How Could David Be A Man Of God?

In this regular feature Dave and Tom respond to questions from listeners and readers of The Berean Call, here’s this week’s question:Dear Dave Hunt and Tom McMahon, Why does the Bible call David, a man after God’s heart?When you read all the things that he did, that the Bible reports, he’s not exactly a role model.He was a liar and a deceiver, and even feigned insanity when he got in a threatening situation.He was an adulterer and a murderer.I don’t see how he could ever be considered a man of God.Is there something I’m missing here?

Tom:

Dave, you know, we speak a lot in defense of the Bible, although the Bible doesn’t need us by any means, but one of the proofs that this Book, the Bible, the Scriptures, didn’t come from men is by what we read in it.I don’t know who comes off looking good in terms of all the people that are presented in the Bible, certainly our Lord Jesus Christ does.Even Paul, I would hold him up because he said, Follow me as I follow Christ, and presented his life as an example.

Dave:

But only as I follow Christ.

Tom:

Right, but when he was Saul, we didn’t find that eliminated in the Scripture, persecuting Christians, and so on.

Dave:

Yes, so you are saying that the honesty of the Bible is one of the evidences that its true?

Tom:

Yeah, but this man, I assume it’s a man, raises an interesting question.Going through the life of David, it wasn’t exactly a role model.

Dave:

Well, David was a role model in many ways until he fell, and as far as I know he really only fell that one time with Bathsheba, and I blame Bathsheba for that, along with David.What was she doing out there displaying herself, having a bath where David could see her.But anyway,—

Tom:

Aw Dave, I don’t know.You go through the life of David, this guy points out a few things.He tried to cover his tracks, killing—

Dave:

No, that’s what I am talking about.

Tom:

Yeah, but what about the insanity?Instead of trusting the Lord, and feigning that, what about—certainly, after his sin, dealing with his family, loving Absalom, and doing certain things?I love David, so don’t get me wrong here, because he did have a repentant heart.Every time he was confronted with his sin—

Dave:

That is the secret.Saul would not repent when the prophet Nathan came to David and he said:You are the man, David immediately broke, and he repented.Now that would be a basic reason why he would be a man after God’s own heart.God is not looking for perfect people, sinless people, because all have sinned.Then what would comment a person to God?Well, he is willing to admit his sin, and he repents of it, and David certainly did that.Now as far as perfect people, I guess Enoch must have been without sin because it says, He walked with God, and God just said, Come on Enoch, keep walking, I’m taking you right up here to heaven.Then, there is nothing said against Daniel.

Tom:

Right, I forgot about him, but certainly the judges had some problems.

Dave:

Oh my goodness, yes.So, David would be really one of the best.Abraham, the man of faith, and yet he doubted God a few times, had his wife pretend she was his sister.Now as far as David feigning insanity, I’ll be on David’s side on this one.I was named after him, you know, by my father.

Tom:

Also, a preacher from England.

Dave:

That’s right, I was also named after Spurgeon by my father, but anyway—Well, I don’t think we just, you say, Well, he didn’t trust God.I think he did trust God, but you don’t, well, I’ll just trust God, okay.No, sometimes you have to do something to help make this work.God, I’m going to pretend that I am crazy, and I’m going to ask you to pull this off for me, and so they will let me out of here, because I’m in the midst of the Philistines, I’m their chief enemy, they are going to kill me.So, I wouldn’t fault him for that.

Tom:

Well, Dave, based on what we have said, and the concerns that this person who wrote to us has, let me read you from 2 Samuel Chapter 22, Verses 21 to 25:“The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me.For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not departed wickedly from my God.For all his judgments were before me:and as for his statutes, I did not depart from them.I was also upright before him, and kept myself from mine iniquity.Therefore the Lord hath recompensed me according to my righteousness; according to my cleanness in his eyesight.”Now, how could David say something like that under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Dave?

Dave:

Well, Tom, everyone is going to sin.

Tom:

Right.

Dave:

And the law had provisions for that, sacrifices, and David, apparently, he kept the law in that way.Now, when Paul says, I’m a Hebrew of the Hebrews as touching the law, blameless.See, He didn’t say he never sinned, because that would violate the Scripture, all of his sin, but Paul is saying that he always took the remedy that the law provided for his sin.I think that would be the same with David, in his favor.Psalm 27, he said, One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in his tabernacle.David had a passion after God.He was certainly very humble, and when he went out to meet Goliath he said, I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, and he trusted God, but he was not perfect.But apparently, from what he is saying, he acknowledged his sin and he took the remedy provided by the law.So he could say that his righteousness came from the law, but he was not saying that he never sinned, he couldn’t possibly have said that.But I would say, Tom, one of his biggest sins was pride, and that was when he counted Israel.He was going to take a little credit for this—Look at what I have done, look at the big church I have built, you know.Some pastors do that today, it’s a downward path.And God punished David and Israel very severely.Apparently, the pride was in the hearts of all the Jews.

Tom:

And pride goeth before a fall.

Dave:

Yeah, God hates a proud look, he hates pride, and this is where he said he had sinned, really.