1 Kings 2:10-12 – Be a person after God’s heart

The reign of David was part of the golden years of Israel as a nation. His death signals the end of the most celebrated and significant reign in Israel’s history. When he died, his body was buried in the capital of the nation, the city of David, the city that he himself had built. First Kings 2 verse 11 indicates that he ruled Israel for a total of 40 years. Seven of those years he ruled from Hebron and thirty-three from Jerusalem. Explicitly, verse 12 made it clear that Solomon succeeded him on the throne and his kingdom was firmly established.

After Moses, David would be the next most significant instrument of God in the establishment of His Kingdom. By and large, he was faithful in his walk with God.  Hence, his reign was the standard by which God would measure the reign of the rest of the kings of Israel and Judah. But we know that David was very human after all.  His most notorious blip was the tryst he had with Bathsheba and the ensuing murder of her husband, Uriah. Of course, like everyone else, David had other flaws but God did not highlight them and so we must not do so.  

From these three verses in 1 Kings 2:10-12, God had so affably highlighted the high point of David’s life and not his flaws. They underscore for us the graciousness of God. We are thankful that God did not mark David’s transgression. It gives us hope to know that God will not mark ours too. For if He chooses to mark our transgressions, none of us will be qualified to stand before Him. However, this is not a concession to excuse our flaws but to let us know that God is gracious. There is no need for us to dwell on them but to deal with them.

Looking back at David’s life, we learn that despite his flaws God used him. Why? the answer is given to us in God’s testimony of him in Acts 13:22. God said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My heart, who will do all My will.” He was known for the fact that he was “a man after God’s own heart.” This is a critical element that all of us must nurture if we want to live a God-pleasing life. When we have a heart after God, not only will we please Him, but we will also be effective in our Kingdom assignments expected of us. We must nurture a heart that will seek after God!