DAVID, THE MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART
1 Samuel 16: 10-12, 17-21; 17: 20, 28-29, 32-37
God described David as ‘a man after mine own heart which shall fulfill all my will’, Acts 13: 22. Today’s readings illustrate the lovely characteristics of this man:
His shepherd heart. The first thing we are told is, ‘he . . .the sheep’, 16: 11. Saul spoke of ‘David thy son, which is with the sheep’, 16:19. He was usually with the flock, but if he was ever absent he ‘left the sheep with a keeper’, 17: 20. He cared for each one of them. He told Saul, ‘. . . there came a lion and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: and I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it’, 17: 34-45. He never forgot that the sheep belonged to his father, ‘Thy servant kept his father’s sheep’, 17: 34. He reminds us of the Good Shepherd who said, ‘I lay down my life for the sheep . . .. I know them, . . .they shall never perish . . . my Father which gave them me’, John 10.
His fine appearance. He was ‘ruddy, and withal of a beautiful countenance’, 16. 12. The outward appearance reflected the inward state of his heart. The Scriptures portray Christ as He that is ‘white and ruddy . . . his countenance is as Lebanon, excellent as the cedars’, S. of S. 5:10, 15; ‘Thou art fairer than the children of men’, Ps. 45:2.
His sweet singing. ‘. . . cunning (skilful) in playing’, 16. 18. ‘. . . the sweet psalmist of Israel’, 2 Sam. 23:1. David wrote, ‘. . . upon a psaltery and an instrument of ten strings will I sing praises unto thee’, Ps. 144: 9. He could calm the most troubled heart, 16:23. The Lord sung with His disciples before His death and He still leads the praise. ‘. . . in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee’, Heb. 2:12 (a quote from David’s song, Ps.22).
His mighty power. ‘. . . a mighty valiant man, and a man of war’, 16:18. Eliab accused him of coming down to ‘see the battle’, 17:28, but he had come down to ‘fight this Philistine’, 17:32. The Lord came down from heaven, took the battle into enemy territory at Calvary and triumphed gloriously!
His wise speech.’. . . prudent in matters (speech)’, 16:18. Every word he spoke bore testimony to a man who was in touch with God. They said of the Lord Jesus, ‘Whence hath this man this wisdom, and these mighty works?’, Matt. 13:54.
From The Precious Seed Devotion
