David was a man who had received an extravagant promise. Anointed by Samuel, David had been told in the presence of his whole family, that he, David, would be the king of Israel even though everyone knew that Saul, the present king, had an ‘heir and a spare’ to succeed him.

The time between David’s anointing and his emergence as the king of Israel was a tumultuous , even agonizing time that included David’s victory over Goliath and Saul’s eventual murderous jealousy that forced David too leave Israel altogether. Many of David’s psalms reflect some of the angst of that period in his life: You number my wanderings; put my tears into your bottle; are they not in your book? When I cry out to You, then my enemies will turn back; this I know, because God is for me. ( Psalm 55:8-9) The back and forth of apprehension and confidence in the help of God, is a picture of David’s life, as he is fearful for his life and his family’s lives, but his fear sits on a shelf of confidence in the presence of God to protect and even prosper him. David’s relationship to God is deeply personal. He has needed God to preserve him ever since Saul perceived David as an enemy. It was a very delicate balance that David had to walk for the rest of Saul’s life.

When even David’s own men urged him to kill Saul, David answered, “The Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed.” ( 1Samuel 26:11) Though David could see no path to the crown, He refused to take into his own hands the working out of Samuel’s anointing him king. (1Samuel 16:11-13) This refusal became a strong bond between God and David, making a way for God to act in David’s life hugely. Throughout his life David placed his faith in the covenant relationship he had with God. Almost no one in his acquaintance understood the strength of that bond.

Eighteenth century theologian Adam Clarke wrote, “The cry of faith and prayer to God is more dreadful to our spiritual foes than the war-whoop of the Indian is to his surprised enemy.”

When David sinned, it was his cry to God that restored him, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me! (Psalm 51:11) When David was anointed he received God’s Holy Spirit. It was from that Spirit that David drew his knowledge and assurance that “God is for me.” This Spirit was a free gift to David as the Holy Spirit is a free gift to us through Christ. We, too, can say, ‘God is for me!’”

Love in Him,

Prue