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Question

 

Gramps,

Most often when we think about David, we think of the shepherd boy who became a great king. That is the good side. But in taking a closer look at David, we see a man who was a deceiver, a murderer, an adulterer, and a multiple law-breaker. [Speaking of the Law of Moses.]  Yet the Bible says that David was a man after God’s heart. How can this kind of man be after God’s heart? Could David actually be considered one of God’s Old Testament prophets?

Marco

 

Answer

 

Marco,

God knows all. This means He knows all the sins that we will commit. But He does not judge, condemn or punish us until we perform the act. I believe it is because He desires to bless us as much as He can.

When the scriptures say that David was a man after God’s heart and one of the Old Testament prophets it was because he was. However none of that made him immune to temptation, none of that meant he could not fall. And the scriptures also record that he did give in to temptation and that he did fall.

Now in the Old Testament, King David is held as a standard by which all the other Kings are judged. Because for Israel, David was a very good king and he guided them to live God’s law and not worship idols. (In spite of his personal failings). This is something that many of the later kings had problems with. They lead Israel astray after false gods and idols in addition to their personal failings. This is a simple limitation of holding any mortal up as a standard. No one but Christ was perfect and all lesser men will have flaws and sins, David included.

Thus the story of David becomes one of warning to all of the rest of us. We can be greatly favored and blessed of God and we can help a lot of people, but that doesn’t mean we can let down our guard or play with temptation. Else we too can lose our blessed and favored status.

Gramps

 

 

 

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