Imperfect People in the Bible Sample

David

King David’s greatest mistakes occurred because he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Literally. When his leaders and army were off at war, according to 2 Samuel 11, David stayed home. That never happens with a king. Or at least it shouldn’t. And because David wasn’t where he was supposed to be, he did something he shouldn’t have done—with another man’s wife. He made every attempt to cover up his sin, including plotting and carrying through with murder. Wow, right?

Because of David’s actions, Nathan, a prophet, confronted him about his sin. It’s not common for someone holding such a high office in government to accept the rebuke of someone beneath him. But David did. For him to admit his sin was equally uncommon. Even though David’s sin had catastrophic consequences, he repented and worked hard to make things right. 

Here are two takeaways from the life of David:

God Looks at the Heart
So, knowing all that David would do, why would God say that He chose David because of his heart? In 1 Samuel 13:14 NLT, we read what God said to Saul, the current king: “But now your kingdom must end, for the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart…” It seems odd that God would say that David is a man after his own heart knowing full well that David would do terrible things. But, isn’t that the great news? God may not love all our actions, but thankfully, He looks at our heart! He knows that sometimes we do things we never planned to do or even wanted to do. God knows we won’t achieve perfection on earth and will make mistakes that will cost a lot. 

David Didn’t Make Excuses
Psalm 51 was written after the prophet Nathan confronted David about his adultery with Bathsheba. Prior to this, David seemed unaware of his wretched actions. But afterward, he fully owned what he did. Even though David did some really awful things, he always took responsibility for his poor choices and didn’t shift the blame. 

As we read in Day 1, we’ll never be perfect. God knows that, and we should accept it. Instead, let’s rest in the truth that God sees our hearts even in our mistakes. And when, not if, we mess up, let’s take responsibility for our actions and begin the process of making things right.