David Becomes King

GOLDEN TEXT: “But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.” —I Samuel 16:7

I SAMUEL 18:1-5, 14-16

DAVID had been anointed king of Israel to be the successor of Saul, but he did not attempt to run ahead of the Lord by asserting his authority before the due time. When taken into Saul’s household and made a member of the family, he “acted wisely,” and gave no occasion for Saul to suspect him of being other than a faithful and humble servant. And such he was.

No one is really qualified for high responsibility, or a position of authority over others, unless he is able humbly to obey orders given by others. Many times those who secretly—perhaps even to themselves—harbor ambitions to exercise authority over others, seem to have a fear lest some one attempt to direct them in what to do. Fallen human nature is such that frequently those who cry the loudest for “liberty” would, if given the opportunity, be quick to take away the liberty of others.

But David was not such a one. He made a good king when God’s due time came for him to reign, and while waiting on the Lord he “acted wisely.” In this respect David serves as a good example to us who are seeking “glory and honor and immortality” with Jesus, to live and reign with him. The Lord’s admonition to us is, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time.” (I Pet. 5:6) It was because Jesus, the anti-typical David, humbled himself and became obedient unto death that God highly exalted him and gave him a name which is above every name.—Phil. 2:9

God knew that David would conduct himself wisely and humbly while waiting for Saul to be set aside, for he had selected this young shepherd boy upon the basis of his heart qualities. As our Golden Text indicates, this fact was explained to Samuel at the time he anointed David to be king. David was a man after God’s own heart, which meant that at heart he loved righteousness and delighted in the law of God. Such a one can be trusted to do the right thing even in a time of crisis.

I SAMUEL 22:1, 2

BY ACTING “wisely” David endeared himself to the people, both before and after he was forced to flee from the wrath of Saul. It was largely because the people recognized his good qualities and acclaimed his praises that Saul became embittered toward him. When he became an exile, his father and brethren, learning where he was hiding, joined him, which, of course, was in defiance of Saul.

The “distressed” and the “discontented” also flocked to David, and soon he had with him about “four hundred men.” Seemingly Saul, as he departed from the Lord and from obedience to his laws, became more and more ruthless in his authority over the nation, so that justice was not being properly meted out. This resulted in distress and dissatisfaction on the part of many, and these were ready and quite willing to cast in their lot with David and to do what they could to support him.

II SAMUEL 5:1-5

WHILE the Lord had caused David to be anointed king of Israel, his providences did not indicate that he should take over the rulership until after the death of Saul. First he reigned as king over Judah, and then, after seven years, the other tribes also acknowledged him as their king. He reigned a total of forty years.

His heart qualifications for this high position are further exemplified by his attitude when he learned that Saul was dead. David had suffered much at the hands of Saul, but there was no bitterness in his heart toward him. To David, Saul continued to be the “Lord’s anointed,” and when he learned of his death, he rent his clothes, and wept, sincerely.

David made mistakes, but he continued to honor the Lord, whose law was daily his delight. His heart loyalty to the Lord never wavered, nor did he ever lose his humility. When he became old, and unable longer to supervise the affairs of state, he abdicated in favor of his son, Solomon. One of the most beautiful prayers recorded in the Bible was offered by David on this occasion. It is a prayer which reveals the great stature of David before the Lord, and why the Lord could refer to him as a man “after mine own heart.”—Acts 13:22; I Chron. 29:10-19

QUESTIONS

What is one of the basic qualifications of a godly ruler?

Must Christians possess this qualification?

Did David ever deflect from his obedience to the law of God?

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