Psalm 18:31-36.

God’s ways are perfect. His word is truth. He is a shield to those who take refuge in him. Who is God except the Lord? Who is a rock like him? He equips me with strength, wherever I go. He makes me as swift of foot as a deer. He sets my feet on the mountains. He trains me for battle and exercises my strength, so that I can bend a bow of bronze.

David was anointed and called by God through the prophet Samuel to be king over all Israel. A calling is a preparation, for what God wants to do in our lives. Most people have a deep desire for something, they want to accomplice in life.

1 Corinthians chapters 1-9. and 2 Timothy chapters 1-9.

David knew, it was in God’s plan to take the land, drive out the enemy, and establish a kingdom. Jerusalem was to be the capital and the Ark was to have its place in a temple, that he would build for the Lord. God thought differently, the temple was built by his son Solomon.

God’s intention was to make a foundation for his son Jesus Christ.

When Jesus Christ will descend from heaven to save the world from destruction, a 1000 year Millennium will begin. All nations will recognize him as king. At the end of the 1000 years, there will again be war and trials of the nations. Then Jesus will put an end to the enemy, the old devil, who first seduced Adam and Eve and allowed to test the world for a very long time.

It is clear, that David had great passion for his God-given calling, but he had to learn many things and go through many trials, before he could fulfil his calling to be king.

After Jesus was baptized by John, he was driven by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness for 40 days, where the devil tempted him, and offered him the whole world, if he would worship him. In the same way, David also had to go through a very difficult time, with many trials, to establish a kingdom, for the one who would come and save the world, Jesus Christ.

There are two kinds of trials. Those God allows and that He also will guide us through, and those we ourselves open up to and where there is a price to pay. David had to go through both of them.

There are many examples in the Bible, where faithful people came into great need, but were saved with God’s help.

God led his people out of Egypt with great miracles, they also walked on dry ground through the Red Sea.

God sent an angel to shut the mouths of the lions, when Daniel was thrown into the lions‘ den. He was also saved, when he and 2 others were thrown into a blazing furnace.

When King Herod was seeking the life of the newborn Jesus, an angel came to Joseph in a dream and told him to flee to Egypt and stay there until Herod died.

1 Samuel chapters 22, 23, and 24.

God gave Saul a new heart and all of Samuel’s predictions came true, when Samuel anointed him to be king, but God still rejected Saul.

After all, we have a free will to follow God, or to control the situations in which we should follow God’s advice. God is all-powerful, he can reject us and choose someone else for his plan. There are also conditions for a calling.

Back to 1 Samuel chapters 22. 23 and 24.

David had a very difficult beginning. Saul’s jealousy became so strong that he had to flee from him. He sought refuge in a cave at Adullam. People who were in trouble and dissatisfied with the condition in the country joined him. Eventually he had 400 men. Together they had to go through many dangerous situations. They became David’s mighty feared men and also the beginning of his army. Saul pursues David several times and seeks his life, but God changed the situation to David’s advantage, so that David is the one who spares Saul’s life, and Saul has to return home ashamed.

This difficult time was also a learning period for David for his God-given calling to take the land of Israel for the Lord. First, he was blessed and called personally to be king. Then he was tested and equipped for his difficult task as king. A third task and blessing he received, when he became king, David grows into his calling.

2 Samuel chapter 2.

David became king over Judah, but only after he had asked the Lord, whether he should return to Judah and to which city, God says: Return to Hebron. David went to Hebron followed by his family and accompanied by his men. There the leaders of Judah crowned David as king. David was king over Judah for 7 ½ years. During that time he established and trained his army.

After several intrigues in Saul’s kingdom, Ishbosheth and his men, who eventually murdered Ishbosheth, joined David and made him king over all Israel. Thus the word of God through Samuel was fulfilled. David was now king over all Israel.

David moved from Hebron to Jerusalem and made it his capital. After winning the war against the Philistines, he planned to bring the Ark to Jerusalem.

30,000 of Israel’s best soldiers led the procession with the Ark, followed by the leaders of Israel who played various instruments for the Lord. God could have been pleased enough to overlooked the small mistake Uzzah made. The oxen in front of the cart with the Ark stumbled, Uzza, a soldier, stretched out his arm to support the Ark and died on the spot, for lack of fear of the Lord. It sounds unfair, but God means what he says. One must fear and respect the Lord as the Almighty, he does not need support. The intention was good, but the method was wrong. David became afraid of the Lord,

1 Chronicles chapter 15 – David learned from the situation. In verse 12 he says to the Levitical families: Make sure that you and your brothers go through the purification ritual, so that you can bring the Ark of the Lord, the God of Israel, into the Tabernacle. The last time you were absent, and the Lord punished us. because we took matters into our own hands.

Ironically, David repeats Saul’s mistake. Saul also took the situation into his own hands, and sacrificed before going to war against the Philistines, because Samuel was late in shoving up to the ritual.

1 Chronicles chapter 16: When the Ark arrived in Jerusalem, David introduced worship. When Jesus becomes king in Jerusalem, all nations will travel to Jerusalem once a year to give thanks, praise, and glory, as we say in the Lord’s Prayer.

Verse 7: From now on, music and singing were used in connection with the worship. Worship in the old tabernacle on the hill at Gibbon continued as before.

1 Chronicles chapter 17: David wanted to build the Lord a real temple, but God gave the prophet Nathan a word for David.

Verse 11: When you die, one of your sons will take over the throne and I will establish his kingdom. He will build a temple for me and his kingdom will last forever. Here God is referring to Jesus Christ making the temple a foreshadow and a foundation for the Millennium kingdom which had to be prepared, so that we all could see and understand, what was to happen in the future on earth.

The incident with Uzza made a deep impression on David. He not only trained an army, he also organized the Levites for their tasks to serve God, with the various sacrifices and rituals that were then necessary.

In 2 Chronicles chapters 8 – 14, we read how his son Solomon continued what David had started. David’s first calling was to be king. His second calling was to overcome all the difficulties that the devil had put in his way. His third and final calling was to organize an army of priests for the kingdom.

In Revelation chapter 1, verses 5-6:

To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and has made us kings and priests to God, to him be the honour and power forever and ever. David’s calling also applies to us today. Our lives are a preparation for what we are called to be, when Jesus comes again.

Luke’s Gospel: chapter 4 verse 18: Jesus shows us the way.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind and release to the oppressed. I proclaim to you, that the time has come, when God will save his people.

John 6: The authority and life of Jesus in further chapters.

Acts 2: The Holy Spirit comes first to the 120.

We see the same pattern, David was called to lay the foundation, which Jesus completed, and which he has given to us, his church. David was tested in faith, and so will we all be tested so0ner or later.

James 1:12: Blessed is the man who shows perseverance under trial, for when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life, that God has promised to those who love him.

1 John 1:16: Explains 3 great sins.

Self-satisfaction with the things of this world. Sensual desire and status symbols.

1 Chronicles chapter 29 verse 2: Describes David’s faithfulness to the Lord. For the temple alone he collected 115 talents of pure gold and 265 talents of pure silver, as well as many other things. In the days of his son Solomon they used the silver to make roads in Jerusalem, for when the people saw, what the king gave, they also spent gold and silver in great quantities. King Solomon became the richest man in the world to this day.

2 Samuel chapter 11

David fell anyway – he fell for sensual desire and became a murderer of an innocent person who was in his service (and this despite the fact that he had many wives and children. ) Therefore, he had to pay a very high price, he lost 3 sons and almost lost the kingdom.

These important men mentioned in the Bible were also only human and fell, as most of us do or almost do, at some point in life. It is better to ask for help and to stand against sin and shame before it is too late. God also hears such prayers and gives clarity and strength where needed.

2 Samuel chapters 12, 13, 14 and 15.

David does not pay for his transgressions right away. First he was corrected by the prophet Nathan. After 2 years the first misfortune comes and after 7 years the most difficult one, where he almost lost the kingdom.

God is in agreement with the devil, until eternity begins for ever and the devil is allowed to test us, as we see in the Book of Job. God takes his hand away where there is sin, then the devil is alloved to step in.

James chapter 1 verse 14:

God is not tempted by evil, nor does he subject anyone to temptation. Temptation comes, when one is drawn and enticed by his own desire.

2 Samuel chapter 22.

David sings a song of victory to the Lord who has helped him through all wars and trials. He says in verse 51: God gives mighty victories to his king, he is faithful in his love.