When the Israelites demanded a king, the prophet Samuel knew they were wrong. However, God told Samuel to anoint Saul from the tribe of Benjamin as king of Israel. During Saul’s reign the people soon found out that an earthly kingdom did not guarantee that their king would obey the Word of God. In fact, Saul’s disregard for God’s commandments would be his downfall and cost him the kingdom of Israel.

King David, from the tribe of Judah, was God’s chosen king. David was not a perfect man, but God described him as “a man after his own heart.” David was a shepherd who had the heart of a leader, the heart of a warrior, and a heart of a poet. But more important, David had the heart of a worshiper. David’s love of God was apparent by his faith in God and in his worship of God.

Although David was an imperfect man, and an imperfect king, his love of God remained steadfast. A humble servant of God, he knew the blessings of his life came from God. In happy times, and in despair, David remained a servant of God. At the lowest point in his life, he repented to God, mourned his loss, and eventually accepted God’s will (see Psalm 51). It was King David whom God made a covenant with, establishing a kingdom that would last forever. King David was God’s chosen king for Israel, but more importantly David’s family line was chosen for the birth of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

You can read more about David in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Chronicle.