King David is one of the most well-known figures in Jewish history. His life was filled with much happiness and much pain. King David was a descendant of Judah as well as Ruth and was promised by God that his children would rule Israel forever.
David had faults. He committed sin. He was guilty of great offenses. But unlike King Saul, David was not rebellious and disobedient. David was quick to repent. Because of this willingness to repent, Paul says that David was a man whose heart was inclined toward God. In Acts 13:22, we read, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, who shall fulfil all my will.”
The writer of Proverbs states in 18:10 (ESV), “The name of the Lord is a strong tower; the righteous man runs into it and is safe.” David, a shepherd boy who was known as Israel’s greatest king, knew his limitations, humbled himself, and called upon the name of God.
We are first introduced to David after Saul, at the insistence of the people, was made king (1 Samuel 8:5, 10:1). Saul did not measure up as God’s king. While King Saul was making one mistake on top of another, God sent Samuel to find His chosen shepherd, David, the son of Jesse (1 Samuel 16:10, 13). David is believed to have been twelve to sixteen years of age when he was anointed as the king of Israel. He was the youngest of Jesse’s sons and an unlikely choice for king, humanly speaking. Samuel thought Eliab, David’s oldest brother, was surely the anointed one. But God told Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7). Seven of Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel, but God had chosen none of them. Samuel asked if Jesse had any more sons. The youngest, David, was out tending sheep. So, they called the boy in, and Samuel anointed David with oil "and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David" (1 Samuel 16:13).
One incident in David’s boyhood days plainly denotes his character. While he was keeping his father’s sheep, a lion came and took a lamb. David went out after the lion and got the lamb out of the lion’s mouth. The lion arose against him, and he caught the lion by the beard and slew it! This account shows David’s great courage.
Notice that the loss of one poor lamb was the occasion that prompted David’s bravery. Many shepherds would have considered the loss of one tiny lamb far too trifling to endanger their own lives. But not David! It was his love for that lamb and his faithfulness to the charge given him (the duty of tending his father’s sheep) which moved him to act. David was faithful in small things, and later he was given larger duties to perform.
David was a lad who longed to know God in deeper dimensions. He wrote that he couldn’t sleep until God found a place in his heart. When he was in the pastures of Bethlehem Ephratah, he was concerned for God’s glory (See Psalms 132:4-6).
Even though God had rejected Saul as king, He still allowed Saul to rule for 20 or more years. During this time, David served King Saul in his royal court. David played the harp for Saul during the King’s periods of depression. When he wasn’t at the court, David continued to help his father with shepherding the sheep.
David came into public notice as a result of his victory over Goliath, the Philistine giant. David went before Goliath with a sling and 5 smooth stones (the same instrument he used to protect his father’s sheep). In an unguarded moment—quick as a flash—before the Philistine knew what happened, the stone from David’s sling pierced the giant’s forehead, and Goliath crashed to the ground. Large numbers of people praised David, and chanted, “Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousand” (1 Samuel 18:7).
King Saul could not bear to see David praised for his achievements. He became bitterly jealous of David after the experience with Goliath. Twice Saul lifted his spear and cast it at David. But on both occasions, David managed to slip away unharmed. On another occasion, Saul offered his daughter in marriage to David on the condition that David slay 100 Philistines. Saul hoped that David would lose his life in the attempt (1 Samuel 18:17). Finally, David felt it wasn’t safe to remain in Saul’s court.
So, he fled to Adullam, wandering about in the deserts of Judea for several years. But Saul hunted him down and repeatedly tried to kill him. Saul plotted time and time again to trip David, but each time he escaped from Saul’s traps.
During the years when David was wandering about in the desert with Saul seeking to take his life, he had several unusual opportunities to take Saul’s life. However, David returned love for Saul’s hatred. David had suffered injustice and ill treatment at the hands of King Saul for many years. On two occasions David had the opportunity to get even with Saul (and even to take his life). But David said, “The Lord forbid that I should (harm) my master, the Lord’s anointed.” So, David let Saul escape twice.
The first time was at a place called “Engedi.” The word “Engedi” means “rocks of the wild goats.” It is a place along the Dead Sea where there are lots of caves and caverns. 1 Samuel 24 tells how Saul went into a cave at Engedi to rest. Saul and his soldiers were unaware that David and his men were hiding in the inner recesses of that very cave. David’s men wanted to kill Saul, but David merely cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. He could have just as easily cut off Saul’s head.
The second opportunity David could have used to kill Saul was when Saul was camped in the wilderness of Ziph, by the side of the road. While Saul and his armies were sleeping, David went down under the cover of darkness and took away Saul’s spear and water jar.
David demonstrated great patience and love toward King Saul—even though Saul was consistently trying to take David’s life. David went the second mile. He turned the other cheek. This is the attitude taught by Jesus in the New Testament.
Soon after David had conquered Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made Jerusalem his capital city, David ordered the Ark of the Covenant brought from the house of Abinadab up to the City of Jerusalem. The Ark of the Covenant was one of the six sacred pieces of furniture which belonged in the Jewish house of worship, the Tabernacle. The Ark of the Covenant was a chest made of wood overlaid with gold, in which were kept the Ten Commandments. The Ark of the Covenant was to be kept in the Most Holy Place of the Tabernacle. Human hands were never to touch the Ark of the Lord (Numbers 4:15).
God had given clear instructions telling how the Ark should be transported from place to place. It was to be carried on poles by the Levites. But when David decided to move the sacred chest, he had the Ark of the Covenant hauled up to Jerusalem on a cart. At one point the oxen stumbled, and Uzzah put out his hand to steady the Ark. Immediately he died (2 Samuel 6:6-7). God punished disobedience at once. It is always dangerous to tamper with sacred things. Even doing good things by methods not sanctioned in the Scriptures is unwise.
During the time that David ruled over Israel, he demonstrated great wisdom and justice in dealing with people. David stood out as one of the greatest political and spiritual leaders in Old Testament history.
Three months later, David resumed the plan to bring the ark to Jerusalem. This time, he followed instructions. He also "dance[ed] before the LORD with all his might" (2 Samuel 6:14). When Michal saw David worshiping in that way, "she despised him in her heart" (2 Samuel 6:16). She asked David how he, as king, could have acted so undistinguished in front of his people. "David said to Michal, 'It was before the LORD, who chose me rather than your father or anyone from his house when he appointed me ruler over the LORD’s people Israel—I will celebrate before the LORD. I will become even more undignified than this, and I will be humiliated in my own eyes" (2 Samuel 6:21–22). David understood that true worship is intended for God alone. We do not worship for the benefit of the perceptions of others but in humble response to God (John 4:24).
After David was settled in his palace and had peace with his enemies, he wanted to build a temple for the Lord (2 Samuel 7:1–2). The prophet Nathan first told David to do as he wanted. But then God told Nathan that David would not be the one to build His temple. Instead, God promised to build a house for David. This promise included a prediction that Solomon would build the temple. But it also spoke of the coming Messiah, the Son of David who would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:4–17). David responded in humility and awe: "Who am I, Sovereign Lord, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?" (2 Samuel 7:18; see 2 Samuel 7:18–29 for David’s entire prayer). Before he died, David prepared for the temple. God’s reason for not allowing David to build the temple was that he had shed so much blood, but David’s son would be a man of peace and not a man of war. Solomon would build the temple (1 Chronicles 22). Much of David’s shedding of blood had been a result of war. But, in a sordid incident, David also had one of his mighty men killed. Though David was a man after God’s own heart, he was also human and sinful.
One evening while David was walking out on the roof of his palace, he noticed a beautiful woman bathing on a nearby rooftop. David quickly responded to what he saw, even though he knew she was the wife of Uriah. A few months later he received word that Bathsheba had conceived a child as a result of his adulterous relationship with her that night.
Instead of confessing his transgression, David immediately began a frantic effort to cover up his sin. First of all, in order to cover up the scandal, David sent for Uriah and brought him home from the battle front. David hoped to make it seem that Uriah was the father of Bathsheba’s unborn child. David possibly thought to himself that no one would ever know the child was his (2 Samuel 11:6-9). But Uriah was so loyal to David and to his fellow soldiers who were camping in the open battlefield, that he refused to allow himself the indulgence of staying in the comforts of his own home and enjoying the favors of his wife.
David’s next scheme was to blur Uriah’s thinking by making him drunk. He thought that perhaps Uriah would stumble home, and in his drunken stupor forget his military responsibilities for at least one evening. But David’s plan just didn’t work. So, he decided to have Uriah killed. The commanding officer was to expose Uriah to the most concentrated enemy attack that “he may be smitten and die.” When David later learned that indeed Uriah was killed in a savage attack waged by the Ammonites, David sent this message to Joab (his commanding officer): “Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another.” David was saying that Joab was doing a good job. He wasn’t to worry just because Uriah was killed. But those words from David have a mighty hollow sound.
There are some lessons to be learned from this dark period in David’s life:
1. Beware of idleness.
2. Beware of exposing nakedness.
3. Beware of letting the eyes and mind dwell on sinful things.
4. Never think that unconfessed sin can be covered up.
5. Beware of thinking, “It can’t happen to me.”
The prophet Nathan confronted David about his sin with Bathsheba. David responded in repentance. He wrote Psalm 51 at this time. Here we see David’s humility and his true heart for the Lord. Though Nathan told David that his son would die as a result of his sin, David pleaded with the Lord for his son’s life. David’s relationship with God was such that he was willing to persist in faith and to hope that God might relent. When God enacted His judgment, David accepted it completely (2 Samuel 12). In this story we also see God’s grace and sovereignty. Solomon, David’s son who succeeded him and through whom Jesus descended, was born of David and Bathsheba. God had also told David, through Nathan, that the sword would not depart from his house. Indeed, David’s household had a lot of trouble from that time on. We see this among David’s children when Amnon raped Tamar, leading to Absalom’s murder of Amnon, and Absalom’s conspiracy against David. Nathan had also told David that his wife would be given to one who was close to him; this would not occur in secret as had David’s sin with Bathsheba, but in public. The prophecy was fulfilled when Absalom slept with his father’s concubines on the roof for all to see (2 Samuel 16). David is the author of many of the psalms. In them we see the way he sought after and glorified God. He is often thought of as a shepherd king and a warrior poet. Scripture calls him “the sweet psalmist of Israel” (2 Samuel 23:1). David’s life seemed filled with the range of human emotions—a common shepherd boy with great confidence in God’s faithfulness who honored authorities, fled for his life, and became the king against whom all future kings of Israel would be measured. He saw many military victories. He also fell into grave sin, and his family suffered as a result. But through it all David turned to God and trusted Him. Even in the Psalms when David is downcast or despondent, we see him lift his eyes up to his Maker and give Him praise. This reliance on God and continual pursuit of relationship with God is part of what makes David a man after God’s own heart. God promised David a descendant to rule on the throne forever. That everlasting king is Jesus, the Messiah and Son of David.
Exercise:
Apply these lessons from the life of David to your life. Seek to avoid the mistakes which David made. Let each of us resolve to press toward higher goals starting today.