It doesn’t take long to realize that David, the second king of Israel, lived a complex life. The story titled “Building an Empire” covers a lot of years and it highlights well this complexity. Part of the background of this story shows that David was willing to take some risks but also exercise caution. But there is one big lesson that really comes out from this story. A number of table discussions recognized this.
We talked some about David’s motive for wanting to build the temple. Other passages talk about David as being a “man after God’s own heart” so it makes sense that his motive really was to honor the Lord. It was a good thing and eventually became the right thing for his son, Solomon. But at this time God’s response was to tell David that he had a different purpose – he was not to build the temple.
David’s response to this statement, which included the phrase “I’ve made you a man of war and many have died because of you”, is what really hit us last Tuesday. The passage says, “King David was content when he heard this message, and humbled himself before the Lord.”
Two thoughts really struck me when I read this. First, David did what David was called and gifted to do, and not what God didn’t call him and gift him to do. Like David, God has called me to advance His Kingdom through my unique gifting, and I need to embrace and fulfill that work.
Secondly, when I think back to times when I’ve received a correction or change to my plans I’m not sure “content” would be one of the first descriptive phrases for my response. What I think makes this possible though is the second part of that response…humility before the Lord. When we have a proper understanding of who we are and who God is, it allows us to be content in where and how God leads. That understanding comes from what David did so often and that was to meditate on the promises of God’s word. May we do the same.