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 Subscribe to BibleTalk,short messages from God's word the Bible, by e-mail to: bibletalk-subscribe@... or on the web at http://freegroups.net/groups/bibletalk/ __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com