A Kingly topic

King. Conqueror. Giant slayer. Adulterer. Musician. Poet. A man after God’s own heart.

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about the life of David?

That was the lead-in question for this week’s Connection Group meeting.

More than two years ago Jeanie and I launched a once-per-week Bible study with members of our congregation, the Memorial Road Church of Christ.

In a church of more than 2,000 members, we thought it would be a good way to get to know some people outside of our Bible class and age bracket. Memorial Road launched a bunch of these groups at the same time.

I thought that the idea would last maybe six months. Shows what I know.

We have about a dozen people — ranging in age from mid-20s to mid-80s — who regularly attend. It’s a great time, and there’s always dessert.

For the next few months we’re planning to study the life of David, using as our guide David: A Man of Passion and Destiny by Charles Swindoll. I’ve looked over the book and an accompanying study guide. It seems like pretty good stuff. I may not agree with everything Swindoll says, but what fun would it be if I did?

So, as suggested by the study guide, I asked for first impressions of David. There were 12 of us present for the study, and I got at least 12 different responses:

• David and Goliath: God was with him. He overcame obstacles
• Selected by God to be king instead of his “strong, studly” brothers
• His friendship with Jonathan
• Dedicated himself to doing God’s will and repented when he strayed from it
• Showed kindness to Mephibosheth, one of Saul’s sons
• Prayed fervently for his unborn son, even after Nathan told him the child would die. After his attendants told him of the death, David got up and went on with his life.
• David dancing before the Lord as the Ark of the Covenant returns.
• David’s affair with Bathsheba.
• Nathan confronting David with his sin.
• David playing his harp.

As you can see, the simple name “David” brings a lot of varied images to mind for different people. Swindoll points out that a lot of scripture is devoted to David — more than any other Old Testament personality.

We backed up a bit and talked about the life of Samuel, focusing on his role as the final judge over Israel before the time of the kings.

One thing that’s always struck me about Samuel is his devotion to God and the way that he becomes angry with the people of Israel when they begin grumbling for a king. Samuel almost seems to become angry on God’s behalf, even when God is telling him not to take it personally. “They’re rejecting me, not you,” God says.

One of the reasons the people gave for wanting a king was that Samuel’s sons were not following in their father’s footsteps. They weren’t good rulers. They were taking bribes and “perverting justice,” as recorded in the book of 1 Samuel.

Samuel himself was raised in part by the priest Eli, and one of the reasons Samuel became a judge over Israel was because — guess what — Eli’s sons weren’t up to the task. (They were pretty thoroughly rotten, as a matter of fact.)

I sometimes wonder if Samuel’s sons didn’t turn out so good because Samuel’s model of fatherhood was Eli. Of course, no man can blame his actions on his bloodlines, and I have to believe that, at some point, Samuel’s sons chose to pursue dishonest gain.

A good point made during our study was that the use of the “your sons aren’t getting it done” argument was really just an excuse for what the people of Israel wanted — a king. And the real reason they wanted a king was “because everybody else has one.”

God, on so many occasions, had warned his people not to live like the nations around them. But this time he conceded and gave them exactly what they wanted.

What happened next is a lesson in “be careful what you wish for.” That’s next week’s topic.