Shepherd, musician, warrior, poet, patriarch, king…talk about a wide-ranging life! But perhaps David’s most telling and astonishing description came from none other than God who said David was a man after His own heart.
Pastor Chuck Swindoll takes a deep look in this 24-part series at the faith journey of King David…a journey that proves equally fascinating and instructive for all who walk on the same path of faith today.
“A man after God's own heart” can only refer to one person in Scripture: David. The youngest son of Jesse. On and on we could go, but first, focus on God’s working and preparation behind the scenes.
David showed himself strong in the little things…so God selected him for big things. Take a look at how that selection transpired.
The therapeutic value of music is nothing new. So it was with David, the youthful king-elect, who was more than a faithful shepherd and a man of valour. He was first known as a skilful musician, a talent that brought him face-to-face with his predecessor, King Saul.
Goliath is doubtlessly the most famous heathen in the entire Bible. Christians and non-Christians alike are able to relate the story that transpired centuries ago in the valley of Elah. But there is so much more than a shepherd lad who killed a giant.
Following his battle with Goliath, in the backwash of that great victory, David stepped into an arena which was almost more than he could take. Knowing it was coming, God graciously provided him with a close, understanding friend. His name was Jonathan.
When God removes a crutch from our lives, the process is painful, but the result is beautiful. David too went through this process, just like we do.
At the bottom of his life, all crutches removed, David crawled into a cave in the Judean wilderness. He was disillusioned, hurt, lonely, and afraid. It was, up to that time, the lowest moment of his entire life. But God had a whole new direction for him to take.
After being pursued by Saul all over southern Israel and with the opportunity to take his vengeance, David resisted and offered us a glimpse of what it looks like to turn the other cheek.
The story contained in 1 Samuel 25 is extremely practical, showing us the humanity of this great man of God and illustrating the power of a woman who knew how to use her culinary art with wisdom.
Several lessons emerge from the story in 1 Samuel 27 as we learn from David's cloudy days and dark nights.
In our study of David, we have come to the crossroads in his pilgrimage from the sheep to the throne…from an Israelite fugitive to the highest office in the land. And it is a death that altered David's direction—the death of King Saul.
No one has ever known the experience of being promoted from a fugitive to a king overnight. It happened only once in Scripture—to David. With wisdom and humility, the new king took over a new throne because he had the same Lord.
The chapter of Scripture 2 Samuel 6 involves all that transpired in moving the ark to the capital city and David's response to its presence.
Some experiences in the Christian life are a mystery. Nothing is necessarily wrong or missing in your walk with the Lord, but for some unexplainable reason He places a definite restraint on you. His denial can lead to disillusionment or be used as a cause for continued growth in obedience. David experienced that mysterious “no” at a crucial juncture in his life. Let's see how he handled it.
Looking at 2 Samuel 7, we found David enjoying a brief time of relief from the demands of his role as king…an interlude of quietness. Now we find him in a similar context. He was thinking back over his past.
Those of us looking at David's life may use different words to say the same thing about his fatal experience with Bathsheba. We might call it the most distressing episode of David's life; some will see it as an exceedingly dark day; others will lament how the mighty have fallen.
David refused to repent about his sin until a man of incredible courage and bold honesty stood eyeball-to-eyeball with David and exposed the truth of his deeds and deception. Let's honour that man—the prophet Nathan.
No one is immune who compromises God’s standard. Not even a king…like David. Witness the monarch’s misery as the sword of consequences fell on David and his family. As we watch it happen, let’s take heed!
We have traced David’s tragic steps downward as the consequences of his disobedience were visited upon him. Now, let’s learn to ride out the whirlwind and the storm when we go through similar times of judgment under the smarting rod of God.
Recent times with David have been rather dismal and bleak. He'd fallen into compromise and sin…then witnessed his family begin to crumble under the load of sin’s consequences. Going from bad to worse, the king must have felt crushed beneath the weight of overwhelming loneliness and guilt.
As always in matters of forgiveness, the offended—the forgiver—must pay the cost in full. That takes an awfully big person to pull off. As we shall see, David filled those shoes. Can you?
Nearing the end of his life, with the pressures almost more than he could handle, David penned one of his greatest works, a song of triumph in the Lord’s strength and provision.
Consider the aged and otherwise godly David—a father of many, a courageous warrior in battle, a king for nearly four decades, and a sensitive man of God. In spite of these achievements and experiences, he made a foolish decision based on pride and fell into Satan's trap.
Surrounded by his son, the king-elect Solomon, and an assembly of loyal followers, King David dreamed, rejoiced, gave advice, prayed, and finally died—ending an era that would never again be duplicated in the annals of history.
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