Character Studies - ElectronicGospel

Davida character study by Jeff S. SmithIntroductionOn one occasion, the apostle Paul preached a lesson at Antioch of Pisidia and used King David as anexample, much as we are prepared to do today. David noted that God testified of him that, "I have foundDavid, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will” (Acts 13:22). Thequalifications to be a real man are often debated and with little agreement in the end, but perhaps the wordof God can be more valuable than society in determining what makes a real man. David was a real man,though not a perfect man. He was a man after God's own heart, but sometimes his own heart failed himmorally. Still, David exemplifies what it means in this, or any, age, to be a man.DiscussionI. The Life of A ManA. David Was Called By God and Given A Mission (Psalm 78:67-72)1. when God was looking for a successor to the failed King Saul, he sent his prophet Samuel toBethlehem to find the right man2. Samuel's musings throughout the search show just how hard it is to harmonize our notionsabout men with God's (First Samuel 16:4-13)3. we are erroneously made to believe that the real man will be obvious by his bulk and his brutecharacter, but those attributes neither enhance nor diminish one's claim to manhood4. like the Lord, we must learn to look beyond appearances and judge manhood by the operationsof the heartB. David Was A Man of Courage1. the historical account of David's battle with Goliath is known to nearly every human on Earth2. a battle had been pitched and the Philistines were getting the better part of it, even mockingJehovah whose people seemed powerless to defend his honor (First Samuel 17:4-11)a. for 40 days, this display continued and all King Saul and his mighty men could do wasworry and shiverb. David was not even at the battle site, for he was too young and only arrived when hisbrothers required food (First Samuel 17:26-30)3. David shamed the king, his brothers and every man in the Hebrew army by volunteering forwhat they considered a suicide mission (First Samuel 17:31-37)a. he tried on Saul's body armor, but it was too large for him, just as David's spirit armor hadbeen too large for the king (First Samuel 17:40-51)b. a man of lesser faith would have been poorly equipped for a battle that God would giveonly a man dependent upon him4. a real man is not a coward, but is courageous and is willing to stand up for things that arehonorable and worthyC. David Was Not Too Proud To Accept Help (First Samuel 20:1-4)1. Jonathan is next in line to be king himself, but nobly understands that God has chosen Davidinstead2. Jonathan risks the wrath of his father and gives up any hopes of his own for the throne bysubmitting to God's will3. to his credit, David is willing to accept the assistance from another real mana. all too often, manhood is equated with a foolish form of pride that prevents one fromasking or accepting assistance in times of dire needb. but a man after God's own heart knows his limitations and makes sure that foolish pride isnot one of themD. David Was Influenced by A Woman1. as David continued to roam the countryside, avoiding the murderous look in Saul's eye, hecame across the ranch of a man named Nabal and his wife, AbigailCharacter Studies! 77