David

Acts 13:16–23 KJV 1900

16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. 17 The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 18 And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19 And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. 20 And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 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. 23 Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus:

Lesson 1: A Heart for God Prepares Us to Be Used by God

David is chosen to be king because he has what Saul does not: a heart for God. 1 Samuel 13:14 says the Lord “sought out a man after his own heart" to be king, and Saul simply was not this man. When Samuel goes to anoint the new king of Israel, he assumes David’s strong and noble oldest brother must be the chosen one. However, God tells Samuel not to focus on physical prowess: "Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have I rejected him. For the LORD sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the LORD looks on the heart" (16:7). David’s heart for God prepares him to be used by God. Our impressive resumes aren’t what make us useful in God’s kingdom. The first lesson we learn from David’s life is the importance of cultivating a heart for God above all else.

1 Samuel 13:14 KJV 1900

14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee.

Lesson 2: The Spirit of God Equips Us to Do the Will of God

The lives of David and Saul make it crystal clear that if we want to do God’s will, we must be filled with the Spirit.

Although Saul is filled with the Spirit and actually prophesies early in his public life, his disobedience causes the Spirit to depart from him and instead “rush upon David” (1 Sam. 16:13-14).

1 Samuel 16:13–14 KJV 1900

13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the Lord came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah. 14 But the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord troubled him.

Without the Spirit, we are powerless to fulfill the role to which God has called us as Christians. The Spirit enables us to obey God.

The Bible assures us that if we "walk by the Spirit", we won’t "gratify the desires of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). And the Spirit’s presence in us results in fruit which makes us effective in ministry: "love, joy, peace, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Gal. 5:22-23). That is why we must pray to be filled with the Spirit (Eph. 5:18)

Lesson 3: It's Better to Trust God than to Fear the Giants in Our Life

David’s defeat of Goliath is one of the most vivid examples of what fear of God can accomplish. David trusted God more than he feared Goliath, so he was not intimidated by this nine-foot giant before him.

David believed the promises of God more than he feared Goliath. The Lord had promised the Israelites that they would conquer the Philistines, and David trusted him.

God wants this same kind of trust to be a part of our lives. If we trust God more than anyone or anything else, we will be able to obey and please him in powerful ways.

Of course, David is really a picture of the Greater Champion Jesus Christ. David defeated the enemy and delivered a nation—in one battle for a short time. Jesus Christ defeated the enemy—the devil, sin, and death—and delivered his people for all time. That leads us to the next lesson we learn from David.

Lesson 4: The Glory of David is not David At All—It's Jesus Christ

David's life is one example of the many pointers and prophecies that speak of Jesus Christ throughout the Old Testament.

In David's "last words" in 2 Samuel 23:1-7, he alludes to Jesus several times. He first calls himself "the anointed of the God of Jacob" (v. 1).

David was the "anointed" because Samuel anointed him with oil and because God anointed him with the Holy Spirit (1 Sam. 16:13).

But "anointed" in Hebrew is Messiah, and in Greek it is Christ. David is pointing to the Greater Christ.

This is the significance of Peter's answer to Jesus in Matthew 16:15-16: "He said to them, 'But who do you say that I am?' Simon Peter replied, 'You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.'"

Jesus is also the fulfillment of what David calls "the everlasting covenant" (2 Sam. 23:5):

2 Samuel 23:5 KJV 1900

5 Although my house be not so with God; Yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, Ordered in all things, and sure: For this is all my salvation, and all my desire, Although he make it not to grow.

2 Samuel 7:12–13 KJV 1900

12 And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build an house for my name, and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.

This is no human figure. Solomon, Hezekiah, Josiah - the greatest kings of Israel lived at best 70 or 80 years. None of them had an eternal kingdom. This is Jesus Christ, the Son of David, who is the King above all kings who will live and reign forever.

Less 5: Sin Can Bring Horrible Consequences, but Sin Can Be Forgiven

1-2 Samuel show that sin can result in horrible consequences:

Eli the priest fails to fear God and his two sons are killed because of it. Saul fails to obey and honor God, and the kingdom is given to another man. But David's sin against Bathsheba shows this most vividly of all.

When David takes Bathsheba and kills her husband Uriah, he sins in so many ways, and the Lord is not silent or indifferent to them. In fact, he promises to bring "the sword" upon David's house, and that sword takes four of his sons. Such sobering consequences for sin are meant to cause us to fear falling into sin.

But there is forgiveness in the life of David as well. After Nathan the prophet confronts David for his sin, David confesses. Nathan then speaks the forgiveness of God:

2 Samuel 12:13 KJV 1900

13 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.

David's true repentance is matched by the Lord's forgiveness. And in the end, God’s forgiveness far surpasses any consequences we might experience.

Consequences can only last for a lifetime, but forgiveness lasts forever. When we stand before God in the new heavens and new earth, our sins and their aftermath will be behind us and only life and joy in the presence of a merciful savior will be ahead.

Such forgiveness is ours when we believe in Jesus Christ, the one who forever and completely takes our sins away. David’s life teaches us not to take the glorious reality of God’s mercy for granted.