Fall Newsletter Excerpt | David: A Mess After God’s Own Heart

After a brief kickoff series we will spend some time looking at one of the most famous Biblical figures: King David.

id the series title catch your attention? It certainly did the first time I heard it: “Shouldn’t it read A Man After God’s Own Heart?” I mean, that’s what I’ve been taught. So often King David has been looked at as a moral example, as a person who through his passion and zeal for God’s heart, paves the way forward for faithfulness for future generations. We could make the mistake in thinking David is the example that we are meant to follow, a story full of useful tips in how to be a better person, so we too can raise our David’s and slay our giants.

But looking at David’s life, we find that his life also includes a lot of messiness. We will see that David isn’t the example to follow, but that there is something more going on in the story directing us towards God. We’ll be reading with our eyes attended to what this story has to teach us about God and how it anticipates Jesus – rather than just providing us with a broken example to follow.

As we lead up to the series, your invited to read the stories of King David yourself – especially as it is recorded in 1 and 2 Samuel. If you read it ahead of time, come to Pastor Steve (or Ben) with your questions or insights. I’d love to hear what you think of these stories as we dive into the life of David.

FUN FACT

Did you know that the line “A man after God’s own heart” is derived from one verse (1 Samuel 13:14), and it might not mean what you think it means? Check out a variety of translations and paraphrases to see the different ways it can be translated.

One way of reading it is found in Peterson’s paraphrase “The Message” where he phrases it: “God is out looking for your replacement right now. This time he’ll do the choosing.” Why do you think he chooses to translate it this way?