Lessons in Faith From King David

The life of David is one of the most fascinating stories in all of scripture. His story is a series of ups and downs, having risen from the lowly position of boy shepherd to King of Israel. God, Himself, said this of David, as we read from Acts 13:22, “And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’”

Yet David was a sinner. David’s sin with Bathsheba is still spoken of today, even those who don’t follow the Christian faith know it well. Not only did David sin in the adulterous affair, he took it to a horrible level by plotting the murder of Bathsheba’s husband.

One of the great messages in this story is found in God’s reaction to this sin. God let David know, that despite David’s attempts to cover these acts up, God saw. God did this by sending David’s close friend and advisor to give David this truth and Nathan masterfully showed David his sin. Then God delivers the discipline.

2 Samuel 12:11-12
Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’”

David’s response is confession and repentance. Another message comes clearly to us through the response of God.

2 Samuel 12:13-14
 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die.”

This is a picture for us of how God operates. Like David, we were chosen of God. Through faith in Christ we are adopted into the family of God. Like David, we get idle and let our eyes wander away from Christ and start tempting ourselves with the things of the world, we sin. Sometimes God sends us a Nathan, but through Bible reading we also are made aware of our sins. So, like David, we confess and repent. Like David, God forgives us. But just as David’s sin brought consequences, so does ours. Sometimes the consequences of sin bring lifetime troubles that affect not only ourselves, but our families as well. This was what David faced.

2 Samuel 12:10
Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’

Sometimes the results of our sin will cause the “sword to never depart from our house.” Alcoholism, physical and sexual abuse, and drug addictions are examples of this principle. These sins can even affect not only our health, but the health of our children. Often these afflictions carry into the generations. In truth, all sickness is a result of sin. Sometimes sin affects only the perpetrator of it, but sometimes sin causes afflictions in babies and children. One horrible example is when a baby is born with a heroin addiction. Or when a father abuses his child and that child grows up with the same tendencies. This is what I believe is the meaning of Exodus 34:6-7 in which we read this, “The LORD passed before him and proclaimed, “The LORD, the LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

Yes, God forgives because He is “a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin.” But we cannot read only the first part of that verse, we must accept the full counsel of scripture.  That description of God’s mercy and grace includes these words, “but who will by no means clear the guilty.” God does not leave His people in their sin but as any good father would do, He uses discipline to grow us into the likeness of Christ. David knew this and He accepted this truth remaining faithful to His God.

David was God’s anointed King, yet David’s life had many sorrows and difficult times. Reading this morning in 2 Samuel 15 we find David again having to flee to the wilderness. The first time it was King Saul who wanted him dead. If that wasn’t hurtful enough to David, the second time it was his own son, Absalom. Absalom would attempt to steal away David’s kingdom. Again, David flees for his life, but this time his family is also in danger. In all this mess David never loses his loyalty to His God. David maintains faith in God and seeks His will.

2 Samuel 15:24-26
 And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.”

What a statement of faith by David. First of all, he had his priorities right in sending the Ark of God back to where it belongs. He refuses to use it as some sort of good luck charm. But then he declares that whatever God chooses to do, he will accept God’s will. Even if God’s will is to turn His favor from David.

The Bible is filled with great lessons for us. David’s life is a diamond mine waiting for us to explore and to find great treasure. Why would God declare David a man after His own heart? Because David had faith to believe God is good in everything He does and allows.

Life is filled with hard things and difficult times. There will come betrayal and hurt and sometimes it will come from those we love the most. Somethings happen because of our own sin and sometimes the sins of others will find us in their wake. Read the story of King David. Read his psalms. He knew pain. So did Jesus. The way to react is to trust God in it. I leave you with one more scripture. As you ponder your own pain ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand the value of faith in God despite your pain and suffering. Then let God work in your pain to make you more like Christ, for that is the end plan for your life.

1 Peter 2:18-23
 Servants, be subject to your masters with all respect, not only to the good and gentle but also to the unjust. For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly. For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God. For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.
 When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly.