Israel’s greatest King

David

Saul-David summary

• Saul wants to kill David• Jealousy

• Saul’s children protected David

• Michal • Loved David• Protects David when Saul

wanted to kill him.• She helped him escape

through a window in the middle of the night because Saul sent his men to kill David first thing the next morning

• Jonathan• Saul’s son• Became true friend of

David• Protected him from Saul

• Saul dies

• After Saul’s death, David is anointed King over all Israel– He was 30 yrs. old

• David was able to defeat the Philistines and unite the tribes

The Holy city: Jerusalem• David made Jerusalem the capital city for the

Israelites – Was perfectly located between the two kingdoms that

formed Israel• In modern times, Jerusalem is a holy city for more

than half of all religious believers in the world– Jews, Christians, Muslims

The Ark in Jerusalem• David decided to bring the Ark to Jerusalem because it

was a powerful symbol of God among the Israelites • As David brings the Ark to the city, he joyfully dances

before the Ark– David’s dancing infuriated Michal who thought of David a fool

for dancing – David replied, if to give God praise he must look a fool, he will.

• Michal did not see or value David’s love for God

The Davidic Covenant

• Because of David’s fidelity to God, God promised him that his line would endure forever– This promise is the Davidic

covenant– Aka the messianic promise

• David’s line endured unbroken for 400 years then it dropped into obscurity

• Afterwards devout Jews remembered this promise and waited for the reappearance of a leader from his royal line to be Israel’s Messiah– The Hebrew word Messiah means

“the anointed” • Referring to the anointing of a king

– The Gospel writers refer to Jesus using the Greek word for Messiah- Christos• Meaning the anointed from which

the name Christ comes

David and Bathsheba • As king, David is powerful, wealthy,

and undefeated but not perfect• Bathsheba

– David first met Bathsheba when he was walking on the roof of his house and sees her bathing nearby

– David is captivated by Bathsheba and inquires about her• He is told that she is married to Uriah –

a warrior at the battlefront– David sends for her and has sexual

relations with her getting her pregnant– Nervous about the situation, David tries

to cover up his adultery by asking Bathsheba’s husband to come back. However, the plan fails. Desperate to cover up his sin, David has Uriah killed.

• David broke two commandments: You shall not commit adultery and You shall not kill

A lesson and repentance• Confronted by the Prophet Nathan, David is forced to accept the evil of

what he has done. • He is reminded that though he is a powerful king, he is subject to God and

must follow the Law • He repents and recognizes his sins • The prophet Nathan assures him that God forgives him but there will be

consequences.– The son of David and Bathsheba, conceived in adultery, becomes sickly and dies. – Later, Bathsheba conceives again and bears another son

• Named Jedidiah but in his adulthood called Solomon

Imperfect yet Chosen • Why did such an account of

his weakness and sin find its way into the Bible?

• To make it clear that David is not above God’s Law

• The message for us is that God works through limited and sinful persons

• To give hope to all of us– Hope that God somehow

brings about the divine purposes even through our flaws and weaknesses

David’s Legacy • By the end of his reign, Israel is

indeed a nation like other nations– With a king and a capital

• David was a model of what the kings, and all Israelites, should be: DEVOTED TO GOD

• Above all else David trusted in God and tried to serve Him

• He also placed himself in God’s care– When his enemies plotted against him– When he sinned

• He threw himself on God’s mercy and did not despair

• David was not sinless, but he knew that God was the center of his life and his nation’s life– A sign that Israel could be forgiven of

its many failures and could go on to live faithfully, if only Israel would keep God at the center