TOPIC: A MAN AFTER GOD’S HEART
David was a man after God’s heart.
1 Sam 13:13(KJV).13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the Lord thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 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.
Acts 13:22-23(KJV)22 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.23 Of this man’s seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus”
Acts 8:20-22(KJV)But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee.
It is not the heart with which a person is born, but another heart put in him by the Holy Spirit.
Ezek 36:26(AMP) A new heart will I give you and a new spirit will I put within you, and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
The burden of this message is a man not after the heart of satan or himself, but after God.
God looks into the heart.
1 Sam 16:7(NLT)7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”
What is in the heart determines your obedience towards God.
Jer 17:9-10(NLT)9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is? 10 But I, the Lord, search all hearts and examine secret motives. I give all people their due rewards, according to what their actions deserve.”
Jer 17:9-10 (MSG)9 “The heart is hopelessly dark and deceitful, a puzzle that no one can figure out. 10 But I, God, search the heart and examine the mind. I get to the heart of the human. I get to the root of things. I treat them as they really are, not as they pretend to be.”
God has to come into the heart, transform and direct it.
The greatest thing God created in man is the heart – the home of spirits.
God demands your heart – Prov 23:26 (KJV)My son, give me thine heart, and let thine eyes observe my ways.
The reasons why David was called a man after God’s own heart were revealed in the book of Ps 51.
Before that Nathan confronted David about his adultery with Bathsheba and his arranging Uriah’s death on the battlefield. 2 Sam 12:7-13(NLT)7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. 9 Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. 10 From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.11 “This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. 12 You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.”13 Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
Ps 51:1-12(KJV) Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
These are ways to prove a man whose heart is after God.
The following described the heart of David.
He was a giant killer. 1 Samuel 17:26
A man after God’s heart is always credited with true repentance
It takes a man after God’s heart to perform wonders like God.
The hunger and thirst for God – Ps 42:1-4 (KJV)As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.2 My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?3 My tears have been my meat day and night, while they continually say unto me, Where is thy God?4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul in me: for I had gone with the multitude, I went with them to the house of God, with the voice of joy and praise, with a multitude that kept holyday.
He was contented with God – Ps 23:1 (KJV) The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He has implicit confidence in God – Ps 27:1(KJV)The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?
David has a covenant heart. He refused to kill Saul even when he had the opportunity. 1 Sam 24:3-6(NLT)3 At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!4 “Now’s your opportunity!” David’s men whispered to him. “Today the Lord is telling you, ‘I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.'” So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul’s robe. 5 But then David’s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul’s robe. 6 “The Lord knows I shouldn’t have done that to my lord the king,” he said to his men. “The Lord forbid that I should do this to my lord the king and attack the Lord’s anointed one, for the Lord himself has chosen him.
He extended to the house of Saul when he invited Mephibosheth – 2 Sam 9:1-7 (NLT)One day David asked, “Is anyone in Saul’s family still alive—anyone to whom I can show kindness for Jonathan’s sake?” 2 He summoned a man named Ziba, who had been one of Saul’s servants. “Are you Ziba?” the king asked.”Yes sir, I am,” Ziba replied.3 The king then asked him, “Is anyone still alive from Saul’s family? If so, I want to show God’s kindness to them.”Ziba replied, “Yes, one of Jonathan’s sons is still alive. He is crippled in both feet.”4 “Where is he?” the king asked.”In Lo-debar,” Ziba told him, “at the home of Makir son of Ammiel.”5 So David sent for him and brought him from Makir’s home. 6 His name was Mephibosheth; he was Jonathan’s son and Saul’s grandson. When he came to David, he bowed low to the ground in deep respect. David said, “Greetings, Mephibosheth.”Mephibosheth replied, “I am your servant.”7 “Don’t be afraid!” David said. “I intend to show kindness to you because of my promise to your father, Jonathan. I will give you all the property that once belonged to your grandfather Saul, and you will eat here with me at the king’s table!”
In the building of the house of God, he provided every material – 1 Chron 22:2-7(TLB)2 David now drafted all the resident aliens in Israel to prepare blocks of squared stone for the Temple. 3 They also manufactured iron into the great quantity of nails needed for the doors in the gates and for the clamps; and they smelted so much bronze that it was too much to weigh. 4 The men of Tyre and Sidon brought great rafts of cedar logs to David. 5 “Solomon my son is young and tender,” David said, “and the Temple of the Lord must be a marvelous structure, famous and glorious throughout the world; so I will begin the preparations for it now.”So David collected the construction materials before his death. 6 He now commanded his son Solomon to build a temple for the Lord God of Israel.
His Offering stopped the plague – 2 Sam 24:21-25 (TLB)21 “Why have you come?” Araunah asked.And David replied, “To buy your threshing floor, so that I can build an altar to the Lord, and he will stop the plague.” 22 “Use anything you like,” Araunah told the king. “Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and you can use the threshing instruments and ox yokes for wood to build a fire on the altar. 23 I will give it all to you, and may the Lord God accept your sacrifice.” 24 But the king said to Araunah, “No, I will not have it as a gift. I will buy it, for I don’t want to offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that have cost me nothing.”So David paid him for the threshing floor and the oxen. 25 And David built an altar there to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. And the Lord answered his prayer, and the plague was stopped.
As much as Abraham was the meekest man on earth, he was credited as a man after God’s heart.
Gen 18:19 19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
Before one becomes a man of God, the Holy Spirit will do a lot of work in his heart.
It is broken from pride and self righteousness – Ps 51:17(KJV) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
It is humble and lowly- 2 Kings 22:19-20 (KJV)19 You were sorry and humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I said against this city and its people—that this land would be cursed and become desolate. You tore your clothing in despair and wept before me in repentance. And I have indeed heard you, says the Lord.
A heart after God is purified – Heb 10:22 (KJV)22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water.
v Matt 5:8(KJV)8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
v Ps 119:11
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