His Ancestry
The boy David Statue in the Tower of David Museum
Little is known about David's youth. He was the youngest son of Jesse, a shepherd who lived in Bethlehem. His name means 'beloved.' David's genealogy is mentioned several times in the Scriptures especially in conjunction with Ruth. Ruth 4:18-22 He is in the line of Judah and connected to Ruth through her husband Boaz. The messianic royal line is traced through David. Matthew 1:3-6; Luke 3:31-33

A Shepherd
A Shepherd 
The occupation of a shepherd was an excellent vocation for one who would lead the people of God. Amos 1:1 It demands such skills as protecting, feeding, and rescuing the sheep. Moses was also a shepherd when God called him to lead his people. But among the Egyptians it was considered an unclean occupation. Genesis 46:34 However this occupation was exalted by God and is often ascribed to God in the Bible as the Good Shepherd. Psalm 23; Isaiah 40:11 David was in the fields of Bethlehem tending his fathers flocks when Samuel came to anoint a king.

A King
When Saul was rejected by God as king of Israel 1 Samuel 15:23,35 God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint a king from the family of Jesse. 1 Samuel 16:1 As each son was brought out before the prophet, Samuel choose the oldest son Eliab, but God showed him that he was not to look at the outside of man but inner qualities. Jesse didn't even think it important to bring David in from the Shepherds fields. 1 Samuel 16:11-12 David was God's choice for a king, even when he was no one else's choice. It was not that David was ugly as the scriptures say that he was good looking. Although David was anointed now he would not rise to the throne for some time.

A Musician
A Harp 
God's spirit departed from Saul and an evil spirit from God troubled him. 1 Samuel 16:18 One of Saul's servants had learned of David talents for playing the harp and recommended him to soothe Saul's troubled spirit. This gave David an opportunity to see the life of the court firsthand. David was loved by Saul and was made his Armour bearer. This was a period when many of the Psalms were composed. 1 Samuel 16:14-23

Goliath
David beheads Goliath
David and Goliath 
When the Philistines attacked Israel in the Valley of Elah, their main weapon was a giant named Goliath. 1 Samuel 17 Jesse's sons were in the army fighting the war with Saul, and David went home to tend his ageing fathers flocks. Jesse sent David to the front to see how his sons were doing and to bring them some food. When David heard the boasting of the giant, he wanted to fight him. When Saul heard of David's interest he tried to talk David out of it, but David insisted that God would give him the victory.

Jonathan
David stays in Saul's court and becomes best friends with Saul's son Jonathan. 1 Samuel 18:1-4 It becomes a great example of earthly friendship. There is a covenant of friendship cut between the two, sealed with Jonathan giving David his clothing, sword and bow. In later years Jonathan would save David life by warning him of his fathers plot to kill him and help get David back in favour with his father for a short time. 1 Samuel 20 Jonathan Supported David's kingship and David promised to protect his line forever. 

Saul
David pleased Saul and so he set him in charge of his military forces. David set out to defeat the Philistines which he effectively did, winning the hearts of the people in the process. When David was getting more attention than Saul, he became jealous. 1 Samuel 18:1-27 Saul tried to kill David with a spear but David was protected by God. 

Saul plotted against David to try and kill him by offering His daughter if he would fight the Philistines but again Saul's plan failed. This time David earned the right to marry Saul's daughter Michal which further anger Saul. 1 Samuel 18:17-27 Michal helped David escape as Saul tried to kill him while he slept. 1 Samuel 19:1-17

David fled for his life and took Samuel with him to Naioth. Saul and his men were made helpless by the spirit of prophecy and were unable to capture David. 1 Samuel 19:18-23 David gathered around him a group of poor unhappy supporters who defeated the Philistines and won the favor of the people. 1 Samuel 22-23 David also made friends with the Moabites and Saul was unable to capture David. God protected David throughout his flight from Saul and David when given several opportunities to kill Saul refused. David was gracious to Saul and his household. 1 Samuel 24:21-22

After Samuel's death David went to the wilderness of Paran where a man named Nabal lived. David asked him for help but he not only refused but humiliated David for which David was going to take revenge on Nabal. But Nabal's wife Abigail intervened and kept David from killing her husband. When Nabal heard what had happened he fell down dead and David married Abigail. Michal his first wife had been given to another man by Saul. 1 Samuel 25

One more time David was given an opportunity to kill Saul but refused and when Saul saw that David had no ill intentions he went home and didn't pursue David anymore. However David was still suspicious of Saul and so he allied himself with Achish the Philistine king of Gath. Achish was so impressed with David that he gave him Ziklag as his home, which David used as his military base for destroying Israel's Philistine enemies to the south. 1 Samuel 27

When the Philistines attacked Israel, David was providentially refused from going to battle with them. Saul and his son Jonathan would die in this battle. 1 Samuel 28 When David returned home to Ziklag the Amalekites had destroyed the city and captured his wives. Under God's direction David pursued the Amalekites and destroyed them and took spoil back to Judah and won the favour of the people. 1 Samuel 30 David lamented the death of Saul and Jonathan and killed the courier who brought the news. 2 Samuel 1

Hebron Rule
God told David to go up to Hebron to be anointed by the people as the King of Judah. About the same time Abner anointed Saul's son Ishbosheth as king over Israel and this led to a war between Israel and Judah. David lived in Hebron for seven and one-half years during which time six sons were born to him. 

Abner tried to make a deal with David and eventually is killed by Joab. Eventually Ishbosheth was killed by his own commanders and David became king of all Israel and killed all of the plotting commanders. 2 Samuel 4,5 Now both the Northern Kingdom and Southern Kingdom were united as one Nation - Israel.

Jerusalem Rule
Jeruslaem in David's Day 
Now David desired to give a demonstration of strength and solidarity so he seeks to capture the city of Jerusalem which up until this time had been a Jebusite city. David overtakes the city by entering through the tunnel used for supplying water to the city during a time of siege. It is visible today in the Pool of Siloam.

Jerusalem is made David's capital and he moves the Ark of the Covenant here from Kiriath-jearim where it had rested since Samuel's time. Unfortunately David did not follow the strict directions given in the Mosaic Law for moving the Ark and one of his men was killed. There was a great celebration in Jerusalem and David even wrote a special Psalm of praise for the occasion. 2 Samuel 6:1-7

David was not content to have the Ark remain in a tent and so made plans to build a temple to house the Furniture. But through the prophet Nathan David was told that it would be his son Solomon who would build the temple. 2 Samuel 7:1-29 Instead David would build a royal line of eternal significance. 2 Samuel 7
For Further Study See Solomon's Temple
For Further Study See  Jerusalem

His Victories
Quickly David subdued His enemies. He took the cities of Baal-perazim, Gibeon, Gezer and Gath. The Nations he conquered included Moabites, Philistines, Amalekites, the Ammonites, and Syrians at Medeba. 2 Samuel 5, 8, 10 David would write Psalm of thanksgiving after his victories. Psalm 18 is a good example. David remembered his promise to care for Jonathan's son and had Lame Mephibosheth eat at his own table. 2 Samuel 9:1-13 The grace of God was revealed through his actions.

His Sin
On one occasion while David should have been in battle against the Ammonites but he stayed at home and viewed Bathsheba on her housetop bathing. She was the wife of a Hittite soldier named Uriah. David committed adultery and then tried to cover up his sin by placing Uriah in the front lines of fighting to have him killed. 2 Samuel 11

God sent Nathan the prophet to David and told him a parable in which pronounced his own judgment. David confessed his sin, but even though he would be forgiven there would be consequences of his sin. His son born to David and Bathsheba died and Nathan said that the sins of David would be upon his house for coming generations. Eventually Solomon was born to Bathsheba and would become the next king of Israel. 2 Samuel 12:1-25

Absolom's Rebellion
As a consequence of David own sins, similar sins plagued his own family. David it seems was unable to rule his own household well. One of his sons, Amnon fell in love with his half-sister, Tamar. David knew of this but did nothing. 2 Samuel 12:24,25

Absalom, Tamar's brother tried to take revenge on Amnon for his actions. After two years Absalom arranged to have Amnon killed. David reluctantly pursued Absalom to make him accountable. Absalom tried to stir up the people against David and some pursued rebellion. 2 Samuel 15:1-6 After about four years, Absalom had enough of a following that he tried to take the Kingdom. In fact he was anointed king in Hebron by the people. Even David's trusted advisor Ahithophel took Absalom's side.

David fled Jerusalem for his life with a small following. Absalom waited too long before pursuing David at the advise of one of David's supporters and David was able to escape. David who did not go to the battle when it was fought, ordered that his son not be killed, but Joab ignored this and had him killed. David showed deep grief at the loss of his son even though he had rebelled against him. Stability was once more returned to the Kingdom. 2 Samuel 18:19-33 There was one brief revolt in the north let by Sheba which was quickly put down. 2 Samuel 20

Numbering Israel
The last thing that David does that is recorded in the Scriptures is to count the people and prepare for the building of the Temple. For some reason this was not pleasing to God, perhaps because God had not commanded it and also it shows the pride of David resting in numbers rather than the Lord.

In God's anger, David is given three options for punishment on Israel for his sin. Seven years of famine, three months of war, or three days of pestilence. David picked the last and seventy thousand Israelites were killed. God stopped the angel of destruction from destroying Jerusalem by standing on the threshing floor of Araunah. 2 Samuel 24:1-25

Under the direction of Gad the prophets, David was instructed to go and purchase this land belonging to Araunah and build and altar here. This was to be the location of Solomon's temple. Before his death David gave Solomon strict orders to follow the directions found in the law of Moses for the building of the temple. 1 Chronicles 22:1-19

Last Days
In the closing days of David's life, another of his sons tried to take the throne from him. Adonijah tried to have himself anointed as king outside Jerusalem with the support of Joab and Abiather, but Zadok and Nathan would only support Solomon. Nathan and Bathsheba told David of the plan and Solomon was immediately crowned King of Israel. David ruled for forty years and died and was buried in Jerusalem, the city of David. 1 Kings 1:1-2:12 Even though David had sinned on many occasions still the Bible describes him as a man after God's own heart. 2 Chronicles 8:14; Acts 13:22

God's kingdom would live on upon the throne of David. Isaiah 9:07; Jeremiah 33:15-26; Ezekiel 34:23-24; 37:24-25; Hosea 3:5; Amos 9:11; Zechariah 12:6-10

Copyright © 1995 David Graves & Jane Graves, Electronic Christian Media