A Man With The Heart Of God

 When we think about the King David of the Old Testament, our minds often jump to his biggest mistakes – his seduction of a married woman and the subsequent murder of her husband. David is frequently held up as an example of the depravity of man and the grace of God, and rightly so. However, while God certainly did not conceal David’s terrible choices, He also clearly identified David as an exceptionally special person. Not only did God take the youngest son of Jesse and make him the second King of Israel, but He also promised David in 2 Samuel 7 that his family line would be secure and established forever. After David’s death, he became the standard by which future kings were judged – for example, “Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, as David his father had done” (1 Kings 15.11).

In fact, David was so highly regarded by God that in Acts 13.22, as the Apostle Paul was preaching in an Antioch synagogue, he referred to David as “a man after God’s heart,” a quotation of 1 Samuel 13.14. David is the only man in Scripture to ever receive that description! Why? What made David so special to God? At least part of the answer lies in the next statement in Acts 13.22 – where God stated that David did “all My will.” This is a sharp contrast to Saul, the king David succeeded. Saul was commanded to wait until Samuel joined him before he sacrificed to God and he did wait – but not long enough (1 Samuel 13). Saul was commanded to kill the Amalekites for their attack of the Israelites during the days of Moses, and he did – but not completely (1 Samuel 15).

David, however, was whole-heartedly consumed by a desire to follow his Lord. The many psalms he wrote are filled with insights into his personal devotion. David prayed and prepared sacrifices in the morning (Psalm 5.3) and meditated on God at night before falling asleep (Psalm 63.6). He made a point of telling his fellow Israelites about the amazing things that God had done in his life (Psalm 22.22, 34.11) and his heart was filled with the words of God’s law (Psalm 40.8).

Yes, David committed shocking sins that created horrible long-lasting consequences for his family, but his tender and repentant heart must not be forgotten. Again, in contrast to Saul, who responded to confrontation with anger and aggression, David humbled himself, poured out his guilt to the Lord, and earnestly sought His forgiveness after his conversation with the prophet Nathan (Psalm 51). Just as the law commanded (Deuteronomy 6.5), David loved the Lord with all his heart, soul, and might. His heart was “wholly true to the Lord his God” (1 Kings 15.3). Can the same be said of us? Could God describe you and me as people after His own heart?

Nathan