A Person After God’s Own Heart
King David is an interesting character in the Bible.
Some amazing things are written about him, and the only person mentioned in the Scriptures more than him is Jesus Christ, “the Son of David” (Matthew 1:1). In Acts 13:22-23, we read that God testified about him, “‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out my will.’ From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel the Savior, Jesus.” We also read that he served God’s purpose in his generation (v. 36). This leads me to believe there is much we can learn from David’s example.
To start with, we observe that David knew God as He really is—almighty, all knowing, and ever present. Psalm 139 is an excellent example of David’s theology on the sovereignty of God. He didn’t view God as distant or cold; he viewed Him as close, loving, and gracious. He related to Him with a vulnerability, candor, intimacy, and faith that can serve as an example for all of us.
But there’s other things recorded about his life that ought to make us cringe or blush, or both. In David the Great, author Mark Rutland provides a rather lengthy list of these things. I’ve edited them slightly. For example,
He killed and then circumcised two hundred Philistines for a bride price.
He lied to a priest in order to eat holy bread, which led to the massacre of eighty-five priests and their families.
He faked madness in Gath after realizing his mistake in seeking refuge there.
He killed countless Amalekites, including women and children, in order to remain a top mercenary commander for the Philistines, who were enemies of Israel.
He had the ark of the covenant carried into Jerusalem on an ox cart instead of by priests per God’s command, which led to the death of a well-intentioned Israelite.
“He had an affair with Bathsheba (a sexual violation and abuse of his power), impregnated her, set-up the murder of her husband, and tried covering the whole thing up.
He failed to discipline his son Amnon after he raped his half-sister, Tamar.
He allowed Absalom to live without punishment, even after he murdered his brother, Amnon.
On his deathbed – like a mafia don – he instructed his son, Solomon, to kill a man because years earlier he had disrespected David.
The list of David’s failures as a parent is long and embarrassing. If there was a Parenting Hall of Shame, my guess is that he’d be a candidate for induction into it.
Still, we know that God declared about him, “I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart, who will carry out my will.” Recently, I’ve been pondering the question:
What was it about David that made him a man after God’s own heart?
I’m convinced there is more than one way to answer this question. I’ve already listed some of them above, but I’d like to focus on one more. I believe David practiced a lifestyle of repentance that contributed to freedom and fruitfulness in his life.
For example, after one of his more disgraceful moral failures he wrote Psalm 51, which reads in part,
Be gracious to me, God, according to your faithful love; according to your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. Completely wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. Against you – you alone – I have sinned and done this evil in your sight (vv. 1-4a, CSB).
In Psalm 32, he wrote,
How joyful is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered! How joyful is a person whom the Lord does not charge with iniquity and in whose spirit is no deceit! When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy on me; my strength was drained as in the summer’s heat. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not conceal my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to you Lord,” and you forgave the guilt of my sin. You are my hiding place; you protect me from trouble. You surround me with joyful shouts of deliverance (vv. 1-5, 7).
In the above Psalms, David was honest about his behavior and its consequences. He confessed his transgressions to the Lord, and he received forgiveness. Then, he was comforted by the reality of God’s protection in times of trouble and declared that God was his hiding place. He experienced the joy and blessing of the Lord that comes from repentance.
So again, what was it about David that made him a man after God’s own heart?
In part, I believe it was his humility to be real with a gracious and merciful God about his sins, change his mind about his behavior (repent), and then forsake (renounce) it in faith.
We come into a relationship with God by putting our trust in the person and work of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins. And then, in Him, we embrace a lifestyle of repentance that catalyzes freedom and fruitfulness in our lives.
I invite you to consider David’s example today. How might the Lord be inviting you to grow in a lifestyle of repentance?