Opus 2026-181: The Man, the King

Recently I heard a Bible lesson in which the speaker related how Saul was a bad king and David was a good king.  Relatively speaking that is true but he added that David was the best of the kings of Isreal.  You may have heard that other places.  It is a common teaching but I am not sure it is accurate.

Consider this statement about Josiah,

2 Kings 23:25 (KJV) And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the LORD with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him.

It seems to me that this is praise for Josiah as king that places him above David if you were making a ratings list.  Notice it speaks of him as king.

We often hear this quote about David,

Acts 13:22 (KJV) And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.

Here Paul is quoting Samuel,

1 Samuel 13:14 (KJV) But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him [to be] captain over his people, because thou hast not kept [that] which the LORD commanded thee.

The point I would make from this is that God is speaking of David the young man.  This is the David of Goliath fame.  This is the David that refused to kill Saul in the cave.  This is the young, idealistic man before Bathsheba and Uriah, before Tamar, before Absolom.  It is not praise for him as king but for his heart as a man.

David was a man after God’s own heart.  That does not mean he was a king after God’s own heart.  This may not be a great theological point but it is a point.  I might point out that Josiah’s sons did not turn out any better than David’s, and don’t get me started on Solomon.

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