibilities at home)
2. handle several responsibilities simultaneously
3. delegate authority – 17:20
4. not neglect his responsibilities – 17:22
Stage FOUR – as a Soldier (while still a servant) to
1. fight God’s enemies, not God’s people! (David refused to fight Saul.)
2. trust God’s power and not his own strength and ability – 17:37, 45-47
3. give God the glory!
4. to obey orders and carry out his duties in a wise manner – 18:5, 14
We may also view David from some other perspectives. Here are some brief thoughts on David’s life as
1. A WARRIOR- 1 Sam 17:40; II Sam 5:7 David was courageous as a young champion
and a great soldier. His fight with Goliath is unsurpassed in the annals of history.
2. A MUSICIAN – Because he was a skillful player on the harp, David was called to play
in the presence of wretched King Saul. Only David’s music could soothe the king, from whom the Spirit of God had departed.
3. A SINNER – David’s yielding to gross sin in a period of ease (II Sam 11) should give ample warning to every Christian that the flesh can never be trusted, no matter how spiritual one is or how high he rises!
4. A SAINT – In spite of David’s brief fling with sin, he was nevertheless a child of God, and the trend of his life was spiritual (I Sam 13:14; I Kings 15:5!) The Bible stresses the fact that David followed hard after God, and his Psalms are living proof of the God-ward bent of his life. [In fact, as you study Israel’s subsequent history, you will find that David’s life was the standard by which the later kings were judged.] However, I believe the chief reason he was called the man after GOD’s own heart is found in his response to King Saul’s hatred. After all Saul did to him, not a court in the land would have condemned him for killing Saul–it would have been a matter of self defense. But David forgave and would not take revenge in his own hands.
5. A PROPHET – David was one of those “holy men of old” moved by the Holy Spirit to set forth many glorious details about the coming, the suffering, and the coming again as King of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior and the Messiah!
LESSONS From David’s Life:
1. The key to advancement (promotion to greater responsibilities) is the faithful performance of the task(s) at hand, no matter how menial or insignificant.
2. The enemy is “out there.” How it behooves God’s people today to learn the lesson of David’s response to Saul’s persecution!
3. It only takes one “boo-boo” to mess up a great record and get a blotch on one’s name. It is also significant that such an incident always brings reproach against God.
4. When the “laws of the harvest” kick in, there is a heavy price tag on sin!