David, A Man after God's Own Heart David a shepherd, soldier, hero, warrior, singer/musician, friend, husband, and fugitive was a man after God's won heart. Even in the beginning, when we first meet David you know that there is something special about him. David, the youngest of eight of Jesse's boys was favored. This was odd because back in those times the oldest male child was favored not the youngest. One could also tell in this story of David that God was with him. A boy of twelve caring for his fathers sheep slays a lion and a bear, two fierce animals, with just a simple rock and slingshot. David told his family about the slayings and they did not believe him. His brothers went with him to retrieve the sheep and they saw the dead animals. They were jealous of David for other reasons, but this just added to it.
David and Goliath, a colour lithograph by Osmar Sc...
English: The young Hebrew David hoists the head of...
Samuel anoints David, Dura Europos, Syria, Date: 3...God had a plan for David. Despite his brothers jealousy they spread word of their brother and word reached Samuel. Samuel with the divine authority of The Lord went to David's father Jesse's house and stayed. The Lord told him that one of Jesse's sons he would anoint. When finally David was retrieved, despite the attempts of his brothers keeping him away, Samuel secretly anointed David's head with oil and declared him, years in advance, the king to follow Saul. This was all part of God's plan, to pattern a way for His perfect king.
God gave David a gift of music. David could play the harp and sing to "soothe a savage beast"�. The Lord gave David this gift and allowed him to be known throughout Saul's empire, which enabled him to get in good standings with King Saul. The Lord gave David a dream, a dream of being more than a shepherd boy. With David's divine gift he healed Saul's depression and was sent home. David may have seen this as being the end for him and his dream, but God did not. These chains of events were all in the plan that God had set in motion.
Hays One day Joab came to recruit soldiers for Saul's army because the Philistines were planning to attach Israel. Joab recruited three of David's older brothers, but not him because they said he was too young and war was much more dangerous than shepherding. Once again the Lord made a way for David. David was sent to check on his brothers and give them food when he heard the Philistine giant, Goliath, insulting the chosen people, the army of God. David knew that God was with him thus making him brave, courageous and strong enough to challenge this giant. David went in front of Goliath with the name of the Lord on his side and his slingshot. He killed Goliath and cut his head off. David became a mighty soldier and was the hero of the nation. Now if God did not love David so much and not had a plan in store for him this would have not been possible. David was a young man with no combat training going against a giant man who had several years of training. This is a perfect example of how the anointing of God was upon David.
Hays David was a loyal to the king and an anointed worrier. When the people were admiring David for his heroic act, Saul became jealous. Saul told David to fight and defeat different armies, with few of his own men, to be able to marry Merab, the sister her did not love. Being the loyal man he was David did as he was told and under the unctuous spirit of the Lord was triumphant killing more than he was required.
David became a fugitive from King Saul after much concern from his wife, Michal and his brother-in-law Jonathan, whom betrayed their father to help and protect David. Saul was not angry with David because of something he had done, but he was afraid of David because he knew what God had in store for him. Saul was determined to find David. After searching diligently Saul heard word of a priest that helped David he ordered Doeg, one of his men, to kill the 85 remaining priest. He also gave David's love, Michal, Hays away to another man. David mourned and was heartbroken. God anointed David; therefor he was set, apart from other boys of Bethlehem by his talents, even though God had marked him for greatness but he had to go through trial and tribulations.
Despite all that Saul did to David, David was still loyal. David had the opportunity to kill Saul, but because of his loyalty he did not. When Saul found this out he realized that what God had planned for David was deserved. He asked David to return to his kingdom but David declined. David lived with the Philistines. After many years the Israelites and Philistines went to war, Saul killed himself because his son Jonathan was died. This made David the new king and honored ancestor of the Redeemer to come. This was the beginning of the perfect kingdom that God had anointed from the start of David's life. David was a man after God's own heart, which is evident in his life thus far.
Works Cited The Oxford Study Bible. Ed. Suggs, Sakenfield, and James Mueller. New York: Oxford University Press, 1992.
I Samuel chapters 16-18 II Samuel I Kings
David and Saul
Saul and David.
David and Saul