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 Dedication

This book is lovingly dedicated to my father, Dr. Juan Carlos Viera, who
rests in Jesus until that glorious day when the Savior will call him from
death to eternal life. He was a man after God’s own heart, whose words
and example inspired and motivated me to believe and to serve my Master.

And to Jesus, my Savior, Redeemer, and King, who considered me worth

leaving the heavenly realms and dying here on earth. His love is so great
and so high for broken people like me that I could never fully comprehend
it. His grace will eternally amaze me.
 Contents

1. Anointed

2. Chosen

3. Mistreated

4. Persecuted

5. Exhausted
6. Nurtured

7. Fulfilled

8. Appointed
9. Vindicated

10. Exposed

11. Challenged

12. Forgiven
 CHAPTER 1

A nointed

He had virtually no voice left, yet he managed to somehow whisper, word

by word, the entire Psalm 23. His brilliant mind was still intact even
though his strength had left him. This was the last section of Scripture I
heard from my dad’s lips as he lay on his deathbed, waiting for the
inevitable, in full surrender and without fear. “Even though I walk through
the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with
me . . .” Valley of death—with no fear—how is that possible? The answer
follows in the same verse: “for You are with me.” I will never forget the
experience of watching my dad face the surety of death in full assurance of
faith, completely certain of the ending: “And I will dwell in the house of
the LORD forever” (verses 4, 6; emphasis added).
My father was a man who taught me, by words and actions, about the
heart of God and what it meant to trust in Him. In fact, both of my parents
fully trusted and rested in the arms of their heavenly Shepherd—in life and
in death, in sickness and in health, in difficulties and in abundance. My
father trusted his Shepherd even during his struggle with three different
types of cancer that afflicted him over a period of fifteen years in spite of
his healthy lifestyle. That is why my homily at his memorial service, based
on Psalm 23, was entitled “Rest Assured.” I admire my dad very much and
for many reasons, not the least of which is that his peaceful demeanor
welled out of the spring of his Jesus-centered faith, even to his last breath.
He was the same person in public and in private—his God-induced
integrity inspires me and will continue to do so for eternity. Throughout
his life, he possessed a serenity that I desire for myself, a tranquil fortitude
grounded in his conviction that Jesus died for him, and that his past,
present, and future rested in the arms of his Creator-Redeemer. And even
though my father was a religious leader, a minister, and a shepherd of his
flock, he was primarily a sheep following the Good Shepherd, who had
laid down His life for him. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice” (John
10:27, CEV). I am certain that my parents will recognize their Shepherd’s
voice in the resurrection morning and will follow Him throughout eternity.
What is it about Psalm 23 and its
writer that ministers to us, regardless
All of us yearn for
of our upbringing, race, age, or
situation? Whether we live in
such an intimacy
abundance—in green pastures and
waters of rest—or find ourselves in with God.
the valley of the shadow of death, we
all can relate to the song of this sling-
hurling ancient shepherd boy who cried a lot and who could sing and play
his lyre to soothe even a mad king—and who later became a king himself.
David, the only person in the Bible called a man after God’s own heart,
inspires me with his vulnerability and his yearning for intimacy with God
—when he was in the pit of sin and when he was on the top of the world.
And he discovered that the only path to a deep soul-searching awareness of
God’s love for us leads through brokenness. When we are broken, we have
nothing to use as payment. And that’s when we can fully accept God’s gift
of grace, salvation, and purpose. All is a gift. And we are filled with praise
and thanksgiving, even while in the cave of affliction and pain. Yes! All of
us yearn for such an intimacy with God. And hopefully through this book
we will get to know a bit more about David, the man after God’s heart,
who also foreshadowed the Davidic King who would later come to lay
down His life for His sheep. I can’t wait to explore how a man like David,
with so many ups and downs, who committed grave sins, who pretended to
be crazy, and who was conscience-stricken for cutting off a corner of the
robe of a maniac-king, was viewed by God as a man “after My heart”
(Acts 13:22). Thanks for joining me in this exciting biblical journey! Let’s
dive into the Scriptures! Here we go! Woo-hoo!

God’s plan
As the prophet Samuel grieved over the failings of the king whose heart
had departed from God, he received a heavenly message to go to
Bethlehem to anoint a new king. Interestingly enough, the crazy king, Saul
himself, had already received this verdict from God through Samuel:
“Your kingdom shall not endure. The LORD has sought out for Himself a
man after His own heart, and the LORD has appointed him as ruler over His
people” (1 Samuel 13:14; emphasis added). What kind of regal, majestic
king was this that God had prepared for Himself? Oh boy, was Samuel in
for a surprise!
“Now the LORD said to Samuel,
‘How long will you grieve over Saul,
When everything
since I have rejected him from being
king over Israel? Fill your horn with around me seems to
oil and go; I will send you to Jesse
the Bethlehemite, for I have selected fall apart, I need to
a king for Myself among his sons’ ”
(1 Samuel 16:1). Since the prophet, remember that God
aware of the increasing madness of
the king, is afraid for his life, the has a plan.
Lord sends him to Bethlehem to
sacrifice a heifer (verse 2). So Samuel heads to Bethlehem with an animal
in tow and a horn of oil hidden from prying eyes, in order to anoint a new
king.
 God had a plan. I love it! When everything around me seems to fall
apart, I need to remember that God has a plan. Nothing takes Him by
surprise; He is never early or late; nothing escapes His notice or is above
His head. He has a plan and possesses the power to execute it! That’s good
news, isn’t it? He usually doesn’t reveal His whole plan to us, though; only
the next step we need to take. But He knows the full plan, and we can trust
Him with it. Back in Bethlehem, the scope of His plan was greater than
anyone could have imagined! One thousand years later, in the same fields
where Samuel found the future shepherd-king, a choir of angels would
announce the birth of the Savior of the world, the King of heaven and
earth, the descendant of David who would set us free from sin. Same town,
same fields, same plan. God always acted in patterns, geographically and
historically, so that we wouldn’t miss the Savior when He came. He was
The Plan all along!
And God said to Samuel: “I will show you what you shall do” (verse 3).
Great! Hurry up! Let’s get going. Imagine how exciting it is to anoint a
new king! So what exactly was God looking for in this new ruler, the man
after His own heart?

God’s view
The elders of Bethlehem are a little nervous to see such a great religious
figure in their seemingly unimportant little town. But Samuel sets their
minds at ease by explaining that he has come to sacrifice. He also
consecrates Jesse and his sons and invites them to the sacrifice (verses 4,
5). All is going as planned. Surely this prophet of God will spot the new
king immediately. He has an eye for these things. After all, he’s done it
before. And let’s remember that Saul was tall, a head above everyone else
in Israel! This new king wouldn’t be less, for sure. Right? Wrong!
Have you experienced that—when
you think you know what God wants,
God always acted in
when you know the way, God throws
you a curveball? I am so glad that
patterns,
even God’s prophets are human!
Because that’s exactly what
geographically and
happened to Samuel. When Jesse’s
sons entered and Samuel saw Eliab, historically, so that
he thought: “Surely the LORD’s
anointed is before Him” (verse 6). we wouldn’t miss
But God made this a teaching
moment for him. The Lord the Savior when He
responded with one of the most
important aphorisms we have in the came.
Bible regarding God’s view of
humanity: “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not look at his appearance or
at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God sees not
as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks
at the heart’ ” (verse 7). Yikes!
Yep! So true! We often get stuck in externals, pomp and circumstance.
The parade continued, and all the sons of Jesse seemed more than
qualified. Eliab, Abinadab, Shammah—all seven boys. But God had not
chosen any of them (verses 6–10). Had Samuel gotten the wrong town? A
different address? Was the GPS broken? But the prophet was a quick
learner, and he asked Jesse: “ ‘Are these all the children?’ And he said,
‘There remains yet the youngest, and behold, he is tending the sheep.’
Then Samuel said to Jesse, ‘Send and bring him; for we will not sit down
until he comes here’ ” (verse 11). The youngest, a shepherd, had not even
been invited to participate in the sacrifice with the rest of the family. By
their standards he didn’t qualify. The youngest wasn’t their choice. But he
was God’s.

God’s choice
I love it! I love it! I love this pattern of God: He chooses the reject, the
underdog, the little one, the least, and the last. It makes me feel loved and
accepted, with all my imperfections. God is in the business of choosing the
unlikely ones. Woo-hoo!
There had been occasions when God had chosen the youngest sibling
instead of the oldest (see Genesis 25:23; 48:14, 19–20)—but not for a
king! Was it possible that He was choosing the youngest brother, a
shepherd boy, as the king of Israel? “So he sent and brought him in. Now
he was ruddy, with beautiful eyes and a handsome appearance. And the
LORD said, ‘Arise, anoint him; for this is he.’ Then Samuel took the horn
of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers; and the Spirit of the
LORD came mightily upon David from that day forward” (verses 12, 13).
David! This is the first time we encounter the name of this boy who would
be king. No other person in the Bible bears that name. Only him, the man
after God’s own heart. And this is the first time that David meets Samuel.
Later we are told of one other time the two of them met (1 Samuel 19:18).
So, Samuel anointed the unlikely
candidate—the first of three times
He is given the
that David was anointed. The second
was many years later when he was
Spirit of the Lord
anointed as king over the house of
Judah (see 2 Samuel 2:4), and the and enrolled in
third, when he became the king over
all Israel (see 2 Samuel 5:3). But all God’s school of
of this is still far in the future. For the
present time, in Bethlehem, he is brokenness, where
given the Spirit of the Lord
(1 Samuel 16:13) and enrolled in he is to learn things
God’s school of brokenness, where
he is to learn things not taught in any not taught in any
other school. His soul will be trained
to seek after God’s heart. Just like
other school.
you and me, he must be trained in the
art of not returning the spears that are
thrown at him. He must learn to sing and cry and to never stop talking to
God no matter how dark it gets. He must be trained to pray and sing in the
pits of despair, in caves of abandonment, and in mountain strongholds,
addressing God as “my God.” The shepherd boy will learn to depend on
God as his own Shepherd. When his heart is broken, he will find comfort
in the only One who can restore the soul.
David has been anointed the king to unify the nation, to place Israel on
the map, to be part of God’s covenant line, and to be included in the
lineage of the coming Davidic Messianic King, the Savior of the world and
the eternal King. Oh! And did I mention it? He has been anointed to be a
man after God’s own heart; therefore, he will attend God’s school for the
brokenhearted.

The LORD is my shepherd,

I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside quiet waters.
He restores my soul (Psalm 23:1–3; emphasis added).

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. Do you feel connected to the story of David in the Bible? Why?

2. Why does God in the Bible seem to always choose the least, the last,
the most insignificant, and so forth?
3. Explain the meaning of 2 Corinthians 12:9. What is the relationship
between grace and weakness?
4. Samuel thought he would recognize the new king by his appearance.
 Do you think we often judge people by appearances? How can we
switch to God’s method instead?
5. Why was David, with his checkered track record, a man after God’s
own heart?
 CHAPTER 2

Chosen

Giants are scary—even if they are only a product of your own imagination.
I remember my first experience with a giant. I was a little girl, and my
mom and I had gone out for a ride. Part of her job was collecting a
payment from a company, and she told me to stay inside the locked car for
just a few minutes. At that time, it was OK to leave a child in the car for a
short period. It was a safe area, and she would return shortly. The window
was partway open, and I dutifully sat, reading my children’s magazines.
However, I had heard of a mysterious and unusual people who lived in that
town. They looked and dressed differently, and I had decided in my young
mind that they were to be feared. With that in the back of my mind I was a
little bit on the lookout just to make sure I wasn’t kidnapped or in peril.
Shortly after my mother was out of
sight, a girl my age, clearly
Giants are scary—
belonging to the “suspect” group,
approached our car. Unexpectedly,
even if they are only
she demanded that I give her my
magazines, which I refused. She then a product of your
responded in a most terrifying way:
“I will call my mom—you’ll see own imagination.
what she will do!” And here’s where
my imagination kicked into high
gear. In my mind I saw a giant woman coming to the car, forcing the door
open, and taking me away to never ever see my loved ones again. The fact
that it was just my imagination did not make it less real for me! I couldn’t
fight this giant—I was just a child! What should I do? I felt utterly
desperate. The adrenaline rush helped me squeeze through the small
opening in the window. I left the car crying at the top of my lungs. I
thought my life was in danger, and anything seemed better than staying in
the car! I didn’t know exactly where my mother was. I started walking
down the street, crying so loudly that my mother heard me and came
running out to see what was going on. Between sobs, I tried to describe to
her the object of my imagination: a giant woman, ready to take me away
forever! Naturally we never saw the “giant” woman, but she was definitely
real to me! My mother was never able to figure out how I could slide
through that small opening in the window. Desperate times call for
desperate measures—and giants qualify as desperate times.

A desperate army
The battle was going to be important, as we can surmise from the details
in 1 Samuel 17. The first verse starts by stating: “Now the Philistines
gathered their armies for battle” (verse 1). These powerful and highly
civilized people, the people of the sea living before 1000 B.C., were trained
and seasoned warriors. The valley of Elah (verse 2) was of utmost
importance for them because it was the primary point of entry into the hill
country. It was about twelve miles west of Bethlehem. After three verses
of geographical details, we meet the giant: “Then a champion came out
from the armies of the Philistines named Goliath, from Gath, whose height
was six cubits and a span” (verse 4). The giant’s name, Goliath, is only
used twice: in verse 4 and verse 23; all of the other times he will be
referred to as “the Philistine” (twenty-seven times in this story). He is tall
—really tall! About three meters tall. And he is the representative of the
Philistine army.
 As if his stature wasn’t scary
enough, the next three verses God calls everyone
(verses 5–7) detail his intimidating
armor and weapons, shielding every to live for His glory
inch of his body (except part of his
face). Verses 5 through 7 make it and to expand His
clear that it is humanly impossible to
prevail against such an
kingdom.
overwhelming champion. And it is
not only the giant (verse 4) or his weapons (verses 5–7) that are
intimidating. Even his words (verses 8–11) are making everyone run for
cover: “I defy the ranks of Israel this day; give me a man that we may fight
together” (verse 10). Even Israel’s own giant, King Saul, who is a head
taller than everyone else in Israel, is now terrified: “When Saul and all
Israel heard these words of the Philistine, they were dismayed and greatly
afraid” (verse 11; see also verse 24). Yes, to put it mildly, this army is
desperate! They all want to flee the scene! And the giant taunts the armies
of the Living God for forty days (verse 16). Interestingly, forty days is a
period of testing in the Bible, to encourage trust in God (the Flood, the
spies in Canaan, Jonah’s message to Nineveh, Jesus’ temptations in the
desert, etc.). Everyone is desperate and looking for a solution, but there is
none. Who would have thought that God had prepared a boy after His own
heart for such a time as this?

Who is this?
One of the things that always gets me about David is his humble and
ordinary beginnings. The three older brothers who had been introduced to
Samuel (1 Samuel 16:6–9), are now in Saul’s army (1 Samuel 17:13).
David, probably too young to fight, kept alternating between Saul and his
father’s flock in Bethlehem (verse 15). David was serving Saul in the
court, often playing and singing as seen in the subsequent chapters, but for
some reason Saul didn’t recognize him in this story (verses 55–58). Don’t
you love how God uses ordinary people for His glory? I am so thankful for
that! God calls shepherds and carpenters, homemakers and gardeners,
moms, dads, kids, business people, doctors, and lawyers. He calls
everyone to live for His glory and to expand His kingdom.
Jesse sends David with supplies to his brothers on the battlefield. When
David arrives, he hears the words of the Philistine champion and
indignantly inquires: “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should
taunt the armies of the living God?” (verse 26; emphasis added). He is not
annoyed for himself but passionate for God. I had to learn to choose my
battles carefully. When I joined the ministry, I realized right away that I
needed God’s wisdom in this area—and fast! I learned to choose only
those battles that pertain to God’s name and the integrity of the gospel
message. I understood that we don’t need to defend ourselves every time
someone attacks us personally. But when the gospel is on the line, God
places a fire in our bellies to proclaim the good news clearly, no matter the
consequences.
As David arrived at the battlefield, the giant was shouting insults,
defying Israel and their God. The timing of these events tells us that God
was acting behind the scenes, training His chosen one to trust in Him even
in the most impossible situations. David would become a core character in
the covenantal plan of redemption, and just like us, he had to learn that it is
not about us but about God and His ability to save. He was becoming a
man after God’s heart—experiencing his own powerlessness and God’s
powerfulness!
Some people overheard David and took him to King Saul, where he
made his intent clear: “Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine”
(verse 32). Saul replied: “You are not able . . . ; you are but a youth while
he has been a warrior from his youth” (verse 33). You are a young kid, but
he is an experienced fighter! And his armor! And his weapons! And his
size! No way you can win this one!
 The Lord will deliver me!
If you are to fulfill God’s purpose
for your life, you will need to learn
David would face
to discern His voice from all the
others. David had to lend a deaf ear
the giant in the name
to Saul’s voice (verse 33), his
brother’s voice (verse 28), and of the LORD of
probably the voice in his own head
that kept stating the obvious: you are hosts!
too small, too young, too
inexperienced, blah, blah, blah.
Instead he decided to focus on God; not on the giant, not on himself, not
on the others. David encouraged his soul, and King Saul, by remembering
how in the past the Lord had delivered the lion and the bear into his hands
(verse 37). Goliath would be no different: “The LORD who delivered me
from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me
from the hand of this Philistine” (verse 37). Finally, Saul agreed and tried
to clothe David in his armor, which was a bad idea. We are all different,
and God never intended for us to try to be someone else or to wear
someone else’s “armor.” It didn’t work, and David “took them off”
(verse 39).
Then David headed to a dry riverbed in the valley of Elah and picked up
five smooth stones (verse 40). I had the privilege of standing in that dried
brook, and I also picked up stones. It was quite an emotional experience
for me, standing right there, in the middle of the valley, with the two hills
overlooking the very place where David and Goliath faced each other.
Once again, I was reminded of how God has the ability to take something
as ordinary as a smooth stone and use it to win an extraordinary battle.
David placed the stones in his shepherd’s bag (verse 40) and with the sling
in his hand approached the giant.
David was quite busy right before the face-off (verses 39, 40): he
girded, tried, removed, took, chose, put, and approached. But it wasn’t his
excitement, his energy, or his ability that won the battle. No! He would
face the giant in the name of the LORD of hosts!

“The battle is the LORD’s”!

The following fourteen verses narrate the actual duel between Goliath
and David and its aftermath (verses 41–54). When the giant saw David, he
cursed him by his gods (verse 43) and promised to give his flesh to the
birds and beasts for food (verse 44). David didn’t blink but gave his
longest speech in this chapter: “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and
a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts [Yahweh
seba’ot], the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted. This day
the LORD will deliver you up into my hands, and I will strike you down
and remove your head from you. And I will give the dead bodies of the
army of the Philistines this day to the birds of the sky and the wild beasts
of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel, and
that all this assembly may know that the LORD does not deliver by sword
or spear, for the battle is the LORD’s and He will give you into our hands”
(verses 45–47; emphasis added). Woo-hoo! You go, David!
The powerful name of God “LORD of hosts” is used 241 times in the
Jewish Scriptures. Amazing! This is not one of many gods, like the
Philistine claimed. No! This is the God of the armies of heaven and earth!
And it is His name that is on the line. David’s passion is for God’s
reputation. And then he says something that I need to remember every day:
“the battle is the Lord’s” ! Not mine, not yours . . . but God’s! And God’s
ways are different from our ways. The Philistines had the tallest champion,
the most powerful weapons, and the best training. But God just needed a
man after His own heart. And He chose David.

The Representative
It was quite common in that culture to go into battle through a
representative. But it is even more
important for us to understand that This is the good
principle in the spiritual and
theological realm. You see, this is the news of the gospel
reason we can live with the assurance
of salvation: because our of Jesus Christ: we
Representative, Jesus, has fought and
won on our behalf. Adam, the
have eternal
representative of the human race,
salvation, not
chose to disobey God, and we all
became sinful and mortal. Jesus, the because we are
Second Adam, through His
obedience to the point of death on powerful and able
the cross, won for everyone who
chooses Him as Representative. “So soldiers in the battle
then as through one transgression
there resulted condemnation to all between good and
men, even so through one act of
righteousness there resulted evil, but because
justification of life to all men. For as
through the one man’s disobedience
Jesus fought in our
the many were made sinners, even so
through the obedience of the One the
place and won.
many will be made righteous”
Woo-hoo!
(Romans 5:18, 19). This is the good
news of the gospel of Jesus Christ:
we have eternal salvation, not because we are powerful and able soldiers in
the battle between good and evil, but because Jesus fought in our place and
won. Woo-hoo!
Now, back to David. He fought as a representative of all Israel, in the
name and power of the God of Israel. When David was done with his
discourse (1 Samuel 17:45–47), instead of running away like everyone else
had during the past forty days, “David ran quickly toward the battle line to
meet the Philistine” (verse 48; emphasis added)—and the rest is history.
How is that for a passion and purpose! I love it! God gave David the
victory! And this is the David we all admire: triumphant, passionate,
victorious, assured, ready, willing, and able. And yet this is just the
beginning of David’s story. Everyone cheers for the strong and the
powerful, and yet God’s power is made perfect in our weakness
(2 Corinthians 12:9). And David had to learn that truth when he faced
some of the greater giants in his life: doubt, fear, loneliness, unfairness,
persecution, jealousy, and his own sin and pride. Those are the types of
giants that are defeated by God when He enrolls us in the school of
brokenness.

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. What was the main different between David and everyone else in
Israel when facing the giant? Why is it that sometimes we focus more
on the size of our giants and not so much on how big our God is?
2. Why is it important to remember how God has delivered us from
difficulties in the past?
3. Do you sometimes try to fit in someone else’s armor?
4. How is Jesus our “Representative” who took our place in the battle
and why does this give us assurance for the future?
5. What are the theological and practical life implications of believing
that “the battle is the Lord’s”?
 CHAPTER 3

Mistreated

Unexpected adverse seasons are difficult. And typically these storms bring
unpredictable timing and a lot of change combined with a mixture of pain
and fear—and we don’t know what to do next or how to keep our faith
alive. Maybe you were served divorce papers, or perhaps you lost your
job. Or perhaps you’ve just received bad news from your doctor. Suddenly
everything changes. Now what?
I was young and ready to experience life when I decided to try a new
venture by starting a computer company dealing with an integrated
industry-specific software. We leased our office space, hired employees,
and launched the business. However, we found out very soon that the
competition was very fierce. Since we didn’t have enough funds to hire a
marketing person, I had to go out to do sales, even though I hated it. One
day I was sitting on the floor of the office and tried to get up but couldn’t. I
had a sharp pain in my knee; something was terribly wrong. At the hospital
I was told that my meniscus had been crushed and I needed an immediate
surgery. What? I can’t do that! I don’t have time! I have to take care of my
company and make enough money to pay my employees! How long would
recovery take? Why can’t this happen next year, when we are established?
But usually we don’t get to choose the timing of a storm.
And just like that, the tide changed. They tried to do arthroscopic
surgery, but it didn’t work. So they
had to cut open my knee (a big cut,
by the way!), and I was unable to Looking back, I
walk for about two months. Looking
back, I realize that during that time realize that during
of waiting God was training me to
trust Him with my daily tasks, my that time of waiting
future, my anxieties, my bills, and
everything else. These unexpected
God was training me
events brought some really difficult
to trust Him with my
financial and emotional changes. But
God was using this time to teach me daily tasks, my
something that would become handy
later on when I had to face even future, my anxieties,
more overwhelming circumstances.
Eventually I had to close this my bills, and
company just as I had to close other
important chapters in my life. But everything else.
little by little God was teaching me a
simple but profound lesson: Trust Me! Why is it that we learn certain
lessons only in the school of brokenness? I sometimes wonder . . .

Change of plans
Saul, the king who was getting
crazier by the minute, was having
It is important to
spiritual issues, to say the least.
David would play the harp in Saul’s
remember that there
court so that when the evil spirit
came upon the king, the music would are storms that come
help him (see 1 Samuel 16:18–23).
When David killed Goliath, Saul with no wrongdoing
realized that he could do a lot more
than play the harp, so he did not want
on our part.
David to go home anymore
(1 Samuel 18:2). “David went out
wherever Saul sent him, and prospered; and Saul set him over the men of
war” (verse 5). That was a brilliant plan! The victorious David would now
help the king to battle his enemies. Surely this shepherd boy turned warrior
will bring victory because the Spirit of God is with him! Awesome! That’s
how we like it!
But suddenly the plans change. The narrative takes us behind the scenes
to reveal the relational problems besetting the king’s heart. As Saul and
David returned from the battle with the Philistines, the women came out to
greet them with instruments, singing, and great joy (verse 6). The women
sang “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands” (verse 7).
And that was it—that was all it took to throw this insecure king and his
ego for a loop. Saul became angry and from that day on was always
suspicious of David (verses 8, 9). Crazy! Isn’t it? A simple song, with a
nice and common rhyme, suddenly created the perfect storm in Saul’s
heart. It is important to remember that there are storms that come with no
wrongdoing on our part. We live in a sinful world where good people die
from cancer, kids get killed by drunk drivers, and hillsides collapse on the
homes of innocent families. I praise the Lord for His promises to be with
us always (Matthew 28:20) and that one day He will put an end to all the
pain, sickness, and death (Revelation 21:4)!
Back to our story. At the king’s court everything seemed normal. David
played his harp, and then all of a sudden, “Saul hurled the spear for he
thought, ‘I will pin David to the wall.’ But David escaped from his
presence twice” (1 Samuel 18:11). Excuse me! Did we miss something?
What happened? Saul tried to kill David? (By the way, this wouldn’t be
the last time! See 1 Samuel 19:9, 10). What about Saul’s plans? Well . . .
plans change.
 Downward spiral
Unbelievably, Saul was afraid of
David because the Lord was with
When we become
him and everyone in Judah and Israel
loved him (1 Samuel 18:12–16). Saul
negligent in heeding
didn’t just mistreat David; he wanted
him dead. So the king came up with God’s voice
some more subtle ways of getting rid
of David. Saul’s daughter Michal speaking to our
loved David, and the king saw an
opportunity to fulfill his evil designs heart, usually the
through her: “I will give her to him
that she may become a snare to him, downward spiral is
and that the hand of the Philistines
may be against him” (verse 21; quick.
emphasis added). The jealousy
monster has no limits. Saul hated David so much that he was willing to use
his own daughter as a bait. Furthermore, he was hoping that David would
die trying to supply the outrageous “dowry” the king demanded: “Saul
then said, ‘Thus you shall say to David, “The king does not desire any
dowry except a hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to take vengeance on
the king’s enemies.” ’ Now Saul planned to make David fall by the hand of
the Philistines” (verse 25; emphasis added). David struck down, not one
hundred but, two hundred Philistine men. Saul’s subtle ways were not
working, so he switched to an open and overt campaign to kill David.
“Now Saul told Jonathan his son and all his servants to put David to
death” (1 Samuel 19:1). This is the first time Saul publicly announced his
plan to exterminate the man after God’s heart. When we become negligent
in heeding God’s voice speaking to our heart, usually the downward spiral
is quick. Now, for no apparent reason at all, Saul is openly hunting down
the one in whom the Spirit of the Lord is obviously found. Such a season
in our lives is very troubling. We don’t know why bad things are
happening. David obviously could have thrown the spear back or laid a
trap for Saul or used his sling. But David respected Saul as the king,
appointed by God, and did not want to harm him. While Saul’s methods
and motives are spiraling down, out of control, David is being trained to
choose different methods and trust in the Lord because he, too, would be
king—and not a king like Saul. But things were definitely not what David
had expected. Can you relate?
There is a book written by Gene
Edwards, entitled A Tale of Three
My brokenness can
Kings, that has helped me
immensely. In it, he discusses the
bring glory to God.
need for David to be trained in the
school of brokenness. Edwards
points out that David would be king but not after the order of Saul. And
the core proposition of his book is that God used Saul to kill the Saul in
David, so that when David became the king he wouldn’t be like Saul.1
Isn’t that deep? Whenever I find myself in unfair circumstances or feeling
mistreated or oppressed in one way or another, I reread this book, and it
reminds me that my brokenness can bring glory to God.
“There is a time for every event under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1–8), and
in David’s life, a time to run had arrived.

God with us
“The LORD was with him” (1 Samuel 18:12); “The LORD was with him”
(verse 14); “The LORD was with David” (verse 28). Really? And if the
Lord is with David, why does he have to run? Why escape? Why not
confront, fight, battle, and throw spears? So glad you asked! Because if he
fought and threw spears, he would be as crazy as King Saul . . . and God
needed a man after His own heart, a different type of king. Amazing!
Jonathan, the king’s son, became
very close to David and protected
him from his father’s murderous While Saul’s
plans (see 1 Samuel 19, 20). Even
the king’s daughter, David’s wife, methods and
helped David escape after her father
tried once again to “pin David to the motives are spiraling
wall” (1 Samuel 19:8–17). It is
important to mention that, during
down, out of
these sudden storms of pain, God
control, David is
usually sends people to remind us
that He is with us. God encourages being trained to
us with godly advice and friendships,
and sometimes He sends trustworthy choose different
listeners. God is amazing! I will be
eternally grateful for the spiritual methods and trust in
wisdom and encouragement of my
close friends at the times when the Lord.
everything felt cold and dark around
me.
I want to mention two other principles. When David escaped from his
own house with the help of his wife, he fled to Ramah: “Now David fled
and escaped and came to Samuel at Ramah, and told him all that Saul had
done to him” (verse 18). I love this verse. David not only looked up to
Samuel because he was a prophet but he was also reminded of his calling
when he first met Samuel. This was the prophet of God who had anointed
him king by divine command—the man who could remind him that he was
the chosen one, the man after God’s own heart. We can do the same: go to
where we can be reminded of our calling.
The second place is Nob, where
David went to see Ahimelech the
God is an expert in
priest (see 1 Samuel 21:1). And
something amazing happened there!
being triumphant in
David received food: the bread of the
Presence that had been removed.
the midst of
Some scholars see in this event a
reminder for David that God’s apparent
presence was with him. But the part
that really gets me is what comes impossibilities.
next. “David said to Ahimelech,
‘Now is there not a spear or a sword
on hand? For I brought neither my sword nor my weapons with me,
because the king’s matter was urgent.’ Then the priest said, ‘The sword of
Goliath the Philistine, whom you killed in the valley of Elah, behold, it is
wrapped in a cloth behind the ephod; if you would take it for yourself, take
it. For there is no other except it here.’ And David said, ‘There is none like
it; give it to me’ ” (verses 8, 9). Wow! How is that for a reminder? I can
picture God smiling at the sight. The sword of Goliath! I believe with all
my heart that God used this moment to remind David that with the power
of the LORD of hosts on his side he would get through this. God is an
expert in being triumphant in the midst of apparent impossibilities. This
was the reminder of a giant victory to encourage the heart of this fugitive,
who was enrolled in the school of brokenness to grow closer to God’s
heart.

Perfected through suffering

Jesus, the descendant of David, also enrolled in the school of
brokenness. The result of the pain He endured would be eternal life for
many, and that was good enough for the Savior. “But we do see Him who
was made for a little while lower than the angels, namely, Jesus, because
of the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, so that by the
grace of God He might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting for Him,
for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing
many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through
sufferings” (Hebrews 2:9, 10; emphasis added). Jesus was perfected as a
Savior through sufferings. And I will thank Him for eternity, because He is
the only reason why I am saved.
David, one thousand years before Christ, would become a man after
God’s own heart through suffering and pain. God sent him friends,
mentors, and powerful reminders of His presence along the way as He still
does to us. And David, just like us, cried and sang his way into the next
season: caves!

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. In the Bible we see people whom God uses in a special way to fulfill
his purposes go through the school of brokenness. Is this necessary
for us as well?
2. Why are sudden and unexpected life storms so scary? Feel free to
share an example.
3. What would have been wrong if David had thrown the spear back in
order to defend himself? Were his actions a sign of weakness or
strength?
4. David had been anointed to be the king. Why did God allow so many
bad things to happen in his life?
5. Why was suffering necessary for the Author of our salvation? (See
Heb 2:9, 10).

1. Gene Edwards, A Tale of Three Kings (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1992).
 CHAPTER 4

Persecuted

I still remember the phone call even though it happened many years ago.
My dad called me and asked if I could visit because my mom was having a
very difficult day. You see, my mother and my father both went through
really hard times with three different types of cancer each. Over the years
they took turns caring for each other through chemo, radiation, and other
tough times. Now it was my mother’s turn to be bedridden. After a most
difficult season of surgery, radiation, and chemo, it was very hard for her
to see any light at the end of the dark tunnel. I must tell you that my
mother was the most positive person that I have ever known. Even when
losing her hair with chemo or when the tumors in her lungs were breaking
her ribs, God enabled her to keep smiling, joking, trusting, and
encouraging the people around her. So, this phone call asking for help was
out of the ordinary.
When I arrived, I decided to put to
use some of the skills I picked up in
The reason “in-
the art therapy classes that I took
during my master’s program in
between” times are
organizational behavior. We got
colored pencils and paper, and I so difficult is that
invited my mom to draw anything
that came to her mind, starting from
where she was now, then where she
we have no idea
would be in the near future, and how
she envisioned the future after that.
what point B looks
With her very developed artistic side,
she drew a dark hole to start and like.
drew herself in it. Then she depicted
herself climbing out of the hole and
picking up flowers, then walking on a beautiful path filled with flowers
and trees. The colors that she was using were getting brighter and the
scenery happier and happier. Then on the right-hand side of the page, she
colored the Pyramids, and I knew that her spirit was in the right place and
that she would be all right. The reason why I was certain was that we were
planning a trip to Egypt when all of this would be over, and I was so
pleased to witness that she could envision herself traveling there. And we
did! We went to Egypt and to many other places in the seven years that
followed. I cherish a photo where she and I are riding camels and her hand
is lifted up as if saying, “I made it!” She knew all along that God was with
her, even in her darkest hours and the most difficult times.
When I was going through my own dark “in-between” time (in-between:
when you have left point A but don’t know what point B will be), I learned
a saying about faith: “Faith is not leaving point A to go to point B. It’s just
leaving point A.” The reason “in-between” times are so difficult is that we
have no idea what point B looks like. In his “in-between” period David
will get closer and closer to God, writing some of the most heartrending
psalms and sharing some of the most beautiful visualizations of God. And
all of that happened when he had left point A in his life but had not yet
arrived at point B—when he found himself in a real wilderness of the soul.

The wilderness of the soul

In just a few verses we learn that David is being persecuted and is
dwelling in the hills, the forest, the wilderness, and the strongholds. Some
of the many places mentioned are the
cave of Adullam (1 Samuel 22:1), David is not only
the forest of Hereth (verse 5), the
wilderness of Ziph (1 Samuel 23:14), dwelling in actual
and the strongholds of Engedi
(verse 29). David is not only desolate places but
dwelling in actual desolate places but
has entered the wilderness of the
has entered the
soul, a place where we encounter
wilderness of the
God in a very personal and intimate
way. It is a cocoon of the spiritual soul, a place where
life. Over the years, I have become
passionately interested in the cocoon we encounter God in
metaphor and the fact that the same
place can be simultaneously a tomb a very personal and
and a womb, so to speak. The cocoon
is the place where the caterpillar dies intimate way.
and the butterfly is born. And, this is
where we find David.
It is during this dark time that David is being trained to be king, to lead
people—some very interesting people, to say the least. “Everyone who
was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was
discontented gathered to him; and he became captain over them. Now
there were about four hundred men with him” (1 Samuel 22:2). How
would you like to start testing your leadership skills with such a group? He
also learned the value of support, as his family gathered around him too
(see verses 3, 4).
David learned to treat the undeserving current king with grace and
compassion. While he and his men were hiding in a cave in Engedi, Saul,
unaware of their presence, came into the same cave to relieve himself (you
can read about this tense and yet somewhat amusing event in 1 Samuel
24:2–22). David’s men thought this was a gift from God and strongly
encouraged David to kill Saul, who had come with three thousand men to
hunt down David. Instead, David cut off the edge of Saul’s robe. Only a
man after God’s own heart could spare the life of a killer actively pursuing
him. And yet a moment later David’s conscience was bothering him. Why,
you ask? Great question!
You see, at that time, cutting off
the corner of someone’s robe
During his time in
signified breaking a covenant and
terminating a relationship. In a
the wilderness,
divorce, the husband would cut off
the corner of the wife’s robe. Thus David kept talking
David, in fact, had sent a message to
Saul that he no longer pledged to God.
allegiance to God’s appointed king.
Simply put, David had
communicated that Saul’s reign should be over and David’s turn had
come. The certainty of David’s future as king was even acknowledged by
Saul himself (see verses 20–22). But David was learning to wait for God to
unfold His will and His timing—something that we usually learn during
the wilderness of the soul. What we learn about God during this time will
guide us during the rest of our lives. And we will learn to sing while in a
cave.

Songs and prayers of the heart

I had the privilege of visiting the desert of Engedi and the area where
David hid in caves. It was an emotional experience to see the same hills,
rocks, and caves that David saw. And perhaps for the first time I was able
to truly relate to some of the most beautiful visualizations of God that
David put in his songs and prayers. During his time in the wilderness,
David kept talking to God, which is something that I have learned to do
during the dark times in my adult years. Conversing with God during the
bad times was a breakthrough for me. When I went through my own
wilderness about twenty years ago, I attended some weekly groups for
emotional and spiritual support. One day a minister who was struggling
with his wife’s reckless behavior shared a story that made the lightbulb go
on in my mind.
The story was about a woman who for a very long time had been
struggling with her husband’s compulsive behaviors and yet had somehow
managed to keep a happy appearance, hiding behind her smiles and a
happy face. But one day her burden got too heavy: it was too much and too
painful. Having just arrived home, still sitting in her car in the garage she
started yelling at God at the top of her lungs, “How could you do this to
me? Why did you allow this to happen?” Immediately she felt in her soul
God talking to her and saying, “It’s so nice to hear from you.” I never
forgot this story, because this was the time of darkness for me too, as I was
learning my own songs and prayers of the heart. Being an emotionally
strong person, it was easy for me to get into a place where I denied reality
and always pretended to be OK—even when I wasn’t. It was time for me
to get real, and I knew that God wanted to hear from me, even though all I
could muster in my prayer was: “Help!” “Why?” “Please!” or “Really?”
By the way, have you noticed that some of the most desperate and heartfelt
prayers consist of a single word?
During this “in-between” time, David wrote beautiful songs, or prayers,
from his heart. Some of his psalms have at the beginning a description of
the circumstances under which David wrote them. For example, the
description found in Psalm 57 reads, “When he fled from Saul in the
cave.” And in Psalm 142, it reads “When he was in the cave. A Prayer.”
Please take a moment to read both psalms (57 and 142), and you will
understand how David was feeling. I am particularly moved by phrases
like “You are my refuge.” David used the first person possessive pronoun,
indicating that the Lord was not just a refuge, but “my refuge.”
 Standing in the wilderness of Engedi I could understand where David
got some of his visualizations of God. This place is filled with rocks and
strongholds like natural fortresses. For example, now when I read Psalm
144, I have a visualization in my soul: “Blessed be the LORD, my rock. . . .
My lovingkindness and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer, my
shield and He in whom I take refuge” (verses 1, 2). I started wondering
what visualizations of God I may have that correspond to my needs and
circumstances. What would you say to God? You are my financial
advisor? Or You are my best marriage therapist? Or my counselor? I
recently lost my father (my mother passed away two years earlier). For the
first time I was an orphan. And now when I tell God, “You are my
Father,” these two words have a brand-new meaning . . . I am not an
orphan. Now, why don’t you try it? Fill in the blank:
“I cried out to You, O LORD; I said, ‘You are my _________’ ” (Psalm
142:5, paraphrase). When we find ourselves in a cave, God becomes real
and personal, and we start an intimate and real relationship with our God
and Savior. Perhaps you, too, will feel His voice saying, “It is so nice to
hear from you!”

In-between
A few years ago my friend and
fellow Bible student Alyssa Foll
His heart had to
preached a sermon that I will never
forget. It related to this cave time in
learn to beat in
the life of David, the “in-between”
time that she called “between unison with God’s
anointing and appointing.” It is the
time period many of us are in, when heart, and that
we know that God has called us for a
particular purpose, yet we find lesson was to be
ourselves in a dark cave of adverse
circumstances, wondering what is
learned in the caves
happening and how long until the
“appointing” will take place. During
and strongholds of
these in-between times, we run out of
answers and are stripped of all our the wilderness.
securities. God teaches us that His
ways are higher than ours and that
His plans and timing are best, even when we don’t fully understand them.
David knew that he had been anointed to be king, and yet he had not been
appointed yet. His heart had to learn to beat in unison with God’s heart,
and that lesson was to be learned in the caves and strongholds of the
wilderness.
Jesus, the descendant of David and the Savior of the world, also went
through an “in-between” time in Gethsemane and on the cross. He asked
God if there was any other way than the path He was facing (Matthew
26:39), but there was none, so He submitted to the plan. On the cross,
feeling separated from His Father, Jesus uttered the words from Psalm 22,
a psalm of David: “My God, My God, why have You forsaken me?”
(Psalm 22:1; emphasis added. Also see Matthew 27:45). Jesus usually
called God His Father, but this time He called Him His God! That’s all He
had left! His God! And even though He was feeling forsaken, He still used
the possessive pronoun: My. Why was He forsaken, being that He was
“Immanuel, God with us” (Matthew 1:23)? He was forsaken so that we
may never be forsaken. And this is why I am assured of my salvation.
Nothing can separate me from God’s love through Jesus! Nothing!
(Romans 8:38, 39).
During his time of persecution and suffering David found permanence,
protection, and faithfulness in the Lord. God became his rock, his refuge,
and strength. Are you “in-between”? Are you feeling persecuted,
abandoned, treated unfairly, or alone? Remember, you are not alone! God
is with you, at your side. He will strengthen you and guide you. He will
uphold you and sustain you. He is the One who anoints and the One who
appoints. In the meantime, let Him teach you to pray and sing from the
heart—after God’s own heart.

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. Why are in-between periods (the time from leaving point A and
before reaching point B) necessary for growing our faith? What is the
purpose of the “wilderness of the soul”?
2. Do you believe that God wants the best for us, as soon as possible?
Why or why not?
3. Share a visualization of God that you need right now: “Lord, You are
my ____________”
4. What does it mean to have intimacy with God during the good and
not so good times?
5. What is the significance of Jesus quoting Psalm 22 as He was hanging
on the cross?
 CHAPTER 5

Exhausted

The postal employee must have thought I was crazy as I frantically

knocked on the glass door of the central post office distribution center after
hours. There was no way that person could have known the reason for my
desperation and exhaustion.
It had started eight years earlier when I enrolled in the doctoral program
at a university in the United Kingdom with a renowned New Testament
scholar as my dissertation supervisor. During the previous eight years I
had periodically traveled from the United States to the United Kingdom to
work on my degree, but now the time was running out. I still had some
final touches to make in order to finish my dissertation, and the deadline
was approaching fast. My supervisor had just returned my dissertation
draft with his notes, and I was planning to take it with me to Alaska, where
I was scheduled to be preaching and teaching the following week. My plan
was to use every spare moment I could find to finalize the dissertation and
then send it to the binder and distribute the finished product to the
members of my defense committee. This was my last chance to finish the
degree; there was no more time left. Somehow I missed the delivery and
ended up with a note on my door saying that the package was at the postal
distribution center. I called the number on the note and was told that the
office would be closing in a few minutes. I tried frantically to explain how
important it was for me to get the package that day and how eight years of
hard work and thousands of dollars were on the line. Someone took pity on
me and said that an employee would stay there a little longer after the
office closed, but that I had to hurry and be there within twenty minutes. I
drove like a maniac with the weight of eight years on my shoulders;
however, I could not make it within the time I was given. Exhausted, I
arrived at the post office, but it looked totally deserted. I started knocking,
but no one answered. I felt drained and desperate as tears started filling my
eyes. Yet I kept knocking and knocking, hoping against all hope.
This was it. Since I couldn’t get my manuscript with the professor’s
remarks, I wasn’t going to make it. This was my only chance because I
was flying out in a few hours. But it couldn’t end here—it just couldn’t! I
kept knocking, because there was nothing else I could do. Finally, after
what seemed like an eternity, somebody came to the door and gave me the
package. I could not stop thanking him, but he will probably never know
how much his kindness meant to me. And I will never forget that day, on
which my academic future hung in the balance. It would have ended right
there if it wasn’t for the grace of God and the kindness of that person. I
will also never forget feeling totally spent and the helplessness that
brought tears to my eyes. But that wouldn’t be the last time in my life I felt
that way.

A time to cry
What else could possibly go
wrong? I am sure that David asked
God doesn’t
this question repeatedly, and each
time he found out that, actually,
abandon us, even
something else did go wrong. This is
a sad time in the life of the anointed when we make wild
of the Lord. Having spent a long time
living in caves and strongholds, decisions and take
exhausted from wandering, David
finally decides to seek refuge in the
crazy detours.
enemy camp—in Gath, of all places
(1 Samuel 27:1–7)! What? Isn’t this
the hometown of Goliath? Yep! This is the territory of Israel’s enemies,
and David has decided to cross over to the other side. What happened to
the triumphant youth who trusted in the Lord of hosts? The life in caves,
the cold of the night, the thirst of a sun-scorched land, and the
hopelessness of a desperate soul can sometimes have this effect on a
person. And yet God doesn’t abandon us, even when we make wild
decisions and take crazy detours. He is right there, by our side, waiting
patiently for us to come to our senses. David spends sixteen months in
Gath and is given a small town, Ziklag, as a home for himself and for his
men and their families. No psalm is recorded from that period of time. Sad,
isn’t it? In the darkness of the soul it’s easy to lose one’s hope and one’s
song. And as if living in the enemy territory isn’t bad enough, David turns
double-faced. The king of Gath is led to believe that David has turned to
his side, but David can’t harm Israel and makes raids against desert tribes
instead, killing everyone so no one can report what he is doing (see
verses 8–12). He lies and covers it up with bloodshed. This is a sad time in
the life of David.
But one day it goes from bad to worse. The Philistines are about to go to
war with Israel. What is David to do? The king of Gath invites David and
his men to join them in the battle (1 Samuel 29:3). But the commanders of
the Philistines are suspicious and angry; they still remember how this
David was the one who led Israel to victory; “Is this not David, of whom
they sing in the dances, saying. ‘Saul has slain his thousands, and David
his ten thousands’? ” (verse 5). So the king sends David and his men
home. Thus, God miraculously delivers David from a lose-lose situation.
But when they arrive at Ziklag, there is a nightmare awaiting them! “The
Amalekites had made a raid on the Negev and on Ziklag, and had
overthrown Ziklag and burned it with fire; and they took captive the
women and all who were in it, both small and great, without killing
anyone, and carried them off and went their way” (1 Samuel 30:1, 2).
What else could have gone wrong? Everything! Talk about being enrolled
in the school of brokenness! Not only is David’s double life in a total mess
in the enemy territory, but now their town is burned down and, more
importantly, their families have been kidnapped!
Exhausted and drained, these tough, battle-hardened warriors in
desperation started to cry. “When David and his men came to the city,
behold, it was burned with fire, and their wives and their sons and their
daughters had been taken captive. Then David and the people who were
with him lifted their voices and wept until there was no strength in them to
weep” (verses 3, 4; emphasis added). Yes, the time of crying had come.
Exhausted, David is about to hit the bottom; but the amazing thing is that
when we lose everything and all that’s left is God, we discover that God is
enough . . .

Look up!
In this most disheartening of
circumstances, David finds out that
Regardless of what
there are no guarantees in life, other
than God’s love and His Presence
was happening—
with us. He could have used a bit of
encouragement and comfort from his David still had his
people, but they were not happy with
him. “David was greatly distressed God!
because the people spoke of stoning
him, for all the people were
embittered, each one because of his sons and his daughters” (verse 6;
emphasis added). Have you ever encountered someone who will kick you
when you are down? If so, you can relate to David. Everything is going
wrong, but until now, at least he had his “friends,” even though they were
a bunch of discontented misfits. But now, even his people have turned
against him, and they are about to stone him!
David has hit the bottom! And the amazing thing about the bottom is
that we get a chance to look up. And that’s exactly what David did. The
verse we just read ends with this amazing statement: “But David
strengthened himself in the LORD his God” (verse 6; emphasis added).
Woo-hoo! I love the pivotal “buts” of Scripture, and this is one of them.
But—regardless of what was happening—David still had his God! And he
still trusted that his God would strengthen him and answer him. And he
didn’t leave it there. He remembered that God was with him! He talked
with Abiathar the priest, who had been with David since crazy king Saul
had massacred all the priests at Nob for talking with David (see 1 Samuel
22:14–23). The priest had the ephod, which contained the Urim and
Thumim to communicate with God. In this manner David asked the Lord,
“Shall I pursue this band? Shall I overtake them?” (1 Samuel 30:8).
And God said, “Go, David! Go!”
and David, having cried his eyes out,
God’s GPS is able to
pursued the enemy because God had
said to, and he trusted his God ! I
recalculate and
love that David still believed that
God was with him and would be reroute your path, no
faithful to His promise. Believe that
God wants to communicate with you, matter how deep
too, even when you have hit the
bottom. People who have taken you may have gone
detours sometimes believe that God
doesn’t want them anymore. If you into the “enemy
are there today, remember that you
will find God the very moment you camp.”
seek Him; you will find God because
He never left! And He has plans for you, like He had plans for Israel (see
Jeremiah 29:11–13). God’s GPS (grace positioning system) is able to
recalculate and reroute your path, no matter how deep you may have gone
into the “enemy camp.”

Exhausted yet blessed . . .

David and his men came to a brook named Besor: “So David went, he
and the six hundred men who were with him, and came to the brook Besor,
where those left behind remained. But David pursued, he and four hundred
men, for two hundred who were too exhausted to cross the brook Besor
remained behind” (1 Samuel 30:9, 10; emphasis added). What? How can
anybody be so exhausted that they give up the search for their families? I
have never been to the Brook Besor, but I understand that it has steep
banks, and these men were just too exhausted to go on. Sound familiar?
You can read the story of the amazing victory that God gave David and
his men in verses 11–20. They recovered all the wives, children, spoil, and
other things that had been stolen (verses 19–20). What a triumphant
victory for the man after God’s heart! What a joyful day for the one who
had been hiding and in distress! It was time to celebrate! When David and
the four hundred men came back to the Brook Besor, the other two
hundred exhausted men who were waiting came out to meet David and he
greeted them (verse 21). “Then all the wicked and worthless men among
those who went with David said, ‘Because they did not go with us, we will
not give them any of the spoil that we have recovered, except to every man
his wife and his children, that they may lead them away and depart’ ”
(verse 22). Can you believe it? They thought it was their victory! And they
didn’t want to share it!
And this is where you see David’s heart: “Then David said, ‘You must
not do so, my brothers, with what the Lord has given us, who has kept us
and delivered into our hand the band that came against us. . . . For as his
share is who goes down to the battle, so shall his share be who stays by the
baggage; they shall share alike.’ So it has been from that day forward”
(verses 23–25; emphasis added). David recognized that none of them were
entitled to anything and that the Lord had given them what they had! So,
they shared. And the exhausted men were as blessed as those who went
into the battle! I absolutely love it! Why, you ask? Because this is a core
principle of the gospel. Let me explain.
None of us deserve salvation, no matter what we have or have not done.
Jesus died for us and, in doing so, won the victory for all who choose Him.
And He shares the results of His victory with all of us, who are too
handicapped and exhausted to be able to run the perfect race that would
qualify us for eternal life:

He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,
And was numbered with the transgressors;
Yet He himself bore the sin of many,
And interceded for the transgressors (Isaiah 53:12; emphasis added).

The “strong” in this context are the ones who believe in what He has
done. This is truly the best news ever! We are all winners, because Jesus
wins!
So, if today you find yourself tired, exhausted, and with tears in your
eyes, remember that Jesus has already won the victory on your behalf.
Accept His tender and compassionate invitation: “Come to Me, all who are
weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you
. . . and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS” (Matthew 11:28, 29).1 Go
ahead: Breathe! Relax! Rest! You are blessed!

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. Recall a time in your life when, just like in David’s life, things went
 from bad to worse and you found encouragement in the Lord, your
God.
2. Is there ever a “time to cry” for the children of God? Why or why
not?
3. What did you learn from the Brook Besor event in the life of David?
4. What is the theological importance of the fact that the exhausted ones,
who had been left behind, shared in the same spoils as those who had
fought the enemy?
5. Has Jesus truly won the victory for us? If so, why are we so often still
anxious?

1. For additional reading on Matthew 11:28–30, refer to my book I Will Give You Rest (Nampa, ID:
Pacific Press®, 2015).
 CHAPTER 6

Nurtured

I had driven a long way to get there and arrived the day before the
meetings were scheduled to start. I was the main speaker at a large
weeklong gathering in Arizona, where I had to speak every day. I do this
often, sometimes several times a month, but this time felt different. When I
arrived, I felt rather weak. I thought that with a good night’s rest I should
be back to normal. However, during the night I started feeling even worse.
Due to my asthma, any congestion in my lungs can turn into something
serious, but I was hoping that this was not the case because my assignment
was very important. Furthermore, I had similar meetings scheduled for the
following week in Washington State.
The time for the first evening meeting came, and I could barely stand. I
remember lying down on a sofa behind the platform right before speaking.
I asked God to help me get through this meeting without fainting and then
to give me some guidance as to what to do next. God blessed me with
supernatural strength during my talk. Afterward, as I was resting in my
room, I became convinced that I had to leave and take care of myself. Still,
it was a very hard decision; in order to get home I had to drive for many,
many hours. Thankfully, my parents lived closer, only some seven hours
from the meeting venue. Immediate arrangements were made for a
replacement speaker for this venue as well as the meetings in Washington,
and I decided to try to make it to my parents’ house. I asked God to give
me miraculous strength so that I could drive to my parents’ home where
the best care and medical attention were readily available. To this day, I
remember the long grueling drive and how I felt when I finally got to my
parents’ place. I had arrived at a peaceful haven where I could rest and be
nurtured. I felt extremely weak and had to make a great effort to get there.
The doctor confirmed that my condition was very serious and prescribed
medication and rest for at least two weeks. My parents were happy to take
care of me until I regained my strength. Several days later I started to take
short walks in the backyard in order to get some sun and fresh air. I was
feeling so thankful for their love and care, I knew I was wanted and
welcome there, I could stay as long as I needed. They comforted me in a
thousand ways. When I recite the words of Psalm 23—“He takes me to
green pastures and waters of rest, and restores my soul” (verses 2, 3,
author’s paraphrase), images of my loving parents, who nurtured me and
provided everything I needed physically, emotionally and spiritually, still
come to mind. Are you in need of provision and rest? Nurture and
restoration? Read on! God is an expert in rest and relaxation (R & R) for
the soul.

The Lord is my Shepherd

For us, Psalm 23 will serve as an interlude between two major seasons
in David’s experience: his early life and his years as a fugitive (1 Samuel)
and the years of his kingship (2 Samuel). As I mentioned earlier, this
remarkable psalm became even more special for me when my dad recited
it right before he passed away. I based my homily for his memorial service
on this psalm of assurance and comfort, and in the process I gained some
insights that will stay with me forever.
Yahweh Roi, the Lord my
Shepherd, is a very special name that
When we place
David assigns to God. In the ancient
Near East in general, and in Israel in
particular, shepherd was a common
ourselves under this
metaphor for a king or a religious
authority figure. David, the
heavenly Shepherd-
shepherd-king, is now implicitly
placing himself as a sheep in the care King, He will
of the heavenly Shepherd-King.
Because he uses the first person provide for our
possessive pronoun, Yahweh is not
only the Shepherd of His people, but needs.
my Shepherd, the One who comforts
and nurtures me. When we place ourselves under this heavenly Shepherd-
King, we will not live in a constant state of neediness because He will
provide for our needs.
The flock finding food, rest, and comfort in green pastures and restful
waters helps us visualize the abundance of provision. The Greek Old
Testament (LXX) uses the same word here for “waters of rest” as the one
found in Jesus’ invitation in Matthew 11:28–30: “Come, and I will give
you rest.”1 God wants His sheep to know they have a Shepherd and that
they can trust in Him! No need to live in worry! The Shepherd provides for
our physical as well as our spiritual and emotional needs: “He restores my
soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake”
(Psalm 23:3; emphasis added). It is His name, His honor that is on the line,
because He is in charge of His sheep!
Over the years, I have collected some information about sheep because
they are a commonly used scriptural metaphor for describing the people of
God in need of His guidance.2 In doing so, I have learned that in general
sheep are very helpless animals. They can’t find food or water by
themselves; they need constant protection from predators; they would
easily drown if they tried to drink in deep water; and they can’t rest if there
are problems, like tension in the flock or bugs that bother them. Sheep are
absolutely and completely dependent on the shepherd to provide
everything for them, including a peaceful and quiet place, green pasture,
restful waters, and everything else. The sheep don’t know where they are
or where they are going; they just need to follow their shepherd (sounds
just like us, doesn’t it?).
David, himself a shepherd, proclaims that the Lord is his shepherd, and
his own survival depends on the presence of his Shepherd.

You are with me!

Many books have been written on Psalm 23; every phrase is meaningful,
and I wish we had space to analyze each word in detail. One of the most
outstanding features of this psalm is the fact that the first part (verses 1–3)
is narrated in the third person singular, talking about the Lord and what He
does: He is my shepherd; He makes me lie down; He leads me; He restores
my soul; He guides me. But then suddenly everything changes. When the
psalmist enters the dark valley of the shadow of death (verse 4), he
unexpectedly switches to the second person singular and begins talking in
a prayer with God: “I fear no evil for You are with me” (verse 4; emphasis
added). This is the center and the core of the psalm: You are with me!
My dad was a minister, and he talked about and with Jesus for more
than forty years. And when he walked through the valley of death, he
trusted his Shepherd to guide him, nurture him, and ultimately save him
for eternity. It was striking to me that my father faced death with
absolutely no fear! There is something about pain, suffering, darkness, and
death that makes God absolutely real and personal to each one of us. When
facing death, He is all we have, and we find out that He is more than
enough! The presence of the Shepherd is the only antidote for fear: “I fear
no evil, for You are with me.”
Then David continues as a guest of
his Shepherd-King. He is treated in a
We find out that He
manner fit for a guest of honor: “You
prepare a table . . . ; You have
anointed my head with oil; my cup
is more than
overflows” (verse 5). According to
the customs of the ancient Near East,
enough!
you were welcome to stay as long as
the host kept your cup full. As soon
as your cup started drying out, it meant that it was time to go. David’s cup
is overflowing—the King is welcoming him with open arms! He can stay!
That’s the way I felt in my parents’ place: their care for me was abundant
and overflowing! I love this picture of David being lavished by God’s
grace! Yes, dear one, you are loved in the same way! Bask in the grace of
God!
The writer of the psalm knows that he is highly favored by God! And I
love the next verse: “Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me
all the days of my life” (verse 6). The verb in Hebrew is literally
“pursue”—God’s goodness and grace pursue us, follow us! God is
passionately in love with us! What an incredible picture of God! And
David visualizes himself dwelling in the presence of Yahweh, his
Shepherd, permanently, without end. “I will dwell in the house of the
LORD forever” (verse 6). Even though the Hebrew text could suggest the
meaning “throughout the years,” I believe that David was talking about
eternal life: being with God forever, beyond this earthly life. And we too
can be assured of eternal life, because Jesus wins! And He is our
Shepherd!

The Good Shepherd

The Scriptures frequently refer to
the Savior using the Shepherd-King
Your Shepherd
metaphor. In the Old Testament the
prophecy of the coming prince, a
intimately knows
descendant of David, is clearly
pointing to the Messiah who would
come to shepherd God’s people. For
you, and He has laid
example, Ezekiel 34 is a prophecy
against the shepherds of Israel who
down His life for
have let the sheep get lost and go
hungry (please read the whole you.
chapter to get a glimpse of how God
feels about us, His sheep!). After
denouncing the shepherds for their carelessness, God promises the
forthcoming Shepherd-King: “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My
servant David, and he will feed them; he will feed them himself and be
their shepherd” (Ezekiel 34:23). This prophecy was written many years
after David’s death, and it refers to a coming descendant of David.
When Jesus, the awaited Davidic king, came to live and die for us, He
identified Himself with the metaphor of the Good Shepherd. “I am the
good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. . . . I
am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even
as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for
the sheep” (John 10:11, 14, 15). Yes, my dear friend, Jesus knows
everything about you, and He will take care of you. Your Shepherd
intimately knows you, and He has laid down His life for you. That’s how
much He loves you!
And the visualization continues all the way throughout the Bible, to the
very end and into eternity. In the book of Revelation, in an amazing blend
of metaphors, Jesus, who is the Lamb, becomes the eternal Shepherd of
His people: the Lamb is also the Shepherd! “The Lamb in the center of the
throne will be their shepherd, and will guide them to springs of the water
of life; and God will wipe every tear from their eyes” (Revelation 7:17;
emphasis added).
I don’t know what you are going through in your life, but God does.
Perhaps you are tired—needing nurturing and restoration—your Shepherd
offers that. Or maybe you, like David, have been mistreated, persecuted,
and oppressed, and you need a safe place to rest; your heavenly Shepherd
prepared that for you. Or maybe you are facing the end of your life,
walking through the valley of the shadow of death, and need to be assured
of eternal life through the merits of Jesus accounted on your behalf; your
Shepherd guarantees that! You can rest assured ! So, fill in the blank with
your name, and personalize God’s promise for you, one of His beloved
sheep:
“The Lamb in the center of the throne will be ___________________’s
shepherd; and will guide ________________ to springs of the water of
life; and God will wipe every tear from _____________’s eyes”
(Revelation 7:17, author’s paraphrase).

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. How do we reconcile Psalm 22:1 with Psalm 23:1?

2. Explain the meaning of this verse: “He guides me in paths of
righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3).
3. How exactly does God restore our soul by taking us to green pastures
and waters of rest?
4. What is the significance of David switching from the third person
(talking about God) to the second person (talking to God) in verse 4
of this beloved Psalm?
5. Jesus spoke of Himself as the “Good Shepherd” (John 10). How does
this picture of Jesus make a difference in your life?

1. For an in-depth study of this theme, see my book I Will Give You Rest.
2. This paragraph is quoted from Talbot, I Will Give You Rest, 78.
 CHAPTER 7

Fulfilled

We met in a public place, not far from my house. Her eyes betrayed lack
of sleep and a weary spirit. Susan1 was hitting bottom and needed help.
Barely looking up, she told me her story about the dark pit she found
herself in, from which she couldn’t get out. She had started working for a
ministry, but her boss was constantly putting her down and hindering her
growth in many ways. This affected her so severely that she started in an
emotional downward spiral and now found herself at the very bottom of
the pit of addiction, alone, desperate, feeling totally helpless and hopeless.
I learned that she had several advanced degrees and soon realized that I
was dealing with a very intelligent person with a keen mind and a wealth
of knowledge. Yet at this time, she was in total darkness and couldn’t even
imagine any light at the end of the tunnel. We arranged for subsequent
meetings, and I gave her quite a bit of reading and homework to do before
our next meeting. As time went by, she started trusting, little by little, that
God had something better for her and that she would be given the strength
she needed. Gradually her face started to light up and she could smile
again. Even though she was still at the same job, she knew it was only a
matter of time.
Several months later she was
offered a position as a full-time
She became a bright
university professor. She had her
doctorate and now was given the
arrow, pointing her
opportunity to put it to good use. She
was beside herself! I was wondering
students to a
how this time of “abundance” would
affect her after a time of darkness. graceful God.
And I saw the miracle with my own
eyes: her strength and confidence
were renewed, her spirit was exuberant—and her faith in God fully
restored. She became a bright arrow, pointing her students to a graceful
God. I still see her sometimes, and every time I praise God for her
flamboyant demeanor. She used to be in a dark pit, nevertheless God took
her out of there and placed her feet on a solid rock! Have you ever
wondered what happens after the cave, the desert, the pit, the darkness?

I waited patiently for the LORD;

And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;
Many will see and fear
And will trust in the LORD (Psalm 40:1–3).

What comes after the dark night of the soul is a big woo-hoo!

Hold on to your hat!

The second book of Samuel starts with the news that Saul and his son
Jonathan have died. David mourns, chanting a heartfelt lament recorded in
2 Samuel 1:19–27. I can understand why he would mourn for his friend
Jonathan, but only a man after God’s heart could mourn the death of the
crazy king who had made his life so miserable. After the dirge we find
David asking God if he should go to a city in Judah, and God answers that
he should go to Hebron (2 Samuel 2:1). “Then the men of Judah came and
there anointed David king over the house of Judah” (verse 4). Finally!
After all these years of strongholds and caves, it’s finally happening!
Waiting after his anointing for a painfully long time until his appointing,
he’s finally there! Now he is king of Judah, the southern kingdom, while
Ish-bosheth, the son of Saul, is made king of the northern kingdom of
Israel (see verses 8, 9).
But God, didn’t You anoint me king over all of Israel?—David could
have asked. But God doesn’t do things our way or according to our timing.
David will become king over all of Israel three chapters later (2 Samuel
5:1–5), and right from the beginning of the narrative we are told how long
he reigned: “David was thirty years old when he became king, and he
reigned forty years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six
months, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years over all Israel and
Judah” (verses 4, 5). Yes! God does fulfill His promises!
The next two verses are very meaningful to me. “Now the king and his
men went to Jerusalem against the Jebusites, the inhabitants of the land,
and they said to David, ‘You shall not come in here, but the blind and lame
will turn you away’; thinking, ‘David cannot enter here.’ Nevertheless,
David captured the stronghold of Zion, that is the city of David” (verses 6,
7; emphasis added). Did you catch that? You cannot, you will not, there is
no way . . . nevertheless he did! I absolutely love it! I was first introduced
to this “nevertheless” notion through Max Lucado’s book Facing Your
Giants,2 which I recommend for an insightful read on the life of David.
Lucado points out that we all, like David, can have a nevertheless written
in our biographies when we allow God to act. This area that David
conquered to make his royal dwelling had not been defeated by Israel, so
far (see Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:21; 19:10–13), and its inhabitants were
quite confident that David could not do it either! (see 2 Samuel 5:6).
Nevertheless, he did! And this place became David’s Jerusalem.
I definitely have a nevertheless bio. And when I read the Bible, I find
that all the chosen characters have
nevertheless bios as well. Remember
Elijah, who became depressed and The only reason for
suicidal; Moses, who committed
murder and was eighty years old David’s
when God spoke to him; Sarah, who
was barren and past childbearing neverthelesses was
age; Paul, who persecuted Christians.
Nevertheless Elijah ascended to
Yahweh’s presence
heaven without tasting death; Moses
in his life!
delivered Israel from Egypt; Sarah
bore the son of the promise through
whom the Israelites came; and Paul became the apostle of grace! And you?
Yes, you! You have a nevertheless in your bio too!
And “David became greater and greater, for the Lord God of hosts was
with him” (verse 10, emphasis added). The only reason for David’s
neverthelesses was Yahweh’s presence in his life! The same holds true for
us. Yes, when God says, “It’s time,” hold on to your hat! A flamboyant
season has come!

Uncensored worship
When my husband, Patrick, and I got married, we were both coming out
of a difficult relational past. We both had definitely traversed deserts of the
soul. And when we met each other, we felt blessed by God, and a new
hope was born in our hearts. We chose a biblical text for our wedding that
is still very meaningful to me, even though seventeen years have passed
since we got married. These verses represent the darkness of the winter
passing and the spring arriving: “The winter is past, the rains are over and
gone; flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come” (Song
of Songs 2:11, 12, NIV). I believe that this is what was happening to
David in the next episode; this same exuberant reality: the time of running
and hiding was past, and the season of singing had come!
 After years of hiding in deserts and caves, now he was the king of Israel,
dwelling in his own royal city. And David, being a man after God’s heart,
wanted God’s presence at the center of his kingdom and decided to bring
the ark of the Lord to Jerusalem. “And David arose and went with all the
people who were with him to Baale-judah, to bring up from there the ark
of God which is called by the Name, the very name of the LORD of hosts
who is enthroned above the cherubim” (2 Samuel 6:2). Unfortunately, in
his euphoric happiness, David forgot the Lord’s instructions on how to
transport the ark (see Exodus 25:12–14; Numbers 4:5, 6, 15; 1 Chronicles
15:13–15) and instead placed the ark on a cart pulled by animals, as the
Philistines had done (see 1 Samuel 6:7). This important oversight ended up
in a tragedy (you can read about it in 2 Samuel 6:1–11), and David felt
angry and fearful, abandoning for a time his plans to bring the ark to
Jerusalem (verses 10, 11).
But when David realized that the ark had brought blessings to the home
where it was left, he decided to try again. This time the Levites carried the
ark of the covenant, according to God’s instructions (1 Chronicles 15:25,
26). When the bearers had gone six paces, David made a sacrifice to the
Lord. And at one point his heart erupted in praise and thanksgiving! His
joy became exuberant because the time to praise and worship had come! It
was time to sing, play instruments, and make a joyful noise! “And David
was dancing before the LORD with all his might, and David was wearing a
linen ephod. So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark
of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet” (2 Samuel 6:14,
15). What a woo-hoo moment! I imagine that heaven will be like this, with
the expression of flamboyant joy for our salvation and eternal redemption.
Woo-hoo!
But as is often the case, someone
didn’t approve of such exuberant
He has done
display of praise and worship. In the
midst of this flamboyant scene
marvelous acts on
Michal, David’s wife and daughter of
Saul, “looked out the window and
our behalf and is
saw King David leaping and dancing
before the LORD; and she despised worthy of our
him in her heart” (verse 16). David
was not wearing his royal robe but praise!
only a linen ephod (verses 14, 20),
and his wife, Michal, felt
embarrassed and judged him. How often I have seen this same critical
spirit in places of worship. So many people confuse personal preferences
with biblical principles and judge those who worship differently! We need
to realize that there may be great variety in the way people worship
because of cultural and generational differences. The principle given by
Jesus Himself is to worship Him in spirit and truth (see John 4:23), and yet
many will try to impose their own way of worshiping upon others. When
Michal sarcastically criticized him, David tried to explain that he didn’t do
this for others but for the Lord (see 2 Samuel 6:21, 22) and reminded her
that God had chosen him over her father as king of Israel. The episode
ends with a sad note: “Michal the daughter of Saul had no child to the day
of her death” (verse 23), indicating that what she did was displeasing to
God. Sometimes we will have to learn to ignore the voices of those who
criticize our way of relating to God if we are to fulfill His plans for us.
Don’t let anyone take away the joy of your salvation! Be flamboyant, be
exuberant, just like we will worship in heaven! (See Revelation 4; 5; 14:1–
5; 15:2–4, etc.). He has done marvelous acts on our behalf and is worthy of
our praise!

Nevertheless redemption
I will be eternally grateful for my fulfilling life after the “cave”
experiences. If you find yourself in a dark place today, may you find hope
in this chapter. Our gracious God takes us out of darkness into His
marvelous light! All of the redemption history, the whole Bible, is a
nevertheless story. Humanity rebelled against God (Genesis 3),
nevertheless God intervened and sent Jesus to die on our behalf.
Abraham lied, Joseph got desperate, Moses killed someone, David
dwelled in caves and eventually sinned greatly, John the Baptist doubted,
Paul persecuted Christians, and so on; nevertheless, God didn’t give up on
us. Instead He sent a Savior through the lineage of Abraham, preserved a
remnant through Joseph, and delivered His people through Moses. David
became their king in the promised land, and a thousand years later John the
Baptist announced that the descendant of David was coming as the awaited
Messiah to establish the kingdom of heaven forever, and Paul became the
herald of the good news!
Because of Jesus, all of us are offered a nevertheless biography! Let’s
accept it and live in constant flamboyant celebration of our nevertheless
redemption that our Creator and Redeemer offers freely to every one of us!
Woo-hoo!

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. What exactly is the new song that God puts in our mouths when He
brings us out of the pit? (see Psalm 40:1–3).
2. God’s timing is not ours. Do you trust Him when His timing doesn’t
match yours?
3. Explain the relevance of having a nevertheless biography.
4. Having spent years hiding in caves David had become king. What
made his wife uncomfortable about his exuberant worship of the
Lord? Do we still struggle with the same attitude?
5. Read Romans 8:28. Have you experienced God’s ability to bring
good from everything in your life? How is it possible?
1. Name and identifying facts have been changed to preserve anonymity.
2. Max Lucado, Facing Your Giants (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2006).
 CHAPTER 8

A ppointed

Memories flooded my mind as I walked into the church where my father’s

memorial service was about to take place. Eleven years earlier another
significant event—my commissioning service—had taken place in the
same church. It is a service in which my denomination officially and
publicly recognizes that God has called the particular person to ministry.
In my case, it happened after I had spent five years in full-time ministry,
the last two of which I had served as the senior pastor of the church in
which I was about to give the homily in celebration of my dad’s life.
Eleven years earlier it was my dad who had stood behind the same
pulpit to give the homily for my commissioning service. He had spoken
about Jesus, the Good Shepherd, and what it meant to be called to
shepherd God’s people. I remembered his words with deep emotion: he
had felt that after more than forty years of ministry he was “passing the
torch” on to me. It is hard for me to describe my feelings as I recalled his
spoken words. A few years before I had gone through a very difficult time,
as one dream after another got shattered right in front of me. Yet somehow
God had made all things work together for good and, after all these
challenges, called me to ministry. And there I was, asking the same
questions that David had asked in response to the covenant God had made
with him: “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have
brought me this far?” (2 Samuel 7:18). Now, eleven years later, my father
was resting in the Lord. Yet the fact that Jesus is our Good Shepherd (John
10) and gave His life for His sheep, thus securing eternal life for us, was
my comfort, my hope, my assurance, and the theme of my homily for his
memorial service.
I have discovered in my life that
God chooses and appoints for a
God sees what we
special calling those who are the
least and the last so that all the glory
can’t see, and He
may be given to Him who calls, not
to those who are called. This was has plans that we
true even when He chose Israel, the
least of the nations, and David, the can’t even imagine.
youngest of his brothers, to be the
king of Israel. God doesn’t call us
because of who we are; He calls us because of who He is. In the words of
the famous song by Casting Crowns: “Not because of who I am, but
because of what You’ve done; not because of what I’ve done, but because
of who You are.” In this chapter we will rejoice in the understanding that
God is in control of our lives, as well as our calling and the timing of our
appointment, and that He guides us “in paths of righteousness, for His
name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3; emphasis added).

God’s covenant
When David had finally settled in his royal house and could rest from
his enemies (2 Samuel 7:1), he felt that it was not right for the ark of the
Lord to be in a tent while he was living in luxury (verse 2). And the Lord
answers his concern in a very interesting way. It goes something like this:
“You want to build a house for me? It is I who will build a royal house for
you!” (read verses 4–16). And God goes on to enumerate His intervention
in David’s past, present, and future. I absolutely love this section of
Scripture! God reminds David that everything good in his life has
happened because of His providence and that David would be part of the
covenant of redemption. If you look carefully, you will see how often the
first person pronoun is used by God in His response (verses 8–16): I took
you from being a shepherd to being a ruler; I have been with you; I have
cut off your enemies. In other words, All of it is My work! And I am not
done yet—says God—I will make you a great name, I will appoint a place
of rest for My people, I will make a house for you, and I will establish your
descendant (who, by the way, will build a house for Me). How about you?
Do you ever struggle with what to do next? If so, take a moment to draw a
time line of how God has guided your life in the past, marking off
important milestones in your life. You will be amazed at how He has
orchestrated your life, too, and you will find it safe to entrust your future to
Him as well. Your past, present, and future are secure in God’s hands. I
believe that if we want to fulfill God’s purpose for our lives, we need to be
enrolled in the school of brokenness for one main reason: we need to learn
to give up control and abandon our agendas regarding what our lives are
supposed to look like. God sees what we can’t see, and He has plans that
we can’t even imagine. The school of brokenness teaches us to let go and
let God.
God’s covenant with David is very
important because it is part of His
The school of
overall covenant with the human race
in the redemption history. The whole
brokenness teaches
Bible is one big covenant in which
God reveals His plan to redeem us to let go and let
humanity. The most important Bible
characters in the covenantal story are God.
Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses,
David, and Jesus. Obviously there
are many others, but these biblical figures receive or offer additional signs
and understanding of God’s covenant with the human race. And in this
narrative (2 Samuel 7:4–16), the Lord reveals to David how the covenant
will continue—even beyond David’s time: “When your days are complete
and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your descendant after
you, who will come forth from you, and I will establish his kingdom. He
shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his
kingdom forever. I will be a father to him and he will be a son to Me”
(verses 12–14).
God doesn’t treat us according to what our iniquities deserve; He treats
us according to the covenant He has made through the blood of Jesus, our
Redeemer. How amazing is that? Wow! “See what great love the Father
has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is
what we are!” (1 John 3:1, NIV). We are children of the King! And how
do you respond to such an amazing covenantal revelation and faithfulness?

A prayer after God’s heart

“Who am I?” (2 Samuel 7:18).
Yes! That’s the only possible
Broken people know
response! “Who am I, O Lord God,
and what is my house, that You have in their heart of
brought me this far? And yet this
was insignificant in Your eyes, O hearts that they are
Lord God, for You have spoken also
of the house of Your servant unworthy of the
concerning the distant future. . . . For
the sake of Your word, and according grace that is
to Your own heart, You have done all
this greatness to let Your servant bestowed upon
know. For this reason You are great,
O Lord God, for there is none like
them.
You, and there is no God besides
You” (verses 18–22; emphasis added). You, Your, You, Your, Your, Your,
You . . . ALL You, Lord! Broken people know in their heart of hearts that
they are unworthy of the grace that is bestowed upon them. A man after
God’s own heart will never feel entitled to be saved or to any position of
honor. We are the surprised and amazed children of God, who throughout
eternity will continue to ask the same question: Who are we that God
would treat us as royalty? We are the unworthy children of the King,
ordinary people who have accepted the extraordinary grace of the King of
kings.
As you probably read on the cover of this book, there are twelve videos
that accompany these twelve chapters. The video for this chapter includes
a song, written and performed by our very own Jesus 101 production
director, Chris James. The words of the song depict exactly how David
felt, and how we all feel, when faced with the outrageous grace of God:

What can one give the Giver of life,

What can I offer the One who has all
Well, I feel so small and You are so tall,
And I’m overwhelmed by it all.

Chorus
Unworthy, unworthy that’s me,
Unworthy I’ll always be,
Unworthy of the grace that You give,
Yes, I’ll always be the unworthy one.

Well, I try so hard but I always fall short,

I give You my all but it’s never enough,
Well, I feel so small when You are so tall,
And I’m overwhelmed by it all.

Now if I should start to feel proud of myself,

And worthy of being the son of a King,
 Remind me of what you did up on that cross,
And humble me Lord once again.

“Forever” kingdom
Both the Lord and David refer to the “forever” characteristic of God’s
covenantal kingdom (see verses 13, 16, 24, 25, 29). God unveiled to David
the future by revealing to him that his descendants would establish a
forever kingdom: “Your house and your kingdom shall endure before Me
forever; your throne shall be established forever” (verse 16). Obviously,
God’s promise went beyond David’s son, Solomon, all the way to the
Davidic Messiah, the One who was to come to deliver God’s people and
break the yoke of their oppression (see Ezekiel 34:23–31). When we get to
the New Testament narratives, everyone is talking about a kingdom that is
coming, ruled by a Davidic king. Several times the Gospel writers add
details to remind us that Jesus is the much-awaited Davidic king (for
example, see Matthew 1:1; Luke 1:32). On many occasions, Jesus is called
“Son of David,” especially in the Gospel of Matthew, which was written
mainly for a Jewish audience.
When we accept Jesus as our Savior and King, we become citizens of
that forever kingdom. I still remember, many years ago, how I became a
citizen of the United States. It was a memorable and emotional event filled
with joy as thousands of us celebrated, singing and waving the United
States flag. I can’t even imagine what it will be like when we finally arrive
at the royal palace of the heavenly kingdom! All I know is that through
Jesus Christ I am already a citizen of the kingdom of God, and this reality
permeates every day of my life. When I lost my parents, I knew I would
see them again because they are citizens of the heavenly kingdom as well.
This eternal kingdom is given to us as a gift through the death and
resurrection of Jesus. Not long ago, when we reopened my parents’ tomb
to bury my dad, I placed a large key in it. You see, Jesus is coming again,
and He promised to raise the citizens of His kingdom to eternal life. Jesus
said: “I have the keys of death” (Revelation 1:18; compare with
1 Thessalonians 4:16), and I fully trust His covenant with us. When Jesus
returns as the “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS” (Revelation
19:16) and comes to wake up my parents to enter His forever kingdom, He
will find this symbolic key I placed there in full assurance of His
faithfulness.
I don’t know what I will do when I get to heaven: jump, sing, hug Jesus,
be silent, praise and worship—I can’t even imagine. But one thing I know:
I will take off my crown and place it at the feet of the only One worthy of
praise: the forever Davidic King, my Redeemer, Jesus!

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. Why is it important to acknowledge that God guides you in every step

of your life?
2. How does God’s Covenant affect you personally?
3. Do you ever feel unworthy of God’s favor and salvation? Is that
healthy or not?
4. Is it possible for us to have the assurance of being citizens of God’s
“forever” kingdom?
5. How do you respond to God’s unmerited grace?
 CHAPTER 9

Vindicated

It was a very long, yet fruitful and joyful, day. I was in Ohio leading a
series of meetings in a convention center, where we were studying the
Gospel of Luke, using my book Luke: Salvation for All 1 as a study guide.
This book contains many stories that point to the undeserved and totally
outrageous grace of God. In one of the chapters, I tell the story of a girl
wearing glasses who had changed my life when I felt very much like an
outsider. When I was twelve years old, my family moved from Argentina
to Michigan because my father was sent to study, for his master’s degree,
at Andrews University. Lynell was a very compassionate girl, she took me
in and became my best friend during the year we spent there. I always
remembered her kindness even though I had never seen her again. Now,
almost forty years later, I was in Ohio. After the meetings that day, as I
was conversing with some of the attendees who had stayed to talk with me,
I noticed a family waiting for me: a man, a woman, and a young lady in
her early teens. They waited patiently until almost everybody else had
gone and then came to me. There was a moment of silence as we looked at
each other until the husband spoke up, pointing to his wife: “This is the
girl with glasses!” he said.
Quite shocked, I looked at the woman standing in front of me. “Lynell?”
I whispered in disbelief. Tears filled her eyes and mine. We embraced and
cried—and embraced and cried. There was a small group of people around
us who were totally clueless as to what was going on. When I finally was
able to catch my breath, I started to explain with great emotion that this
was the girl with glasses who had treated me so kindly when I was twelve
years old. Everyone got so excited about it that they wanted to take photos
and videos of us. I still keep several photos and videos on my iPhone to
remind myself of the occasion.
Lynell, however, kept saying: “But
I didn’t do anything.” I tried to
A person after
explain to her how she had changed
my life by opening up her heart to
God’s heart never
me. She had given me clothes and
other necessities that we did not keeps score of their
have, she had shared her life with
me! We would play together and good deeds.
study together, her family would take
me to a concert, and much more.
And most importantly she gave me a new identity that I desperately
needed; I was loved and accepted in this new country, and that was
priceless. Yet she kept saying, “I didn’t do anything; you were my friend.”
And naturally that is what friends do, and they don’t keep score because a
person after God’s heart never keeps score of their good deeds. It’s natural
for them. Thank you, Lynell!
The story that we will experience in this chapter is one of those stories
of friendship and love that reminds us of God’s heart, filled with love,
compassion, and undeserved grace.

The promise
When David was running for his life, God provided a loving and
supportive friend for him: King Saul’s son, Jonathan. It was an unlikely
friendship, because Jonathan would have been the natural successor to his
father, yet he knew that David had been chosen by God to be king of
Israel. Instead of feeling jealous or suspicious, Jonathan loved David, and
they became best friends. “The soul of Jonathan was knit to the soul of
David, and Jonathan loved him as himself” (1 Samuel 18:1). As the
narrative continues, Jonathan becomes increasingly aware of the certainty
that David will be taking over the kingdom (see 1 Samuel 18:1–4; 20:12–
17; 23:17). In spite of that understanding, his love for David creates a deep
bond that results in a covenant between the two: “Then Jonathan made a
covenant with David because he loved him as himself. Jonathan stripped
himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, with his armor,
including his sword and his bow and his belt” (1 Samuel 18:3, 4). Even
though this incident is narrated at the beginning of their relationship, the
specifics of the covenant are not revealed until later (1 Samuel 20:13–16).
Many believe that this gesture of transferring the royal attire to David was
a sign of Jonathan’s abdication of the throne or at least that he was
surrendering to whatever God’s will might be in the matter.
Later on, when it becomes obvious
that David must run for his life and
This promise is
enroll in the school of brokenness,
Jonathan seems certain that one day
secured between
David will be king and asks him to
keep his descendants safe when he these two unlikely
does. “You shall not cut off your
lovingkindness from my house friends.
forever, not even when the LORD cuts
off every one of the enemies of
David from the face of the earth. So Jonathan made a covenant with the
house of David. . . . Jonathan made David vow again because of his love
for him, because he loved him as he loved his own life” (verses 15–17).
And so this covenant, this promise is secured between these two unlikely
friends.
 But how would this vow be carried out? I am so glad you asked!

Whom are you looking for?

If we fast-forward David’s life through his time in the cave, the school
of brokenness, and several years later, we come to the time when he is
king over all of Israel, just as Jonathan had predicted. And this is where we
find the most amazing narrative in 2 Samuel 9: “Then David said, ‘Is there
yet anyone left of the house of Saul, that I may show him kindness for
Jonathan’s sake?’ ” (verse 1; emphasis added). This question of David
must have been quite shocking, given the customs of the time. Whenever a
new dynasty came to power, the first order of things was to make sure that
there were no rivals to the throne by exterminating each and every
competitor from the previous dynasty (see examples in 2 Kings 10:1–11;
11:1). David, instead, wanted to show kindness to Saul’s descendants to
honor his covenant with Jonathan. The phrase show kindness or show
consideration is repeated three times in this story (2 Samuel 9:1, 3, 7),
highlighting that David was being loyal to the covenant with Jonathan.
A servant of the house of Saul, named Ziba, was brought to David. Ziba
informed him of a living descendant of Jonathan: “There is still a son of
Jonathan who is crippled in both feet” (verse 3). The son of Jonathan was
Mephibosheth, but Ziba does not mention his name—only his handicap. It
is sad when instead of their name and character people are identified by
their sickness, problem, or sin. Maybe you can relate to that, feeling those
judging glances of people. But God sees the heart, and I am so thankful for
that!
The son of Jonathan had become
crippled when he was a young child:
But God sees the
“Now Jonathan, Saul’s son, had a
son crippled in his feet. He was five
heart, and I am so
years old when the report [of the
death] of Saul and Jonathan came
from Jezreel, and his nurse took him
thankful for that!
up and fled. And it happened that in
her hurry to flee, he fell and became
lame. And his name was Mephibosheth” (2 Samuel 4:4). Many years had
gone by since that time; he was an adult now and even had a young son of
his own (see 2 Samuel 9:12).
When David inquired about the whereabouts of Mephibosheth, it turned
out that he lived with a benefactor in the town of Lo-debar (verse 4), on
the other side of Jordan. Lo-debar means “desolate” or “without pasture.”
We can understand why this poor crippled man was living as far as
possible from the new king. I love to envision the utter shock of the
inhabitants of that desolate town the day David sent for Mephibosheth!
Can you imagine a royal caravan coming to this place, in the middle of
nowhere, asking for a forgotten lame man? I just love it, love it, love it!
This is the perfect picture of God, chasing after us! What a comforting
view of God! No matter how far we have gone, His mercy and fanatical
love follow us! (see Psalm 23:6).

You will do what?

Very few stories in David’s life reveal his heart like this story. These are
the moments when you see how the school of brokenness changes the
human heart to seek after God. When Mephibosheth came to the king, he
must have been trembling, because the first words out of David’s mouth,
after calling him by name, are “Do not fear” (verse 7). Why not? You are
the new king, and I belong to the previous dynasty. What do you mean,
“do not fear”! “Do not fear, for I will surely show kindness to you for the
sake of your father Jonathan, and will restore to you all the land of your
grandfather Saul; and you shall eat at my table regularly” (verse 7). Excuse
me! I don’t think I heard you right . . . you will do what? Show kindness to
me? Why? Restore to me my grandfather’s land? Why? Invite me to dine
regularly at the royal table? What is going on?
 “Again he prostrated himself and
said, ‘What is your servant, that you God’s grace is
should regard a dead dog like me?’ ”
(verse 8). This self-deprecating title bestowed upon the
always caught my attention: “a dead
dog like me.” It’s almost palpable
utterly unworthy.
how, unable to understand such
unmerited favor from the king, he felt that way about himself. But this is
God’s way: His grace is bestowed upon the utterly unworthy. David was
vindicated as a covenant keeper, even though he had been accused by Saul
of trying to usurp the throne and had been hunted down by the same
dynasty that he now honored. He was a man after God’s own heart! And
Jonathan was vindicated as a close and cherished friend of king David,
who honored their covenant. And Mephibosheth was vindicated and
treated as royalty, because he was the recipient of this covenant of grace.
We truly see the image of God in covenant-keeping people and true
friendships bonded with God’s surprising love.
Everything happened as David said. Jonathan’s son, crippled in both
feet (verse 13), moved to Jerusalem and ate regularly at the royal table:
“Mephibosheth ate at David’s table as one of the king’s sons” (verse 11;
emphasis added). As one of the king’s sons! Wow!

The King’s table

The truth is that in many ways I
am crippled myself, emotionally and
Jesus refused to go
spiritually. I don’t deserve salvation.
I am a sinner in a desolate and sinful
through eternity
land. Nevertheless, I have been
adopted as one of the King’s without us, and He
children, and you have, too. Jesus
left heaven and came to this sinful died so that we
world, keeping His covenant as the
could live again
Creator-Redeemer. He refused to go
through eternity without us, and He
with Him and eat at
died so that we could live again with
Him and eat at His table forever! His table forever!
Everyone, not just one group, is
invited to accept the King’s offer.
Jesus Himself spoke of the scope of this invitation: “I say to you that many
will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 8:11; emphasis added).
I imagine how Mephibosheth must have felt, eating at the king’s table. I
imagine him sitting at the table, dangling his crippled feet, filled with
surprise and gratitude. And I imagine myself with my crippled heart,
sitting at the royal table in the kingdom of heaven, next to you, swinging
my feet and exclaiming: “See what great love the Father has lavished on
us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
(1 John 3:1, NIV).
Woo-hoo!

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. Have you ever been the recipient of surprising (astonishing,

extraordinary, staggering, amazing) grace? Explain.
2. Do you trust God’s promises? What difference do they make in your
daily life? Share one of your favorite Biblical promises.
3. David was a man after God’s own heart. How was God’s heart
reflected in David at the time when he showed kindness to
Mephibosheth?
4. List parallels between the way David treated Mephibosheth and the
way God treats us.
 5. What does it mean to be a child of the King of Kings?

1. ElizabethTalbot, Luke: Salvation for All (Nampa, ID: Pacific Press®, 2011).
 CHAPTER 10

Exposed

Have you ever wondered why we build more rapport with some people
rather than with others? It turns out that we feel more connected with
successful people who are openly “not perfect” and vulnerable than with
those who seem to have it all together and never make mistakes—at least
not publicly. Even communication experts explore this connection
phenomenon. Check out these articles on the topic.
“Showing vulnerability. Psychologists often need to build trust quickly
with patients, and may do so by dropping a pen, spilling coffee or telling a
bad joke. Research shows that people like best those high-performing
people who make a mistake—after they have established their credibility.
. . . Sharing vulnerability with your team, such as singing really badly in a
karaoke bar, can help you bond and develop trust.”1
In a classic study led by Elliot Aronson at the University of Texas at
Austin in the 1960s, “participants listened to a taped interview of a college
student trying out for the College Quiz Bowl team. . . .
“. . . In one version, the ‘candidate’ answered 92% of the questions
correctly and had been an honors student, the yearbook editor, and a
member of the track team in high school.
“A second version had this exact same beginning, but tacked onto the
end of the interview was a pratfall: The candidate spilled coffee. . . .
“. . . Strangely enough, it turned out that they thought most highly of the
high-performing person who’d spilled their coffee.”2
Unlike the stories of the ancient
cultures in Egypt and Mesopotamia,
One of the reasons
where the characters were typically
portrayed as superhuman, never-
why characters such
erring heroes, the Bible reveals both
the good and the bad sides of its as Moses, David,
characters. This is a constant pattern
in the Bible, even with heroes and Paul fascinate
through whom God had achieved
great things. Moreover, this us, and help us, is
characteristic provides one of the
core authentications of the historicity that they were not
of the Bible. One of the reasons why
characters such as Moses, David, and perfect.
Paul fascinate us, and help us, is that
they were not perfect. As a matter of fact, they had great downfalls, such
as murder and adultery, and God’s grace was sufficient for them. And,
therefore, they are like each one of us, and we find application and comfort
when we read about their lives. This chapter brings me great assurance
because, in this stage of his life, David spilled more than a cup of coffee.

Downfall
God honored king David and called him a man after His own heart (see
1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). God even used David as the “model” king,
as the standard by which all other kings were measured (see 1 Kings 11:4–
6; 14:8, 9)—with one exception: “David did what was right in the sight of
the LORD . . . except in the case of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5;
emphasis added). Big exception, don’t you think? What happened? Oh, let
me tell you . . .
When everyone went to war, for some reason David stayed in Jerusalem
(2 Samuel 11:1). “Now when evening came David arose from his bed and
walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a
woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So
David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, ‘Is this not
Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ ”
(verses 2, 3). The story should have ended there, even for a king. She was
married. That’s it! End of story! But this time David thought that he was
above the divine law. Authority mixed with lust is a bad combination.
Uriah the Hittite was a member of the elite thirty men (see 2 Samuel
23:39). His name means “Yahweh is my light,” which may imply that he
was actually born in Israel or changed his name at some point. The great
Hittite empire had fallen, but some remnants could be found in Syria.
Somehow Uriah was now in Israel and, did I tell you? He had a wife
named Bathsheba! King David sent for her and lay with her (2 Samuel
11:4). And in soap-opera style, the next verse introduces a bombshell:
“The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, ‘I am
pregnant’ ” (verse 5). “I am pregnant” is one of the most dreaded
statements in illicit sexual relationships; it is up there along with
comments like “I have a sexually transmitted disease,” “I will tell your
spouse,” or “I have photos to prove it.”
So now David comes to his senses,
asks for forgiveness, and makes
So now David
things right, right? Wrong! We enter
the second major section of 2 Samuel
comes to his senses,
11, where we see David bargain with
his sin, trying to cover it up at any asks for forgiveness,
cost. David recalls Uriah from battle
and makes the most macabre efforts and makes things
to entice him to go lie with his wife,
so that everyone might think that the right, right? Wrong!
child is his (there was no DNA
testing back then). You can read this incredibly evil orchestration in
verses 6–13. But Uriah was more noble than David had expected, and the
plan backfired: “Uriah said to David, ‘The ark and Israel and Judah are
staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my
lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and
to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I
will not do this thing.’ ” (verse 11). Sexual abstinence was expected of
soldiers on active duty (for examples see 1 Samuel 21:5; Deuteronomy
23:10). Uriah is honoring his king and his God; but David is doing neither.
So now David comes to his senses, asks for forgiveness, and makes
things right, right? Wrong! He goes to the next stage. Because he is not
just having a fall; he is diving into a downward spiral. He is not just
spilling his coffee; he is swimming in the mud. And of all things, he starts
plotting murder! David sends orders to Joab to place Uriah in the fiercest
battle that he may die, and Uriah is so loyal that he carries in his hand his
own death warrant (2 Samuel 11:14, 15). As planned, Uriah is killed in
battle, and after a few days, “David sent and brought her [Bathsheba] to
his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son” (verse 27).
Well . . . maybe David got away with it. Maybe they came up with the
perfect explanation: now they were married, and they had a baby, and, yes,
he was a couple of months premature, but who was going to argue with the
king, right? Not so fast. The chapter ends with an ominous sentence: “But
the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD” (verse 27).

You are the man!

Time goes by, but David has not acknowledged his sin. So the Lord
initiates the intervention through Nathan, the prophet, who will tell a
parable to David. This is a judicial parable that elicits a judgment. (For
other examples of spoken or acted parables of judgment see Isaiah 5:1–7;
1 Kings 20:35–43; 2 Samuel 14:1–20.) The story is about a rich man who
owns many flocks and herds in contrast to a poor man who has only one
little ewe lamb that is like a daughter to him. When the rich man receives a
traveler, he acts very hospitably, but behind the scenes his evil deeds
condemn him. Instead of taking from his own flock and herds, he takes the
only ewe lamb of the poor man and prepares it for his guest (read
2 Samuel 12:1–4). Hearing the story, David was outraged! And as it was
his custom to pass judgment in legal matters, he is absolutely sure that this
man deserves to die and that a fourfold restitution must be made (verses 5,
6). David is beside himself because of not only the treacherous act itself
but the wretched character of the man who completely lacks any moral
boundaries and has no compassion at all.
Then comes the application—Nathan turns to David with “You are the
man!” (verse 7), and explains how God has been so generous with him
(verses 7, 8), while in this instance David has despised the Lord! “Why
have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You
have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to
be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon”
(verse 9). Wow! And just like that, suddenly David was completely
exposed. How would you like to walk into a place one day and find
someone openly speaking about all the skeletons in your closet? What a
shock! David thought he was above it, but God knew every detail of what
he had done. God knows everything! Every shameful thought and secret
desire. Nathan goes on to explicitly enumerate some of the consequences
of David’s sin, one of which is that this child will not survive. What a sad,
sad day for the shepherd-king, and what a contrast with those days when
he used to delight in singing songs to his God with a restful soul and
peaceful heart! They are now a distant echo as his heart is broken by his
own sin.
Finally, having attempted to cover
it up, David now confesses his sin:
It is amazing and
“Then David said to Nathan, ‘I have
sinned against the LORD.’ And
encouraging how
Nathan said to David, ‘The LORD
also has taken away your sin; you David, having
shall not die’ ” (verse 13). There
would be terrible consequences to his confessed his sin,
sin, yet God would spare the life of
David. It is amazing and encouraging immediately
how David, having confessed his sin,
immediately rediscovered his poetic rediscovered his
voice and started writing psalms
again. Psalm 51 is one of the most poetic voice and
beautiful psalms of repentance,
which he wrote at this time. But, now
started writing
that David had fallen and had
psalms again.
attempted to cover up his sin and
then, after God’s intervention, had
also repented, would God still bless him and keep His covenant with the
Davidic dynasty? I love your question! It is a very important question, the
answer to which is vital for every one of us.

The Sin Bearer

This is incredible! Are you sitting
down? You probably have heard
Jesus Christ is the
about the wisest man who has ever
lived on this earth: King Solomon.
Sin Bearer, and He
Under his reign, God fulfilled the
prophetic promise of the not only carried our
geographical scope of Israel’s
territory promised to Abraham back sins and
in Genesis 15:18. Well, do you know
who his parents were? Check this transgressions but
out: “Then David comforted his wife
also purchased the
Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay
with her; and she gave birth to a son,
right to bless us,
and he named him Solomon. Now
the Lord loved him” (2 Samuel heal us, and give us
12:24; emphasis added). What do
you mean? God blessed David and peace!
Bathsheba with the wisest man on
earth? What point was He making?
Why would He bless them like that? Oh, my friend, Jesus Christ is the Sin
Bearer, and He not only carried our sins and transgressions but also
purchased the right to bless us, heal us, and give us peace! How
outrageous is that! “He was wounded for our transgressions, He was
bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
and by His stripes we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5, NKJV; emphasis added).
And the crazy thing is that Bathsheba made it into Jesus’ genealogy,
because Jesus came from the David-Solomon lineage (see Matthew 1:6).
The school of brokenness teaches us to see ourselves in the true light.
David learned that there is a big difference between covering up his sins
and his sins being covered. Jesus has made ample provision to assure us
that our sins will be covered with His blood, and we are utterly blessed
when we let Him do so:

David also speaks of the blessing on the man to whom God credits
righteousness apart from works:

“BLESSED ARE THOSE WHOSE LAWLESS DEEDS HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN,

AND WHOSE SINS HAVE BEEN COVERED.
“BLESSED IS THE MAN WHOSE SIN THE LORD WILL NOT TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT” (Romans 4:6–8).
 Paul quoted these verses from an amazing psalm of David, Psalm 32:1,
2; here the apostle explains that the righteousness that saves us is not ours
—but Christ’s. So, if you are wondering what happens after a great fall, let
me tell you that I know how the story ends. You and I might have to live
with the consequences of our sins on this earth, but we won’t have to live
wondering if we can be at peace with God or if our sin has been forgiven
or if we can be saved. Jesus has covered us! “Therefore there is now no
condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). I want to
make sure you got it, so fill in the blank with your name: “Therefore there
is now no condemnation for ___________________, who is in Christ
Jesus” (Romans 8:1, author’s paraphrase). Got it? Woo-hoo!

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. David had committed many sins throughout his life. Why did God
single out the sin against Uriah and not any other? (1 Kings 15:5).
2. What is the emotional and spiritual dynamic of a down-spiral, like the
one David experienced in his life?
3. God initiates interventions and sends Nathans to us. How does it
affect your daily life?
4. Explain the difference between us covering up our own sins, and our
sins being covered by God (read Romans 4:6–8).
5. Read Romans 8:1. How does this apply to David? How does it apply
to you?

1. “How to Win Your Team’s Trust With Better Communication,” Quick Base (blog), January 18,
2017, http://www.quickbase.com/blog/how-to-win-your-teams-trust-with-better-communication.
2. Adam Galinsky and Maurice Schweitzer, “The Secret to Getting Other People to Trust You
Quickly,” Fast Company, December 8, 2015, https://www.fastcompany.com/3054275/the-secret-to-
getting-other-people-to-trust-you-quickly.
 CHAPTER 11

Challenged

Many years ago some people whom I was really close to had hurt me
deeply. It was a very difficult and pivotal time that changed a lot of things
in my life. I was trying to decide what to do next and was exploring
several options. While I was facing this challenging situation, someone
gave me an audio tape on forgiveness. As I listened to it, my soul was
profoundly affected.
It was a story of a man and his two pets, a dog and a bird. The three of
them had a fun life together, and the dog used to sit by the man, who was
his best friend. They enjoyed each other’s company very much! One day
the man returned home to find the bird missing. He looked everywhere but
could not find it. Deeply saddened, he sat in his regular spot, and he
noticed some feathers in his dog’s mouth. It was obvious that the dog had
eaten the bird. The man could not believe that his dog would do such a
thing, and a deep separation occurred between the man and his dog. The
man decided to keep the feathers close to his chair. For several days the
dog didn’t come around his master because he could sense that he was
deeply displeased with him. After a few days, the dog started coming close
to the man’s chair, but whenever he got close, the man would rub the
feathers on the dog’s nose, reminding him of what had happened, which
perpetuated the continued separation between the two.
The story went on with more
details that I don’t remember, but the
gist of it was that when we forgive God fully paid the
someone, we shouldn’t keep
reminding them of what they have debt Himself at the
done, especially those close to us.
Forgiveness is not a payment plan or cross because of His
a lifelong vengeance where we make
the other person pay in small
love for us.
perpetual payments with interest for
what they have done. On the other hand, forgiveness is not a denial or
condoning of the wrong that was done; and it is not a lack of appropriate
boundaries. Yet even when we need to detach for obvious reasons, we can
learn to detach with love and not hate. The story was a call to self-
evaluation regarding the feathers that we keep lying around, which we
might use whenever we feel like it to remind the other person of their
offense. I was deeply touched and eventually preached a sermon entitled
“Feathers,” and it was based on the life of David.
When we have been through the school of brokenness, we learn that no
one will ever owe us as much as we owe God, who fully paid the debt
Himself at the cross because of His love for us. In this chapter we will
study an event in which David was betrayed and challenged by someone
very close to him. And even though he was the king, David responded
very differently than Saul did when he felt threatened by David’s youthful
popularity. After all, David was not like Saul because he was a man after
God’s own heart.

When the unthinkable happens

David’s moral fall with Bathsheba had consequences, even within his
own family. When the prophet Nathan had presented to him “the case,”
David demanded a fourfold restitution by the offender (2 Samuel 12:6).
Sadly enough, David lost four of his sons in unthinkable circumstances.
One of his sons, Absalom, had a beautiful sister named Tamar; and their
half brother, Amnon, also a son of David, was in love with her. The sad
story is told in 2 Samuel 13; please take a moment to read it. Amnon
sexually violated Tamar, committing incest and ruining her life. “Now
when King David heard of all these matters, he was very angry”
(verse 21). Angry? That’s it? That’s all we get? That’s all Tamar gets? The
king was angry? It seems that David’s own embarrassing past was
preventing him from taking charge of the situation. Two years passed in
silence (verse 23); that deafening silence should have been broken by the
voice of truth—but it was never heard.
By the way, if you ever witness an injustice, speak up! Your voice
matters! You are the voice for those who have lost theirs!
Absalom got tired of waiting and
took vengeance into his own hands
Don’t ever miss the
(which is not a wise idea, no matter
how sad the situation) and devised a
opportunity to share
plan to kill Amnon (verses 23–29).
Having succeeded, Absalom fled to love and
his grandfather’s house in Geshur
and remained there for three years encouragement with
(see verses 37, 38). David’s heart
was devastated; he had lost both of your kids, even
his eldest sons, one to death and the
other to exile (verse 39). After Joab when they have
arranged an interesting enacted
parable (2 Samuel 14:1–21), disappointed you.
Absalom was permitted to return to
Jerusalem, yet he was not allowed to see the king’s face for two more
years. By now it has already been seven years since the wrong done to
Tamar. Seven years! Isn’t it amazing how things that are not resolved or
brought to justice linger forever? After a “fiery” dialogue with Joab (see
verses 28–33), Absalom finally was able to see his dad, “and the king
kissed Absalom” (verse 33). Even rough-looking and seemingly hardened
young men long for their parents’ love and approval! Don’t ever miss the
opportunity to share love and encouragement with your kids, even when
they have disappointed you. So, now we are all good, right? Not so! We
are just getting started . . .

Progression
Nothing happens in a vacuum. Absalom’s progression down his path is
sobering, and it reminds us of the danger of an unchecked heart. His sister
was terribly violated, and he had the right to expect justice for her. He took
her in to live with him, which was a compassionate response, even though
he was wrong to suggest she should stay silent (2 Samuel 13:20),
obviously thinking it to be the best course of action in that culture. Yet
when nothing was done about her, he reacted by taking justice into his
own hands and killing the perpetrator (verses 28, 29). He goes into exile
for three years; and seven years after the event Absalom rebels against his
father by starting a conspiracy to take over the kingdom. At first, it wasn’t
an overt rebellion: he merely presented himself in a very royal manner and
acted as if he had all the answers to the administrative problems of the
kingdom (2 Samuel 15:1, 2). But eventually he declared himself king in
Hebron (verses 10–12), the place of his birth. Then he entered Jerusalem
and decided to prove his authority by publicly humiliating his father,
taking David’s concubines for himself “in the sight of all Israel” (2 Samuel
16:22). The story has a very sad ending: Absalom died in the confrontation
between both armies. “Now Absalom happened to meet the servants of
David. For Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the
thick branches of a great oak. And his head caught fast in the oak, so he
was left hanging between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under
him kept going” (2 Samuel 18:9). When Joab heard about it, he and his
men killed him (verses 14, 15). What a dreadful progression of rebellion,
and what a terribly sad ending.
On the other hand, David also
experienced a progression just the
David submits to
opposite way. Having been trained in
the school of brokenness, the old
whatever God’s will
king knew his own sin and
shortcomings. He cried a lot and is, knowing that he
didn’t seek vengeance. On the
contrary, he kept pleading for the life won’t lose the
of his son to those in charge of his
army. Some have argued that David kingdom unless God
was weak because of his past
problems. But even though his has decided so.
family was greatly affected by the
lack of moral leadership on his part, as I study this situation I see a humble
and surrendered heart. When David hears that Absalom is proclaiming
himself king, in humility and tears he leaves Jerusalem, passing over the
Kidron brook toward the wilderness (see 2 Samuel 15:13–23). When the
Levites followed him with the ark of the covenant, for the presence of God
to be publicly with David, “the king said to Zadok, ‘Return the ark of God
to the city. If I find favor in the sight of the LORD, then He will bring me
back again and show me both it and His habitation. But if He should say
thus, “I have no delight in you,” behold, here I am, let Him do to me as
seems good to Him’ ” (verses 25, 26). In the midst of this betrayal and
conspiracy, instead of defending himself, David submits to whatever
God’s will is, knowing that he won’t lose the kingdom unless God has
decided so. Weeping, he ascended to the Mount of Olives (verse 30). He
endured curses that were hurled at him (2 Samuel 16:5–14) and all kinds
of humiliation. Finally, when it became clear that the two armies would
meet, he pleaded for his betrayer, his dear son: “The king charged Joab
and Abishai and Ittai, saying, ‘Deal gently for my sake with the young
man Absalom.’ And all the people heard when the king charged all the
commanders concerning Absalom” (2 Samuel 18:5).
What kind of heart is this, that loves even when betrayed and
challenged? Oh, I am so glad you asked! It is a heart after God’s own
heart. I am so touched by David’s response to the news of Absalom’s
death: “The king was deeply moved and went up to the chamber over the
gate and wept. And thus he said as he walked, ‘O my son Absalom, my
son, my son Absalom! Would I had died instead of you, O Absalom, my
son, my son!’ ” (verse 33). But Absalom betrayed him! Absalom conspired
against him! Absalom rebelled again his father, the king, and humiliated
him in a hundred ways! Oh, you are right. But, “where sin increased, grace
abounded all the more” (Romans 5:20). A fanatical love—that’s the heart
of God.

The King who died

As Gene Edwards emphasizes in
his book,1 David was king, but not
Jesus, God made
after the order of Saul. God used
Saul to kill the Saul in David so that
flesh, left His
when David became king, he
wouldn’t be like Saul. Many years kingdom to die in
earlier, Saul, feeling threatened by
the talented youth who had been our place that we
anointed as the future king, pursued
him, making several unsuccessful may live with Him
attempts to kill him. David, on the
other hand, responded completely eternally.
differently when his own kingdom
was challenged by a powerful and talented youth from his own family. He
wept, fled, and humbled himself. He submitted to God’s will and loved
beyond reason. Who was the “stronger” king? Saul or David? From God’s
viewpoint, it was the shepherd-king who had learned that God’s “power is
perfected in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Other divinely chosen
leaders, like the apostle Paul, also learned this important truth. God is not
looking for a spear-throwing king. He seeks leaders who are willing to
enroll in the school of brokenness so that they may respond with a heart
like God’s.
After all, when the children of God rebelled against Him, the cries of the
King of kings reverberated throughout the universe: “O my children, my
children, my children! Would that I would die instead of you, O my
children, my children!” (author’s paraphrase of 2 Samuel 18:33). And
Jesus was willing to leave His kingdom and come to die a substitutionary
death in the place of His children. Jesus, God made flesh, left His kingdom
to die in our place that we may live with Him eternally, as His royal heirs.
I keep putting my name in that verse. I can’t help it! Would you like to do
the same? Place your name in the blank: “O my child
______________________, my dear child ________________________,
would that I died instead of you, my child ______________________, my
child _________________________” (author’s paraphrase of 2 Samuel
18:33). Yes! The King died for us, His rebellious children, who betrayed
Him terribly. And that is the Redemption story!

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

1. Explain what forgiveness is, and what it is not (if available, watch
video no. 11 of the series, entitled “Challenged”).
2. Amnon did not face the consequences of his rape crime until he was
killed by Tamar’s brother, Absalom. What should have been David’s
response to the crime in the first place?
3. How did David’s actions differ from Saul’s when his kingdom was
 threatened?
4. Why was David so quick to leave the kingdom, allowing God to
decide his future?
5. What makes a parent want to die in the place of their child? Why did
God choose to die for us?

1. Gene Edwards, A Tale of Three Kings.

 CHAPTER 12

Forgiven

Pride and self-reliance ensured my downfall that day. I still remember it

clearly—we were on vacation, camping on the beautiful beaches of
Uruguay, my parents’ country of birth. I was in the initial stages of
learning to drive. My Dad was testing my new skills whenever it was safe
to do so. In South America most cars have a stick shift, so there were a few
additional things to get used to in order to drive: the coordination between
the clutch and the accelerator, the right moment to shift, and so on. We
were camped in a small town called La Paloma (the dove), right next to the
ocean. That afternoon I asked my dad if I could take the car for a short
drive around the campground while he and mom were enjoying a short
nap. He agreed.
The car was parked down the hill, not too far from our tent. When I got
to the car, I noticed a few kids my age observing me from the top of the
hill. I was pretty sure none of them drove and they probably didn’t even
have access to a car to learn to drive. So I felt very proud and self-
confident as I got into the car. I was so ready to show off! I decided that
this was a perfect opportunity to demonstrate my driving skills to the
watching kids, and therefore, instead of backing up slowly, like my dad
had taught me, I really stepped on the accelerator. My plan was to pick up
some speed in reverse and then suddenly, with a quick twist of the steering
wheel, turn the car around and drive away, leaving the onlooking kids in
the dust, amazed at my skills. I turned the ignition key, shifted into
reverse, and stepped on the accelerator pedal. Then I tried to make a sharp
turn to the left. Following my brave maneuver there was one of the loudest
noises I’d ever heard: baaammm! Completely shocked, I tried to
understand what had just happened. Then it dawned on me: I don’t know
how in the world I had not seen the huge tree! It was humongous, and I
had smashed right into it! When I got out of the car, I realized that the
front passenger door was literally hugging the trunk of the tree. I was in
big trouble! I don’t remember the expressions on the faces of my
“audience” because I didn’t want to look at them. Completely ashamed I
headed to my parents’ tent, looking for words to explain my prideful
foolishness.
David went through something similar—but on a much larger scale! He
wasn’t just driving a car; he was the king of God’s kingdom. And
somewhere along the line he started to feel pretty good about himself, his
authority, his army, and his power. And he faced dire consequences for his
self-reliance. Yet even in this darkest of circumstances he learned
something amazing that we all need to learn. Read on!

We are looking good!

The following story is narrated in
2 Samuel 24 and 1 Chronicles 21,
Oh, Lord, have
and we will follow the narrative in
the latter. The kingdom has
mercy on us! Teach
prospered under David’s reign, and it
is looking good! They are strong and us Your ways, and
confident. And David starts getting a
bit proud of Israel’s growth under his guide our hearts to
care. Even though they were a
theocracy, meaning that God was glorify Your name
really in charge of the kingdom and
that He was the power behind every
and not our own.
military victory, David decided that
he wanted to know how big and
strong his army really was. Whether he wanted to brag about it in front of
other nations or simply wanted to rely on the numbers, either way the
census wasn’t pleasing to God because He knew David’s motives behind
it! “Then Satan stood up against Israel and moved David to number Israel.
So David said to Joab and to the princes of the people, ‘Go, number Israel
from Beersheba even to Dan, and bring me word that I may know their
number.’ . . . God was displeased with this thing.” (verses 1–2, 7). The
original language reads something like “it was evil in the sight of God.”
Even Joab, the commander of the army, who was known for his
unscrupulous moral behavior, tried to dissuade the king: “Joab said, ‘May
the LORD add to His people a hundred times as many as they are! But, my
lord the king, are they not all my lord’s servants? Why does my lord seek
this thing? Why should he be a cause of guilt to Israel?’ ” (verse 3). Joab
realized that David would be guilty if he carried out his plan and that
God’s disapproval would rest on him. “Nevertheless, the king’s word
prevailed against Joab” (verse 4). The number of men “who drew the
sword” was the focus of the census (verse 5), which indicates that David
was interested in knowing the size and strength of his military force. Isn’t
it something how the human heart is easily enticed by an unhealthy ego
pushing for self-trust instead of trust in God?

Consequences and antidote

David realized his evil ways and said to God: “I have sinned greatly, in
that I have done this thing. But now, please take away the iniquity of Your
servant, for I have done very foolishly” (1 Chronicles 21:8). Believe it or
not, it gives me great hope that even a heart after God’s own heart
sometimes acts foolishly. That way I don’t feel alone in my foolishness.
When we realize that we have acted against God’s will, instead of getting
depressed or trying to numb the shame in an unhealthy way, we must come
back to God immediately. God answered David through Gad, the seer,
offering him a choice of three possible consequences of his sin: three years
of famine; three months under the sword of his enemies; or three days of
the sword of the LORD, with a pestilence in the land (verses 11, 12). Hard
choices! None of them looked good, and the people would suffer no matter
which one David chose. What a humbling thought to realize that those
appointed by God to lead are held accountable by God Himself. Oh, Lord,
have mercy on us! Teach us Your ways, and guide our hearts to glorify
Your name and not our own.
“David said to Gad, ‘I am in great
distress; please let me fall into the
In response God
hand of the LORD, for His mercies
are very great. But do not let me fall gave an antidote, a
into the hand of man’ ” (verse 13). I
can’t imagine that decision! David very interesting and
chose to place himself under God’s
hand and not under his enemies’. specific remedy.
Thousands died from the pestilence,
and when the destroying angel was
about to enter Jerusalem, the LORD said to the angel: “It is enough; now
relax your hand” (verse 15). David pleaded with God to let His hand be
against him and his household but to stop the plague over the people
(verses 16, 17). In response God gave an antidote, a very interesting and
specific remedy: “David should go up and build an altar to the LORD on the
threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite” (verse 18). David bought the
threshing floor from the Jebusite and erected the altar, and God accepted
his sacrifice in a way reminiscent of the prophet Elijah’s experience on
Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18: “Then David built an altar to the LORD there
and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he called to the LORD
and He answered him with fire from heaven on the altar of burnt offering.
The LORD commanded the angel, and he put his sword back in its sheath”
(1 Chronicles 21:26, 27). And the plague stopped.
It is super amazing that God was able to bring something good even
from this terrible situation. Do you remember the verse in Romans 8:28
that reminds us that God will work all things together for the good of those
who love Him? Well, that always blows my mind, and God managed to do
it here as well. Because in the place that David bought, where he offered
the sacrifice, not only did he find grace from God, but that was the very
spot chosen to build the temple (see 1 Chronicles 21:22–22:1). Can you
believe it? This fact is eloquently expressed in the words of Roddy Braun:

Despite David’s guilt in calling for a census of Israel, his sin leads to
the designation of the threshing floor of Ornan as the place of
Yahweh’s choosing for his altar and temple. . . .
That same grace of God which triumphed over David’s sins and led
to the establishment of God’s house remains God’s principal attribute
available to human beings. Available through repentance and
reaching out to draw and sustain the weak, God himself always takes
the lead in lifting up the fallen.1

The heavenly stop sign

That God is able to reroute our
path, no matter how bad our detours,
All of human history
is one of His attributes that I will
always be thankful for. All of human
is a giant detour that
history is a giant detour that God was
able to redeem by dying in our place. God was able to
And the most amazing connection
emerges from this account after a redeem by dying in
few years go by: “Then Solomon
began to build the house of the LORD
our place.
in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah,
where the LORD had appeared to his
father David, at the place that David had prepared on the threshing floor of
Ornan the Jebusite” (2 Chronicles 3:1). Did you see that? Oh, this takes
my breath away! On the same mountain (Mount Moriah) where hundreds
of years before God had stopped Abraham’s hand from sacrificing his son
Isaac and a substitute animal was provided (see Genesis 22), the same
place where David offered the sacrifice and God stopped the angel’s hand
in the plague (see 1 Chronicles 21 and 2 Samuel 24), on that same
mountain the temple of God was built (2 Chronicles 3:1), where the
sacrificial system would visually remind everyone that a Substitute was
coming in their place. And that was the same mountainous area where
Jesus would die.
No hand would stop the sacrifice of God’s Son, because He was the
Substitute that everything else pointed to. The cross was the heavenly stop
sign, where the penalty for the guilty verdict would be paid. You see, all of
us, not just David, deserve death for our sin, yet we have been offered the
gift of being set right with God by faith in what Jesus has done for us
(Romans 3:23–26). Will you accept the gift? It is eternal life!
I praise God that His grace is
greater than all of our detours and
The school of
sin. And once we accept this grace
that cost heaven everything, God
brokenness teaches
offers us a purpose for our lives. He
can use us for His glory, in spite of us to trust that God
our woundedness! The school of
brokenness teaches us to trust that is in control, that He
God is in control, that He knows and
heals our pain, that He is with us, and knows and heals our
that we will live with Him forever.
pain, that He is with
And now, in this very moment, you
can accept Jesus as your personal
us, and that we will
Savior and Lord2 and choose to live a
life of purpose, blessing others and live with Him
bringing them to our Redeemer to
find hope and peace. forever.
Having a heart after God’s own
heart is believing that His grace is
sufficient—even for us! Join me in praising God for His ability to save!
Let’s lift up our voices in praise, together, aloud, along with the ancient
shepherd-king who had a heart after God’s heart:

I waited patiently for the LORD;

And He inclined to me and heard my cry.
He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay,
And He set my feet upon a rock
making my footsteps firm.
He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God;

Many, O LORD my GOD, are the

wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count (Psalm 40:1–3a, 5).

Woo-hoo!

Individual or Small Group Study Questions

 1. David’s downfall with the census was caused by pride and self-
reliance. Are we typically afflicted with the same faults? How do they
affect us?
2. Why did God offer such a distinct antidote to the plague?
3. Talk/write about God’s ability to bring good from an entirely bad
situation in the case of David buying the threshing floor of the
Jebusite (see 2 Chronicles 3:1).
4. How is the cross the heavenly STOP SIGN for the “plague” of sin?
5. Do you accept the gift of the Substitute that Heaven has provided for
you? If so, write or share your testimony of accepting Jesus as your
personal Savior.

1. Roddy Braun, 1 Chronicles, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 14 (Word, 1986), 218.
2. If you would like a set of Bible studies to know more about Jesus, please request them at
Jesus101.tv. We will be delighted to send it to you free of charge.