While there are many influential people in the Old Testament, King David stands out as one of the most prominent personalities in the time before Christ. Why was King David such an essential figure in the history of the church, and why did God call him, “A man after His own heart?” Let’s talk about this more in-depth. 

King David was the anointed king of Israel. He was chosen by the Lord while King Saul was on the throne. David was called a man after God’s own heart because he was faithful to the Lord, he was repentant when he did wrong, and he loved the Lord with all his heart. 

Why was King David considered a man after God’s own heart? Let’s discuss the attributes David had that made him a man after God’s own heart. Click To Tweet

Who Was King David?

King David was the youngest son born to a shepherd named Jesse. When he was young, the prophet Samuel anointed him as the rightful king of Israel while King Saul was still ruling. 

As David grew up, the Israelites were at war with the Philistines. The champion of the Philistines, Goliath, challenged King Saul’s army to come out and fight him. If Saul’s man won, the Philistines would be the Israelite’s servants. If Goliath won, the Israelites would be servants. No one was brave enough to accept the challenge, except for David. David killed Goliath, and from there he became popular among the Israelites. 

David was also a skilled harpist, and he would often play for Saul to help calm him. Eventually, Saul got jealous of David’s fame, so he became David’s enemy. After many years of fighting and many other events, David became the king of Israel. To read this story in more detail look up 1 Samuel to 2 Samuel. 

Why Was He Called “A Man After God’s Heart”?

While we went over David’s history and how he came to power, that does not answer why David was called, “a man after God’s heart.” To do that, we need to look at what David’s character was like. 

David Was Faithful

One of David’s biggest attributes was that he was faithful to the Lord. No matter what he was going through, David trusted the Lord in every part of his life. This is evident in how David took down Goliath when he was a young man. Although everyone was expecting him to fight Goliath with normal battle weapons and armor, David didn’t do that. He listened to the Lord and killed Goliath with a slingshot and a rock. 

David Loved the Lord

Anyone who reads the Psalms knows that David loved the Lord and what He commanded. He said so himself in Psalms 119 when he says, “Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all day.” David also showed how much he loved God’s commandments in how he conducted himself on the battlefield throughout 1 Samuel. Every step he takes is what the Lord commands, and it leads him to victory. 

David Was Repentant

While David was an incredible man, he did falter in big ways. He was only human after all. The biggest time David faltered was when he fell for Bethsheba in 2 Samuel 11. David disobeyed the Law when he lusted after Bethsheba and stole her from her first husband. Once David realized he messed up, he repented and asked for forgiveness from the Lord. 

David Was Honest and Thankful

Finally, David was honest with his feelings to God, and he was thankful for all that God did for him. The Psalms is full of David lamenting to the Lord about his hardships as well as David thanking the Lord for being faithful. 

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To sum up, David was called a man after God’s own heart for good reason. He exemplified all of the qualities we should have as Followers of Christ. King David was an amazing person even with all of his shortcomings. 

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