The reason I want to be careful about the question at the end of the message is that my question may imply that God did a better job fathering David than Saul. This implies that Saul’s unfaithfulness may somehow be God’s fault – which is clearly wrong. Upon further reflection, it actually seems like the tests that Saul failed were probably his God-ordained trials intended to shape and incline his heart Godward.
Also, David’s faith and heart for God weren’t necessarily born in the places of pain (he had them at an early age!), but they were surely strengthened and matured in those times because of his responsiveness to God in and through them. And it wasn’t a youthful arrogance that needed to be broken – his bold faith didn’t need subtraction, but rather addition. Perhaps God was adding a kind of softness and mercy. This reminds me of what Peter exhorts…
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
(2Pe 1:3-7 NIV)
Final point: David repents well. He trembles at God’s word. He’s able to see God’s mercy and thus fall in love with God even more deeply after he’s sinned. This is helpful for me in my New Covenant vantage point where mercy shines so much more brightly. I fail so often, but in the mercy of God it gives me a new vantage point to receive the forgiveness Christ purchased with his blood, and to experience afresh my total dependence on Jesus’ surprising love for me…
Thoughts?
