The Second King.
You can read King David’s story in 1 Samuel 16-31, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings 1-2, and 1 Chronicles 11-29.
If you asked me, David, to write about my life, I would have no idea how to keep my story within a single scroll.
Growing up, I was the youngest in my family, and they often left me to tend the sheep. That’s where I learned to use a slingshot, and where I was taught courage. One day, the prophet Samuel came and anointed me King of Israel. I did not see that coming.
I should mention that I’m a gifted harp player (what else was I supposed to do while watching the sheep?). This caught the attention of King Saul. A few years later, the Philistine giant Goliath blasphemed the name of the LORD. I went out with my slingshot and slew the giant. I knew God was with me.
The journey didn’t get easier from there, as Saul hunted me in the desert for many years. But since Samuel had anointed me, I knew God’s promise would come true. So even when I got the chance to personally take the kingship from Saul, I refused. I trusted God’s timing.
When the time finally came, and Saul perished, I captured Jerusalem and became king of all Israel. From there, I fought many wars and made countless choices, some good, some bad. I moved God’s Ark to its proper home, subdued the enemy nations, showed kindness to my enemies, and made preparations for God’s temple.
However, I also made mistakes. I committed adultery and murder, which led to death and rebellion. I also gave in to pride by calling a census. Yet when I turned from my sins, God’s grace wiped my faults clean. There were consequences, but when I got down and repented, God forgave my sins.
On top of being a king, warrior, and musician, I poured my heart out to God in the Psalms. Anyone who looks at my life can see why my Psalms are a combination of utter joy and utter despair. In my life, I experienced heavy doses of both. My hope is that these prayers to God will be used by future believers to express their feelings.
As I look over my life, I can’t ignore the faults, but at the same time, they pale in comparison to everything God has done despite them. All throughout my life, I’ve seen God working everything for good as I seek to do His will.
King David is one of the best-known Biblical figures, on top of being Israel’s second king. David also wrote most of the Psalms, and was called ‘a man after God’s own heart’. Nevertheless, he made big mistakes, which cost him dearly. What is it about this man that stands out, and what characteristics led God to choose him as King?
Prologue.
“So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the LORD came powerfully upon David from that day on.”
– 1 Samuel 16:13
To understand David’s life, we need to examine his childhood, well before he became king. As the youngest child, he often tended the sheep. This is where he cultivated many of the gifts that would serve him later in life. What seems to be a curse now may turn out to be a blessing later. When Samuel arrives, he ignores the height and biceps of Jesse’s older sons and calls for David. Right then and there, he’s anointed. What makes David’s story unique is how long he had to wait before becoming King. God’s plans often involve waiting.
Later, he’s selected to play the harp for King Saul to help ease the troubling spirit God placed upon him. Then Goliath comes around. David doesn’t see anyone else jumping for the challenge, so he takes his slingshot and slays the giant. By trusting in the LORD, not his own strength, David defeats Goliath. This might seem crazy, but David’s victory further reminds everyone that victory comes by God’s power, not ours.
Saul grows jealous, and after trying to kill David, the anointed one flees to the desert, living in a constant state of “looking over his shoulder”. Yet when given the chance to kill Saul, David passes it up. David leaves the future in God’s hands. Years later, Saul dies in battle, and David’s reign begins.
The Beginning.
“In the past, when Saul was our king, you were the one who really led the forces of Israel. And the LORD told you, ‘You will be the shepherd of My people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”
– 2 Samuel 5:2
In rapid-fire fashion, Saul dies, the people declare David king, and he captures Jerusalem from the Jebusites, making it his capital city. From there, he marries more wives and concubines. Afterwards, he continues his war-hero legacy by battling the Philistines and retrieving the Ark of the Covenant. Note the timing: David begins his reign by returning the Ark, then God makes a covenant promise (the Davidic covenant). David received God’s blessing by seeking His will first. God’s blessing is free for all, but we can only find it by doing His will and advancing His Kingdom.
The Middle.
“Then David confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’”
– 2 Samuel 12:13a
Like Saul, David makes mistakes. After staying home during battle season, David spots Bathsheba, which leads to adultery and murder. Shortly after, family struggles emerge: David’s son Amnon takes advantage of his half-sister, then another son, Absalom, avenges his sister by killing Amnon and triggering events leading to a devastating rebellion that forces David to flee and causes long-term war and consequences. I won’t even mention the military census and plague.
Unlike Saul, David repents. When confronted with his actions, David humbly asks for forgiveness. Contrary to the norm, David doesn’t deny or justify his actions (like Saul). God wants us to ask for forgiveness, not present Him with excuses.
There are consequences for David’s sin – big ones. While his mistakes mark him for life, they don’t mark him for eternity. That’s the key. When we repent, God blots our sins out. I wonder why God calls David “a man after His own heart” (Acts 13:22), despite David’s mistakes. Surely you’d think his sins would disqualify him from that title.
I think this is one of God’s greatest blessings: He doesn’t look at our faults; He looks at our hearts. God’s heart is that we turn from sin and do everything we can to walk in His ways. Even though David’s actions didn’t always line up, the Psalms make it clear that David’s heart was in the right place.
Actions – good or bad – matter, but from the moment David was anointed, God made it clear that actions are secondary to our heart’s motives. As we learned last week, our actions can be good, but they hold no significance if our heart isn’t aligned with God’s.
The End.
“Take courage and be a man. Observe the requirements of the LORD your God, and follow all His ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.”
– 1 Kings 2:2-3
David’s reign was marked by battles, rebellions, and bloodshed. As he grows old, he prepares to build the LORD a temple. But because of the blood on his hands, God tells David that his son Solomon needs to build this temple.
In his last recorded words, David instructs Solomon to obey the LORD’s commands, to follow His ways…and to kill everyone who mistreated him during his life. Then the reign of Israel’s greatest king comes to a close.
What Defined David?
Please understand that people have written entire books on the life of David. For this reason, I’ll keep things brief. Like many rulers, David’s greatest strength ran parallel with his greatest weakness. Let’s start with his biggest fault, then move to his biggest strength.
~ He Knew the World’s Ways ~
“After moving from Hebron to Jerusalem, David married more concubines and wives, and they had more sons and daughters.”
– 2 Samuel 5:13
When David became king, he followed the ways of the world by gathering many wives and concubines. This goes contrary to Deuteronomy 17:17. David followed the customs of other nations by accumulating “status symbols” for himself.
The lesson is: when we follow God, we need to follow His directions. Being anointed or chosen by God doesn’t permit kings or Christians to do whatever they want. We need to seek His leading in every action. Rather than conforming to the world, we need to conform to God’s ways.
David’s mistakes taught him to appreciate God on a new level, and they kept him humble. They also led to some of his most profound Psalms, which never would’ve been written if he hadn’t made mistakes.
~ He Knew God’s Ways ~
“So David and all the people of Israel brought up the Ark of the LORD with shouts of joy and the blowing of rams’ horns.”
– 2 Samuel 6:15
What separated David from every other king was his reverence for God. From the beginning, we see David’s complete trust as he faces Goliath. We see David trust God’s timing in the wilderness, seek God’s will in recovering the Ark, ask God for guidance in the Psalms, and act humbly when confronted with sin.
David put God in His place: as ruler of everything. Many future kings would seek to shelve God or relegate Him to a tiny portion of their hearts. Not David. David knew where God belonged, and throughout his life, he didn’t change his view.
Good/Bad.
When I evaluate David’s life as a whole, I see a humble and trusting heart as his greatest strength. David was a man after God’s heart, not because he lived a perfect life, but because he sought God in everything he did.
If we want to live like David, we don’t need to rule a kingdom. We don’t need to rule anything. We just need to acknowledge God as the ruler of our lives. Ask Him for guidance, follow His instructions, and turn to Him when things go wrong.
All this said, we need to put David in his place on the Kings Chart…
Ultimately, David lived for God’s glory, not his own. He made mistakes, like Saul, but his mistakes didn’t define him. David knew life wasn’t comprised of military victories or glory. His life was about bringing glory to God. He wasn’t perfect, but he set the foundation for a lineage of kings that would eventually produce the One who would be perfect. And his house endures to this day.
As David put it in 1 Chronicles 29:11…
“Yours, O LORD, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty. Everything in the heavens and on earth is Yours, O LORD, and this is Your Kingdom. We adore You as the one who is over all things.”
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