Where Do We Read About King David in the Bible

March 10, 2022 Post a Comment

King David in the Bible – Who Was He? Why Is He Of import?

Crosswalk.com Contributing Author
2021 8 Mar

King David in the Bible – Who Was He? Why Is He Important?

"O God, You are my God; I shall seek You lot earnestly; My soul thirsts for You, my flesh yearns for You, In a dry out and weary state where in that location is no h2o. Thus I take seen Y'all in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your celebrity. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life. My lips will praise You." (Psalm 63:1b-3)

Did yous know that more than has been written nearly David than any other biblical grapheme? Sixty-six chapters are dedicated to him. That doesn't include fifty-nine references to him in the New Testament. How important practise yous recollect King David was to Israel?

David was immature when Samuel plant him. David had been shuffled off to his father'south fields to work every bit a shepherd boy. His begetter must have viewed him as trustworthy and responsible to give him sole care of his herds. In reality, he was in God'due south training ground learning to be a king.

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Israel'south Backstory

The nation of Israel was living in turbulent spiritual times. The leaders wanted a king like the other nations. They were tired of worshipping a king they couldn't come across. Slowly and over fourth dimension, they had fallen away from the LORD.

"And it came about when Samuel was onetime that he appointed his sons judges over Israel... His sons, notwithstanding, did not walk in his means…" (I Samuel viii:i,iii)

"And so all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah, and said to him, "Look, you are old, and your sons do non walk in your ways. Now make us a king to approximate usa like all the nations." (I Samuel 8:4-5)

"Only the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, 'Requite us a king to estimate the states.' And Samuel prayed to the LORD. The LORD said to Samuel, 'Heed to the phonation of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you lot, for they take rejected Me from beingness rex over them.'" (I Samuel 8:half dozen-7, accent added)

Samuel spoke on behalf of the LORD and gave Israel warnings regarding requesting a king. They refused to listen to Samuel. The LORD told Samuel to appoint them a rex. (I Samuel 8:x-22) God must take felt the sting of rejection.

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The Ascent and Fall of Saul

Saul, the people's choice, was chosen to be king. He started out strong. He slowly declined until his life ended tragically and in disgrace.

"Samuel said to Saul, 'You have acted heedlessly; you accept 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. For now your kingdom shall not endure. The Lord has sought out for Himself a man after His own center, and the LORD has appointed him equally ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you lot.'" (I Samuel thirteen:13-fourteen)

God rejected Saul every bit king.

It was time for God to intervene. It was time for God to put His man on the throne--and He was going to use Samuel to assistance Him do just that.

"At present the LORD said to Samuel, 'How long volition you grieve over Saul, since I take rejected him every bit king over Israel? Make full your horn with oil and become; I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have selected a male monarch for Myself among his sons.'" (I Samuel sixteen:1, emphasis added)

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David Is Anointed as King

Samuel followed the instructions of the LORD despite his fears. He came to the home of Jesse. He saw his son Eliab. Based on his advent, he thought surely this is the LORD'southward selection.

"But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Practise not look at his advent or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him;for God sees not as man sees, for homo looks at the outward appearance, just the LORD looks at the eye.'" (I Samuel 16:7, accent added)

Afterwards inquiring, Samuel finds out that Jesse has one more son, his youngest, who is tending sheep.

"Then Samuel said to Jesse, 'Send and bring him; for nosotros will not sit down until he comes here.' Then he sent and brought him in. Now he was reddish, with beautiful eyes, and a handsome appearance. And the LORD said, 'Arise, anoint him; for this is he.'" (I Samuel xvi:11b-12)

"Then Samuel took the horn of oil and all-powerful him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the LORD came mightily upon David from that twenty-four hour period frontwards. And Samuel arose and went to Ramah." (I Samuel 16:xiii)

Co-ordinate to Charles R. Swindoll, Josephus, the historian, says, "Samuel the aged whispered in his [David] ear the meaning of the symbol, 'You will exist the side by side king.'"

David was anointed as rex while Saul was still on the throne.

God's "Grooming Ground" for David

David'due south father had sent him off to the fields to watch over the family flock. He spent hours alone tending sheep. He learned the significant of surviving in the wild. He slept out under the encompass of darkness. He learned to endure the change of seasons and weather the elements. Surely, loneliness was his constant companion.

No dubiety, he had many conversations with God while he was living alone in confinement. We can see proof of this in his writings in the Psalms.

David also lived in complete obscurity.

"Men and women of God, servant-leaders in the making, are first unknown, unseen unappreciated, and applauded. In the relentless demands of obscurity, graphic symbol is built. Strange every bit it may seem, those who start accept the silence of obscurity are best qualified to handle the applause of popularity." (Chuck Swindoll)

Chuck Swindoll describes one of God's favorite methods of training as monotony: "That's being true-blue in the menial, insignificant, routine, regular, unexciting, uneventful, daily tasks of life. Life without a break…without the vino and roses. Just dull, plain Fifty-I-F-Eastward. Merely constant, unchanging, countless hours of tired monotony as you acquire to exist a homo or adult female of God…with nobody else around, when nobody else notices, when nobody even cares. That's how nosotros learn to 'king it.'"

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David'due south Resumé

David was "a skillful musician, a mighty man of valor, a warrior, one prudent in spoken communication, a handsome homo," and the LORD was with him. (I Samuel 16:18)

We also see from the many Psalms that David was a talented musician and a songwriter. His gentleness as a harpist reveals his true inner sensitivity every bit an artist.

While David was disposed the flock, he was learning to play the harp. God was preparing him to serve a king.

"Now the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the Lord terrorized him." (I Samuel 16:fourteen)

Saul'south servants knew about David and they sent for him on Saul's command to observe someone who could play well.

"Then David came to Saul and attended him; and Saul loved him profoundly, and he became his armor bearer." (I Samuel 16:21)

Whenever the evil spirit from God overwhelmed Saul, David would play his harp and Saul would calm downward and be refreshed, and the evil spirit would leave Saul alone. (I Samuel 16:23)

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David'due south Courage

Even as a swain, he was given the responsibleness of protecting the family's herd of sheep.

"...Your servant was tending his begetter's sheep. When a lion or a bear came and took a lamb from the flock, I went afterward him and attacked him, and rescued it from his oral cavity; and when he rose up against me, I seized him by his bristles and struck him and killed him." (I Samuel 17:34-35)

This is the reality that David had been living and the preparation ground God had been using to set up David to be male monarch i day.

He is best known for killing the giant Goliath with a sling and rock.

Everything David did in the sight of the people was pleasing to them. Everywhere Saul sent him, he prospered. (I Samuel 18)

It was David'south success as a mighty warrior that fueled Saul's jealousy. When he heard the women dancing in the streets singing, "Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands," Saul became very angry. (I Samuel 18:seven) He turned against David. He pursued David for the balance of his life.

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King David's Smashing Sin

"And so it happened in the spring, at the fourth dimension when kings go out to battle…But David stayed in Jerusalem." (ii Samuel eleven:1)

David's choice to stay back was poor leadership and wasn't his usual practice. His decision was bad judgment on his function and fix the phase for his devastating autumn into iniquity.

"Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the male monarch'due south firm, and from the roof he saw a beautiful adult female bathing; and the adult female was very cute in appearance." (2 Samuel 11:ii)

He looked. He inquired. He sent for her.

"The woman conceived; and sent and told David, and said, 'I am pregnant." (2 Samuel 11:5)

Deception. Conspiracy. Murder. Lying.

David conspired to have her married man killed in the field of battle so that he could take Bathsheba as his wife.

Nathan the prophet rebuked David severely. "And then David said to Nathan, 'I accept sinned against the LORD.' And Nathan said to David, 'The LORD likewise has taken away your sin; you shall non die.'" (2 Samuel 12:xiii)

Sadly, David and Bathsheba lost the child that she bore to David. "Then David comforted his married woman Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave nascency to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah ["Beloved of the LORD"] for the LORD's sake." (2 Samuel 12:24-25, accent added)

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Death of Male monarch David

"And so David slept with his fathers and was cached in the urban center of David. The days that David reigned over State of israel were forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron and thirty-three years he reigned in Jerusalem." (I Kings 2:10-11)

"And Solomon saturday on the throne of David his male parent, and his kingdom was firmly established." (I Kings 2:12)

Over 400 years separated the final events and final prophecy recorded in the Old Attestation (ca. 424 B.C.) from the offset deportment narrated in the New Attestation (ca. six B.C.) Considering there was in that location was no prophetic word from God during this time, this period is sometimes chosen "the four hundred silent years." Though the vox of God was silent, the hand of God was actively directing the course of events during these centuries.

"So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, 14 generations." (Matthew 1:17, emphasis added)

"Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'Your business firm and your kingdom shall endure before Me forever; your throne shall be established forever.' In accordance with all these words and all this vision, so Nathan spoke to David." (two Samuel 7:16-17, emphasis added)

Allyson Hollandis a former Director of Ministry to Women and quondam board member for Thrive Ministry building. She is lifestyle blogger (allysonholland.com/weblog), writes for Publishous, The Ascent, and has been a guest author for Bible.org. Ally has been married to John for 30 years and they have five children. John and Ally serve as leaders in Re-Engage at Watermark Community Church, Dallas, Texas. Ally suffers from RSD and is passionate about God'southward redemptive work in the lives of those who suffer from physical and emotional pain.

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