David’s life is an interesting read. There’s something about him that makes us look twice and think even deeper. I’m definitely one of those people who wants to unravel the layers of this guy and get to know him on a deeper level. This crowned man, once a humble shepherd, arouses our curiosity not only because of his extraordinary life journey, his rise from obscurity to celebrity, but also because of this loving kindness in which God described him as “David, a man after my own heart.” It is true that there are countless beloved servants of God, but none captured God’s heart like David. It’s not that God loved his other servants any less. But the way God described him is somewhat special and unique in itself. This is the most intimate description ever given of God’s servants.
As Christians, we want to be cherished by the Lord. For believers, there is nothing in this world that can match the joy of being loved by the One who breathed life into us. So we can’t help but wonder…why did God love David so much? David committed a terrible sin that brought disaster.
The house of David had been under the Lord’s severe punishment for some time as a result of David’s disobedience to God’s law: adultery and murder – serious sins that forced God to impose severe discipline on David and his family.
You might say, “That’s because David hadn’t yet committed those sins when God described him as a man who was faithful to his own heart.” You’re right.
“I have found David son of Jesse to be a man faithful to his own heart; he will do all that I want him to do.” Acts 13:22
That makes sense, but isn’t God omniscient and omnipotent? He already foresaw everything that was going to happen. Don’t you think God doesn’t know what the future holds for one of his most beloved servants?
So why did David prompt the Lord to portray him in such a gentle manner, considering that he was a sinner like everyone else? To get the most appropriate answer I could find. I did my research and watched pastors’ lectures and speeches about David (but there was one feature that stood out the most, which will become clear later).
To learn more about this man, I started with the Psalms, for which David is believed to have written 73 psalms.
The Psalms can be considered a treasure trove of David’s inner life and spiritual journey. That is, his emotions, joy, sadness, shame, failure, victory, love, and all kinds of emotions that reveal who David was as a man, a warrior, a leader, and a son of God.
By getting to know David’s inner life through his written works, we will be able to grasp the depth of his character and explore his inner nature and heart. The deeper you dig, the closer you get to the answer to that question everyone is asking.
The quality of David that most loved God
As we read the Psalms and understand the Bible verses about David, we can say that David possessed the following qualities that won God’s heart.
humility
Whenever David sinned against God, he would kneel and bow before the Lord, humbly asking for His forgiveness. And David’s meekness is evident not only in his interactions with the Almighty, but also with ordinary people.
King David encountered Shimei when he fled the palace with his entourage after his son Absalom launched a military rebellion against him. He spoke ill of King David as he passed by, insulted him, and threw stones at him and his followers. One of David’s generals became so furious that he begged David for permission to cross the valley and kill the civilian Shimei, a relative of Saul. But David refused the request. Being ridiculed in front of others can be embarrassingly painful and humiliating, especially if you are a person of authority. But even though David was honored as a king, he acted with humility rather than ego.
That touched my heart. Don’t we all hate being humiliated in public? Especially in front of someone you love. David’s meekness is a rare kind of humility that God is attracted to.
heart of repentance
There are moments in our lives when we try to justify our mistakes before God. David would never do that. The moment he realizes his mistake, he will fall on his knees without making any excuses and ask God for forgiveness, taking responsibility for his error in judgment.
“Because I know my sins,
And my sins are always before me.
I have sinned against you and against you only
and I have done what is evil in your sight.
In other words, your judgment is correct.
And when you judge, be justified.
It is true that I sinned when I was born,
My mother has been sinful since she conceived me.
But you desired faithfulness even in the womb.
You taught me wisdom in that secret place. ” Psalm 51:3-6
David’s deep faith in God
David demonstrated his faith in God many times. Even as a young shepherd, his faith in the Lord was boundless. Because he was young and inexperienced in combat, he volunteered to fight Goliath, an enemy that even the Israeli army was afraid to fight.
But David’s faith in the Lord was bolder than fear. The weight of fear beneath his unwavering confidence in his almighty power enabled him to face a foe as great as Goliath.
“You come to me with swords, spears, and spears; but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, against whom you rebelled.” 1 Samuel 17:45 NKJV
Faith grows stronger when life is difficult, such as when you are faced with a strong enemy or when you face life’s difficulties. Our pain sharpens our faith, it is bitter indeed, but it is also necessary. And throughout David’s life, even when he was hurt by bitter struggles, his faith remained strong and his lips were always lifted up in praise of the Lord.
glorify God
David never attributed every battle, every victory, every success to God.
And he always made sure to glorify God before his people and enemies.
“David wore the linen ephod and danced before the Lord with all his strength, while he and all Israel carried up the ark of the Lord with a shout and with a trumpet sound.” 2 Samuel 6:14-15 NIV
Now, more than ever, we must not cower or cower in fear as we praise the Lord. As more and more people are mocking God and belittling and shaming those who praise and praise the Lord in public, we must have the courage to worship God even though we are being shamed. I still remember when David began to dance in praise of the Lord, his wife accused him of jumping and circling like a fool in front of the people.
loyalty
It can be said that David has qualities that endear him to God, but if there is one quality that stands out, it is his abiding loyalty to his Creator. This realization came to me when I came across a talk by the late Biblical scholar and author Michael S. Heiser. He emphasized David’s best quality that captured God’s affection: his unwavering loyalty to God.
In ancient times, most kings and authorities tended to worship pagan gods and allowed their subjects to worship these false gods. So did King Solomon. But David isn’t like that. Therefore, it is not surprising that the first commandment requires just that – dedicated devotion to the Lord.
“You shall have no other gods before me.” Exodus 20:3 KJV
If the rulers of this world demand loyalty from their subjects, why doesn’t God demand the same? We all know that countries prosper in peace when loyalty is given to leaders who lead with wisdom and integrity. According to theologian Michael Heiser, it’s the same in the kingdom of God.
Chaos arose in the kingdom of heaven when the children of God rebelled against the Lord and transferred their allegiance to Satan.
“And there was a war in heaven, and Michael and his angels fought against the dragon. And the dragon fought against the angels, but they did not prevail. There was no place for them in heaven anymore. And the great dragon was cast out, the old serpent who is called the devil, and Satan, who deceives all the world. He was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.” Revelation 12:7-9 KJV
Therefore, it is written as:
“Behold, God does not trust in his saints; yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight.” Job 15:15 KJV
That is why we are saved only by faithfulness, not by good works. God is weak in loyalty. And don’t even ordinary people like us want loyalty and devotion from those around us, especially our friends and loved ones?
However, this does not mean that we are free to sin whenever we wish. No, that’s not true. Because if we truly put our faith in the Lord, the Holy Spirit will convict us every time we try to stray from His holy ways. We don’t completely stop sinning. I don’t. We are still humans and are at risk of stumbling from time to time. But over time, our sins diminish. And the less we sin, the more our conscience, awakened by the Holy Spirit within us, changes us until we repent and become like Jesus, the Son of God.
“Be confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will carry it out until the day of Jesus Christ.” Philippians 1:6 KJV
David must have sinned several times, but under no circumstances would he withdraw his allegiance to the Lord. He worshiped only God and no one else. And his loyalty and loyalty never wavered until his last breath.
Photo credit: ©Unsplash/Patrick Schneider
