David

April 16, 2023 53 Comments

I have always been troubled by David. He was obviously very important to God. He was one of the two or three most important leaders of Israel. And yet, he committed the two most despicable crimes that a man can commit…..marital infidelity and murder. Then, as you follow him through Psalms, over and over, he brags about his righteousness and calls death and damnation down on those who oppose him. He repeatedly gives God explicit instructions as to how he wants his political opponents destroyed. He does a lot of whining.

As Christians, we are constantly reminded of how God uses broken people to grow his kingdom………and yet David seems to be a special case.

My best attempt to reconcile David is to divide his life into 3 eras. The Shephard era, the empire building era, and the mature era. These three eras are so different that it’s almost like looking at three different men. And that, I think, is the key lesson of David’s life.

The Shepherd era:

David grows up in a family where he is clearly the bottom of the heap…….the runt of the litter. He is given the dirty thankless jobs while his brothers go off to war to win glory for themselves. This era ends with the Goliath episode where he distinguishes himself and catches the eye of the king.

The empire building era:

David flees from his enemies, Saul and Absalom, while building an army. He clearly develops leadership skills and a cadre of loyal followers. He wages war for years and establishes Israel as a legitimate regional power. And he commits adultery and murder. His tryst with Bathsheba founds the family line that leads to Jesus.

The mature era:

David settles in as king of Israel. He spends the rest of his life torn between praising God, whining, and calling death and damnation down on his foes.

David is a complicated guy…….and clearly deeply loved by, protected by, and used by God. By human standards, after Goliath, he deserves a promotion and a raise. After Bathsheba, he deserves a lightning bolt. Through his mature era, he is pretty much a typical politician……..with one exception. He steadfastly praises God, relies on God, and thanks God for his blessings.

So why does God like David so much?

There seem to be two themes here:

How you end is far more important to God………than how you began………than how you got here. God values your praise, dependence, and thanks today far more than yesterday’s screwups.

God’s mercy is bigger than you know. It is bigger than your biggest mistake. God’s mercy is not subject to 4th grade math. You can mess up 10,000 times and do one thing right and still experience the full measure of God’s mercy.

The key is to end like David. End your life praising God……worshipping God……..thanking God……..in a word, loving God.

Remember Dimas, the thief who repented on the cross beside Jesus. He too received the full measure of God’s mercy……..after a life of crime and sin.

Dimas is in paradise right now……..and a lot of really good people…….people who failed to end like David…….are not.

It is never too late.

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus, a conversation with 2 criminals during his crucifixion, ESV

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