FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2024 - KING DAVID A MAN AFTER GOD'S HEART

 FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2024 - KING DAVID - A MAN AFTER GOD'S HEART

I Samuel 13:14 (Samuel the prophet rejecting King Saul and talking about the eventualKingg - David)

 But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people because you have not kept the lord's command"”

David is a man who is sensitive to God.  He wrote 73 Psalms.  Including the 23rd Psalm (I used the King James version here)

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He made me lie down in green pasture and leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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I memorized this when I was about ten years old.  Shepherd take care of their flocks.  And God loves us like a shepherd.  

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Yes, David made his mistake— like lusting after Bathsheba or having a census taken. He also had problems with his children (like Absalom).  

Jesus is called the Son of David because he is a descendant of David, and the title points to the Messiah, the anticipated deliverer of Israel:

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But David carried grudges (from King David's last days and directions to Solomon)

1 Kings 2: 5-9"“Now you know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel'sarmies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa, son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood, he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go to the grave in peace.

"“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom."“Remember, you have Shimei, son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord:'‘I will not put you to death by the sword.'’ But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood."”

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In 2 Samuel 23, we have KingDavid'ss last words."“The inspired utterance of Davi, the son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High,

the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hereof Israel's songs:

The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me; his word was on my tongue. The God of Israel spoke,   the Rock of Israel said to me, " When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.

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So, this"“Man after God'sheart"” carried grudges against Shimei and Joah (among others).  KILL THEM, says this King.  

He lusted after Bathsheba and committed adultery with her.  Then"“David arranged for Uriah to be moved to the front lines of battle, where he was killed. 

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I'm a twenty-first-century person—long removed from the fields of sheep. I try to live Micah 6:8 -"“What does God expect of you, but to love justice, show mercy, and walk humbly with God"”

I try to be merciful - to forgive those who have hurt me.  

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When David took a census (seemingly to know how many fighting men he had and what taxes to approve), the prophet Nathan gave him three options. His choices were a three-year famine, three months of fleeing his enemies, and three days of pestilence. David chose the three days of pestilence (plague). For a man after God's heart, those three days affected ALL of his kingdoms. Many of his subjects probably died because he errored and took a census. (An, why?  Moses took censuses before he entered Canaan) Shouldn't a King know how many men he had before going into battle?

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But the Syrians fled before Israel, and David slew of the Syrians seven thousand men who fought in chariots and forty thousand footmen and killed Shophac, the captain of the host.

Yes,"“War is Hell"”

King David fought frequently - and killed many - including women and children.

As for Bathsheba,"“after the timing was over, David brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the Lord was displeased by what David had done." 2 Samuel 20:26

A man after God's heart?  Maybe - but also a ruthless man at times.

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I want to accept, love, and be merciful to all people (and, yes, I am not a king). David was not merciful to many during his many wars and to his people.  

Jesus said from the cross, "Father, forgive them; they know not what they" (or did).  Jesus is merciful —here, David wasn't

So, Jesus was called"“Son of Davi"” - because Jesus was a descendent of David - through Mary (and Joseph - although Josephwasn'tt part of the birth of Jesus)

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So, God was merciful to King Davi,- a man wholedd Israel into war and established Israel So, my questio— can God be merciful to the rest of u,- even though we go astray?

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LOVE WINS

LOVE IS MERCIFUL

LOVE TRANSFORMS

Karen Anne White, November 29, 2024