Scripture Reference: 1 Chronicles 22 As I come to the final article in this series where I explored why David was called a man after God’s own heart, I will today look at his total submission to God’s will when … Continue reading
Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 11-12 The Bible does not paint perfect pictures of the faith heroes. It is filled with honest accounts of the lives of great men and women of God. Reading about them shows us that God could … Continue reading
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Scripture Reference: 2 Samuel 9
As I continue in my journey of learning why David is called a man after God’s own heart, I will now look at how David showed God’s kindness to Mephibosheth, Jonathan’s son, and the grandson of his enemy, King Saul.
David is finally crowned king over all of Israel and is enjoying the life of a king, a successful and loved ruler as well as a military champion. He acknowledges that the Lord has been with him in all that he accomplished.
Sometimes, when a person is promoted from a low position to ruler over many –in David’s case the ruler over God’s people –one would often find the person being carried away on the waves of success. They soon forget the people who helped to get them there. In some cases, those who climb the ladder of success would even deny knowing their own family members, parents even, as they fear being associated with the lowly people from their past will tarnish their newly found popularity and their high esteem in society.
But incredibly, none of these things went to David’s head and he remembered those who walked this long journey with him. For one, he remembered his close friend Jonathan. They made a covenant as friends, and although Jonathan’s father was the reason for David’s difficult years, he and Jonathan remained connected as friends and they were loyal to each other. As we see in the following story, this loyalty extended beyond the grave.
Jonathan is now dead, having been killed in the same battle in which his father died. But being a man after God’s own heart, David didn’t forget his covenant with Jonathan. He didn’t consider Jonathan’s death as a way to get out of his covenant with his friend. No, David remained faithful to his promise to Jonathan.
David, remembering this promise, started wondering if any of Saul’s relatives were still alive so that he could show them kindness for the sake of Jonathan. In his household there was a servant called Ziba who had also been the servant of Saul. David summons him to inquire about any surviving members in Saul’s family.
Lo and behold, there is a member who survived. He was not only related to Saul, but is Jonathan’s own son who survived because his nanny at the time grabbed him when she heard of the king’s and Jonathan’s death and ran for safety. In the process she saved the life of Jonathan’s son, but in her rush to get away she dropped the boy. He was injured and since then was crippled in both legs. Forgotten, Mephibosheth lived in a place called Lo-debar in the house of a man named Makir.
David sent for him and Mephibosheth was overwhelmed by this show of kindness. With deep respect he bowed down before David. And characteristic of the God he serves, the first words David speaks to the boy is: “Don’t be afraid…” There are many instances recorded in the Bible where God would first address the fear in the one He approaches. Jesus did the same (being the visible image of the invisible God) when His disciples mistook Him for being a ghost as He approached them walking on the water.
David then explains to Mephibosheth that he doesn’t need to fear because he intends only to show him kindness because of his father Jonathan. David promises to restore to him all the property that belonged to his grandfather Saul and also provided him with servants and labourers who will take care of the land for him. More than that, David declares that from that day on, Mephibosheth will dine at the table of the king.
In response Mephibosheth respectfully bowed down before David, perplexed by this undeserved kindness. He saw himself as nothing more than a dead dog. But David restored this man’s dignity whether he deserved it or not.
- There are so many spiritual lessons locked up in this action of David. For one, just like Jesus, David showed mercy where it was not deserved. Jesus did it in so many ways and in so many incidences recorded in the Gospel accounts. And since Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever, He is still in the business of showing undeserved kindness.
- The word Lo-debar, where Mephibosheth found himself before the king invited him, means “no pasture,” “no word” and “no communciation.” That is precisely where we found ourselves before the King graciously invited us into His family. We were without food for our souls, with no connection to God, being separated from Him by the abyss of sin. But through His mercy shown to us in Christ Jesus, we are now forever led in green pastures, being given life by His powerful word and in constant communication with Him through His Spirit. And no one can pluck us out of His hand.
- This story also reminds us of how we have been crippled by sin, but how God summoned us to His table because of His promise to Jesus –“I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession.” And even though we didn’t deserve any kindness, the Lord allows us to dine at His table as if we were one of His own children, just like the way in which David treated Mephibosheth. “And from that time on, Mephibosheth ate regularly at David’s table, like one of the king’s own sons.”
- David showed God’s kindness to Mephibosheth because many years earlier he made a promise to his friend Jonathan, Mephibosheth’s father. Since Jonathan died, David was no longer under any obligation to fulfil his promise, but since his yes is “yes” and his no, “no”, he didn’t forget his promise and honoured his covenant with his friend. Likewise, God also continued to remain faithful to His promise to David, His servant. Centuries after God made a promise to David to establish his kingdom forever, God saved the inhabitants in Jerusalem from the hand of the king of Assyria because of his servant David (see Isaiah 37:35). God is faithful to all His promises and every one of them will be fulfilled, just like every one of His past promises had been fulfilled.
Seen in this context, this is a very encouraging story. It is not just some historical account. It is not only another reflection on why David was called a man after God’s own heart, but also serves to encourage us. We serve a merciful God who loves to extend mercy and whose love never fails. He remains faithful to us, regardless of our imperfections, because He is righteous and He made a promise to Jesus Christ, our Lord.
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Here is another reason why I believe David was a man after God’s own heart: He didn’t rejoice when his enemy fell. Although King Saul was the reason he found himself demoted from military champion to fugitive, David did quite the opposite than rejoice when news reached him of the King’s death.
He had many reasons to rejoice. Suddenly, there was now a real possibility that he would be crowned the new king. He would finally be rewarded for all the years he suffered as an outcast. Also, he can now breath easy and will no longer need to run for his life. But David did more than not rejoice. He mourned when he heard the news. And the mourning wasn’t a show of piety; the sorrow was from his heart. His men joined him and they tore their clothes as an outward sign of unspeakable sorrow and they fasted from the time they heard the news until evening.
He went one step further, did David: He wrote a lamentation to express his sorrow and ordered that the people of Judah be taught this. In this song one can see the purity of David’s heart. He speaks of Saul and Jonathan as people who were loved and admired and says they were “swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions.” He tells the daughters of Israel to weep for Saul.
The Bible warns us in Proverbs 24:17-18 not to rejoice when our enemies fall:
Don’t rejoice when your enemies fall; don’t be happy when they stumble. For the LORD will be displeased with you and will turn his anger away from them.
From a human perspective, it is easy to rejoice when someone who’s hurt us start reaping what he sowed. It gives us a sense of satisfaction and the feeling that justice has been done. But in the end, all of us are guilty of at least once hurting someone else –whether inadvertent or deliberate. So if all of us get exactly what we deserve, what would be left of the human race? As the saying goes, “An eye for an eye will only leave the whole world blind.”
So, the Lord, in His wisdom calls us to a higher standard than the expected norm. He says to do unto others as you would have them do unto you. That certainly also applies to how we would like people to respond when we fall upon hard times ourselves. We would appreciate it if people would show us mercy in our difficulties instead of looking if we deserved the adversity or not. Let’s then do the same even for our enemies.
Instead of rejoicing when our enemy gets what’s been coming to him, let this rather be an opportunity to reach out to him and reflect on God’s justice. Let’s not forget the Lord’s mercy towards us. Let’s not forget that God does not show favoritism and that there may very well be a lot of adverse things we deserve too, but which God in His mercy protected us from.
The ultimate example of this principle is Jesus Christ when He prayed for his enemies while hanging on the Cross, asking God to forgive them because they do not know what they are doing. Jesus understood that if God had to deal with them justly, they stood no chance. Even though they hurt Him, despised Him, spat on Him, insulted Him and humiliated Him, He prayed they will be forgiven –and all this while He never did one thing to deserve the treatment He got from them.
What goes around comes around, but it is also written that mercy triumphs over judgment. So, let this allow us to reflect on how we respond when our enemy falls. Do we rejoice? Or do we pray and ask the Lord how we can help? May the Lord have mercy on us so that we may follow the perfect example of Jesus Christ, “Son of David.“
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I believe David’s generous heart was one more reason why he was called a man after God’s own heart.
Prevented from going into battle with the Philistines, David and his men returned to Ziklag. Here they were met with the most devastating sight. Ziklag was completely plundered by the Amalekites. It was burned to the ground and their families were driven away like a herd of cattle. David and his men were completely overwhelmed and in their despair they cried until they could cry no more.
Because of their surpassing loss, some of David’s men started doubting his capabilities as a leader, blaming him for their tragedy. They started talking among themselves about getting rid of David by stoning him.
David became distressed as heard this, but in the face of this combined with his own loss, David did the right thing. Instead of figuring out a way of saving himself or sweet talking his men into staying loyal to him, David found strength in the LORD his God. He turned to God for counsel. “Should I chase after this band of raiders? Will I catch them?” And the Lord answered him, “Yes, go after them. You will surely recover everything that was taken from you!”
With that, David and his 600 men set out to pursue the Amalekites. They arrived at the Brook of Besor and here 200 of the men had become too exhausted to cross over the brook. David left them there to watch the supplies and continued the pursuit with the remaining 400 men.
It is clear that God was with them because, as they were continuing on their way, David’s men came across an Egyptian man in a field. They took him to David and he was given some bread to eat, water to drink, some fig cakes and raisin clusters. As his strength returned, David questioned him. He said he was a slave to an Amalekite master and he participated in the raid on Ziklag. However, when he got ill his master dumped him. And so, with the arrival of this Egyptian man David and his men was saved further haphazard searching. The rescued man took them straight to the enemy. The cruelty of his master was precisely the thing that made David’s kindness stand out more and because of David’s benevolence towards this man, they were taken straight to the camp of the raiding band.
David and his men rushed in while the Amalekites were still gorging themselves on their plunder. No one escaped except 400 young men who fled on camels and David recovered everything they had lost.
“Nothing was missing: small or great, son or daughter, nor anything else that had been taken. David brought everything back. He also recovered all the flocks and herds, and his men drove them ahead of the other livestock.”
Successful, they returned to Ziklag. They came again to the Brook of Besor where they met with the 200 men who stayed behind and guarded their equipment. David greeted them with great joy. But not everyone was happy to see the guys who stayed behind. Not everyone had generous hearts.
The selfish men among them said that the men who stayed behind shouldn’t be sharing in any of the spoils. But David wasted no time and nipped these evil thoughts in the bud.
“No, my brothers! Don’t be selfish with what the LORD has given us. He has kept us safe and helped us defeat the band of raiders that attacked us. Who will listen when you talk like this? We share and share alike—those who go to battle and those who guard the equipment.”
This is evidently one more reason why David was a man after God’s own heart. He recognized that nothing that they have gained was through their own strength, but because God has given them victory. He also recognized that those who guarded the equipment played an equally essential part in the big picture of the victory as did the men who fought in the battle. He went further and sent gifts to the friends he had in Judah who remained loyal to him.
Being stingy with God has given him was the furthest thing from David’s mind. He understood the folly of being tight-fisted with what he had freely received from God’s generous hand. He understood that in God there is an endless supply and he need not fear running out of anything. David shows that the more we give, the more we will receive.
Scripture Quotes from 1 Samuel 30
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In this series, where I aim to explore why David was called a man after God’s heart, I will today look at David’s complete trust in God -so complete in fact that he left it over to God to deal with his powerful enemy: King Saul. He understood that vengeance belongs to God when he was given an opportunity to kill Saul. David made a choice and he made the right one.
The slaying of Goliath proved to be a turning point in David’s life. Never again will he be an obscure shepherd boy from Bethlehem. From that day onwards, David became well-known and well-loved as a military champion.
The events of the Valley of Elah that day will thereafter make it impossible for Saul to ever again forget about the existence of David. He may have forgotten that David had before played the harp in the palace courts to calm his tortured mind, but never again after the slaying of Goliath will Saul be afforded the opportunity to ask, “Whose son are you, young man?”
Impressed by David’s courage and strength, Saul kept David with him and did not let him return home to his family in Bethlehem. Instead, David now joined Saul’s army. David couldn’t put a foot wrong. Whatever mission Saul sent him on, David was so successful that the King eventually appointed him as a commander in his army –a choice that pleased many, including the both the troops and commanders in the army.
However, given Saul’s insecure character combined with his already unstable mind, it wasn’t long before Saul’s admiration of David turned to consuming jealousy. He became paranoid and figured that if David continued to grow in popularity and remained successful in all his ventures , he may soon be dethroned and David made king. He was right to a certain extent. David was going to be king, but not because of his popularity and successes –because God had already anointed David as king long before his victory over Goliath.
Saul wasted all his time and energy trying to fight what God had already established will be. Saul wanted to cling to a throne that was never his to start with. He was only there because God allowed him. But Saul obviously didn’t understand this. God gave him something and then he owned it to the point where he was prepared to kill to keep it. Perceiving David as the enemy of his throne, he set out in callous and calculating ways to kill someone who was more loyal to him than any of his other men (see 1 Samuel 22:14). Saul’s hatred of David was fuelled not by the truth, but by his own paranoid ideas that came into his mind, which he declared as the truth to himself.
So, Saul’s distorted mind and his wicked intents turns David into a fugitive. He flees, finding himself hiding in caves in the wilderness, trying to escape from Saul who pursued him relentlessly. He wasn’t alone however. Soon he had a group of about 400 men joining him and being loyal to him –respecting him for the larger than life character that he had already displayed during his time in Saul’s army.
For all Saul’s resources, he couldn’t catch David. The Lord prevented Saul from finding him. God was on David’s side and Saul enviously recognized this. He feared David for that reason, but instead of causing him to reconsider his violent intentions towards David, it only fuelled his hatred. Saul did come close in one incident, but just when it looked that it was all over for David, Saul received news that the Philistines had attacked the land. He then had to return with his men to fight the Philistines. And so the Lord helped David in one remarkable escape after the other.
Then, twice David had the opportunity to kill Saul. And this is where we can once again see why David was a man after God’s heart. Even his men told him that this may just be it!
“Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the LORD is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.’” (1Samuel 24:4).
As Saul lay there sleeping, David crept up to the king and cut off a piece of his garment. But he was immediately filled with remorse. This is how he responds:
But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. “The LORD knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,” he said to his men. “The LORD forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the LORD’s anointed one, for the LORD himself has chosen him.” So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul (1 Samuel 24:5-7).
David wasn’t satisfied with just that however. He still wished to win back Saul’s favour and as Saul was leaving the cave, oblivious of the danger he had just been in, David shouts to him and bows down before him –giving him the honour deserving of a king:
“May the LORD judge between us. Perhaps the LORD will punish you for what you are trying to do to me, but I will never harm you. As that old proverb says, ‘From evil people come evil deeds.’ So you can be sure I will never harm you. Who is the king of Israel trying to catch anyway? Should he spend his time chasing one who is as worthless as a dead dog or a single flea? May the LORD therefore judge which of us is right and punish the guilty one. He is my advocate, and he will rescue me from your power!” (1Samuel 24:12-15).
And by leaving vengeance to God, David once again proves why he is a man after God’s own heart. “Vengeance is mine, says the Lord.” David’s trust in God was so complete that he could wait for the Lord to judge his enemies at His appointed time. He did not waste his energies in trying to concoct all manner of schemes to “get back” at Saul. He trusted that His God will do that. He knew that vengeance belongs to God.
This reflects also the words of Paul to the Romans:
Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, “I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. Instead, “If your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads.” Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good (Romans 12:19-21).
Had David given in to the opportunity to get back at his enemy, evil would have conquered him and he would have been no different from his enemy.
When we are hurt by the actions or words of people, especially when we know we are innocent and undeserving of such hurtful actions or words, it is human to desire that they should pay for their unjust behaviour. However, when we truly understand that God is just and that He doesn’t turn a blind eye to the wrongs perpetrated against us, we can rest in His love and leave vengeance over to God. When He repays, He does it in ways so remarkable and complete that we will be filled with awe. This does not mean we wish evil on our enemies, but it means that we know that God’s judgments against our enemies may also mean that they could repent of their deeds and turn to Him and be saved.
David expressed his hurting feelings openly before God in prayer and often prayed in the psalms that God will let the enemy pay for his deeds. This is only being honest about how he felt. He didn’t try to mask his true emotions. He understood that God knows exactly what lives in his heart. However, he left those emotions there in God’s hands and didn’t allow his pain to cause him to sin and allow evil to overcome him.
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In my search to find out why David is called a man after God’s own heart, I have looked at the way David prayed and David’s humility. Combined with that humility, there was an unshakable faith in God –in His goodness, in His character, and in His power. This made David stand out above the rest.
While in a physical sense, Goliath of Gath was the one who stood out among the rest in the Valley of Elah, David was the real Giant. His faith in His God was so overwhelming that it didn’t make any sense to him that the Army of the Israelites would stand there for 40 days, listening to the taunts of Goliath and flee in terror, day after excruciating day.
He wasn’t in the army. His three older brothers were and he was merely sent there by his dad, Jesse, to take some extra food supplies to them and to bring some news back about their wellbeing to his father. As he was talking to his brothers, out came Goliath from among the ranks of the Philistines and shouted in his usual defiance:
“This day I defy the armies of Israel! Give me a man and let us fight each other.”
Not even the king stood up to this man, but David, the shepherd boy from Bethlehem, couldn’t fathom the fact that this uncircumcised Philistine dared to defy the Army of the Living God. And this while everyone was just standing there, cowering in fear! David understood the power they had as the representatives of the Almighty God, but apparently neither the king nor his soldiers had a clue as to who is on their side. In response to Goliath’s loudmouthed taunting, David asks:
“Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?”
David’s enquiries evoked some unpleasant responses, not from strangers, but from his own brothers. It is ironic that while God saw David’s heart and said this is a man after His own heart, David’s brother, Eliab, saw the complete opposite. Claiming to know David’s heart too, he says to him:
“I know how conceited you are and how wicked your heart is.”
How differently does God not see us! This is a reminder that we should be careful in claiming we know the heart of another. David had a heart filled with humility in God’s view, yet his brother said his heart was wicked and conceited.
However, David’s faith in God was not affected by his brother’s view of him. Ignoring Eliab’s insults he stands now before the king, saying the same thing he told everyone else:
“Let no one lose heart on account of this Philistine; your servant will go and fight him.”
Considering David’s youth and inexperience, Saul also tried to dissuade him but eventually agreed. He dressed David in the king’s gear, but David discarded these and opted instead to take on the Philistine with weapons with which he was well-acquainted. And so David fearlessly marched towards the Philistine armed with a sling, five stones and faith in His God.
Not once did David draw back in fear when he came face to face with the terrifying Goliath. The Bible records in detail Goliath’s height and how impressive his armour and weapons were, but in the end, this only serves to bring a deeper insight into the kind of faith David had. David had a faith that made Goliath look small.
When we look through the eyes of the flesh, our obstacles appear overwhelming and they make us cower in fear. We draw back because our eyes are fixing on the wrong things. However, when we look through the eyes of faith, our obstacles appear minute compared to the greatness of the God we serve.
David wasn’t visually impaired. He saw the same man the Israelites saw. He also saw the man that stood about 3 meters (9 feet 9 inches) tall. The average size of a man is about 1.7 meters (5 feet 7 inches) depending on geographical location. Goliath was almost double in height than the average men around him. But whereas the Israelite army was terrified by the presence and words of their enemy, David ran towards the enemy to take him on instead of running away from him. By faith, David placed Goliath next to God and realized that Goliath is small compared to his God.
The stand-off was caused by the fear of the army and their leader. They delayed their victory because they were filled with fear instead of faith. “Faith is the victory,” as David clearly shows us in this incident.
Personally I have experienced this faith that makes huge obstacles appear ridiculously small. We nearly lost our son when he was four years old. His condition was so bad that none of the experienced doctors over him had any hope that he would recover. In fact, they told us to prepare for the worst and if he should survive, he will be severely brain damaged for the rest of his life. It was in that time that God gave me faith to believe in the impossible. People thought I had lost my mind. I talked and planned as if there was nothing wrong with my son while all the physical signs of brain damage were there. But God is not a man that he should lie. Our son made a full recovery much to the astonishment of all the medical professionals who supervised him. When we fix our eyes on Jesus, we will face any obstacle with confidence.
I pray that the Lord will grant this faith to all of his children who face impossible obstacles at this point in their lives. Fear makes our problems seem overpowering, but faith puts them in their proper place and makes them look small compared to God.
Scripture Quotes from 1 Samuel 17
When the world chooses a leader, it looks for the obviously strong candidate who has already proven him or herself to have some outstanding qualities. They look at the outward appearance and very little consideration may be given to the … Continue reading
Suggested Reading: Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus tells us that we will be persecuted when we take a stand for what is right. But immediately He adds that if that happens, we are blessed because the Kingdom of heaven will be ours. … Continue reading
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Suggested Reading: Matthew 5:1-12
“Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.” Previous to this, Jesus said that those with a pure heart are blessed.
He then continues to name one of the outward effects of a pure heart: A person whose heart is being purified will loathe unrest and discord. He will become a lover of peace.
But that is not where it will stop. He wouldn’t run to the mountains for some isolated sense of peace; he will play an integral role in establishing peace. He will find ways to make peace. For him, peace doesn’t come from isolation, but from being right in the middle of the dynamics of human relationships and finding ways to let people see eye to eye. Sometimes, peace can only be made by first turning everything upside down and that’s the hard part.
When I see my child inclined towards wrong behaviour and my child is stubborn and I know that addressing that behaviour is going to cause some disturbance of peace in the home, I have a choice to make. Either I opt for the easy way out and leave the situation as is, so that there can be “peace” in the home. But this kind of peace is a fragile and superficial peace which may turn into mayhem at any second.
Sooner or later the wrong behaviour is going to catch up with the child and then we have to face the wrong which we preferred to ignore while it was staring us in the face. By then the problem may be a much bigger one. The other option is to view the long-term effects of misbehavoir and to cause a little disturbance now so that disaster can be avoided in the long run. This kind of peace is long-lasting and bears good fruit in the long run.
Those who are prepared to face short-term discomfort to establish long-lasting peace are wise and these peacemakers will be called, “sons of God.” The reason being that children emulate their father. God sometimes causes a little short-term discomfort to establish long-term peace in our hearts and lives. The most remarkable way in which God established peace was how He allowed His Son to experience temporary suffering so that we may have eternal peace with God.
On the other hand, those who are not the sons of God, find peace a disturbing thing. It bothers them when things are going too smoothly. It makes them restless when relationships between friends and family are peaceful. They need to find ways to break up and destroy that peace, and they usually revert to gossip and troublemaking to disturb the peace.
In Proverbs 6 there is a list of seven things that the Lord hates. The seventh thing on the list is an abomination in His sight and it is this: “A person who sows discord in a family.” (Proverbs 6:19 NLT). This extends to people who sow discord among friends and who take pleasure in breaking up relationships. A “peacemaker” has the exact opposite desire. He or she wants to see relationships restored.
The world may see you as blessed when you would rather conform to their ways than address the wrong. You don’t like to disturb the shaky “peace” among those who live in the world, so you rather conform and things are going well for you. But those who take a stand for what is right, no matter the consequences, no matter how unpopular they are, they are the ones God calls blessed. God did not save us to enter a popularity contest. Who can gain the most followers? Who can have the biggest ministry? Whose church building can be the biggest? That’s not what it’s all about. We are saved to stand up for what is right and to stick with it even when things get tough.
There is a saying that if you don’t stand for anything, you will fall for anything. Winston Churchill said that if a man has made a few enemies in his life, it means that he stood up for something. I am not promoting the idea of going around making enemies out of our neighbors, but I am trying to say that sometimes, when we take a stand for what is right, we may make a few enemies in the process. When that happens we shouldn’t draw back from our stance. Jesus didn’t. He stood up for the Truth even when His life was endangered.
We should follow His example, but when it comes to choosing between right and wrong, we have to take a stand for what is right, no matter the consequences. This, of course, leads us to the final beatitude where Jesus says that those who follow the Lord and take a stand for what is right will be persecuted by man but will be blessed by God. More on that in the next post.
