Israel had two kings: Saul and David. The relationship between these two kings is famous in the Bible.
Israel was God's chosen people, but they had a history of not being content. They kinda want to be like their neighbors. So one day, they decided that they wanted their own king. Kings in many culture were gods themselves. There was no seperation between church and state. So this was a grievous thing to ask from God. Although God desired to give them so much more, He gave them exactly what they wanted.
Israel was God's chosen people, but they had a history of not being content. They kinda want to be like their neighbors. So one day, they decided that they wanted their own king. Kings in many culture were gods themselves. There was no seperation between church and state. So this was a grievous thing to ask from God. Although God desired to give them so much more, He gave them exactly what they wanted.
The annointing of the two kings
Saul looked the part. He was tall and great looking. And Saul also played the part in the beginning of the story. But then, after his first victory, we see fear begin to take hold of his mind. What kind of king is this? He's the king who looks the part, but brings pain to Israel.
So God picks the next king who is after his own heart (1 Samuel 16:18).
Samuel was looking for another Saul, so he didn't look for David. Saul is the kind of king people look for; David is the kind of king that God looks for. And God blessed him. Everything he did, God blessed him. So Saul gets jealous and tries to kill David. (1 Sam 19:18-24)
How the kings respond to sin and fear
Both kings made mistake. But its how they responded to their sins that set them apart. It's fear that led Saul to willful disobedience. When he was confronted, he makes excuses. Fear enslaves him. And he's not after God's own heart. He's more concerned with how he is perceived. He takes the path that is easiest for him, but not what God wants.
Yes, David gets afraid, but fear does not control him.
Psalms 25:6-8; 30:8-10 shows how different David is. When he's afraid, he turns to God; he doesn't take things into his own hands. When he was confronted, he did not blame the woman or the husband. He took responsibility and repented. Even as king, he responds to failures and begs forgiveness from God. There's a radical willingness to be critical of himself. He is willing to sacrifice himself for his people.
We might not be kings and queens, but we have access to God. We are followers of Jesus Christ. He sees our hearts. He sees our possibilities if we have a heart that us after Him. As we grow in Jesus, we start to look more like God.
God loves us just the way we are, but He loves us too much to let us stay the way we are. When we are the child of God; He sends us the Spirit to guide us. We all mess up, we all fall short... but if we come with a heart that's humble, and not looking for excuses, we're on our way.
Is your life like David's or Saul's?
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