SeamlessSample

So we meet the man who will become Israel’s first king, and the story starts out nicely. Saul is incredibly handsome, tall, and wealthy. When Samuel meets Saul, God confirms Saul’s the guy who’s going to be king, and Samuel passes along the message. 

Saul doesn’t go for it initially, and actually shows some humility, which will not be his trademark response for too long. Eventually he accepts the role and is crowned king. For a few chapters, we’ll see Saul as a victorious leader as he dominates many enemies in battle. Things are going swimmingly.

That is, until Saul disobeys Samuel’s instructions about an offering. He acts out of his own will instead of God’s command and continues to make poor choices. As a result, God intervenes and tells Samuel to strip the kingdom from him (1 Samuel 13:13-14). 

God tells Samuel to go to the house of Jesse because He has chosen one of Jesse’s sons to be king. 

Samuel meets all of the sons Jesse introduces, but God makes it clear to him that none of these fellas are the chosen king. Finally, Samuel asks Jesse if he has any other sons.

Jesse brings David to Samuel and the rest is history. It won’t happen right away, but Samuel has no question: David the shepherd will reign over Israel as king.

After spending more than a decade of his young adult life running from jealous king Saul and writing several Psalms, the people make David king. Saul’s three eldest sons are killed in battle, and with the Philistines closing in on him Saul ends his own life.

God promises David a great name with an established kingdom in 2 Samuel 7:8-18. But in chapter 11, we see a shift that marks him forever. 

You may know the story, but go ahead and read 2 Samuel 11 to understand the context and timing of this event.

David has an affair with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite. To cover his tracks, he puts Uriah in battle where he knows the best enemy soldiers are, ultimately killing him. 

In chapter 12, David repents of his sin. He knows he has made a huge mistake before a holy God. 

David wasn’t a man after God’s own heart because he didn’t sin. He was a man after God’s own heart because he kept coming back to God.