Subject: A Man After God’s Own Heart
Acts 13:22 “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ’I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”
Today I want to compare the lives of two men, Saul and David. Saul was a man rejected by God, David was a man who would reign with God’s anointing upon his life, and become a predecessor to Jesus. Why did God reject Saul and yet anoint David. What sins did Saul commit that caused him to fall from grace, while David ruled with God’s blessing? What does it take to be a man after God’s own heart?
There is one thing we can be sure of and that is neither Saul nor David were perfect men. The Bible makes it clear and exposes the sin of both men. Yet Saul was rejected as king, and David was not.
The difference, I believe was in their heart. Saul sinned, because he had a heart that sought after his own benefit and to please himself. David, despite struggling with personal sin, had a heart to please God and not himself. David is described again and again as a man whose heart was after God’s own. David’s desperate desire to serve God, despite struggling with sin, is probably the reason that more space in the Bible is dedicated to him than any other character, including Jesus. There are many other characters that could be described as after God’s own heart such as Joseph, Joshua, Daniel, Paul, and of course Jesus. I believe David is designated “As a man after God’s own heart, because in spite of so many sinful failures, he still managed to seek after God. Most of us find examples like David easier to relate to than other Biblical heroes.
One theologian, Dr. Benson’s observes on this point that "When it is said that David was a man after God’s own heart, it should be understood, not of his private, but of his public, character. He was a man after God’s own heart, because he ruled the people according to the Divine will. He did not allow of idolatry; he did not set up for absolute power. He was guided in the government of the nation by the Law of Moses, as the standing rule of government, and by the prophet, or the Divine oracle, whereby God gave directions upon particular emergencies.
Whatever Saul’s private character was, he was not a good king in Israel. He did not follow the law, the oracle, and the prophet; but attempted to be absolute, and thereby to subvert the constitution of the kingdom. Another difference between Saul’s reign and David’s reign can also be seen in the way they dealt with their personal enemies. Saul spent much resources and times chasing after his perceived enemy David for personal satisfaction. Saul was willing to put national security in jeopardy for his personal pursuit. He was not a good king. David always sought the nation’s highest good. That’s probably the meaning of David’s being a man after God’s own heart.
Acts 13:22 “After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ’I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.”
It was David’s heart that caused God to punish him, rather than reject him. David was punished, and very severely at times, but God was still able to use him mightily because his heart was after God’s. Saul was majestic and looked every bit a king on the outside, David was a king from the heart. When God chose David, what was it about his heart that he recognized as being like his own? Today I have picked out three of the main characteristics that David possessed, and Saul lacked, that caused God to give him the title, “a man after His own heart”. David was a man after God’s own heart because David trusted rather fearing men, David walked in humility rather pride, and David willingly repented and confessed his sin rather than covering them. David knew how to trust, how to walk, how to repent and when to fight.
(1) David trusted God, rather than fearing men, (2) David walked in humility rather than pride, (3) he knew how to repent, (4) finally, David knew which battles to fight. I want to use these things as a check list, to see if we too have a heart after God’s own.
1. David Trusted God, Rather Than Fearing Man.
David had learnt to trust God as a shepherd. Little by little he had taken on greater challenges. He was so protective of his father’s flock that he was willing to take on a lion and a bear in order to save them. When it came to Goliath, he didn’t cower in fear like the rest of Israel, because he feared only God, and he had learnt to trust Him.
1 Samuel 17: 33-35 “Saul replied, "You are not able to go out against this Philistine and fight him; you are only a boy, and he has been a fighting man from his youth." But David said to Saul, "Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it. 36 Your servant has killed both the lion and the bear; this uncircumcised Philistine will be like one of them, because he has defied the armies of the living God. The LORD who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine."
Saul on the other hand had offered his sacrifice out of a fear of man. Samuel was later than he was expecting. With the enemy encamped before him and Saul’s troops wanted to know that God would be with them. Saul was afraid they would desert him if he did not do something. Saul hadn’t learnt to trust God or God’s prophet fully. He feared men more than God and this caused him to offer up a sacrifice, rather than leaving it to the priest. Later Saul disobeyed God again. He took plunder from the Amalekites, partly out of fear of man, instead of destroying everything as God commanded.
1 Samuel 15:24, “Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD’s command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them.”
David’s trust in God had been built up during his years of working as a shepherd boy. He had faced challenges and had trusted God to help him rather than fear the danger. On each occasion his faith had been built up. When we face challenges at work or in other areas of our lives, how are we dealing with them? Do we let the enemy take ground, or do we face up to the challenge and trust God to give us victory? If we can’t do this in our daily lives, then how can we expect to stand when Goliath sized problems come our way?
Jesus knew how to trust the Father, and not to fear man. He wasn’t afraid of upsetting people. He took on the greatest Goliath of all, death, and won victory. If we want a heart like Gods own, then we too must start to take the stand.
2. David Walked in Humility Rather Than Pride
David had a humble, servant’s heart. David had learned the art of humility and servant-hood. The great prophet Samuel had come to town. The elders of the town were nervous. Samuel had invited Jesse and his family to a sacrifice that he was making. It was a great honor and Jesse’s sons passed before Samuel like models, probably dressed for the occasion. Where was David when all of this was going on?
David was in the field, tending to the sheep. David’s desire to serve rather than seeking honor for himself, set him apart from his brothers. He demonstrated this quality again and again. After defeating Goliath and earning the right to marry Saul’s daughter, he didn’t feel himself worthy to become the king’s son in law. He gave glory to God his victory. David knew that it was not his skill or weaponry, it was the name of the Lord and his power that gave Israel the victory.
Saul on the other hand acted out of pride and out of what he could gain. When he attacked the Amalekites he wanted the plunder for himself. Instead of being obedient and destroying everything, he kept the best of it. He even then went a set a statue up in his own name.
1 Samuel 15: 9-12, “But Saul and the army spared Agag and the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs-everything that was good. These they were unwilling to destroy completely, but everything that was despised and weak they totally destroyed.
Then the word of the LORD came to Samuel: "I am grieved that I have made Saul king, because he has turned away from me and has not carried out my instructions." Samuel was troubled, and he cried out to the LORD all that night. Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul, but he was told, "Saul has gone to Carmel. There he has set up a monument in his own honour and has turned and gone on down to Gilgal."
How different are the attitudes of David and Saul? But whose attitude do we most resemble? What are your motives for working either at home, at work, or in the church? Is it for gain, position or honor, or is it for the satisfaction of knowing that we are serving God? Whether you work as an evangelist, a plumber, or anything else, what are you motives?
Our primary motive for any work should be to serve God. It should be with the peace that comes from knowing that we are in the will of God. When David was in the service of Saul, he didn’t leave until he had to, because he knew that God had put him there. Our leaders, ministers and bosses, can sometimes make our lives difficult. David’s boss threw a spear at him twice, but David still didn’t serve him with any less respect. How would we fair in those circumstances?
Like Jesus, It didn’t matter whether David was working as a lowly shepherd boy, or exalted to the position of king, his primary motive was to serve God to the very best of His ability. Do we also have a heart after Gods own in this area of our life? Are we happy to serve Him where ever God puts us?
3. David Willingly Repented and Confessed His Sin Rather Than Covering Them.
He knew how to repent and willingly repented. As we mentioned earlier David committed some very serious sins. According to Old Testament Law he should have actually been put to death for his actions. In the case of his faithful servant Uriah and Bathsheba, we can see how far it is possible for any man of God to fall. David however, when David was confronted we his sin by the prophet Nathan. David accepted his sin, repented of his sin and the punishment that goes with it. After the son born to David and Bathsheba dies, David enters the house of the Lord and worships God.
After David had taken a census of the fighting men of Israel and Judah, the Lord was especially angry with him. Again David immediately repents. He is offered three punishments and chooses to be punished at the hand of God Himself. David is also especially grieved at the fact that others are suffering because of his sin. He pleads with God that the punishment should be brought on him. This is the sign of a man who is truly repentant and a man that is truly humble.
David doesn’t hide his sin or make excuses for it. He simply turns from it, accepts the blame, and throws himself on the mercy of God. Even in his sinful failures, David demonstrates that he has a heart after Gods own.
When Saul is confronted by Samuel after he made an unauthorized offering to God, he tries to blame Samuel for being late and made excuses. When Saul fails to obey God in destroying the Amalakites, first he tries to make Samuel believe that he has fully carried out his instructions. Then after Samuel uncovered the truth, he said, he only save the best for the Lord and finally, he blame his men for taking the spoils. Saul never willingly accepted responsibility for his action. Saul’s inability to repent and admit his failures mean that he had to be rejected. It was David’s ability to repent that meant that God could forgive him. David demonstrates that his heart is for God in his desire to rid himself of sin and live a life of holiness.
Pr 28:13 ¶ He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
“To confess” means more than just to say, ’Sorry Lord.’ The word means to agree with. We have to agree with God about our sins. We must see the serious of the sin from God’s perspective. If you have committed an act of sexual immorality, then you have to realize the seriousness of that sin. Because of it you deserve to go to hell. It is an act of rejection to God. The wages of sin is death. Unrepentant sinners stand under the judgment of God. Once you agree with God about the seriousness of the sin, like David did, then he will forgive us and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Psalm 51:1-3, “Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. “
What is our attitude towards sin? Do we throw ourselves into the hands of a merciful God accepting the consequences of our actions, or do we try and hide it or justify it? Even now many stand in need of repentance but they say, “Surely that doesn’t matter to God,” or my sin is small or I’m just as good as anybody else.” “It doesn’t matter if I steal from the tax man, because I am tithing it, so I’m really doing God a favor.” Only when we stop kidding ourselves and justifying our sin, can we truly have a heart like Gods own. God is calling his people to Holiness. If you want to see how serious sin really is, look at the sufferings of Jesus. One of the reasons Jesus suffered so severely was to show each of us the high cost of sin. Don’t ever think sin is cheap pr a light thing. Don’t swallow in your sin, repent and turn from them the way David did.
4. Finally, David knew which battles to fight. In order to protect his father’s sheep, David engaged a bear and a lion. He rescued the sheep and killed the predators. David turned his angry from Nabal, even when he thought he deserved to be killed. David refused to touch King Saul even after Saul was delivered into his hands. Before engaging Goliath, David asked, “What is the prize for killing this uncircumcised Philistine?” David knew this was a battle worth fighting.
Saul did not know his friends from his enemy. God said, destroy the Amalakites, Saul spared some livestock and saved the king. Saul’s jealousy of David caused him to fight his friend. Saul was already king and nothing could have been gained by killing David. David’s success was Saul’s success. A man after God’s own heart must learn to choose his battles. If you win the argument, what will you gain? We should ask ourselves, “Is this battle worth fighting? What will we gain if we win? Is it worth the effort or the friendship?
Conclusion
David had a heart after Gods own because he trusted God rather than fearing man, David walked in humility rather than pride, David willingly repented and confessed his sin rather than covering them and David knew how to choose his battles.
We will never have a positive impact in our church, in our town, or in our workplaces unless we too have that kind of heart. If we do have a heart after Gods own, life doesn’t promise to be easy but it does promise to be productive. You only have to read about David’s life to see its fruitfulness.
Saul spent his life pursuing David. Saul had a huge army of professional soldiers around him, and yet David had the opportunity to end Saul’s life on two separate occasions, with only a band of 400 men with little hope to aid him. Yet David spared Saul’s life. David won many wars with an army made up of people who simply had nowhere else to go. How was David able to turn such unsightly rabble into a formidable army? It is because they recognized that David had a heart after Gods own, and it gave them hope.
We are living in a dying world. More and more people are finding themselves in distress, in debt or generally discontented with a meaningless life. If we live our lives with a heart after Gods own, we will draw people from this lost world to us and make them into a mighty army. Let’s seek to be men after God’s heart.
