Every time when someone asks me, who my favorite character in the Bible is apart from Jesus; I would always raise my head and say its king David.
Yes for sure its David, the man after God's own heart. As a small boy, this man won the hearts of many Israelites by killing Goliath the giant with a sling and stone. As years passed by, this boy grew up to be a humble man who never once raised his hand against his enemy king Saul. And whenever someone provoked him to attack Saul, he would shut their mouths by saying he would not raise a hand against the Lord's anointed. Later after the death of Saul, David was proclaimed king and he did not hold back to keep his promise with Jonathan to show kindness to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth even if he was the grandson of Saul.
Now you would say, wait a minute ; are you going to only say about the story of David and Goliath? Do not forget the story of David and Bathsheba.
Yes, yes! I am coming there. Bible is a book that not only records the good characters of the warriors of God but also their falls in life.And it is through their failures that we receive prior warning in our Christian lives to remind us that we are all alike and prone to falling.
One of David's greatest fall was his sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. And to cover that sin, David indirectly murdered Uriah and took Bathsheba to be his wife.
Now tell me, how is this man recorded to be "The man after God's own heart"?
David the king has already proclaimed the judgement of the rich man in the parable. Now David is that rich man. The Lord speaks to David through His prophet about breaking three important commandments of the Mosaic Law-
- You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not murder.
In 2 Samuel 12:10 God speaks ".... the sword shall never depart from your house.."
To all this what was David's response? Remember David was a king. He can do anything.
In a similar situation of king Asa in 2 Chronicles 16, when Hanani the seer comes to Asa, king of Judah with a message from God about His sin, we find Asa's response in verse 10. Asa was angry with the seer and put him to prison.
Another similar situation of king Ahab is seen in 1 Kings 20, when a certain man of the sons of prophets comes before Ahab and proclaims the condemnation of king Ahab. In verse 43 we read the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased.
But Bible records a completely different response of king David. In 2 Samuel 12: 13, So David said to Nathan "I have sinned against the Lord" And Nathan said to David "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
A king who swiftly confesses his sin because he has truly known the King of kings. In another situation of David's sin, David says in 2 Samuel 24: 14 " ... Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great:..." David knows there is no running. David stops.
Dear friends, Is God sending warnings that you are ignoring today? Are you angry in response to God or are you sullen and displeased?
I find myself often sullen in response to God's corrections. Feeling as if there is no way back to His presence. But David has a better lesson to teach, for we serve a God who is swift to forgive.
Tell me dear friends, Did David face the consequences of his sins? He sure did. The death of David's son is recorded in the next chapter in 2 Samuel. And lets not forget the story of Amnon and Tamar.
But yet David's confession made him get back to the presence of God. And thus His title
David- A man after God's own heart
As we flip the books of the Bible and come to the New Testament. In Hebrews 11 when the men of faith are recorded; verse 32 King David finds a place too. Not his son Solomon the most wisest person on earth who built a great temple for God, but his father king David for he walked with God.
#M@RY
Yes for sure its David, the man after God's own heart. As a small boy, this man won the hearts of many Israelites by killing Goliath the giant with a sling and stone. As years passed by, this boy grew up to be a humble man who never once raised his hand against his enemy king Saul. And whenever someone provoked him to attack Saul, he would shut their mouths by saying he would not raise a hand against the Lord's anointed. Later after the death of Saul, David was proclaimed king and he did not hold back to keep his promise with Jonathan to show kindness to Jonathan's son Mephibosheth even if he was the grandson of Saul.
Now you would say, wait a minute ; are you going to only say about the story of David and Goliath? Do not forget the story of David and Bathsheba.
Yes, yes! I am coming there. Bible is a book that not only records the good characters of the warriors of God but also their falls in life.And it is through their failures that we receive prior warning in our Christian lives to remind us that we are all alike and prone to falling.
One of David's greatest fall was his sin with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. And to cover that sin, David indirectly murdered Uriah and took Bathsheba to be his wife.
Now tell me, how is this man recorded to be "The man after God's own heart"?
As the acts of king David displeased the Lord,God send to David, prophet Nathan. Nathan explained to David his sin by means of a parable. Nathan told David about a rich man and a poor man. Nathan said “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” On hearing this story, the anger of king David was aroused against the rich man and David said to Nathan " As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die.. "
And a fierce reply comes to David from Nathan "You are the man".David the king has already proclaimed the judgement of the rich man in the parable. Now David is that rich man. The Lord speaks to David through His prophet about breaking three important commandments of the Mosaic Law-
- You shall not covet your neighbor's wife
- You shall not commit adultery.
- You shall not murder.
In 2 Samuel 12:10 God speaks ".... the sword shall never depart from your house.."
To all this what was David's response? Remember David was a king. He can do anything.
In a similar situation of king Asa in 2 Chronicles 16, when Hanani the seer comes to Asa, king of Judah with a message from God about His sin, we find Asa's response in verse 10. Asa was angry with the seer and put him to prison.
Another similar situation of king Ahab is seen in 1 Kings 20, when a certain man of the sons of prophets comes before Ahab and proclaims the condemnation of king Ahab. In verse 43 we read the king of Israel went to his house sullen and displeased.
But Bible records a completely different response of king David. In 2 Samuel 12: 13, So David said to Nathan "I have sinned against the Lord" And Nathan said to David "The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
A king who swiftly confesses his sin because he has truly known the King of kings. In another situation of David's sin, David says in 2 Samuel 24: 14 " ... Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great:..." David knows there is no running. David stops.
Dear friends, Is God sending warnings that you are ignoring today? Are you angry in response to God or are you sullen and displeased?
I find myself often sullen in response to God's corrections. Feeling as if there is no way back to His presence. But David has a better lesson to teach, for we serve a God who is swift to forgive.
Tell me dear friends, Did David face the consequences of his sins? He sure did. The death of David's son is recorded in the next chapter in 2 Samuel. And lets not forget the story of Amnon and Tamar.
But yet David's confession made him get back to the presence of God. And thus His title
David- A man after God's own heart
As we flip the books of the Bible and come to the New Testament. In Hebrews 11 when the men of faith are recorded; verse 32 King David finds a place too. Not his son Solomon the most wisest person on earth who built a great temple for God, but his father king David for he walked with God.
#M@RY
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