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!!