In life, every one of us has been given gifts by God. Not everyone will be rich and powerful, but we all have the tools to succeed. Some are made to be leaders, some followers, some rich, some poor, but all are made exactly how God wanted. Two of Israel’s greatest kings, David and Solomon, were given great gifts from God, both sinned greatly, and only one had the right attitude about repentance. In order to really find out about them, one has to look at their entire lives, so as to get a good understanding of their circumstances. Early Life of David Successes of David in his early life David, the man after God’s own heart, was born as the youngest son of a poor shepherd named Jesse.
Not only was David talented a musician and the “sweetest singer of all Israel,” but he was also an amazing soldier and military tactician. He was a small boy when Samuel came at the Lord’s instruction to anoint his new king, and Samuel was surprised at the Lord’s choice; but God knew David’s heart while Samuel looked at the outward appearance. David had a great talent for music. And when he was still young, Saul had him play his harp and sing to relieve him because of the evil spirit that tormented him.
David wrote many hymns of praise to God and of thankfulness for God’s blessings. He also wrote many of sorrow and mourning, especially when he had sinned, and to beg forgiveness of the Lord. David was still a young boy when his father asked him to take his brothers’ food to the warfront while they were fighting against the Philistines. When he heard about Goliath mocking the Israelites, he was very angry and wanted to know why no one accepted the challenge to fight him. David told everyone that he would accept the challenge, and of course no one believed him; he was a small shepherd boy.
But he was insistent because he believed God would fight with him. Saul allowed him to accept the challenge when David told of God allowing him to kill a lion and a bear with his bare hands and offered his own armor to David to use; David declined as it was far too heavy for him. Instead he chose to go to the brook and pick five round, smooth stones for his sling. He and Goliath faced each other, and Goliath mocked him, but David said God would deliver Goliath to David and he would take Goliath’s head from him.
When Goliath left himself open, David hit him right in the head with his sling stone, and Goliath fell; he then took Goliath’s huge sword and beheaded him, just like he said he would. David, however, did not take credit for this feat; in fact he does not even mention his own part in it, and he instead gives all the glory to God, an action he repeats over and over throughout his life. David is then asked to go to Gideon and asked to play for Saul again, but Saul was very jealous of David because he was loved of the people, they had a saying: “Saul hath slain his thousands, David his ten-thousands. Then to get David out of his hair, he made David a captain over a thousand men. As with any military commander, David worked hard to conduct himself wisely, and he came in and out of the cities quite a bit. All the people loved him, and Saul hated him for it. Saul tried to murder David twice with a javelin after inviting him to play the harp for him; fortunately (and by the grace of God), he never hit him, but not for lack of trying. David had many victories as a military captain and gained a lot of respect from the people of Israel, as well as his enemies.
He was never afraid of the enemy because he knew God was with him, even when faced with impossible takes, Such as when Saul offered David his Daughter to be his wife, and not a dowry in exchange, but the lives of one hundred Philistines. David said he would double that, and he did, claiming Michal, Saul’s daughter, as his wife which Saul though he could trip him up with. Saul began to so David as his enemy, and David just kept a good attitude and all the people loved him even more.
Most men, after being treated that poorly and almost killed by the man you were supposed to succeed, would already have killed Saul, or at least had him killed instead of waiting on the Lord. David, on the other hand, knew he would be king eventually and instead did something constructive and tried to learn to be a better king for the day that he would be made king. He even gives the extremely valuable sword of Goliath as a tithe to the Lord, And even though God does not exactly make it easy for him in this next chapter of his life, he never curses or blames God; he knows He has a plan.
David is a shining example of what anyone should do when they pray for something and God answers “Wait. ” David, ironically, was best friends with Jonathan, Saul’s son. Their “souls were knit”(1 Samuel 18:1) it says, which meant they were bonded and very close, in fact they laid their lives down for each other and risked a lot by staying friends. Jonathan warned David about Saul seeking to kill him, and David asks him to try and speak sense into Saul, Jonathan said he would but that David should probably hide until morning.
When Jonathan talked to his father, Saul realized it was wrong to kill David and said it would not be done. After this, David took his men to fight the war with the Philistines again, and when he came back triumphant, the people did their chant, “Saul hath slain his thousands, David his ten-thousands” (1 Samuel 18:7), and Saul’s evil spirit poked him a little and he decided again to kill David. Saul sent messengers to watch David all night then kill him in the morning. But Michal told David that people were watching the house, and he got out through the window and ran.
Michal helped him by deceiving the messengers, and Saul was very angry with her for it. While this was going on, David went to see Samuel, and they traveled to Naioth together, and someone told Saul where they were. When Saul sent people to go get him, the spirit of the Lord came upon them and they prophesied. Saul sent two more groups, and the same thing happened both times. Then Saul himself came, and the Lord’s spirit came upon him and he stripped himself naked and prophesied, and all the people wondered if he was a prophet.
David is given many great things by the Lord, not the least of which is that Saul has not killed him yet, and he always respects Saul no matter how many times Saul tries to kill him. One could learn a lot from David’s life, and no matter the ramifications, David always respected Saul as the Lord’s anointed. David’s life was never exactly easy, but the next few years would be tough on him. He returned to Gilead to see Jonathan, and asked him why his father was trying so hard to kill him and if he had done anything wrong.
Jonathan said he would try to see once again if Saul was determined to kill David, and they set up a code to tell David the answer. He would bring a boy with him to fetch the arrows he shot, and if he shot it far out and told him to run farther out to get it, David should flee, but if he shot it close and told the boy to come closer to get it, David could come home. They swore an oath to always stay friends, and that even their descendents would be friends forever and that they would take care of each other’s families no matter what. Jonathan and David loved each other as their own souls, so they made a big commitment to protect each other. When Jonathan talked to his father, his father was very angry. He said that Jonathan would never have the throne if David was alive (which was true), and he threw a javelin a Jonathan too, and he knew his father was determined to kill David. On the third day, just like they planned, he went out with the boy and shot three arrows far out beyond the boy and said “is the arrow not beyond you? ”(1 Samuel 20:37), and David knew he was not going home for a while. Then Jonathan sent the boy away, and he and David said their goodbyes.
This was the last time they would see each other alive. Sometime after this, when David had gotten his Mighty Men together and they were traveling in Judah protecting it from the Philistines, they were staying in a city called Keilah, and a messenger of Saul told him where David was, they went there as quickly as they could. David asked God if he would be safe in the city, and God told him that the elders would trade him for the city, so he got out of there as fast as he could. Saul was about to surround him when a messenger told Saul that the Philistines had invaded, so Saul went to deal with them.
David went to the strongholds of Engedi. Saul came up with 3000 men to take David, and they searched the caves where David and his men were hiding. Then Saul came in to search their cave, and David’s men told him this. Then David cut off the bottom of Saul’s robe, but he would not kill the Lord’s anointed no matter if it was in self-defense or not. His men were not happy about it, but David was adamant; and they let Saul go. David yelled after him about how he could have killed him but did not, and that he has never wronged the king and wanted to know why Saul was chasing him.
Saul was distraught at this and apologized and said he knew David would be king after him, and asked him to swear not to kill his descendents; and then David did swear that he wouldn’t. David’s Early Mistakes David, unfortunately, also made many mistakes in his early life. One of the bigger ones took place right after this. David, on his way out, really needed provisions for his journey to his father’s house and goes to see Ahimelech the priest in the tabernacle of the Lord. He asks him for the showbread that only priests are allowed to eat and lies and says he was sent by King Saul.
The priest gives him the bread and, when David asks, also gives him the sword of Goliath the he had tithed years before. This lie does not come without consequences because a servant of Saul’s sees the priest help David and ends up having every one of the eighty-five priests slaughtered. David also got very near to killing a rich man, Nabal, when he angered David by not paying him for the protection he was providing. If Abigail had not come and given the price that was owed, Nabal would most likely have been killed. David’s Focus on God before Becoming King David was an all-around good guy; he was godly, smart, generous, compassionate, and he had a heart that wanted to follow God, something not many people truly have. And God was with him through his whole journey of life: from shepherding, to playing music for Saul, to being a warrior and running from Saul, God was there. David’s Reign as King David became a great king after Saul was killed by the Philistines. He took the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites-an almost impossible task–and became much beloved by the people of Israel.
He built a magnificent palace for himself, but he desired to build God a house. Unfortunately, God told him that he would not be allowed to, but He would let his son do it. He also said that He would make David’s line go on forever, a great promise for a king. David was also to have many great military victories, defeating the Syrian alliance and gaining a huge amount of land for Israel; and after he and his army defeated the Ammonites, they could truly have peace for the first time. David’s mistakes as king Unfortunately, David also made many mistakes in his time as king.
His biggest was with a woman named Bathsheba, whom he saw bathing on her roof. She was very beautiful, and David greatly desired her. It would not have been a problem except that she was married to a senior officer in David’s army. He slept with her anyway; and when she became pregnant, they had to find a solution. David’s idea was to bring her husband, Uriah, home for a night so he could sleep with her, but Uriah refused to go home because none of the other men were able to come home and eat and sleep in their own beds with their wives. Uriah would not be moved so David had to find another solution.
He sent Uriah back to the battle with a letter for Joab that told him to let Uriah be killed in battle. Then he took Bathsheba for himself. But God knew what had happened and sent Nathan the Prophet to confront David about it with a symbolic story. In the end David wss mad at the ending and says the man should be punished. Nathan told him that he was the man in the story. God’s punishment would be to kill the child of their sin and that the sword would never depart from his house. David sincerely repented, and God forgave him but still would punish him for his sin.
His other big mistake was to take a census in his later years, because he took it out of pride. He wanted to glory in the size of the nation he was king of, but it was wrong to put his faith in his army rather than God. (2 Samuel 24:2) Solomon’s Early Reign When Solomon was only a boy, he had to fight for the right to be king. He was favored of the Lord, and he was meant to be king. But as with David, that does not make it an immediate thing. When Adonijah declared himself king, Solomon had to fight for the crown of his father.
When he gained the crown, he chose not to kill Adonijah’s house, as most kings had done before. He would later, when Adonijah rebelled again, but everyone respected him for not killing his rival when it was unnecessary. When God asked Solomon what He could give him, Solomon asked for the wisdom to lead God’s people, and God was very happy with Solomon’s request. God told him that because he did not ask for money or long life or an enemies’ life, He would give Solomon more wisdom than anyone else in the world had ever or would ever have, and he would also have riches and honor.
Solomon was the wisest ruler there ever was, and he proved it often with his judgment of civil matters; he also wrote over 3000 proverbs and 1005 songs. He was also the king God allowed to build His Temple, so he spared nothing. Everything in the temple was made of precious woods and stones and then overlaid with gold, silver or brass. It took seven years to complete, and it was said to be the most beautiful building in the world, and it was built for God. The entire land of Israel was at peace for most of Solomon’s reign, an amazing feat in that part of the world; and many nations came to observe Solomon’s wisdom for themselves.
He made Israel very rich in their trade with the surrounding nations, and expanded their borders all the way to the Euphrates River. Solomon’s Decline Solomon had everything he could possibly want; he had the money to buy a huge house, any kind of food he wanted, and all the luxuries he could ever want. But Solomon had a different desire: women. It is said he had over 700 wives and 300 concubines . Many of these wives were to build relations with idolatrous nations, and worshiped their gods and tried to get Solomon to do the same; he resisted for a long time, but eventually he succumbed.
These women would eventually be his downfall and the cause of his “divided heart. ”(1 Kings 11:4) The irony is that many of his proverbs deal with women leading young men astray, but he wrote them while this was going on. Solomon’s Later Years When Solomon started this dangerous marriage to women of different gods, he could resist, but it obviously got harder because he eventually complied and worshiped the other gods as well as the Lord. Then eventually his heart became divided between the Lord and his wives and their gods.
God came to him and told him that because he had a divided heart that He was going to divide his kingdom but not in Solomon’s lifetime for David’s sake. Solomon would also have to deal with the powerful enemies God was raising up. He did not fully follow the Lord like David did, and as such, God took most of his kingdom from his line and gave it to someone else. Sometimes, someone can know something is wrong and just not have the will to not do it. Solomon was one of those people, he knew more than any other man that serving other gods was wrong, but he did it anyway.
We really do not have a lot of information on the last years of Solomon, but he most likely never completely repented as one part of his heart was always with his wives and their gods. He wrote Ecclesiastes in the final years of his reign when he finally realized that without God his life meant nothing. All the amazing things he did could have lasted forever, but instead he will only be remembered as someone who was great but could have been better. Spiritual Achievements of Both Both Solomon and David achieved great things as Kings of Israel, but neither of them came to their full potential because of sin.
Ultimately, both of them lost track because of women-David just one, Solomon many-but they both sinned greatly. They both did achieve many things spiritually though; David is said by God to have had a perfect heart, something only said of one other man: Jesus. And Solomon was chosen by God to build the Temple of the Lord, something even David was not allowed to do. In the end, only one of them repented with their whole heart, and that was David. David, the few times he did sin, knew what he had done was wrong and sincerely apologized for it and then repented.
Solomon, on the other hand, when he sinned, he never truly repented of it; he just kept doing the same things but not as often or as much. Solomon had an actual conversation with God on many occasions and still worshiped other gods, even when he knew it was God who had given him all he had. Conclusion David was a man of great faith, so great that God helped him do feats no other man will ever do. And though He didn’t give him great amounts of riches, he never stopped having faith in God, and God Himself called David “a man after God’s own heart.
Solomon, on the other hand, was given all his heart’s desires, great knowledge and wisdom, more riches than any man could ever spend, a powerful kingdom, and many other luxuries, yet he still turned his heart from God and worshiped idols. When one reads these stories he asks “Why? ” and he is right to be mystified. How could a man with David as his father fall so far from God? And how could David, after being given so many victories by God’s hand, commit adultery? One may never know, but we should learn from the mistakes of both, and the attitude of David. David knew he had sinned and he completely repented, and was totally sincere. We should all strive to be as humble and close to God as David was, and try to avoid the snares that tripped them both up.
