Timeless Truth: The LORD accepts according to the heart.
Saul was a man’s
man. He was tall, handsome, kingly and impressive…a likely choice for a
king. He was just what Israel
wanted. Trouble was, Saul was not God’s
man. King Saul cut corners on God’s commands, so God cut Saul out of the
picture and set His sights a king who was, at the moment, singing songs and
tending flocks in a nearby pasture.
God’s ordination
began in the unlikeliest of places: the
humble house of Jesse in a less than notable village called Bethlehem. Seven of Jesse’s sons were paraded before
Samuel, but none were chosen. The
youngest brother, David, had not been invited but was easily found with among
the sheep. After being summoned from the fields, the choice was immediate:
David was anointed by Samuel to replace King Saul. The boy then did what any responsible
shepherd would do: he returned to
tending his sheep.
Life was quiet for
the newly anointed boy king until he was once again called from the fields,
this time to supply his brothers on the frontlines of battle against the Philistine
army. When he arrived, David saw what
everyone else did not: an opportunity
for God’s power to be displayed. Armed
with a slingshot, five pebbles and an extraordinary faith, he faced down
Goliath…and won. The Philistine’s superhero lost his head while his army lost
their courage and ran!
David’s days in the
pastures were over. Saul brought him into the king’s court and assigned him a
high rank over military operations. David was well liked and successful in all
his pursuits. He eventually married Saul’s daughter, Michal, and became best of
friends with Saul’s son, Jonathan. But
his success planted an irreversible seed of jealousy in Saul, to the point
where he tried repeatedly to murder David.
David fled for his
life, and days in the palace came to a close. Still, his popularity grew.
Unfortunately, so did Saul’s fear and irrational behavior. His thirst for
David’s blood quickly turned to obsession. Saul and his army pursued David and
killed 85 Levite priests in the process because they had fed and sheltered the
fugitive. On one occasion, David had an
opportunity to kill Saul, but he refused out of respect for the man whom God
had anointed king. He chose, instead, to
extend mercy and grace to Saul who tearfully confessed, “You are more righteous
than I. …I know that you will surely be king…” (p. 124) Saul’s new lease on life was as short as his
fuse, and the chase quickly resumed.
David found
consolation by journaling his fears and his faith in his psalms. Saul’s obsessive pursuit of David blinded him
to the fact that the Philistine armies were once again on the attack. They
prevailed, and Saul and his sons were killed.
Israel was defeated, and David was left to mourn the staggering losses.
It was another
seven years before David was recognized as king over all Israel. He became the
military, civil and spiritual leader. He conquered the city of Jerusalem, made
it his capital city, and then brought the Ark of the Covenant there with great
fanfare. All Israel joined him except
his wife Michal, whose empty heart left her with an empty womb.
David was home at
last. His first desire was to build a house, a temple, for God. Instead, God
told David, “The LORD will build a house for you.” (p. 129). God made a covenant with David and promised
him a house (an eternal dynasty), a throne (royal authority) and a kingdom
(rule on earth). David responded as usual with awestruck worship and gratitude,
knowing that distant generations of his own family would welcome the King whose
reign would never end. Though David may
not have fully recognized it at the time, he had indeed built a house for
God…the temple of his heart.
Question: In your childhood, when a team was chosen, were you closer to the
first one chosen or the last?
- When Saul disobeyed God at the end of chapter ten (p. 116), Samuel told Saul that the LORD had sought out a man after God’s own heart and appointed him as the ruler for His people. What does it mean to be a man or woman after God’s own heart based on David’s example? (see Acts 13.21-22)
- In his battle with Goliath, “David ran quickly toward the battle line to meet him.” (pg. 121). When have you had the courage to face down an impending conflict?
- Contrast Saul’s downward trajectory and David’s upward trajectory. Where do you see the inverse of Saul in David?
- What was the fundamental reason for David's choice to spare Saul's life in their encounter at En-Gedi (p. 123-124)? How does this choice reflect David's view of submission, and of God?
- What do you learn about God’s character and His ways from the episode of David and the ark? (p.126-128) (For further insight, see Ex. 25:14 and Num. 4:15.) Would you characterize your own worship as reserved or unbridled?
- In humility David offered to build a house for God, but instead God promised to build a “house” for David. What prompted David’s concern for God’s dwelling place?
- Through no merit of his own, David received God’s grace through God’s covenant with him. (p. 129) What specific covenant promises did God make with David? How is this covenant with David later fulfilled in Christ? (Lu. 1:32-33)
- Identify some episodes from David’s life that demonstrate David’s clear view of God’s Upper Story. How were his choices influenced by that macro view?
