In 1 Samuel 13, King Saul is confronted by Samuel for his foolish disobedience in offering a sacrifice that ignored God’s directions in the matter. As a result, Saul was informed that his kingdom would not endure and that God “...has sought out for Himself a man after His own heart, and the Lord has appointed him as ruler over His people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you” (1 Samuel 13:14). This coming ruler would be King David.
Perhaps you have wrestled with the designation of David as a man after God’s own heart, especially in view of his own sins, such as lust, adultery, and murder. Saul’s kingdom was not to endure because of an unauthorized sacrifice and, yet, David’s kingdom endured even in the face of what most would call “greater” sins. What’s up with that? Various explanations are offered, focusing on the differences between Saul and David, but none have ever seemed very satisfactory to me.
In studying 1 Samuel 13 in preparation for a sermon, I ran across another explanation that makes more sense. John Woodhouse describes it this way: “The expression “a man after [God’s] own heart” has entered Christian jargon, usually as a statement about the qualities of the person. In 1 Samuel 13:14, however, the expression is literally, “The LORD has sought for himself a man according to his own heart. . . .” This is about the place this man had in God’s heart rather than about the place God had in the man’s heart. It was a way of saying that God had chosen this man according to his own will and purpose” (1 Samuel: Looking for a Leader (Preaching the Word) (Kindle Locations 4760-4764). Crossway. Kindle Edition).
This makes so much more sense given the context of 1 Samuel. Remember -- Saul was the kind of king the people wanted (“like all the nations”) -- a king, if you will, after THEIR hearts. In contrast, David was to be a king that God chose according to His standards, after HIS heart. Just some food for thought....
God loves you!
Mike
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