Tuesday, February 27, 2018

David, A Renaissance Man


"Then the LORD said, “Rise and anoint him; he is the one” (1 Samuel 16:12).

In our day the demands of our society tend to squeeze us into such narrow areas of specialization that we become virtually one-dimensional people. Actually, each of us has many talents, but few of us get to develop many of them. The individual we are considering today was anything but a one-dimensional person. He had many talents, and we call this kind of person a “renaissance man.”

Long before he had become famous in Israel as her king, he had taken on Goliath, the archenemy of Israel, and utterly defeated him. At the time he did this great deed he was but a youth, shepherding a flock outside Jerusalem.

For several years at the start of his career this man was a bandit chief, a guerilla mercenary leader. He led a band of several hundred outlaws who were fugitives from the government. They fought for whoever would hire them. As a result of these and later military exploits he became known as the greatest military strategist in all of Israel’s history. He increased Israel’s boundaries to the greatest extent it ever embraced.

This same man, however, was noted as the most gifted musician in Israel’s history, a man who actually invented musical instruments. Additionally, he became the poet laureate of Israel, and is universally regarded as the finest poet in Israel’s history.

He unified the nation of Israel, against great opposition. He also came to be distinguished internationally as a lawyer and statesman.

Regretable, not every aspect of his life was commendable. He was a compulsive man whose success and desires lead him to commit murder and adultery. He was a failure with his sons and indecisive in his family responsibilities.

But in spite of this, the Scripture has this to say about David: He was a man after God’s own heart. It is the greatest thing that can be said about anybody.

David, whose life exhibits tremendous extremes in both righteousness and evil, is a study in contrasts. Even in his repentance, his sorrow showed he was a man after God’s own heart. Strive to emulate David in this way.