April 01, 2024 | Letters from the Lead Pastor by Brandon Lenhart
“But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do (1 Sam. 13:14).’” Acts 13:22 (NLT)
What does it mean to be a man (or a woman) after GOD’s own heart, and what does it mean to do everything that GOD wants us to do? This title was given by GOD to David through the prophet Samuel who rebuked King Saul for his disobedience to GOD. I know that’s a bit of a tongue-twister, but let’s break this down.
In 1 Samuel 8, the nation of Israel which was ruled by GOD through Judges who were put in place to govern the people, began to demand a king instead of Judges to rule over them. Pleading with Samuel (GOD’s prophet), they wanted to be like the nations around them who had kings to rule them. So Samuel goes before GOD and makes this request on behalf of the people, and GOD consents to the people’s demands telling Samuel to do what they ask. GOD’s response to Samuel was that they were not rejecting Samuel’s leadership, but rather the LORD’s leadership over them.
There was a man from the tribe of Benjamin named Saul whom GOD desired for Samuel to anoint as king. Chosen by GOD and anointed by Samuel, Saul became the first king of Israel. He was tall, handsome, and respectable. He had everything going for him. Even GOD was on his side. However, over time Saul let the pressures and demands of the people, and of kingship, push him to make decisions that were contrary to GOD’s will. On two specific occasions, Saul directly disobeyed GOD’s commands until ultimately GOD regretted of having made Saul king.
Rather than depose Saul and have him put to death, GOD called Samuel to anoint another as king over Israel, and in obedience, Samuel was led to the house of a man named Jesse whose youngest son David was chosen by GOD to be the next king of the people.
Here’s what makes David a man after GOD’s own heart. Once anointed by Samuel, David was given full rights and privileges as the king of Israel. He could have rallied an army and overthrown Saul and ascended the thrown. However, David was not willing
to take the throne by force. He knew that GOD was the one who originally chose Saul to be king, and it was GOD who would ultimately deal with Saul to have him dethroned. As for David, he refused to lay a hand on GOD’s anointed - even though he himself had been anointed by GOD.
Time and time again, while on the run for his life, David had opportunities to kill Saul, but he refused. His mercy toward the one who desired him dead reflected the heart of a man chosen by GOD and surrendered to His will. And yet, David was by no means perfect.
David stumbled and failed GOD and the kingdom in very painfully public ways. The beginning of his descent into sin came when David committed adultery with a woman named Bathsheba whose husband was fighting in David’s war against the Ammonites. Bathsheba became pregnant through this union, and David panicked. Trying to cover up his sin, he called for Uriah to come home on leave so that he might encourage him to spend some time with Bathsheba. But David’s plan ultimately failed. Uriah - a man of integrity and loyalty - refused to go home and sleep with his wife, which led David to send Uriah back to the battlefield on the front lines where the fighting was fiercest. Once word came back that Uriah had died in battle, David took Bathsheba as his wife, and no one was the wiser... except for GOD.
GOD - through the prophet Nathan - confronted David with his sin, and instead of defending himself, he broke down. Psalm 51 is David’s psalm of repentance, and it shows the depths of a man who was willing to come clean and ask for forgiveness. Different from Saul who made excuses for his sin, David laid himself bare before the LORD and confessed.
What made David a man after GOD’s own heart was his willingness to repent of his sins and submit to GOD no matter the cost. Saul, in his pride, was unwilling to humble himself before the LORD.
It’s important to note that both of these men were imperfect, and committed sins against GOD and people. What made all the difference in the world was David’s willingness to be corrected and change course. David’s desire was to please GOD; Saul’s desire was to please man. David’s heart was open to being broken; Saul’s heart was hardened to the Holy Spirit. David’s life, in spite of his sin, was hailed as honorable in the eyes of GOD and man; Saul’s life stands as a testimony of a life focused with selfish pride on his own reputation, and - as a result - is a warning to all who would follow in his footsteps.
So, who are you today? Are you Saul: a man of promise who ultimately lost his way by losing sight of GOD? Or, are you David: A man (or woman) after GOD’s own heart who is willing to do everything GOD asks of you? The choice is yours.
