David led, by far, a remarkable life. He was said by many to be Israel’s greatest king, by uniting the nation under his leadership, defeating and subduing the pagan nations in the region and establishing Jerusalem as both the religious and political capital. He was also considered one of Israel’s greatest poets, writing psalms that went to the heart of the Jewish religion and to which the psalms still express the faith and longings of Jews and Christians today. Although David was as great a sinner as he was a leader, he began a brief golden age in Israel that provided the pattern for messiah like expectations for Christians and Jews.
When David was growing up in Bethlehem, God’s people were under constant threat from the Philistines. They were
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For a while, Saul faithfully served the Lord and pushed back the Philistines. But soon he rebelled against God’s command and was ultimately rejected. The Lord then led Samuel to anoint David to succeed him. David was the most unlikely king God could have chosen. He was the eighth son of Jesse, and was only a shepherd boy at the time. Samuel was taken aback, but God told him, “But the LORD said to Samuel: Do not judge from his appearance or from his lofty stature, because I have rejected him. God does not see as a mortal, who sees the appearance. The LORD looks into the heart.” (1 Samuel …show more content…
He had spent several long hours soothing everyone with his music, and his harp provided temporary relief to Saul’s afflicted soul (1 Samuel 16:23). At other times, David remained home tending to the sheep.
Saul’s army and the Philistine forces were gathered for battle at Sokoh in Judah. While bringing provisions to his older brothers in the Valley of Elah, David heard the taunts of Goliath, the giant Philistine from Gath, who demanded to face an Israelite warrior in a single combat. The outcome would then determine the outcome of the entire battle. However, no Israelites were courageous enough to face the giant, including Saul. David then, trusting in God volunteered, and weighed down by a large amount of heavy armor, he knocked down the giant with one shot from his sling.
David’s fame spread, and he attempted to serve the king faithfully. But Saul’s morality worsened and Saul repeatedly attempted to murder David, who he saw as an absolute ruler. So for the next several years he had to live on the run as what could be called a “Robin Hood” of their days. He and a personal guard made stops in Judah and in Philistine territory, with Saul and his army hot on their tails. Despite numerous opportunities to defeat Saul, David flat refused to raise his hand against “the Lord’s anointed,” trusting in God to protect and anoint