David: A Man After God's Own Heart

Acts 13:22 “And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”

Have you ever wondered or questioned how David could be considered a man after God’s own heart?

David committed some grievous sins.

In 2nd Samuel 11, some of David’s terrible sins are described.

David had gotten lazy.

David lusted after Bathsheba.

David committed adultery.

David tried to deceive Uriah.

David plotted Uriah’s murder.

Despite these, David was a man after God’s own heart. I am telling you these are serious sins committed by David, but this was not David’s only episode of sin.

In 1 Chronicles Chapter 21, David sinned terribly as Satan tempted David to take a census of Israel, a census that he was told not to take.

Do you know what happened as a result of David’s census? 1 Chron. 21:14-15.

1 Chronicles 21:14–15 “So the Lord sent pestilence upon Israel: and there fell of Israel seventy thousand men. And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

70,000 men died because of David’s on top of Uriah’s death, the death of David’s and Bathsheba’s baby, and the constant warfare in David’s family and kingdom; yet, the Bible calls David a man after God’s own heart. Does David being called a man after God’s own heart considering all David did seem puzzling to you?

How was David considered to be a man after God’s own heart? Well, Acts Chap. 13 v. 22 tells us. The Bible says that David was a man after God’s own heart because David fulfilled the will of the Lord. In other words, David did what God wanted him to do.

David was far from perfect as we just discussed. His life was a portrait of great success and abject failure, but what made David a cut above the rest was that his heart was pointed toward God.

Dear friend, if you want to be someone after God’s own heart, your heart, too, must be pointed to God. David had a deep desire, even though he sinned terribly, to follow God’s will and do what God wanted him to do.

If we want to be people after God’s own heart, it would behoove us to look at David’s life to discover how we can become that.

1. David had absolute faith.

There are two instances in David’s life in which he revealed his absolute faith in God.

A. David and Goliath.

1 Samuel 17:4–7 “And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.

And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.”

1 Samuel 17:10–11 “And the Philistine said, I defy the armies of Israel this day; give me a man, that we may fight together. When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.”

Goliath was about 10’ tall, and he was a bad man. He issued an open challenge to all of Israel. It was to be a winner take all match.

There was, however, one problem. Israel was too scared to go out and meet Goliath in battle, but David had faith in God.

1 Samuel 17:32 “And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine.”

1 Samuel 17:37 “David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.”

1 Samuel 17:45–47 “Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel.

And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.”

David had absolute faith that the victory was God’s.

David did not ask God to take Goliath out of the equation. He just had faith that God was going to win the victory.

Do you have that kind of faith? Giants are going to confront you. Physical giants, mental giants, financial giants, emotional giants, relationship giants, and spiritual giants are going to confront you. Be like David. Don’t ask God to remove them. Trust God for the victory. Now, I know that’s a big step.

But that could very well be the reason we are not as David regarding being a people after God’s own heart. Most of the time we ask that things be removed from our life, but dear friend what we probably need is to have the faith that David had. The faith that God is going to give us the victory.

Can I ask you a question? Are you hiding from giants as Israel did? God wants to win the victory. Instead of hiding, instead of asking God to remove the problem, trust God like David did for victory over your giant.

B. David and Death.

David had great faith in God when facing the giant Goliath, and he had great faith when he faced death.

Bathsheba got pregnant from the adulterous affair with David, and you can take this to the bank.

Sin always has consequences, and one of the consequences of David’s sin with Bathsheba was heartbreaking. 2nd Samuel 12:13-15.

2 Samuel 12:13–15 “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die. And Nathan departed unto his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.”

The consequence resulting from David’s sin was the death of his child. Now, this is very important, and you need to listen carefully.

We are free to choose to sin, but when we sin, we do not get to choose the consequences that come along with our choice.

David would have much rather die instead of his child, but David was not free to choose the consequence, and the same holds true for you and me. (Colin Example.)

***When you sin, you do not know how, where, or in whom the consequences for your sin will show.***

David pleaded, begged, prayed, and fasted while the child was sick, but after 7 days, the child died.

Knowing how David had been acting, the servants were scared to tell David the news, but David saw them whispering and perceived the child was dead. In response, David made an incredible statement of faith.

2 Samuel 12:21–23 “Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live?

But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.”

David had the faith to know without a shadow of doubt that he would be with that child one day.

Dear friend, when you are facing your deepest and darkest trials and tribulations, you will either rise in faith or shrink in fear. David rose in faith.

2. David had a repentant heart.

A repentant heart is the cherry on top if you want to be a person after God’s own heart.

We mentioned two instances in David’s life in which he sinned greatly. I want you to notice his heart as he was confronted with those sins.

When David took the census, God sent Gad to David.

I want you to notice David’s response to God.

1 Chronicles 21:8–10 “And David said unto God, I have sinned greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech thee, do away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly. And the Lord spake unto Gad, David’s seer, saying, Go and tell David, saying, Thus saith the Lord, I offer thee three things: choose thee one of them, that I may do it unto thee.”

1 Chronicles 21:12–13 “Either three years’ famine; or three months to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore advise thyself what word I shall bring again to him that sent me.

And David said unto Gad, I am in a great strait: let me fall now into the hand of the Lord; for very great are his mercies: but let me not fall into the hand of man.”

Do you know what God did in response to David’s repentant heart? 1 Chronicles 21:15.

1 Chronicles 21:15 “And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the Lord beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the Lord stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite.”

David’s repentant heart and absolute faith led God to the angel’s sword. AMEN!!!!

When David was confronted by Nathan regarding his sin with Bathsheba, David owned it.

2 Samuel 12:12–13 “For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”

If David had not have owned his sin, he would have died immediately, but he did own it, and I want you to notice how David poured his heart out before God over the child.

2 Samuel 12:16–18a “David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died.

For 7 days, David poured his heart out to God, and I believe Psalm 51 is David’s personal account and testimony of those 7 days.

***Psalm 51:1–3 “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: And my sin is ever before me.”

Yes, David sinned greatly, but he had great faith and a repentant heart.

I am telling you, dear friend, that a repentant heart might just be the missing ingredient in your life. It might be what is keeping you from having the same faith David had.

1 John 1:8–9 “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When you and I have a repentant heart and when we have great faith, nothing is off limits.

John 14:13–14 “And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.”

Do you believe those verses? You can get to that point if you have strong faith and a repentant heart.