David--A Man After God's Own Heart
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David—A Man After God’s Own Heart Intro: Acts 13:16-22 “Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. 17The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high arm brought he them out of it. 18And about the time of forty years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he divided their land to them by lot. 20And after that he gave unto them judges about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21And afterward they desired a king: and God gave unto them Saul the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” Attention is directed specifically to verse 22 and the statement concerning David. 1. David was one of Israel’s greatest kings, reigning during some of Israel’s greatest spiritual and physical attainments. a. Solomon may have been highly favored by man but David was by God. b. He received from the Lord one of the greatest commendations ever received by man (notice our text). 2. At his appointment (by Samuel the prophet) he was an obscure unimportant lad; (1 Sam. 16). a. Even his father did not consider him. b. Samuel likewise had other ideas. c. Yet, David was destined by God to fill an unforgettable place in Israel’s history. 3. Let us consider this David: King of Israel, warrior, writer of many psalms, father of the Christ who came through his linage. a. What made him great? Why is he called: “a man after God’s own heart”? b. No doubt, it was the result of many contributing factors. I. REARED UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF A GOOD HOME. A. Notice his father Jesse. 1. A Jew: a. One of God’s chosen; Exo. 19:5-6 “Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: 6And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation. These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel.” b. A child of God. c. A glorious heritage for any child. 2. Obedient to God’s prophet and judge Samuel. (He thus, set the pattern for his son.) 3. A worshiper of the true God. a. There is every indication was that he was faithful to the law of Moses. b. Eph. 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.” c. Pro. 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” B. David, as so many today, was not reared in idleness. 1. He was accountable to his father with responsibilities and obligations; 1 Sam. 16:11 “And Samuel said unto Jesse, Are here all thy children? And he said, There remaineth yet the youngest, and, behold, he keepeth the sheep. And Samuel said unto Jesse, Send and fetch him: for we will not sit down till he come hither.” 2. One of the greatest evils we can do to our children is do too much for them. 3. While occupied with these tasks David had ample opportunity to drink in the beauties and wonders of God’s nature; cf. Psa. 19:1 “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” C. Truly, the early years are the most formative. David—A Man After God’s Own Heart Page -2- II. HE REMEMBERED GOD IN THE DAYS OF HIS YOUTH. A. It was David’s son, Solomon, who made the statement along this line. 1. Ecc. 12:1 “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them;” 2. However, it was David who set the example. B. He had not sown wild oats nor is such needful now to developing character and useful lives. III. HE HAD AN OUTSTANDING GREAT FAITH. A. Such is the record of him from first to last. B. David and Goliath of the Philistines. 1. 1 Sam. 17:26 “And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?” 2. 1 Sam. 17:32-37 “And David said to Saul, Let no man’s heart fail because of him; thy servant will go and fight with this Philistine. 33And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth. 34And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father’s sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: 35And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. 36Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. 37David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.” 3. 1 Sam. 17:42-47 “And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance. 43And the Philistine said unto David, Am I a dog, that thou comest to me with staves? And the Philistine cursed David by his gods. 44And the Philistine said to David, Come to me, and I will give thy flesh unto the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the field. 45Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. 46This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. 47And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give you into our hands.” C. Psa. 23:1 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” D. Psa. 27:1 “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” E. Psa. 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” IV. HE HAD RESPECT FOR THAT WHICH WAS HOLY. A. Every Bible student recalls Saul’s persecution of David even after David’s appointment by God. 1. David fled for his life! Why? Was he afraid of Saul? 2. 1 Sam. 24:10 “Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord had delivered thee to day into mine hand in the cave: and some bade me kill thee: but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth mine hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’s anointed.” David—A Man After God’s Own Heart Page -3- B. No man develops too much respect for that which is sacred or holy: that which has been appointed by God. 1. The Bible a. 1 Cor. 4:6 “And these things, brethren, I have in a figure transferred to myself and to Apollos for your sakes; that ye might learn in us not to think of men above that which is written, that no one of you be puffed up for one against another.” b. Gal. 1:6-9 “I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel: 7Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ. 8But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. 9As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.” c.