Day 70 – 1 Samuel: Character sketch of David
“For you are God, O Sovereign Lord. Your words are truth, and you have promised these good things to your servant. And now, may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you. For you have spoken, and when you grant a blessing to your servant, O Sovereign Lord, it is an eternal blessing!” 1 Samuel 7:28-29 NLT
The first words that come to mind when thinking about David are shepherd, poet, giant slayer, king, and ancestor of Jesus. Summing up his resume – one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. Contending these accomplishments is another list to consider: betrayer, liar, adulterer, and murderer. The first gives qualities we all might like to have; the latter, qualities that could easily be true of any one of us. The Bible makes no effort to David’s failures and yet he is remembered and respected for his heart for God.
David never took God’s forgiveness lightly or his blessing for granted. In return, God never held back from David either his forgiveness or the consequences of his actions. He experienced the joy of forgiveness even when he had to suffer through the consequences of his sin. Though David sinned greatly, he did not sin repeatedly – he learned from his mistakes because he understood and accepted the consequences and what they did to God and his relationship with God.
Strengths and accomplishments
David was the greatest king of Israel an described by God as a man after His own heart.
Weaknesses and mistakes
He fell into temptation and committed adultery with Bathsheba and arranged the murder of her husband, Uriah. He directly disobeyed God by taking a census of the people and did not deal decisively with the sins of his children.
Life lessons from David’s life
The willingness to honestly admit our sins and mistakes is the first step in dealing with them. God forgives us when we repent, but it does not remove the consequences of our sinful actions. We need to take full responsibility and own up to what we have done.
Prayer: Father, thank You that we can learn from David that You greatly desire our complete trust and worship. Your blessings are eternal as you proved with David. Thank You for each blessing in my life and for Your forgiveness when I repent. Thank You for Jesus Christ, the stump of Jesse, who entered this world through Your prophecy and blessing. Amen.
