DAVID’S ACHIEVEMENTS
I Samuel 16:1 – 23, 2 Sam 6:1 – 19
He was chosen by God to be the king of Israel/anointed by God’s prophet Samuel.
David was filled with God’s spirit right from the time of anointing/throughout his reign.
He had outstanding qualities of leadership e.g. he was charismatic, generous, patient, honorable, wise, brave, eloquent in speech, God-fearing.
He knew and obeyed God/He was a man after God’s own heart/faithful/ trusted God throughout his life.
David consulted prophets of God in all undertakings.
David was acclaimed/accepted/chosen as King of Israel by the whole of Israel at Hebron, 2 Sam 5:1 – 5
He courageously fought and defeated his enemies e.g. the Philistines.
He captured the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites/He made it the political administration capital for the nation and a religious centre.
He chose Jerusalem a neutral city of his nation. 2 Sam 5:6 – 10, 6:1 – 19
He recaptured the Ark of the Covenant.
He united his people through personal efforts.
He extended the boundaries of his kingdom by capturing smaller states.
He established a standing army / he was a good military commander. He broke the Philistines control over Canaan once and for all and shut them up in coastal plain 2 Sam 5:17 – 25, 21:15 – 22.
King David was a shepherd boy who became Israel’s third and most important and powerful king. He happens to be the most frequently mentioned character in the Old Testament, and the second most frequently mentioned human in the entire Bible
It is discover that only Jesus Christ is mentioned more than David in the Bible.
David is one of the main character in the Old Testament books 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Chronicles, and 2 Chronicles. He’s also mentioned in several other books, and nearly half of the Psalms are attributed to him. Today, David is most famous for being the boy who defeated a giant with a slingshot.
Despite his glaring flaws, the David is described as a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). David was far from perfect, but his faith and zeal made him the standard against which all Israel’s future kings would be measured against.
Things to know about David
David was Ruth and Boaz’s great grandson
David was the youngest of seven sons (or he had seven brothers)
David was from Bethlehem
David was God’s “anointed one”
David was a shepherd
David was a musician
David was a giant slayer
David was a great warrior
David was Israel’s greatest king
David committed adultery with Bathsheba
David plotted to have Uriah killed
David was a man after God’s own heart
David lived around 1,000 BC
David had (at least) eight wives
David had numerous wives and concubines. The Bible names eight wives, but it’s possible he had more. They are:
1. Ahinoam of Jezreel
2. Abigail (the widow of Nabal of Carmel)
3. Maakah daughter of Talmai king of Geshur
4. Haggith
5. Abital
6. Eglah
7. Michal (daughter of Saul)
8. Bathsheba
The Bible doesn’t give a comprehensive list of David’s wives, but 2 Samuel 3:2-5 tells us the names of his sons as well as six of his wives, and he marries Michal (1 Samuel 18:27) and Bathsheba (2 Samuel 11:27) in other passages.
David wrote about half the Book of Psalms
David’s Weaknesses
1. Adultery
2. Murder
3. Pride by ordering a census
5. Lack of discernment – 2 Samuel 19
King David committed adultery with Bathsheba. He then tried to cover up her pregnancy, and when he failed with that, he had her husband Uriah the Hittite killed. When he took a census of the people, he willfully violated God’s command not to do that. King David was often lax, or absent as a father, not disciplining his children when they needed it.
Lessons from David life
David’s example teaches us that honest self-examination is necessary to recognize our own sin, and then we must repent of it. We may try to fool ourselves or others, but we cannot hide our sin from God.
Even though God always offers forgiveness, we cannot escape the consequences of our sin. David’s life proves this. But God highly values our faith in him. Despite life’s ups and downs, the Lord is ever-present to give us comfort and help.
