One Good Shepherd
When you read the account of King David’s life in the Old Testament, at times, it’s hard to believe that God would choose him to be in the lineage of the Messiah. Many in Christ’s ancestry might seem a little surprising. But it’s to be expected since only He is perfect, and the rest of us are sinners. We’ve all “sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). But David, the adulterer, and murderer? No one seems quite as extreme, considering how celebrated he is and the lofty heights to which he rose in the subsequent biblical narrative. Think about it. After what he did with Bathsheba and to her poor husband, Uriah the Hittite? Shameful!
Nobody’s perfect, but let’s hope you haven’t taken another person’s spouse and had them killed to cover up your sin! That’s the stuff of Dateline, 48 Hours or 20/20! It’s not the behavior one would expect from an extraordinary biblical figure who the prophets compared to Christ! Yet, this is the guy Samuel had said God considered “a man after His own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14)!
Despite the reprehensible behavior, he also had highly desirable qualities, no question about it. We’d all like to be more like David if we could distill out the good stuff and eliminate the bad. For example, who wouldn’t want the kind of faith that would fearlessly face a lion or bear, one of which (or both) had grabbed one of his lambs as he shepherded his flock! Undaunted, David “seized him by his beard and struck him and killed him” (1 Samuel 17:35).
Not every day do you kill a lion or bear (or both) with your bare hands. But of course, being David, he gave full credit to God. And that turned out to be minor-league training for his famous face-off with, and subsequent defeat of, the freakishly oversized, irritatingly loud, relentlessly bullying, intimidating opponent—Goliath.
David was also a warrior who had “slain his ten thousands,” compared to King Saul before him, who had only “slain his thousands” (1 Sam. 18:7). David was a psalmist who wrote hundreds of songs and poetry, a talented musician, and a skilled hunter (with as little as a slingshot!).
Despite being fearless and forceful, David was loyal and kind, as demonstrated in the story of his commitment to Mephibosheth, the son of his friend Jonathan, grandson of King Saul (2 Samuel 9:6-11). He was measured, calm, and able to make critical decisions in the most challenging and emotional situations, even when betrayed by his own son, Absalom!
Unlike King Saul, he was willing to listen to God. His desire was ultimately and wholeheartedly for God. We see him grow in his relationship with the Lord. He often learned the hard way, but He grew. We can see in David’s life a transition from operating in the flesh to allowing himself to be more influenced and controlled by the Spirit of God. In a way, we can relate to David as we move through our growth process in Christ.
As we more fully understand the life of David, we grasp why the Son of God would bear the title Son of David as a synonym for Messiah. David’s life is a picture of Christ, he serves as a “type” of Christ, and his life foreshadows the walk and ministry of Jesus. For example, David was a shepherd, and Jesus is our “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11, 14).
Many of the abilities that made David an exceptional leader can be attributed to his time shepherding sheep. A shepherd protects, guides, provides, and maintains the health of the sheep. In short, shepherds ensure the provision of the sheep’s every need. So as David wrote Psalm 23, he described the Lord as his Shepherd. However, this Shepherd not only met every earthly need but also provided far beyond that. He is the Shepherd who ensures that David will “dwell in the house of the Lord forever” (Psalm 23:6). He is our Shepherd in this life and beyond. Ultimately, David’s best qualities reflected those he gained from his Good Shepherd.
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” —Psalm 23:1