More Precious Than Silver: King David's Story

David, son of Jesse, came from a household full of strong and powerful men. His brothers, all blessed with amazing skills and looks, impressed even the prophet Samuel – the one told by God to anoint the future king of Israel. No one in all of Israel would have guessed that this little shepherd, no older than 16 at that time, would become one of the greatest men in all history.

When it became known to Saul, the previous anointed king of Israel, that David has been chosen to take over his throne – his judgment was clouded by envy and rage. (1 Samuel 16: 1 -13) He spent years trying to get rid of his enemy with everything possible, but none got to David. Although under God’s protection, David had to flee the land in order to survive; encountering countless obstacles along the way. Even during his years as a wanted man, his suffering never got in the way of his love for God. He felt tortured, not because of his mortal suffering, but because of his distance from the Holy Land; he was devastated of his inability to worship the Lord in freedom. As the years passed, there were times when he could have gotten rid of the evil King Saul, but remembering how Saul was also anointed by God to be king – David spared his life. (1 Samuel 23)

The time for David to be king finally came, he returned from exile and ruled the kingdom under God’s guidance and wisdom. Israel flourished. King David, absolutely in love with the Lord, sang praises to Him day and night. Whenever he was faced with troubles, he never failed to remember to ask for God’s wisdom. Except for the time when lust came over him, and turned his life upside down. (1 Samuel 27)

It was his greatest sin. Not only did he commit adultery, he also ‘murdered’ Bathsheba’s husband by sending him to the front line in war. He didn’t recognize his sin up until the prophet Nathan came to him with an allegory of a rich man stealing a poor man’s sheep. What came after was the act that made him different from the rest of us. He admitted his sin. David could have come up with a million excuses, ‘Uriah died in war, I didn’t kill him’. But he chose to stand up for his mistake. He repented complete pureness. This was the reason that made God say to him, ‘you have been forgiven’.

David was no perfect man. He sinned just like the rest of us. But we could learn from what he did do right: he admitted his mistake; he sought for the wisdom of God; and he loved God above everything else.


*This is my research essay for Biblical Studies. Thought it would be helpful to some of you if I posted it here. God bless!