What are the SECRETS of David ?

Mesage Source: Writing  And Researching For Christ Ministry, Ogun State

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What are the SECRETS   of David ?

Have you ever wondered why God called David “a man after My own heart” (Acts 13:22)? What made him so special, and how can we also be a man or woman after God’s heart?

One of the miseries in the Bible and one aspects that usually counfound all believers these days is how did David found his ways into God's heart despite his numerous atrocities...

Before we  go deeper into the issues involved and the lessons thereof, let us establish the fact  that David case only testify to us that once you confess and repent of your sins, God's arms is always waiting to receive you back into his fold. I think, that was the grace that David enjoyed.

2 Chronicles 7:14

*" If my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land"*

Explaining, how David came about such love from God  one account submits: I believe David was special because he got hold of something that was of the greatest importance to God’s heart. He got hold of a divine thought and objective in God’s heart and made a vow to God in the wilderness to bring back the ark of the covenant to its rightful place among God’s people in Jerusalem

 (Ps. 132:1–5).

The account further observed that: 

 Because David placed such importance on bringing back the ark, God considered him a man after His own heart.

Down memory lane, for more than twenty years, King Saul had left the ark in a hilly place called Kirjath Jearim (1 Sam. 7:2). So David made it his passion to bring the ark to Mount Zion in Jerusalem, for the Lord had chosen Zion (which represents God’s grace, as opposed to Mount Sinai, which represents His law) as His dwelling place. God Himself said of Zion, “This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it” (Ps. 132:14).

*Would that be enough reasons why God would label a man as David as a man after his heart?*

Let's continue to explore his life and deeds to unravel this misery.

Another account by Pastor Wayne Sympson, chronicles issues that made David to be a man after God's heart , most of whom were as a result of his past deeds as reproduced here:

King David, the author of this psalm received the desires of his heart. He is the only person in the Bible whom it was said had a “heart after God’s own heart”.

Meaning, the characteristics, and desires of God’s heart were also found in David’s heart.

He became King of Israel. He defeated Israel’s enemies. When they attacked he was able to overcome them because God protected him from all his enemies. God gave him peace and blessing throughout his life and the nation of Israel prospered during his reign.

Some of the secrets to David’s success are revealed in his Psalms.. 

*David delighted in God (Psalm 37:4)*

 - David sought after God, he treasured God, he wrote hundreds of songs to God and discovered there was no better place than to be in the presence of God. God delights in filling you with everything. He wants you to possess from Him. King David said when you delight yourself in the Lord, He shall give you the desires of your heart. David experienced this.

*David committed his ways to God (Psalm 37:5)*

- “Commit your way to the Lord and trust in Him, and He will bring it to pass”. Let God bring everything to pass in your life. This means letting go and letting God in..It’s trusting in God’s way. The world’s way is to live for yourself, putting yourself first, and looking out for yourself. This way of living might bring success in one or two areas of life, but in the end you lose out on everything else! God’s way is different – as the next point explains.

*David rested from his works (Psalm 37:7)*

 - “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him”. God’s timing is perfect. You don’t need to be worried, stressed, or anxious about anything – the Lord will do it all for you!

*David was a great king who reigned over his kingdom*

We too are also called to “to reign in life”. But it's not reigning the way the world reigns – competing, striving, stressing to always be one step ahead. No, it’s resting from our works and our ways and trusting in the work and ways of God.

This is the way we are designed to live this life on earth. These are the secrets to a heart after God’s own heart. And look what the outcome is: God gives you all the desires of your heart!

*Would the above account also suffice?*

*Now what are the sins and atrocities Committed by David?*

Among his numerous sins including the ones commuted by his family,one of the greatest undoing of David was  when he committed adultery.

David was under the displeasure of the Almighty, for his adultery with Bath-sheba, and his murder of Uriah; and God let his enemies loose against him. That's was  the immediate punishment of God. But, that was not all...

 2 Samuel:13 -24 

*David does a very bad thing*

"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,  and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, 'Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home." (11:2-4)

But David is overtaken by lust. He sees a beautiful woman and wants her -- now.

*David attempted to Cover up  Bathsheba's Pregnacy*

David feels he must cover up his sin -- for Bathsheba's sake as well as his own. Plan A is to have Uriah come home, sleep with his wife, and then -- more or less -- nine months later (who is counting?) Uriah will have a child. He'll be happy. Bathsheba will be happy. And David will have complete deniability. No one will be able to prove anything.

So he sends for Uriah, who returns the 40 or so miles from the siege of Rabbah to Jerusalem. When he arrives, David asks some general questions about how the siege is going, and then encourages Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." In other words, the king is encouraging him to go home, relax with his wife, and refresh himself -- and have sex!

But Uriah being a man of honour did not go home and his reply was :" The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!" (11:11)

*David Conspired to have Uriah killed*

Now David resorts to Plan B. He writes a letter to Joab:

"Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." (11:15)

David seals the letter so it cannot be opened, and sends Uriah back to Joab and the siege carrying his own death warrant! Joab complies with David's order, and Uriah is killed. Now there is no evidence of David's adultery.

But the thing David had done displeased the LORD." (11:27b)

*David knows How to Appease God*

The scripture made us to understand that David also made mistakes, but he always knew how to get back on his feet and move forward; no one and nothing prevented him from finishing the race, reaching the goal and fulfilling his destiny.

To  atone  for his sins,he composed a whole psalm.

Psalm 51 1

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.5Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.6Surely you desire truth in the inner parts [1] ; you teach [2] me wisdom in the inmost place.7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.14Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.17The sacrifices of God are [3] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.18In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.19Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

[6] The meaning of the Hebrew for this phrase is uncertain.

[6] Or you desired... ; you taught

[17] Or My sacrifice, O God, is

*And he wrote another psalm on mercy*

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of gods: for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords: for his mercy endureth forever. To him who alone doeth great wonders: for his mercy endureth forever. To him, that by wisdom made the heavens: for his mercy endureth forever. To him that stretched out the earth above the waters: for his mercy endureth forever. To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever:“ (Psalm 136:1-8)

David asked for Mercy 19 times in the psalm.

The other usage of the word mercy was in its plural form, MERCIES, this was used 44 times in the bible and 19 times this was used in the book of Psalms, the prayers of David! And indeed Paul said in Romans 9:16 that it is not of him that willeth or of him that runneth but of God that showeth mercy. David’s life and greatness was a product of God’s mercies! The man that was a murderer and an adulterer was the same man God referred as ‘a man after my heart’. How much of God’s mercies he must have enjoyed!

*How did David atoned  for his sins?*

David paid another price, too, an earthly one, which haunted him until the day he died. “The sword shall never depart from thine house,” the prophet Nathan told him, “because thou hast despised me [the Lord], and hast taken the wife of Uriah” (2 Samuel 12:10). This prophecy was literally fulfilled.

*The Punishment*

But God punished David and brought upon him the evil consequences of his sin to teach us the pure character of God’s Law. Three direct consequences were inflicted upon David:

First: Nathan said the sword would never depart from David’s house (2 Samuel 12:10). This was fulfilled in the successive violent deaths of at least three of his sons—Amnon (2 Samuel 13:29), Absalom (2 Samuel 18:14), and Adonijah (1 Kings 2:25).

Second: Nathan also prophesied to David that his own wives would be humiliated before all Israel (2 Samuel 12:11). This was fulfilled when Absalom “lay with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel” (2 Samuel 16:22).

Third: Nathan pronounced the fatal end of the son conceived by David’s sin with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:14). This was fulfilled seven days after Nathan’s judgment sentence (2 Samuel 12:18). To David, the death of his son was a far greater punishment than his own death

*Repentanccce and conversion*

As a result of the bitter experience he passed through, David was brought to a complete repentance and conversion. And this was the Lord’s goal. We read about this change in the Psalm 51, written at this time, where David not only confessed his sin and prayed for forgiveness but asked the Lord to create in him a clean heart and renew a right spirit within him. He prayed, “…Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin…Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:2, 3, 7, 10).

The Lord, in His mercy, allows men to see that the results of sin are not increased prosperity and happiness, but misery, woe, and death. His protecting hand was withdrawn from David, and the king was permitted to taste the bitter fruits of his sin. And David realized that the pathway to true happiness could not be found in disobedience. The story of David and Bathsheba is also recorded in the Bible for us to learn from. The biggest lesson is that God can forgive, if we come to Him and repent.

*Did God later forgive David ?*

*The Answer*

If the psalm itself leaves the explicit answer in abeyance, given the text and tone of prayer, the implicit answer would seem to be: "YES, OF COURSE, David, through His prayer, obtained the pardon he sought!" He comes to the LORD and expects to be forgiven, washed, and have his lips let loose in order to tell the world of the wonderful mercy of God.

The following verses would appear to confirm that the Son of Jesse believed His sin would be cleared in full and his conscience set free to serve God publicly again:

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise - Psalm 51:7-15

*Conclusion*

In conclusion, the position  of Bible Schorlars was that David was one of the servant of God who committed the greatest sins, but each time he sins and he is conscious  of his misdeeds, he doesn't sleep over it, he would quickly go to God For Forgiveness and write a psalm to Appease God. God said in the scripture, precisely in Ezekiel 33:11 that:Say unto them: ‘As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?’. But, please note, when you confess of your sins , you must make sure you do not go back to it , if you truly want the grace of God to about..Remember what Apostle Paul said. So, shall we then continue in sin that grace may abound? Paul replies with a resounding “God forbid” (Romans 6:2). To desire to continue in sin shows a misunderstanding of this abundant grace and and contempt for Jesus sacrifice.

Let's be guided. May the Lord open our hearts of understating. 

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