In journalling yesterday, I read this cool passage where King David had sent some his men to tell a new neighbouring king know they could be friends - just like King David had been with the new king's dad.
However, the new young king decided it was a ploy and so sent David's men back with their beards plucked out and their robes cut off up to their buttocks, and mobilised his armies, and neighbouring armies, to fight Israel.
So, suddenly David was faced with a bit of an international incident and had to get Israel's army happening and ready to defend their nation.
However, in the midst of all this, we read "When David heard what had happened to the men, he sent messengers to tell them, “Stay at Jericho until your beards grow out, and then come back.” For they felt deep shame because of their appearance."
And I really loved the fact that David was not just not a warrior king, but a shepherd to his people. He cared about the areas they were vulnerable in, and gave them the time and space to heal and grow.
That's the type of leader I want to be.
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9 comments:
thats a really werid story but great final comment ;)
I've never been a big fan of David.
Why's that?
He was a tyrant, in my opinion. And despite his best efforts to maintain a relationship, he continuously failed. Like i replied in the Haggard article, sure we all do the wrong thing, but we ARENT the King of Israel. To quote spiderman: With great power comes great responsibility. And from what I read of David, he was not a responsible leader.
relationships with women, family, friends, and God.
Hey Matt, interested to know what you make of the fact that the bible calls David a man after God's own heart.
Acts 13:22
"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.'
courtesy of http://bible.crosswalk.com/Commentaries/WesleysExplanatoryNotes/wes.cgi?book=ac&chapter=13#Ac13_22
Having removed him - Hence they might understand that the dispensations of God admit of various changes. I have found David, a man after my own heart - This expression is to be taken in a limited sense. David was such at that time, but not at all times. And he was so, in that respect, as he performed all God's will, in the particulars there mentioned: But he was not a man after God's own heart, in other respects, wherein he performed his own will. In the matter of Uriah, for instance, he was as far from being a man after God's own heart as Saul himself was. It is therefore a very gross, as well as dangerous mistake, to suppose this is the character of David in every part of his behaviour. We must beware of this, unless we would recommend adultery and murder as things after God's own heart.
I agree with you Matt, David made more than his share of mistakes. however I think we can agree that it was AFTER those mistakes were made that David was called a man after God's heart. I look to David as a source of hope for myself. if someone can so royally screw up (no pun intended on the royall part), and after that be called a man after God's own heart, then there is hope for us all.
and as you mentioned, he was no better than Saul in the things he did. The difference though is found in Psalm 51.
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