Woven
’m feeling a little bit guilty, because we spent all of our day’s study on Saul covering his faults, his mess-ups. In fairness to Saul, we are pretty much going to do the same thing with David today.
Before that, though, I want to point out some major events that happened in between. You may want to study these events more in depth on your own someday.
• 1 Samuel 17, Goliath challenges and mocks Israel. David kills Goliath with a slingshot.
• 1 Samuel 18-20, David and Jonathan (Saul’s son) become friends. Jonathan protects David from Saul.
• 1 Samuel 18:14-15, David’s success begins Saul’s fury towards him.
• 1 Samuel 24 & 26, David spares Saul’s life when given the chance to take him out. It’s fascinating.
• 1 Samuel 25, Samuel dies/Abigail intercedes on behalf of David and his men. Later she marries David.
• 1 Samuel 27-31, David is on the run from Saul & fighting on behalf of Israel/Saul and his son are slain in battle.
The book of 2 Samuel begins with David learning of Saul’s and Jonathan’s death. Then, David is made King over all of Judah. In our book, Angie described why he wasn’t initially over all of Israel. I won’t go into it again, but he will be the King over all of Israel/Judah by chapter 5 of 2 Samuel. The Kingdom is united again.
We won’t camp here, but I think it’s important that we notice David’s request to build a Temple for the Lord in chapter 7. He wants there to be a home for God’s Presence. Nathan responded to David with words directly from God,
“For I have not dwelt in a house since the day I brought up the sons of Israel from Egypt, even to this day, but I have been moving about in a tent, even in a tabernacle.”
I’m pointing this piece of scripture out because I want you to see that God is still moving with His people in a tabernacle – the one we read about in Exodus. In this chapter of 2 Samuel, Nathan relayed the message to David that God had not asked for a permanent home. David would not be the one to build the Temple.
I don’t know if that news was overly disappointing to David because he went right into his prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for his position as king. You’ll find that prayer at the end of chapter 7. Let’s read it and look for evidence that David is “a man after God’s own heart.”
Read – 2 Samuel 7: 18-29.
I hope you put some notes in your journal recording David’s heart for God. I noted verse 26 where David said, “that Thy name may be magnified forever.” David’s heart for God wouldn’t allow for his name to be magnified. David wanted God’s name to be magnified.
Well, I can’t delay the inevitable any longer. Please read 2 Samuel 11. If this chapter of scripture isn’t familiar to you, please read carefully. If it's a familiar story, atleast skim over the chapter. It’s a soapy story, but IT IS TRUE! Even men after God’s own heart sin big apparently.
I don’t know about you, but this is tough for me to read. It would be bad enough if David only took another man’s wife. But, after he saw Bathsheba, he planned and schemed. Then, after getting her pregnant, he planned and schemed some more until her husband was killed. This is a lot, y’all. It’s enough to make someone fear that God had made a poor choice.
Read 2 Samuel 12: 1-14. (I know our verse count is high today. This is important, ladies. Please read!)
First of all, Nathan is SO BRAVE! He could have been killed immediately for questioning or accusing the king. David had all of the power. I’m thankful for brave men and women that aren’t afraid to call out sin when we are blind to it. David was stuck in the cycle of sin and cover-up.He couldn’t even see the depth of his darkness.
Also, Nathan is creatively smart. I’m not sure this confrontation would have gone so well if Nathan had led with something like, “Why did you take Uriah’s wife and then have Uriah killed?” He softened David’s heart with a story and then uncovered his motive. He was lovingly confronting David of sin. It was for David’s good, and it was for Israel’s good.
Finally, David was humble, reverent, and repentant. He owned his sin without blame or excuse. And, he received and accepted the consequence but only after pleading with the Lord for a different outcome (2 Samuel 12: 16-23 if you’re interested).
There’s so much more to be said about David as King of Israel. We could study for days and days. For this day, though, we will end with some of the words from Psalm 51 which was David’s response to his sin and Nathan’s exposure,
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Thy salvation, and sustain me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Thy ways, and sinners will be converted to Thee. (Verses 10-13)
David knew he’d sinned, and he knew he deserved all the consequence. That did not stop him from running back to his Father. He accepted that his sin didn’t disqualify him from sonship. God was still his God, so he cried out to him for restoration and redemption. I’m certain this is the way of the man (woman) after God’s own heart.
This is our identity in Christ, ladies. We can’t out-sin God’s love for us. The consequence can be rough and painful. But, even in the consequence we can turn back to God for restoration. THEN, we will be the best teachers. Then, we will teach transgressors His ways. Nothing (not even sin) is wasted in God’s economy.
Don’t let failure chase you forever, sisters. What if we could just hear the words, “you are that woman,” and know that we are; the failure, the sinner, the less than perfect? But, what if we could then hear the voice of redemption after the accusation. See, God never exposes to accuse. He exposes to redeem. I pray you’ll let Him. Today is the day of salvation….
He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him.
Psalm 103: 10-11
Father God, thank you for David. Thank you for choosing the imperfect as the man after your own heart. David's example demonstrates that there's hope for us. Oh, I pray that we will all cry out to you as David did, "create in me a clean heart, O God."
