Heroes of the Faith, Part 6Sýnishorn

God Disciplines Us

King David - 1 Samuel 16:1-13, 2 Samuel 5:1-5, 11:1-15, 12:1-23

Theme Verse: Job 5:17

Last week we learned how king Saul disobeyed God more and more. Today we learn about someone who had something very special. God sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint the next king. Samuel was impressed with the oldest brother. But God said not to look at the outward appearance because God looks at the heart. God chose the youngest brother David as king.

If you feel small or unseen, never worry. God is always looking for people who want Him. (Psalm 14:2) God will always see you. We can learn a lot from David. He was a great warrior and could have killed king Saul and taken the kingdom easily, but he respected God’s will and tried to do right.

Jesus said that whoever wants to keep their life will lose it, but whoever gives their life for Jesus will save it. (Luke 9:24) David “lost” his life by not claiming the kingship. Years later, God made David king of Israel, just like He promised. In the same way, Jesus didn’t claim his own kingship, but let God give it to him. (Philippians 2:6-11)

One time when king Saul was trying to kill him, David said something special: do not let my blood fall far from the presence of the Lord. (1 Samuel 26:20) In other words: even if you kill me, being with God is more important to me than my own life. God called David a man after God’s own heart. (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22) What an amazing thing for God to say about someone! No one is perfect, and God disciplines those He loves. (Hebrews 12:6)

One day, David took a married woman named Bathsheba and sent her husband to die in battle. How awful! God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke him. He told a story about a poor man with a precious lamb. A neighbor took the lamb and ate it even though he had many sheep. David was furious, saying the man should die. When you see someone do something wrong and you are overly upset about it, that might show that you are guilty of the same thing. (Romans 2:1) Ask God to help you check your heart and repent.

Remember when Saul was confronted, he would not admit his guilt and grew worse. But when David was confronted, he admitted his wrongdoing, the first step to getting better. God’s discipline was to take the life of his and Bathsheba’s baby. David begged God to let the child live. We can ask God to stop the consequences of our sin, too. Sometimes He might, but sometimes consequences are the best thing to teach us and others. The baby died, but it was not without hope. God in His grace often uses the place of repentance and restoration to create something good. David and Bathsheba had another baby named Solomon. God loved Solomon, who became the next king and an ancestor of Jesus.

I choose to focus on the heart and accept God’s discipline.

Questions:

1. Could it be that God also disciplines whole families, cities, or countries? Do you have examples?

2. What was the last discipline you received, and why?

3. If the police or politicians are there to discipline those who do wrong, why do they sometimes let the bad guys continue and take the money from the good ones?

Life Application:

If God seems to punish or resist you for something wrong you do, remember this phrase, “God disciplines me because He loves me.” If you find yourself thinking, “But I would never do something wrong! It was not my intention to do that!” take another look at what you did and note your real actions instead of your intentions. Accept the consequences without defending yourself.