FEET of clay, heart of FLESH

Main Scripture: 1 Chronicles 3 

 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will.’ OF THIS MAN’S OFFSPRING God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised. (Acts 13:22-23 ESV)

Another genealogy, this time it's David, the King of Israel's genealogy. The names of seven wives, 19 sons and 1 daughter are mentioned in 1 Chronicles 3. An eighth wife is mentioned in 1 Samuel 19. The number and names of his concubines (mistresses) and their children are not mentioned.

So it is safe to say that David had many children with many women. Hm ...

If that were not a big enough "flaw" to find in him, there is the troubling account of his affair with Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. David had plotted an elaborate scheme to pin the pregnancy which had come about from his adulterous affair with Bathsheba, on her husband. But the latter was one loyal soldier who refused to go home and be with his wife, while his fellow- soldiers were still at war. When this failed, David instructed that Uriah be placed in the heat of the battle so he would die at the hand of the enemy.

Based on the aforegoing, how can God still call David "a man after His own heart?" Hm ..... A study of David’s life, particularly of the Psalms will shed light on the HEART of the matter. The condition of his heart determined why he was so special to GOD’s heart. He obeyed the Lord with ALL his heart (Ps. 119:34); He praised the Lord with ALL his heart (Ps. 9:1); His heart was FILLED with the joy of the Lord (Ps. 4:7); ... and many other verses that show his heart’s overriding passion for God. He was truly repentant of his sin with Bathsheba (Ps 51, Ps 25:11). God showed him grace and confirmed that indeed he was a man after His heart:

(Nevertheless, for David’s sake the LORD his God gave him a lamp in Jerusalem by raising up A SON TO SUCCEED HIM and by making Jerusalem strong. For David had done what was right in the eyes of the LORD and had not failed to keep any of the LORD’s commands all the days of his life—except in the case of Uriah the Hittite. 1 Kings 15:4-5 NIV)

It’s a fact, we ALL have feet of clay; yet we too can find grace and a special place in God’s heart, if our hearts’ overwhelming passion is God Himself.

RE*J*oicita  PROductions