After God’s Own Heart...AS

David has always had this wonderful reputation as a man after God’s own heart, King David that is…you know the shepherd boy…friend of Jonathon, enemy of Saul…the one who killed a giant threat to Israel and then much later in his life one of his own men so that a dirty secret could be kept hidden.  Anyway, he was obviously no perfect man.  People have strong opinions of him, and for good reason.  He made mistakes, sinful mistakes…mistakes that not only affected him, but all those around him and especially those he ruled over.  Yet, he was still called a man after God’s own heart.  Even at one point during his reign, the anger of the Lord burned against Israel as a nation.  How is it that he was held in such high esteem?

One of the most beautiful examples of David’s heart was when he pleaded with God to bring punishment on him alone instead of the people.  Taking into account his own sin and that he was their king, David was determined to take the fall.  The truth is, he was responsible to take the fall, but how many people are willing to admit that?  To show even further that he was willing to carry the burden, he refused a free gift from one of his own people of land and animals for use as a sacrifice.   His own words were,

“I will not offer burnt offerings

to the Lord my God

which costs me nothing.”

This story takes place in the last chapter of 2 Samuel.  The anger of the Lord burned against Israel.  Does it specifically say why?  No, but that is beside the point.  Apparently, when God removed His hand from Israel, David was vulnerable to pride and listened to the voice of Satan.  Out of this pride, he chose to number the people in a census when God had not ordered it.  His guilt overcame him and he cried out to God.  Then when the punishment came over all of Israel costing the lives of 70,000 men, David could not take it anymore, and so here is where we truly see his heart…his heart that said that it was his own fault, and that the people were innocent. 

When God told David what he must do to stop the punishment, the king hurried off to accomplish the deed, a sacrifice.  Now, a sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it costs nothing, so when one man offered to David a free gift to use as a sacrifice, the broken shepherd king said the beautiful words quoted above,

“I will not offer burnt offerings

to the Lord my God

which costs me nothing.”

I understand this.  But for us, our offerings are those of praise.  I often feel broken over my sinfulness and I desire to give to God in a way that will cost me.  But what could I possibly give that would cost enough?  After all, He’s given me so much. 

I’ve always felt a burning desire to give back to God for what He’s done for me…to pay Him back so to speak.  It’s a silly notion because who could actually pay the debt to begin with, let alone pay back the person who cancelled it as if it’s still owed.  But at least it keeps me in the right frame of mind in a society where people have the “me” attitude believing that life truly is all about themselves and all of heaven and earth owes them. 

Interesting that in only a couple of chapters earlier in 2 Samuel, chapter 22, we read a psalm written by David.  The same song is found in the book of Psalms in chapter 18.  A portion of this speaks of David’s righteousness.  I read those verses and wondered how anyone could speak of their own righteousness when we’re all sinful people.  Could he be lying to himself?  David certainly knew of his own sins, yet here he was calling himself blameless, righteous, clean, and obedient and even using absolutes when describing these words of perfection.  Yet it was during David’s reign that the anger of the Lord burned against Israel, just as it did during the reign of other kings…quite evil kings.  So, what made David so different?  It was his remorse.  It was his repentant heart.  It was his burning desire to give back to God what God gave to him…love. 

The love that God gives us did not cost him nothing.  It’s not a love that He owes to us.  What He does owe to us is punishment, yet He offers us forgiveness.  David did know of his own sinfulness.  He knew he was no example of perfection, yet he knew his God, his personal Creator and Savior, so well he even knew that because of his repentant heart, God remembered his sin no more.  God’s great mercy erased the sins of David from God’s own eyes, so that when God looked at David, He only saw a clean, righteous, and blameless heart.  He only saw the things of David that were good.  That’s why it says, “…according to my cleanness before His eyes.” 

David was no different than me, a fallen creature, but yes, because of his repentance he was a man after God’s own heart.  I suppose that is our costly offering…our repentance.  It costs us our pride, our arrogance, and our fleshly desires.  That’s what makes us after God’s own heart.

Amie Spruiell 8-12-2011