So I'm studying the life of David right now in Beth Moore's study entitled "Seeking a heart like His." I've always wondered why the Bible calls David a "man after God's own heart." He took many wives, he committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then killed her husband so he wouldn't find out, he killed thousands and thousands of people in battle....David, in my opinion, has always seemed to be a guy of average virtuousness. This morning, however, II Samuel chapter 8 gave me a great look into the heart of David, into what it means to have a heart like His.
1) A heart like His is cooperative. In II Samuel 7:10-11, God promised David that He would give Israel rest from all her enemies. David did not just sit and wait for this to happen - he obeyed God and went to the field of battle and participated in the victory. That being said, do not be overzealous in "helping" God fulfill His promises. Abraham and Sarah also "helped" God fulfill a promise, the promise of a son, and they created countless problems for future generations. It takes wisdom to know the difference between when God wants us to act and when He wants us to wait on His timing. But whether God calls us to fight, wait, sit, or stand, He calls us to cooperate with Him.
2) A heart like His offers hope and mercy. David did not completely annihilate the countries he set out to conquer. He allowed some to live - both people and their livestock (verses 2,4). David's goal was not to annihilate them, but rather to subjugate them so that Israel could have the peace that God had promised. That brings me to the third point.
3) A heart like His is completely dedicated to God. We see both a figurative and a literal dedication to God in this chapter. During this period of David's life, David was quick to give any glory he received right back to the Lord. He humbly recognized where his success came from, and always acknowledged that in everything he did. God gave him victory in all his endeavors because God knew that David would give glory where glory was due. But David also literally dedicated all of the spoils of war to the Lord. The Hebrew word for dedicate is qadhash, which means "to hallow, dedicate, consecrate to God, treat as holy." Think about this...how closely are dedication and purity related? What would happen if we dedicated OUR lives to God? If we gave Him our praises, our positions, our paychecks, everything...how much more so do you think our lives would be marked by purity? That's a big thought....I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it.
4) A heart like His is just and righteous. II Samuel 8:15 says, "David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and righteous for all his people." In Jeremiah 9:24, the Bible says that "Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who excercises kindness, justice, and righteousness, for in these I delight, declares the LORD." That, dear friends, is why David had a heart like God's. He had the same priorities that God did, and in everything he did (at least for a time) he endeavored to do what would most please and bring glory to God.
5) A heart like His has a wisdom for administration. Growth means getting help. This is true in a spiritual as well as a physical sense. No one in their right mind would ever say that a successful company like Apple or Google would have ever gotten where they are today with only 1 person. Right now I'm currently witnessing the collapse of the clubs that I was president of last year with astonishing rapidity. They went from being vibrant clubs last year, with active officers who all worked together - and worked well together - to withered shells of their former selves this year because their presidents refuse to ask other people for help, and insist on doing everything themselves. It reminds me of Exodus 18:17, when Jethro advised Moses to delegate the workload of governing the Israelites to reduce both his workload and their frustration. See, that's the thing about administration - the lack of it hurts not only yourself, but everyone around you. David understood this, and in verses 16-18 we can read about the officials that he appointed to help him govern and avoid frustration.
I think the last point is especially interesting. So often we over-spiritualize God, thinking that anyone with a heart like His must be some super-religious person. But God wants to be involved in every part of our lives, even the mundane parts, like organizing and delegating. I love that. God cannot be compartmentalized to Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. David understood that, and let God into ALL of the compartments. Let's strive to be more like David. That's my challenge this week, both to anyone reading this and to myself - let God into one area of your life that He is not in right now. I get the feeling that great things will happen if we do.
1) A heart like His is cooperative. In II Samuel 7:10-11, God promised David that He would give Israel rest from all her enemies. David did not just sit and wait for this to happen - he obeyed God and went to the field of battle and participated in the victory. That being said, do not be overzealous in "helping" God fulfill His promises. Abraham and Sarah also "helped" God fulfill a promise, the promise of a son, and they created countless problems for future generations. It takes wisdom to know the difference between when God wants us to act and when He wants us to wait on His timing. But whether God calls us to fight, wait, sit, or stand, He calls us to cooperate with Him.
2) A heart like His offers hope and mercy. David did not completely annihilate the countries he set out to conquer. He allowed some to live - both people and their livestock (verses 2,4). David's goal was not to annihilate them, but rather to subjugate them so that Israel could have the peace that God had promised. That brings me to the third point.
3) A heart like His is completely dedicated to God. We see both a figurative and a literal dedication to God in this chapter. During this period of David's life, David was quick to give any glory he received right back to the Lord. He humbly recognized where his success came from, and always acknowledged that in everything he did. God gave him victory in all his endeavors because God knew that David would give glory where glory was due. But David also literally dedicated all of the spoils of war to the Lord. The Hebrew word for dedicate is qadhash, which means "to hallow, dedicate, consecrate to God, treat as holy." Think about this...how closely are dedication and purity related? What would happen if we dedicated OUR lives to God? If we gave Him our praises, our positions, our paychecks, everything...how much more so do you think our lives would be marked by purity? That's a big thought....I'm still trying to wrap my mind around it.
4) A heart like His is just and righteous. II Samuel 8:15 says, "David reigned over all Israel, doing what was just and righteous for all his people." In Jeremiah 9:24, the Bible says that "Let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who excercises kindness, justice, and righteousness, for in these I delight, declares the LORD." That, dear friends, is why David had a heart like God's. He had the same priorities that God did, and in everything he did (at least for a time) he endeavored to do what would most please and bring glory to God.
5) A heart like His has a wisdom for administration. Growth means getting help. This is true in a spiritual as well as a physical sense. No one in their right mind would ever say that a successful company like Apple or Google would have ever gotten where they are today with only 1 person. Right now I'm currently witnessing the collapse of the clubs that I was president of last year with astonishing rapidity. They went from being vibrant clubs last year, with active officers who all worked together - and worked well together - to withered shells of their former selves this year because their presidents refuse to ask other people for help, and insist on doing everything themselves. It reminds me of Exodus 18:17, when Jethro advised Moses to delegate the workload of governing the Israelites to reduce both his workload and their frustration. See, that's the thing about administration - the lack of it hurts not only yourself, but everyone around you. David understood this, and in verses 16-18 we can read about the officials that he appointed to help him govern and avoid frustration.
I think the last point is especially interesting. So often we over-spiritualize God, thinking that anyone with a heart like His must be some super-religious person. But God wants to be involved in every part of our lives, even the mundane parts, like organizing and delegating. I love that. God cannot be compartmentalized to Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. David understood that, and let God into ALL of the compartments. Let's strive to be more like David. That's my challenge this week, both to anyone reading this and to myself - let God into one area of your life that He is not in right now. I get the feeling that great things will happen if we do.
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