|
 |
David
|
 |
|
(1 Samuel 16-31; 2 Samuel 1-24; 1 Kings 1-2)
When
David was a young man, God told Samuel to anoint him to be the next king
after Saul. Before David became king, the Israelites went to war with the
Philistines. The
Philistines had a giant named Goliath who daily challenged the Israelites,
but all of the Israelites were too afraid to fight him. David, however,
trusted in God and not only fought Goliath but killed him. Several years
later, after Saul had died, David assumed the throne and became the king
of Israel. Although he sometimes sinned, like we all do, he always
repented and tried to follow God. He was known as a man after God's own
heart. God said that David's house and his kingdom would endure forever.
From that time on until the Babylonian captivity, at least part of the
Israelite nation was ruled by one of David's descendants. The ultimate
fulfillment of God's promise, however, came with Christ, who now and
forever rules (Matthew 1:1; Hebrews 1:5).
|