Lessons from the life of
David, King of Israel
"A man after God’s own heart."
1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22
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Background
THEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND
David was...
GEOGRAPHICAL BACKGROUND
This is a map of Israel. Before David became king,
armies
of neighboring nations often invaded Israel, stealing or destroying
farm
crops, making Israelites pay taxes to foreign kings, or even making
Israelites
their slaves. After David’s 40 years as king, Israel had peace, and the
neighboring nations had to pay taxes to Israel.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
400 years earlier, Israel escaped from Egypt and
settled
in the land that God had promised Abraham and his descendants. During
those
400 years, Israel had no central (or federal) government. (See
the
Old Testament book of Judges.) The Israelites
asked
the prophet Samuel to appoint a king for them, so they could "be like
other
nations," have a strong federal government (1 Samuel 8),
and have a regular army for defense. Samuel asked God, and God told
Samuel
to choose Saul to be King (1 Samuel 9). Saul
was young,
strong, tall, humble, and he loved God.
But after he became king, Saul’s attitude changed.
He
rejected God’s direction. Samuel told Saul, "Your kingdom will
not
endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and
appointed
him leader of His people, because you have not kept the Lord's command."
POLITICAL BACKGROUND
Early in Saul’s reign, the enemies that bothered the
Israel
were the Ammonites, from the east. God gave Israel victory in battle
against
the Ammonites. But later, the Philistines in the west attacked Israel
often.
Because Saul had turned his back on God, Saul had more difficulty in
defeating
the Philistines.
Saul's son, Jonathan, loved God and he was very
successful
in battle (1 Samuel 14). As we will see in
future
lessons, David also was a soldier in Saul's army for a short time.
David's
success in battle made him popular, and made Saul jealous. Jonathan and
David became good friends, and Jonathan protected David from Saul's
attempts
to kill David.
Where in the Bible do we
find information about David?
We first meet David in 1 Samuel 16. The rest of 1
Samuel
is David's story before he becomes king. 2 Samuel reports the life of
David
as king. 1 Chronicles repeats the story of David as king, with some
additional
information.
Who was David?
(David's Call to become king)
1 Samuel 16:1-13 [NIV]
The Lord said to
Samuel,
"How long will you mourn for Saul, since I have rejected him as king
over
Israel? Fill your horn with oil and be on your way; I am sending you to
Jesse of Bethlehem. I have chosen one of his sons to be king."
But Samuel said, "How
can I go? Saul will hear about it and kill me."
The Lord said, "Take
a heifer with you and say, 'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'
Invite
Jesse to the sacrifice, and I will show you what to do. You are to
anoint
for me the one I indicate."
Samuel did what the
Lord said.
When he arrived at
Bethlehem, the elders of the town trembled when they met him. They
asked,
"Do you come in peace?"
Samuel replied, "Yes,
in peace; I have come to sacrifice to the Lord. Consecrate yourselves
and
come to the sacrifice with me." Then he consecrated Jesse and his sons
and invited them to the sacrifice.
When they arrived,
Samuel saw Eliab [Jesse's oldest son] and thought, "Surely the Lord's
anointed
stands here before the Lord."
But the Lord said to
Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have
rejected
him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks
at
the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Then Jesse called
Abinadab
[his second son] and had him pass in front of Samuel. But Samuel said,
"The Lord has not chosen this one either."
Jesse then had
Shammah [his third son] pass by, but Samuel said, "Nor has the Lord
chosen
this one."
Jesse had sevenof
his sons pass before Samuel, but Samuel said to him, "The Lord has not
chosen these." So he asked Jesse, "Are these all the sons you have?"
"There is still
the youngest," Jesse answered, "but he is tending the sheep."
Samuel said, "Send for him; we will not sit down until he arrives."
So he sent and had
him brought in. He was ruddy, with a fine appearance and handsome
features.
Then the Lord said, "Rise and anoint him; he is the one." So
Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the presence of his
brothers,
and from that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power.
David was the youngest of 8 brothers. Because of his
age,
his own family held him in low esteem.
Because David was a shepherd...
-
he had a lot of time alone to meditate on God's
Word and
God's working in his life. We see David's faith and insights on God's
character
expressed in his Psalms.
Psalm 8
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is
your
name in all the earth!
You have set your glory above the heavens...
When I consider your heavens, the work
of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
the son of man that you care for him?
You made him a little lower than the
heavenly
beings
and crowned him with glory and honor.
You made him ruler over the works of your
hands;
you put everything under his feet:
all flocks and herds,
and the beasts of the field,
the birds of the air, and the fish of
the sea,
all that swim the paths of the seas.
O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your
name in all the earth!
-
he had to battle wild animals.
1 Samuel 17:34-37
David said to
Saul,
"Your servant has been keeping his father's sheep. When a lion or a
bear
came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it
and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it
by its hair, struck it and killed it.
"Your servant has
killed
both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine [Goliath]
will
be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living
God.
The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the
bear
will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
-
he had to battle his own sinful heart.
Psalm 139:23-24
Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
-
he became physically strong.
-
he became mentally alert.
Pslam 119:98-105
Your commands make me wiser than my
enemies,
for they are ever with me.
I have more insight than all my teachers,
for I meditate on your statutes.
I have more understanding than the elders,
for I obey your precepts.
I have kept my feet from every evil path
so that I might obey your word...
Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
-
he became spiritually sensitive.
Psalm 139:1-6
O Lord, you have searched me and you
know
me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying
down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
Before a word is on my tongue
you know it completely, O Lord.
You hem me in--behind and before;
you have laid your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too lofty for me to attain.
he became a fine musician
1 Samuel 16:18-23
One of the
servants
answered, "I have seen a son of Jesse of Bethlehem who knows how to
play
the harp. He is a brave man and a warrior. He speaks well and is a
fine-looking
man. And the Lord is with him."
Then Saul sent
messengers
to Jesse and said, "Send me your son David, who is with the sheep."
...David
came to Saul and entered his service...
Whenever the spirit
from God came upon Saul, David would take his harp and play. Then
relief
would come to Saul; he would feel better, and the evil spirit would
leave
him.
-
he understood God as shepherd, and his own role as
a shepherd-king
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not be in want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
He restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
All these shepherding experiences prepared David to be a
-
soldier,
-
worship leader,
-
king, and
-
forunner of the Good Shepherd, Jesus.
Principles for us
Lessons from Saul:
When God appoints a leader for His ministry, there
is
no guarrantee that the leader will be faithful to his appointment.
When a God-appointed leader turns his back on God,
God
can (and will) remove him from his position of leadership.
Lessons from David's brothers:
Physical attractiveness, abilities, and social
position
matter little to God.
He is far more concerned that we have inner character.
Lessons from David:
The calling of God is unexpected.
God chooses to use someone
-
whose heart is touch with God,
-
whose character is reflects His character,
-
who is available.
God is less concerned with our ability
as he is concerned about our availability.
God enables us for ministry by giving His Holy
Spirit
in abundance.
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