David and His Folks

Some thoughts on the people influenced David’s life.

David’s Father and Brothers

There is not much known about David’s father Jesse, but Jesse’s action of presenting his 8 sons excluding David to Samuel and many of David’s psalms give us a strong hint that David was not much liked by his earthly father or his brothers. David’s haunting memory of his childhood is reflected in Psalm 69:8, as he sang  “I am a foreigner to my own family, a stranger to my own mother's children”. Like Jesus, David was a stone that the builders rejected, but God has chosen him despite of how he was considered by human beings, as men look at the appearance, but God looks at the heart (1 Samuel 16:7). Though he was rejected by his own family, God directed Samuel to anoint David as the chosen King.

Are we treating all of our children equally?

What is our attitude towards a not so good looking, less fashionable, less educated, less economically  well off person?

Do we see them the way God sees them?

David and His Mother

David’s mother’s details are not mentioned in the Bible, non biblical sources confirms her name as Nitzevet. Though David's mom is a mysterious personality in the Bible, Psalm 86:16 gives a critical clue on David's mom as he tenderly prayed "Save me because I serve you just as my mother did." May be she was the vital person in David’s life who influenced him and molded him to be a person chasing God’s will.

Parents, are we leading our children by example? Do we find time to serve LORD and pass it to the coming generations?

David and Michal

Michal was Saul’s youngest daughter and David’s first wife (per my understanding). She loved David, delivered him from danger of her own father’s plot to kill him, but eventually the love started to fade. She failed to love the LORD of her husband and Lord of her earthly life (David). 2 Samuel 6 describes the story of her displeasure to her husband and as a consequence, she had no children till her death.

Polygamy is not approved by God, and may be David’s failure with this could have resulted in her change of attitude. Holy Bible clearly gives us strong guidelines for our relationship with spouse and both man and woman are accountable for establishing a Christ centric married life.

Husbands, are you true representations of Christ’s sacrificial love in your marriage?

Wives, are you honoring your husbands as your head?

David and Jonathan

This is one of my favorite stories of friendship in the Bible. Friendship with Jonathan was a true blessing to David. The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. (1 Sam 18:1). Both David and Jonathan sacrificed for each other due to their strong bonding for each other. In 1 Samuel 18:4, we read that Jonathan gave David his clothes and military garb. The significance of this gift was that Jonathan recognized that David would one day be king of Israel. Rather than being envious, Jonathan submitted to God’s will and sacrificed his own right to the throne. Jonathan also delivered David from his own father Saul who tried to kill him. Above all, he shared David’s emotions as we could read that he cried with him – 1 Samuel 20:41 “Then they kissed each other and wept together-but David wept the most.”

David cried his heart out as he loses Jonathan (2 Samuel 1:26). David kept his covenantal relationship with Jonathan as David protects his best friend’s family (2 Samuel 9).

Are you a blessing to your friends?

David – A Man after God’s Own Heart

“After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.” Acts 13:22

No matter how many times David stumbled, his center of life was God. Many of the psalms he wrote pours out his humility, obedience, reverence, trust, recognition and repentance. David was a type of faithful king who reflects the succeeding Christ King.

God bless you all!