People in the Bible Who Pleased God – David

“And Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of the LORD your God, which He commanded you. For now the LORD would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. But now your kingdom shall not continue. The LORD has sought for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”” (1 Samuel 13:13-14 NKJV)

    When the LORD told Samuel that He had removed Saul as king, Samuel was sent to Jesse the Bethlehemite because God had chosen a king from among his sons. It was during this visit that we hear: “…the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” The first seven sons of Jesse pass in front of Samuel but the LORD did not choose any of them, then David, the youngest son (about 15 years old), was called in from the fields where he was keeping the sheep, and when he stood in front of Samuel the LORD said, “Arise, anoint him; for he is the one!” (1 Samuel 16:1-13). 

    Although Samuel anointed David as king, David’s path to the throne was not an easy one. Over the next 15 years of his life, David served Saul (as a musician and armour bearer, 1 Samuel 16:17-23) and then had to flee from Saul because Saul was jealous of the LORD’s blessing on David. When David did finally sit on a throne it was as king over Judah only; it would another 7 ½ years before he was king over all Israel.

“And when He had removed [Saul], He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, “I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.”” (Acts 13:22 NKJV) 

    David is mentioned as “David the man of God” twice by Nehemiah (12:24, 36), and God refers to him as “David My servant” or “My servant David” nine times (Psalm 89:20; 144:10, Isaiah 37:35, Jeremiah 33:21, 22, 26, Ezekiel 34:23, 24; 37:24, 25). David became a high water mark for all future kings (1 Kings 9:4, 15:5, 3:14); he truly was a man devoted to serving the LORD.

    Yes, David made mistakes; he sinned, but it was what he did upon realizing his sin that made a huge difference. Let’s consider two occasions when David sinned: laying with Bathsheba (and having her husband, Uriah, killed, 2 Samuel 11), and when he called for a census of the people near the end of his forty year reign (2 Samuel 24:1-25, 1 Chronicles 21:1-30).  

    After David’s increasingly terrible attempts to cover up the fact that he had been with Bathsheba, he made her his wife, she bore him a son, and “the thing that David had done displeased the LORD” (2 Samuel 11:27).  The prophet Nathan was sent to David, to tell him of his sin (2 Samuel 12:1-15) – this is the important part – as soon as David realized he had sinned against the LORD, he ran to God and pleaded to not be cast from His presence, but to have his transgressions blotted out and to be thoroughly washed from his iniquity. He acknowledged his transgression and sin, confessed that he had sinned against God, and he threw himself on the mercy of God with a broken and contrite heart (Psalm 51:1-19).  David needed God as dearly as he needed water to drink (Psalm 63:1-5); he could not bear to be without God’s help and sustenance, he immediately did what was necessary to seek God’s mercy.

    Near the end of his days, “Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel” (1 Chronicles 21:1), so David commanded Joab to count the people – this command was abominable to Joab, but he did a count of all the people, except the tribes of Levi and Benjamin (1 Chronicles 21:3-6). Taking this census displeased the LORD so He struck Israel (1 Chronicles 21:7), and David’s heart condemned him. He ran to the LORD and again threw himself on the LORD’s mercies, confessed that he had done very foolishly, and pleaded that his iniquity would be taken away (2 Samuel 24:10). The LORD sent word through Gad, giving David three options for punishment (because there were still consequences for sinning): Seven years of famine, three months of fleeing from enemies, or three days plague in your land.  David determined that he would rather fall into the hands of the LORD than the hands of man, because the LORD’s mercies are great (2 Samuel 24:14). So God sent a plague on the people, but when the angel reached Jerusalem God staid its hand, and David and the elders, clothed in sackcloth, fell on their faces and David begged the LORD that only he and his family be plagued because it was he who had sinned and done evil (1 Chronicles 21:16-17); he then built an altar to the LORD*, offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and the LORD responded with fire from heaven on the altar and commanded the angel to sheath its weapon (1 Chronicles 21:26-27). 

*It was at this very location that Solomon would build the temple (2 Samuel 24:18-25, 2 Chronicles 3:1)    

Study note: Moses took a census of the people after the Israelites left Egypt and again when the next generation were about to enter the land of Canaan – the difference then was that God commanded him to do so. Moses’ censuses were to determine the number of men who were 20 and above; men who could fight. When David took a census, without being asked to, it may have been a momentary point of pride to glory in the extent of his military power – David needed to keep his trust in God and His power, not the supposed power found in the quantity of people; he needed to glory in God who had amassed them by His providence and provision.   

    David, no matter his trouble or triumph, ran to God. David praised Him when a victim and when a victor; he pleaded for His help and trusted in His power and might. David sinned, but because he appreciated his relationship with the LORD so keenly, he was quick to feel true remorse upon realizing his sin; he ran to God, confessed his sin, and pleaded with Him that he might be washed from his iniquity so that he could commune with the LORD as before.

What can we learn from David?

    We can wait patiently for God’s promises. David waited 22 ½ years for the fulfillment of his promised position, during that time “David strengthened himself in the LORD his God” and made inquiries of the LORD to know what he should do when troubles came (1 Samuel 30:6-8). Read and consider Numbers 23:19, Psalm 27:14, Psalm 62, Hebrews 11:6, and 2 Corinthians 1:20-22.

    We can do God’s will. David was a man after God’s own heart because he would do God’s will. When we are willing to hear what God says and do it, He will be pleased. Read and think on Ephesians 5:17, John 15:14, and James 1:21-27.

    We can trust in God above anything else. God gives to all life, breath, and all things (Acts 17:25, Job 12:10). When we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, God will make sure we have what we need (food, drink, clothing, Matthew 6:25-34, 2 Corinthians 9:8). It is God who gives us power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18). Read and think on Psalm 118:8-9; 146:1-10, and Jeremiah 9:23-24.  

    We can proclaim God’s praises and declare His greatness. David wrote many psalms of praise, and when we read them we can learn how to speak beautiful words to God and about God; these psalms express joy and complete contentment in the LORD, and they help us appreciate the benefits of living under God’s merciful care. Take time to read a few of the psalms written by David this week: 32, 34, 65, and 66 for starters.

    We can run to God in repentance and confess our sins to Him. We all have sinned. As we practice righteousness we can still stumble and sin, but what we do when we realize our sin is important. We are not to continue in sin (Romans 6:1-2), we are not to seek to justify ourselves in our sin (Proverbs 21:2, Luke 16:15), and we should not think that God doesn’t know or care about our sin (Psalm 10:11, 94:4-7, 139:1-4). Appreciate the blessings found in being a child of God so keenly that you are quick to feel remorse and seek His forgiveness when you sin. Read and consider Psalm 38, Proverbs 28:13, Acts 8:14-24, Hebrews 4:13, and 1 John 1:9.

    Are you ready to be a woman after God’s own heart? To do His will while you patiently wait for His promises? To trust Him so much that you proclaim His praises daily? Are you ready to trust Him with all your cares, running to Him in good times and in bad? To love Him so dearly that you cannot bear to be away from, or outside of, His loving care?

You can do it! So can I!!

People in the Bible Who Pleased God – Moses

    Many know Moses as the Hebrew baby hidden in the bulrushes in Egypt, or as the man who led the Israelites out of Egypt bondage and gave them the Ten Commandments, but there is so much more that we can learn from Moses.

Here are three things that made Moses unique:

Moses was very humble

“(Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the face of the earth.)” (Numbers 12:3 NKJV)

    When he was 40 years old, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather “to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin” (Hebrews 11:24-25), and when he approached the burning bush that same year, and heard the voice of the Lord, “he trembled and dared not look” (Acts 7:30-33). When he heard that the LORD wanted to send him to deliver the Israelites, Moses replied, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” but God assured him, through words and signs (Exodus 3-4), that He would be with him through it all.

    Humility is not weakness, it is recognizing a complete dependence on God, and Moses, acknowledging his own weaknesses, asked God to help him, to go with him, so he could do the things God had given him to do. Take time to read and consider Exodus 33:12-17.    

    In the last 40 years of his life, his older siblings, Miriam and Aaron, rose up in criticism against Moses, but he left it to the LORD, just as Jesus did (1 Peter 2:23) to rebuke them. When punishment was delivered, Aaron immediately humbled himself before Moses and asked that the punishment on Miriam be lifted, and Moses pleaded with the LORD to heal Miriam from the leprosy she was struck with after her dissension. Read and think on Numbers 16, when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram gathered men together in rebellion against Moses (verse 3). Note Moses’ initial response in Numbers 16:4 and his further responses in verses 41-42 and 46-48.

    Moses remained a humble servant to his death at age 120 years old (Deuteronomy 34:7).

Moses was faithful as a servant

    In his humility Moses felt unqualified, but asking for God’s help, he went and he did what was asked of him.

    Moses, though a stranger to them, stood before the immense and mighty people of Israel, and he prepared them for departure from their bondage by declaring God’s instructions to them. He stood repeatedly before their oppressor, the Pharaoh of Egypt, informing him of God’s power and might. He led the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the wilderness toward the promised land. All of this he felt unqualified to do, yet he did it, seeking God’s help all the while.

    He is remembered as the “servant of the LORD” (by King Joash, 2 Chronicles 24:6), and the Hebrew writer says that “Moses indeed was faithful in all His house as a servant” (Hebrews 3:2, 5). Later in the book of Hebrews, in the chapter highlighting the faithful, six verses outline what Moses did by faith (Hebrews 11:24-29).    

The LORD spoke to Moses face to face

    While rebuking Miriam and Aaron in Numbers 12:6-8, the LORD makes clear the unique form of communication He used with Moses:

“Here now My words: If there is a prophet among you, I , the LORD, make Myself known to him in a vision; I speak to him in a dream. Not so with My servant Moses; he is faithful in all My house. I speak to him face to face, even plainly, and not in dark sayings; and he sees the form of the LORD. Whey then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?” (NKJV)

    And after Moses’ death it is stated:

“…But since then there has not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face, in all the signs and wonders which the LORD sent him to do in the land of Egypt, before Pharaoh, before all his servants, and in all the land, and by all the mighty power and all the great terror which Moses performed in the sight of all Israel.” (Deuteronomy 34:10-12 NKJV).

    The LORD spoke to Moses as a man speaks to a friend (Exodus 33:11), not in dreams or visions, but in clear, understandable words; words that would guide not only Moses, but God’s chosen people, in obedience and to find grace in the eyes of God.

What can we learn from Moses?

    Like Moses, we can humble ourselves in the sight of the Lord (James 4:10, 1 Peter 5:5-7). Humility is needed to truly submit to His will (“willing to yield” James 3:13-17), to humbly trust that His commands and instruction are for our good always (Deuteronomy 6:24-25), and to do what He has given us to do.

    God has given us a purpose to fulfil: to seek Him and find Him (Acts 17:26-27), to do good works (Ephesians 2:10), and to proclaim His praises (1 Peter 2:9). Throughout the New Testament, we find many commands and instructions that help us fulfill our purpose, but sometimes we may feel unsure about our ability to do what God has asked. If so, we need to read the Bible to reassure ourselves of God’s promises and His power; to fortify our trust that He will be with us every step of the way! Remember that it is only by His power, might, and wisdom that we can stand up against the wiles of the devil and overcome evil with good (Ephesians 6:10-18, Romans 12:1-21).

    Like Moses, we can be faithful as a servant. Be willing to serve God faithfully for life (Revelation 2:10, Matthew 24:13), not only when it’s convenient, not only when we need something from Him, but always – serve Him faithfully on your good days and on your bad days; when it’s hard and when it’s easy, when He asks much of you and when He asks little. Be willing to trust in His ability, take a deep breath, and step out in faith to obey what He commands!

    Like Moses, we can talk to God always. Tell Him your fears, acknowledge your weaknesses (Philippians 4:6), go boldly to His throne of grace in time of need (Hebrews 4:16); ask Him for wisdom (James 1:5) and strength (Ephesians 3:14-21, 1 Peter 5:8-11). Never give up on prayer – it’s your line of communication with our Creator! – pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:17-18). Talk to God, plead with Him (Luke 18:1-8), make your requests known, and then get up, trusting Him with all your cares (1 Peter 5:6-7), and do what He has commanded you to do.

Are you ready?

You can do it! So can I!! 

People in the Bible Who Pleased God - Abraham

    Abraham is a familiar person to many Bible students. Known for believing in the LORD, hearing His instruction, and doing what was asked of him, Abraham (originally called Abram), was called “the friend of God” (James 2:23).

    By faith 75 year old Abram (with his wife, Sarai, and nephew, Lot), obeyed God’s command to leave what was familiar (Ur of the Chaldeans - northern Iraq, and Haran – southeastern Turkey) and go to a land God would show him; Abram didn’t know where this journey would take him, yet he obeyed. When he reached Shechem – halfway between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, a central point in the land of Canaan – God told Abram that this land would be given to him and his descendants, even though Abram did not yet have a child.

    By faith Abram believed that God would give him descendants, even though he didn’t know how or when. He was 86 years old when Ishmael was born to him (by Sarai’s maid, Hagar, Genesis 16:16), but it wasn’t until Abram was 99 years old that God appeared to him again and told him that a child would be born to him by his wife, Sarai (Genesis 17:1, 15-19).       

    It was at this time that God changed Abram’s name to Abraham – from a name that meant ‘exalted father’ to one that meant ‘father of a multitude’ – God, in giving Abram this new name, was confirming His covenant to him – making it known to all who knew Abram that God is faithful and His promises are true.

    Abraham’s complete faith in God was confirmed when he showed himself ready to follow through with God’s command to sacrifice his promised son, Isaac. Abraham wholly trusted that God was able to raise Isaac up from the dead (Hebrews 11:17-19) so reached out his hand and took hold of the knife, but the Angel of the LORD called to him and told him not to lay a hand on Isaac, and Abraham looked up and saw a ram caught in the thicket, so Abraham sacrificed the ram on the prepared altar and called the place “The-LORD-Will-Provide” (Genesis 22).

    Now, yes, one may argue that nowhere in the Bible does it say that Abram/Abraham pleased God, and that is our series of study, but I am confident we can take that as a given when “he was called the friend of God” (James 2:23), when King Jehoshaphat mentioned him as “Abraham Your friend forever” (while petitioning the LORD for help in 2 Chronicles 20:7), and when the LORD Himself referred to him as “Abraham My friend” in Isaiah 41:8.

“But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend. You whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest regions, and said to you, ‘You are My servant, I have chosen you and have not cast you away: Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’” (Isaiah 41:8-10 NKJV)

What can we learn from Abraham?

    Abraham feared the LORD. He believed Him, trusted Him, and obeyed Him. He lived as a sojourner in tents and God made him a father of nations (“as many as the stars in the sky in multitude – innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore”). Abraham “waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God” and he died in faith, assured of God’s promises; embracing them, and because of this God was not ashamed to be called his God (Hebrews 11:8-16).

    We, too, can fear God, believe His word, trust His instruction, and obey Him. In that obedience and faith we, too, will be required to leave behind what is familiar (our old lives of sin, Romans 6:1-6, Ephesians 4:17-24) and follow God (Matthew 16:24).

    It is at this juncture (baptism for the remission of sins) that God gives us a new name: Christian. It means that we are ‘in Christ’ (joint heirs with Christ, and children of God), and this name (in its truest use) confirms His covenant with us (Mark 16:16, 1 John 3:1-3). In wearing this new name and obeying His commands, we make known His wisdom to those around us by doing the good He gives us to do (Ephesians 2:10) and grow to be the people He desires us to be (ex: James 1:15-16, Hebrews 5:14) – we proclaim His praises and prove that His promises are real (1 Peter 2:9, Romans 12:1-2)!   

    As Christians, we too, are sojourners, living in tents (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:7), and looking forward to the city with foundations, whose builder and maker is God (John 14:1-6).

    When we have wholly trust and faithfully obey God, no matter the sacrifice; when we patiently hope for the things we cannot yet see, we can please God – are you ready?

You can do it! So can I!!