God is the first to be named in the Bible (Gen. 1:1), and our Lord Jesus Christ is the last (Rev. 22:20). The next to the last is David (Rev. 22:16). Among the great heroes of faith listed in Hebrews 11, David is mentioned (in passing) only once in a single verse, shared with five other names and “the prophets.” However, David receives more attention in the rest of the Bible than any of the others. In fact, his name (meaning “beloved”) appears in the biblical record nearly 1,100 times, more than the names of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob combined. Moses is a distant second.
The youngest of eight brothers, David is by far the best remembered. From wielding a shepherd’s staff to a sling to a sword to a scepter, his faith and courage, by the power and providence of God, slew lions and bears, a giant Philistine warrior, and tens of thousands of the brutal enemies of God’s people. He was the greatest king in Israel’s turbulent history, leading them to the height of their national glory and was a pivotal branch in the family tree of the messianic King of kings.
The story of David is recounted in the books of Samuel, Kings, and Chronicles. Of the 150 canonical Psalms, seventy-three are attributed to him. In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus is identified as “the Son of David” no less than eighteen times. Clearly David is a prominent figure throughout the scriptures, having had a critical role in God’s redemptive plan that has greatly impacted all of humanity. So what can we learn from him?
David was Far from Perfect
The many mistakes of David include the following:
o In 1 Sam. 21:1-6, he lied to the high priest and ate holy bread, “which is not lawful to eat except for the priests ...” (Mark 2:26).
o In 1 Sam 25:2-35, when Nabal insulted him and refused to provide David and his men much needed supplies, with vengeful anger David was ready to destroy Nabal and every male in his household until Abigail intervened and dissuaded him.
o In 2 Sam. 11:1-27, David was guilty of intentional lust, adultery, deceit and lies, attempted coverup, and murder.
o In 2 Sam. 24:1-17 and 1 Chron. 21:1-17, David’s unlawful census (needlessly consuming about 10 months) demonstrated his misplaced trust in numerical strength and his prideful sense of self-achievement and self-exaltation.
Despite these glaring imperfections and more (cf. Psa. 6:1-3; 7:3-5; 19:12; 25:7, 11, 18; 32:5; etc.), God still worked with and through David to accomplish much good in carrying out his divine purpose and redemptive work (Acts 4:25; 13:36).
What David Got Right
Despite his shortcomings, David had a compliant spirit and understood the burden and devastating consequences of sin whenever God and his will are ignored (Psa. 32:1-5; 38:3-8, 18). Acknowledging his mistakes, David was remorseful and penitent and sought God’s forgiveness (Psa. 51:1-19). He was willing to change his mental focus and behavior in compliance with the Lord’s expectations. Accordingly, he “found favor in God’s sight” (Acts 7:45-46; cf. 2 Sam. 24:10; Psa. 30:8-10; Rom. 4:6-8).
The Psalms reveal a distinction between the sins of David’s “youth” (25:7) in contrast to his older years (37:23-25). As he matured, learned from his mistakes, experienced God’s grace and providence, his faith grew stronger and governed his life.
The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; According to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, And have not wickedly departed from my God. For all His judgments were before me, And I did not put away His statutes from me. I was also blameless before Him, And I kept myself from my iniquity. Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, According to the cleanness of my hands in His sight. (Psalm 18:20-24, NKJV)
David loved God’s word and sought to conform his life accordingly.
The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. (Psa. 19:7-11, 14)
David faithfully served the Lord all of his life. His predecessor King Saul was rejected by God because he “rejected the word of the Lord” (1 Sam. 13:13-14; 15:26). God chose David instead because David was a man after God’s own heart, willing to submit to God’s will (1 Sam. 13:14; Acts 13:22), serving God’s purpose (Acts 13:36). David desired the same for his son Solomon (1 Kings 2:1-4).
More lessons from David include priorities, the foremost of which is seeking God and his will (Psa. 9:1; 16:1-2; 37:5). We learn about trust in God (Psa. 7:1; 11:1; 16:1; 18:2; 25:1, 2, 20; 28:7; 31:1, 6, 14; 52:8; 55:23; 56:3, 4, 11; 61:4; 71:1; 73:28; 91:2; 143:8). We also see how God hears and answers prayer (Psa. 34:15-16, 18; 38:15; 40:1).
Conclusion
David was imperfect, but God used him for good despite his fallibilities. David was willing to acknowledge and repent of his sins and reform his life according to the righteous ways of God. He loved God’s word and was thereby transformed, spending his entire life in faithful service to the Lord. Let us learn from his mistakes and follow his example as a useful instrument in God’s hands.
--Kevin L. Moore
*Presented to Ripley church of Christ VBS, Ripley, Mississippi 24 June 2025.
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Image credit: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/king-david/
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