About King David


	Probably one of the best known men in all the Old Testament (OT) is 
David. God said of David "I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after
mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will" (Acts 13:22: 1 Samuel 13:14,
16:7). What a compliment to receive of God. With no one else but David does
God use that description. However, David was not a perfect man. David did
sin and was punished by God. In this lesson we will review some of the sins
that David committed and why God still found David "a man after His own
heart".
	Probably the most well known thing that David is known for is his
adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent killing of her husband Uriah. One
day, while David was king, he happened to be on the roof of his house.
Looking out across the surrounding area, he saw Bathsheba bathing herself.
David sent for her to be brought to him and then he lay with her. He knew
she was married. After a time, Bathsheba learned she was pregnant and told
David. Because his sin would then be found out, 
David made sure that Uriah would be sent to the front of an ongoing battle
that he might be killed (2 Sam. 11:2-18). Being king, it would have been
easy to conceal his sin and initially, that is what David tried to do. But
God sent a prophet to David that he might realize what he had done (2 Sam.
12:1-7). Did David try to deny what he
had done? Did he pretend that nothing happened? The man after God's own
heart admitted he had sinned (2 Sam. 12:13). 
	Later in his reign, King David decided to have the children of
Israel numbered, that he might know how many people were in the kingdom (2
Sam. 24:1-9). Realizing that he had acted without God's permission (verse
10), David again admitted he had sinned. What would we think if President
Bush admitted he had sinned? Well that is like David doing it. Given a
choice of punishments, David   to leave himself and the children of Israel
in the hands of God (verses 13-16). David saw that God had intended to
further punish the Israelites and pleaded with Him to direct His anger at
him and not the rest of the people (verses 16-17). By the hand of another
prophet, God told David to build an altar and offer up sacrifices for the
sins of the people. Bearing the expense himself, 
David bought the land and did as God had directed (verses 18-22). David bore
the burden of God's anger against the people. 
	David is also well known for slaying the giant Goliath. Goliath was
a man of the Philistines who stood close to nine feet tall. David, being a
youth, was no match physically for the man Goliath, or so everyone thought.
When David heard the way Goliath spoke to the Israelites, he had this to
say: ".for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the
armies of the living God? (1 Sam. 17:26)". Even as a young man, David knew
the strength that our God provided. Also, in 1 Samuel 24, we read how David
refrained from killing Saul (the first King of the Israelites) because as he
said of Saul "he is the anointed of the LORD" (I Sam. 24:6). 
	Time and time again we read how David gave his heart wholly to the
Lord. Never are we led to believe that David lived without sin but was a man
who greatly desired to do the will of God. In the Psalms, David wrote over
and over about his love for God and the greatness of the Lord. Wouldn't it
be great to face God on judgment day and hear Him say of us, "You are a
person after my own heart?" When you sin, own up to it and correct it. Think
of ways you can glorify God everyday. Know that in times of trouble, God
gives us strength to face even "giant" problems.


In Christ, Steve Preston



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