“The LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart”
by Walter Giddings
January 1, 2023
Scripture Reading: 1 Chronicles 21:17
Greetings Kindred and fellow sheep. We are the God of Israel’s Rescues. My job is to lead you to the Real Teacher, the Master Jesus Christ. I am your pedagogue for Part 2 of this Lesson, “After His Own Heart”. We confirmed in Part 1 that David was the man after God’s own heart. We are reviewing the Evidence of the Scriptures to solve a bit of a Mystery. We are asking what was in David’s heart that caused the God of our Fathers to call David a man “after his own heart”. We confirmed in Part 1 that Abraham was called the Friend of God because he did not withhold Isaac, his “only begotten son”, from Sacrifice. We also confirmed that God made Moses his clear choice to lead Israel from Egypt to the Land of Milk and Honey by speaking with him “face to face”. [Exodus 33:11] and [Deuteronomy 34:10]. Do we know why God called David a man “after his own heart”? Do we know now what was in David’s heart?
We found with David a number of references to Sheep. David was the shepherd boy. God “took him from the sheepfolds”. [Psalm 78:70]. Are references to David and sheep somehow a clue to solving this mystery?
What happens to Sheep? According to the Psalmist David, what is the Fate of Sheep? (Psalm 44:10-11). What happens under God’s Righteous Judgment?
10 Thou makest us to turn back from
the enemy: and they which hate us
plunder for themselves.
c 11 Thou hast given us like sheep ap-
pointed for meat; and hast scattered
us among the heathen.
Do those who hate Americans plunder us? Are we being scattered among the heathen pouring like floods over the southern border? Do they that hate us rule over us with rigor?!(44:22-23). Is our Destiny the same as sheep?
c 22 Yea, for thy sake are we killed all
the day long; we are counted as
sheep for the slaughter.
p 23 Awake, why sleepest thou, O
LORD? arise, cast us not off for
ever.
Psalm chapter forty four.
(Verse 22). “We (are) killed all the day long.” What is this fallen world’s attitude toward 2-legged sheep? Deplorables, useless eaters, no home on the range for these despised, stinking sheep, Wal-Mart blobular mortality, disgust on the hoof! According to the 44th Psalm, is all this anything but new?
(Ecclesiastes 8:4). Is the power of life and death in the tongue of a king? How did Nathan the prophet survive telling King David he committed adultery with Uriah’s wife and killed him with the sword?
4 Where the word of a king is, there
is power: and who may say unto
him, What doest thou?
Ecclesiastes chapter eight.
If you were a prophet, and the LORD sent you to tell a king he is an adulterer and a murderer, how would you handle that?! (2 Samuel 12:1-4). What did Nathan do?
p And the LORD sent Nathan unto
David. And he came unto him, and
said unto him, There were two men
in one city; the one rich, the other
poor.
c 2 The rich man had exceeding many
flocks and herds:
p 3 But the poor man had nothing save
one little ewe lamb, which he had
bought and nourished up: and it
grew up together with him, and with
his children; it did eat of his own
meat, and drank of his own cup, and
lay in his bosom, and was unto him
as a daughter.
c 4 And there came a traveller unto the
rich man, and he spared to take of his
own flock and of his own herd, to
dress for the wayfaring man that was
come unto him; but took the poor
man’s lamb, and dressed it for the
man that was come to him.
“The rich man ... took the poor man’s lamb.” What did Nathan the Prophet just do? How did Nathan approach the King? What was it about David to which Nathan was appealing? Did Nathan appeal to what was in David’s heart? Did Nathan’s appeal work? (12:5).
5 And David’s anger was greatly
kindled against the man; and he
said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth
the man that hath done this thing
shall surely die.
Second Samuel chapter twelve
What made King David so angry? Did David, the shepherd boy, ever have a pet?
Was the shepherd boy’s pet a lamb? Did his older brothers sacrifice his pet lamb? Did King David still have a shepherd’s heart? Did King David still have that shepherd’s heart while he was in unrepentant sin? Did the prophet Nathan succeed in confronting The King with his adulteration of Uriah’s marriage, and Uriah’s murder by the sword of the Ammonites? Was the prophet Nathan a successful instrument of the God of Israel to bring the earthly King of Israel face to face with his own Iniquities? Did the Prophet trick the King into condemning himself?!
(Psalm the 51st). What is the Hebrew inscription prefacing the 51st Psalm? [For those of you following this study in your own swords, please look up to the screen so we may recite that Hebrew inscription in English in unity.]
To the chief Musician, A Psalm of
David, when Nathan the prophet
came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Psalm chapter fifty one.
“Have mercy upon me, O God ...” (Verse 17). Have countless believers, upon confronting their own iniquities to their face, recited this Psalm with “the sacrifices of God, a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart ...” (Verse 1).
Have mercy upon me, O God, ac-
cording to thy lovingkindness, ac-
cording unto the multitude of thy
tender mercies blot out my transgres-
sions.
Psalm chapter fifty one.
Can the LORD deny “a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart”? Can the LORD deny one of His Own, one of his children? Can the LORD deny himself?
(Jeremiah 17:9-10). How could David, the one man in the Scriptures to be called of God “a man after His Own Heart”, possibly commit adultery and murder?
p 9 The heart is deceitful above all
things, and desperately wicked:
who can know it?
c 10 I the LORD search the heart, I
try the reins, even to give every man
according to his ways, and according
to the fruit of his doings.
Jeremiah chapter seventeen.
When David, the Sheep of God, lived on earth, when he lived in the fallen body, was his heart always “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it (?)”? How difficult is it to always make our choices according to God’s heart? Is our record in Heaven? How pure is our Record in Heaven? All our lusts: are they lawful? Did King David act on an Unlawful Lust? Did he act out of a deceitful and desperately wicked heart? Are we as vulnerable as any king?! Are we, the sheep of God, prone to sin as much or more than David was? (1 Corinthians 10: 12). In these fallen bodies, when are our hearts not “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked”?
12 Wherefore let him that thinketh
he standeth take heed lest he fall.
First Corinthians chapter ten.
How can we ever, on our own, rise above our Greatest Enemy, our own stinking carnal nature? Do sheep smell? Is that smell called stink?! How loveable are we?
(Matthew 10:16). Without the unction of The Holy Spirit are we as helpless and as weak as sheep pastured in Wolf Country?!
16 Behold, I send you forth as sheep
in the midst of wolves: be ye there-
fore wise as serpents, and harmless
as doves.
Matthew chapter ten.
(Matthew 7:15). Do “ravening wolves” “in sheep’s clothing” eat sheep?
15 Beware of false prophets, which
come to you in sheep’s clothing, but
inwardly they are ravening wolves.
Matthew chapter seven.
(Genesis 3:7). How unlovable are 2-legged sheep? What three Despicable Acts did “the Guilty Pair” commit immediately after The Great Transgression? Who can tell me the 1st?
7 And the eyes of them both were
opened, and they knew they were
naked; and they sewed fig leaves
together, and made themselves aprons.
What did “the Guilty Pair” instantly do? They covered their what? Did they cover their Nakedness? Did they cover their Sin? How lovable is that?!
When I am asleep at night, am I sinning? Or am I free from all Sin? What would that be like: to be free from all Sin? Can I ever know that in this flesh? Is our Nakedness Sin? In the image of the earthy is Adam an abomination unto God?
(Genesis 3:8-9). Their Second Despicable Act? Does this only get worse?!
p 8 And they heard the voice of the
LORD God walking in the garden
in the cool of the day: and Adam
and his wife hid themselves from
the presence of the LORD God
amongst the trees of the garden.
c 9 And the LORD God called unto
Adam, and said unto him, Where
art thou?
Busted!! What did “The Guilty Pair” do? How despicable is Hiding From God?
How unlovable is that? If we were “The Guilty Pair”, would we have done any differently? What do “The Guilty Pair” deserve? What is the wage of Sin?
(Genesis 3:10-11). Did Adam have a good confession?
p 10 I heard thy voice in the garden,
and I was afraid, because I was na-
ked; and I hid myself.
c 11 And he said, Who told thee that
thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten
of the tree, whereof I commanded
thee that thou shouldest not eat?
Busted!! God is speaking directly to Adam, the Head of the House! Did Adam, the husbandman, commit a 3rd despicable act?
12 And the man said, The woman
which thou gavest to be with me,
she gave me of the tree, and I did
eat.
“She gave me of the tree.” Blame shifting! How despicable! How unlovable to do that!! Did the husbandwoman do any differently?
13 And the LORD God said unto
the woman, What is this that thou
hast done? And the woman said,
The serpent beguiled me, and I did
eat.
Genesis chapter three.
Blame shifting! How despicable! How unlovable to do that!!
This is not pretty! Is this how we are? Is this what we are like? Do we cover our sins?! Do we hide from God?! Do we shift blame to others?! How lovable are we doing these things? No wonder the end time prophet Jeremiah said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” How utterly disgusting are 2-legged sheep?! Who trained our children to do these things? At what age is it appropriate to teach our children to cover their sins, to hide from God, and to shift blame to others?
If we did not train our children to do these acts, then how did they know to do them? Do they do these things by inheritance? Do our “desperately wicked hearts” seek to do our will, our pleasure, instead of God’s Will, God’s Pleasure? Does every man do that which is right in his own eyes? “I did it my way!” Is it my natural inclination to do it my way instead of God’s Way? Does the World worship the song, “I did it my way”?! Try preaching that in some bar!!
Walter, picking on a great song is unjust! That is not what that song is all about!
When we think we could do any better than “The Guilty Pair”, is there some-thing frighteningly wrong with us? Are we frighteningly unable to say, I am wrong, Jesus is right?!! Did David, King of Israel, say, I am wrong, The Great I Am God is right? Did he?
(Psalm the 51st).
c 3 For I acknowledge my transgress-
ions: and my sin is ever before me.
p 4 Against thee, thee only, have I sin-
ned, and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be found just when
thou speakest, and be [blameless] when
thou judgest.
Psalm chapter fifty one.
Did David, the one-time shepherd boy, take full responsibility for what he chose to do? Did David cover his Sin in the murder of Uriah by the sword of the Ammonites? Did David shift blame for what he did? Did David hide from God? Or did he seek God with “a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart.” (v 17)? Did David trust God with these sacrifices? Though our sins be washed whiter than snow, do the consequences of our iniquities remain? (2 Samuel 12:9-10). Did David’s evil bring a sword into his household that remained for the rest of his life? Did Nathan tell David “thou art the man”?
p 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the
commandment of the LORD, to do
evil in his sight? thou hast killed
Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and
hast taken his wife to be thy wife,
and hast slain him with the sword of
the children of Ammon.
c 10 Now therefore the sword shall
never depart from thine house; be-
cause thou hast despised me, and hast
taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to
be thy wife.
Scroll down to (verse 13). Did David make a good confession to God and man?:
13 And David said unto Nathan, I
have sinned against the LORD. And
Nathan said unto David, The LORD
also hath put away thy sin; thou
shalt not die.
Second Samuel chapter twelve.
Can we name 2 men of The Bible who committed murder, and were not executed for shedding the blood of Adam? Who was the other? Because of Higher Law?
If God can forgive David, can He forgive us?
Our Subject Matter is the heart of David. Can we see that David in this life took responsibility for everything he did, including the matter of Uriah’s wife? David attempted to cover his sin by murdering Bathsheba’s husband. Did Nathan trick David into condemning himself? Did David hide from God? Did David make confession? Did David seek God with the sacrifices of a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart? Did David blame no one but himself?
Are 2-legged sheep damaged goods? (Isaiah 65:5). How wretched is it to be sheep surviving in wolf country?! How much worse can it get if the flock paints us as black sheep and thrusts us out into wolf country! Does the counterfeit church always persecute the genuine remnant?
5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye
that tremble at his word: your bre-
thren that hated you, that cast you
out for my name’s sake, said, Let the
LORD be glorified. But he shall ap-
pear to your joy, and they shall be
ashamed.
Isaiah chapter sixty five.
Thrust out from The Fold! Is The Bible full of the stories of men and women hated, despised, pursued, tortured and martyred? Were the 56 Signers of The Declaration of Independence furiously pursued by King George’s redcoats? Though many of them perished or had their living murdered, did they keep The American Covenant of Perpetual Union?
(2 Samuel 24:1-2). Toward the end of David’s life there appeared some trouble from 2-legged sheep.
p And again the anger of the LORD
was kindled against Israel, and he
moved David against them to say,
Go number Israel and Judah.
c 2 For the king said to Joab the cap-
tain of the host, which was with him,
Go now through all the tribes of Is-
rael, from Dan even to Beersheba,
and number ye the people, that I may
know the number of the people.
Second Samuel chapter twenty four.
(1 Chronicles 21:1-2). This record begins differently from the record in 2 Samuel 24.
p And Satan stood up against Israel,
and provoked David to number Is-
rael.
c 2 And David said to Joab and to the
rulers of the people, Go, number Is-
rael from Beersheba even to Dan,
and bring the number of them to me,
that I may know it.
First Chronicles chapter twenty one.
For any that might be unfamiliar with David’s numbering of Israel, outside of God’s commandments, these 2 verses are often used as an exercise to explain Bible Hermeneutics, the Harmony of The Scriptures ! Do both Scriptures harmonize? To save Time, I leave you with two questions: If the Serpent had the right to interfere in The Garden, does The God of our Fathers have the right to intervene in the affairs of Adam ? And do both Scriptures accurately describe 2 separate occasions, the controversy playing out over time? Is each Bible Scripture in Harmony with every other?
Some of us will remember that David’s Captain Joab tried to talk David out of numbering Israel, saying, “but why doth my lord the king delight in this thing?”, and saying, “why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a cause of guilt to Israel?” Both the Scriptures report that the King’s word prevailed against Joab and the captains of the host. Joab, his heart not in this, did not count Levi and Benjamin “for the king’s word was abominable to Joab.” The numbering took 9 months and 20 days. David’s heart smote him. He said unto the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in that I have done: and now, I beseech thee, take away the iniquity of thy servant; for I have done very foolishly.” The LORD sent Gad, David’s seer, to offer David 3 things, “choose thee one of them that I may do it unto thee”: [1] 7 years famine unto thee in thy land; [2] 3 months to be destroyed before thy foes while their sword overtaketh thee, or else, [3] 3 days the pestilence in the land, even the LORD’s sword.
In the eighties I was one of a long list of people in Indiana, who, according to the Attorney General were thinking and functioning “outside the box”. Most of the others were charged criminally, but my prosecution was civil. In my circumstance the circuit court judge had attempted to see me for help, and he was witness that the allegations against me were not true. My notification to the court resulted in the judge’s automatic recusal. 3 judges from courts in other counties were impaneled, and the state and I were told we had choice of which of the three to strike. The one left standing tried the case.
(1 Chronicles 21:13). Instead of choosing one, David struck one of the three:
13 And David said unto Gad, I am
in a great strait: let me fall now in-
to the hand of the LORD; for very
great are his mercies: but let me not
fall into the hand of [Adam].
The LORD also struck one choice. [Mark these verses: we shall return.]
14 So the LORD sent pestilence up-
on Israel: and there fell of Israel
seventy thousand men.
First Chronicles chapter twenty one.
As the Angel of the LORD was destroying Jerusalem, God repented of the evil he did to Jerusalem and stayed the Angel’s hand. The Angel stood by the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. David saw the Angel, a drawn sword stretched out over Jerusalem. (21:17). David, and the elders of Israel, in sackcloth, fell on their faces.
17 And David said unto God, Is it
not I that commanded the people to
be numbered? Even I it is that have
sinned and done evil indeed: but as
for these sheep, what have they done?
let thine hand, I pray thee, O LORD
my God, be on me, and on my father’s
house; but not on thy people, that they
should be plagued.
Did David understand fully what God was doing through him? Did he understand that God had used Satan to move him to number Israel to judge his people? The Commonwealth of Israel was nearing 40 years of its golden age as a Theocracy. The 80 years of David and Solomon’s reigns are the Golden Age of Israel. Even in the Golden Age God found it necessary to judge his people. Why is that? Who among us has never flunked the Test of Prosperity? In Prosperity do we forget we are Sheep?! Is it our common failing?! Are we that Stupid? Do we ruin it every time?
Does 1 Chronicles 21:17 give us special insight to what was in David’s heart?
Yo(!) Daddy God, I sinned! “But as for these sheep, what have they done?” I and my family should be the one that is punished.
The angel ordered Gad, David’s seer, to command David to build an altar on the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. Ornan also saw the angel with sword, drawn, extended over Jerusalem. He and his 4 sons were hiding themselves. (1 Chronicles 21:26). David would not accept Ornan’s gift but bought Ornan’s threshing floor for 600 shekels of gold by weight, the full purchase price, no discounts.
26 And David built there an altar
unto the LORD, and offered burnt
offerings and peace offerings, and
called upon the LORD; and he an-
swered him from heaven by fire
upon the altar of burnt offering.
First Chronicles chapter twenty one.
The Angel of the Pestilence returned the Sword to its sheath. The threshing floor of Ornan became the site for Solomon’s Temple. Was this place called Mount Moriah in Abraham’s day where he was willing to sacrifice Isaac, his only begotten son?
What was in David’s Heart that Caused God to call him a man “after His Own Heart”? May I hear from each of you? To be continued, God Willing, on the next occasion.
Bibliography
Psalm 44:10-11. “sheep ... for meat”.
Psalm 44:22-23. “sheep for the slaughter”.
Ecclesiastes 8:4. “the word of a king”.
2 Samuel 12:1-4. “one little ewe lamb”.
2 Samuel 12:5. “the man ... shall surely die”.
Psalm 51st. “To the chief Musician”.
Psalm 51:1. “Have mercy”.
Jeremiah 17:9-10. “The heart is deceitful”.
1 Corinthians 12:10. “Take heed”.
Matthew 10:16. “sheep in the midst of wolves”.
Matthew 7:15. “sheeps’ clothing”.
Genesis 3:7. “naked”.
Genesis 3:8-9. “hid themselves”.
Genesis 3:10-11. “hast thou eaten (?)”.
Genesis 3:12. “she gave me ... “.
Genesis 3:13. “the serpent beguiled me”.
Psalm 51:3-4. “done this evil in thy sight”.
2 Samuel 12:9-10. “thou hast despised me”.
2 Samuel 12:13. “I have sinned”.
Isaiah 65:5. “He shall appear to your joy”.
2 Samuel 24:1-2. “Go number Israel and Judah”.
1 Chronicles 21:1-2. The 2nd Order to number Israel.
1 Chronicles 21:13. “I am in a great strait”.
1 Chronicles 21:14. 70,000 men died.
1Chronicles 21:17. “these sheep, what have they done?”
1Chronicles 21:26. “answered him from heaven by fire”.