The Bible presents a picture of David that is both inspiring and perplexing. We know David as a magnificent warrior, a man of humility and integrity. We also know David as an adulterer and in the least an accomplice to murder.
In 2 Samuel 3 we read that David had multiple wives. 2 Samuel 11 contains the story of Bathsheba and Uriah her husband. In 2 Samuel 13 & 18 we see that David was a negligent father and this, in turn, caused much strife, heartache and even bloodshed.
Yet in speaking to Saul about David the Bible declares in 1 Samuel 13:14: “But now your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”
And in Acts 13:22 we read: “After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘I HAVE FOUND DAVID the son of Jesse, A MAN AFTER MY HEART, who will do all My will.’”
What a statement from God! But the question remains: How could God declare David “a man after His own heart?” One of the keys to understanding this declaration is to understand that God is not looking for perfection. That ...
