More Of David’s Story

SUN., AUG. 6, 1989, 6:06 AM
U. OF MAINE, FARMINGTON

A week from today, as earth time goes, you shall preach a sermon on one of My heroes of the Old Testament, David. You shall not aver that you are like David in having been chosen by Me for what you do, even as I emphasized that in an earlier Teaching. But you shall emphasize the chosenness and tie that in with predestination, an original Presbyterian conviction. They probably haven’t heard a sermon on that theme for awhile.

David definitely was chosen by Me at an early age… actually before he was born. He had the prerequisite spiritual development, along with the talents and abilities, to be the king I wanted him to be. Even as a young man he played the harp with both spirit and skill. Later he wrote psalms, with many themes, for he had many diverse feelings toward and about Me, the God Who had chosen him.

Just say that David wrote the psalms attributed to him. It is silly, unrewarding scholarship to try to distinguish between what he actually wrote and what someone else might have written in his name. In like fashion this is a Teaching from Me, the Holy Spirit. Yet some skeptic could well argue whether the punctuation is truly Mine… (see!)… or whether a particular idea is really yours, but attributed to Me. I call on you to attest that these are Mine. Likewise I’ll have you say that David’s psalms are David’s psalms.

How could a writer of gentle psalms, a skilled harp player, and a quiet tender of sheep be a fierce warrior. It was unlikely… but true. Individually he was a competent warrior, and he also led his army with a charisma that brought victory. In those days wars were won and lost because of individual skill and strength… and spirited leadership. Even today these are important, but the explosive power of weapons now makes war too destructive. I still have a certain penchant for war, but I don’t approve of modern weapons.

David was given the wife he “had earned” – Michal, the king’s daughter. She was a regal young woman, and she wanted David to be a regal, proper king. In his early years as king, at least, he was not destined to be such. He danced before Me as the Ark was brought into the city. His response to this great, solemn event was to dance, even rather wildly. Michal didn’t approve and said as much. But David knew he had done My will, and so he rejected Michal, and she remained a barren woman, a tragedy in that time and for her. This was not one of David’s good acts. He could have been a bit more like Barnabas in this instance.

David saw and loved Bathsheba. He had a strong sense that she was to be his love mate, and so he did what a king and military leader had the prerogative to do – he sent her husband, Uriah, off to the frontlines of combat, where he was killed. From their union came Solomon, another one of My chosen ones, who became a different kind of king than his father had been. Bathsheba was destined to be David’s. He just had to make it happen. He was sorry for what he had to do, but he knew that this was within My will… and so he acted.

This week you must read that whole story carefully, for I want you to present it forcefully and joyfully. I could tell it to you, but I want you to read it, as Scripture. And also read a number of David’s psalms, for this, too, shall be good preparation.