King David is the quintessential warrior-poet. His story is prototype, and is a powerful expression of "the story," the central narrative of God-breathed reality from which all stories get their power. His journey from shepherd boy to King is a journey of growth and becoming that rivals anything ever produced in Hollywood.
The life of David is a powerful story. It is a tale of journey, and of both strength and weakness. David's story is one of masculine growth, and of initiation into the ways of men and into the ways of God Himself. In learning of his journey, we can learn of ourselves, and of the parts of ourselves that remain un-fathered, un-initiated, and yet to mature. Beyond this, we can learn of the blessings of pain and suffering, and how God uses the furnace of adversity to refine us and to create in us the qualities of mature masculinity that enable us to walk in the roles of Kings and Priests for which we as men were created.
"...but this is only the beginning of a journey that consists of twists and turns that nearly destroyed him, but ultimately forged in him the heart of a King"
David's story is compelling. He is the shepherd who became a mighty warrior, a hero beloved by many. He is the warrior who became a powerful general who inspired courage, lead his men to victory, and became the subject of song and legend. This alone is a story truly worth telling, but this is only the beginning of a journey that consists of twists and turns that nearly destroyed him, but ultimately forged in him the heart of a King, a man whom God Himself called "a man after my own heart."
It is here that his story takes a turn. His success engendered jealousy in those who had political aspirations in the Kingdom. Like Wormtongue in the ear of Theodan, they began whispering accusations in the ear of King Saul. They spoke to Saul's insecurities, and to his need for approval. David, whose love for and loyalty towards the King was absolute, had to flee for his life. The shepherd who became a General was betrayed by those he loved and served and had to flee to the wilderness. The General became an outlaw.
In the desert where he fled, men found him. Though his position was lost, the character of a man that other men instinctively follow remained. It was that character that drew men to him, men who themselves were fleeing from something. Warriors know their own, and those who wouldn't serve the political machinations of ungodly men found David in the desert. Very soon the outlaw found himself with an army, and another very formative chapter of David's journey unfolds. The shepherd became a warrior who became a mighty General. The General became an outlaw, fending for himself in the desert.. That outlaw became a warlord, leading a battalion of men who would again and again choose the honor of fighting and
even dying at his side.
"And it was in the waiting, and it was in the trusting, that the shepherd became King."
The following years saw some of the lowest times and some of the most formative moments in David's life. He experienced the utter depths of despair, as well as experiencing powerful victories. David learned much of both honor and dishonor. He learned the hard lessons of failure, while also learning to steward well the victories won in the Name of the LORD. He learned again and again, and at deeper and deeper levels the crucial lesson that all who would wield kingdom authority need to learn: to wait upon the LORD. To trust in the LORD and in His timing. And it was in the waiting, and it was in the trusting, that the shepherd became King.
The Prophet Samuel tells us much of David's journey, but it is in the Psalms that we learn of David's heart. It is in the Psalms that David processes his grief and pain, and proclaims his joys. It is through this powerful record of suffering, and of trust, and of worship, that we learn that same crucial lesson needed by all Kings and Priests: to wait upon the LORD. David's life was one of laughter and tears, and the Psalms give us both.
It is in the laughter and the tears that we learn.
It is in our times of struggle, that David's voice teaches us the competing truths that suffering is part of the process, but it is ok to grieve. Indeed, it is necessary. How can we lead those who grieve and suffer if we don't know grief or suffering? David's willingness to give voice to doubt and fear, while also affirming his trust in God, reminds us that though doubt is human, faith is always a choice. His willingness to give such poetic voice to his despair and doubt, his sadness, fear, and grief, helps us to process our own challenges. His language of praise and worship teaches us how to interact with God Himself. His expressions of absolute joy remind us that there is better to come.
It is true that David went on to have some truly horrific moral failings that speak as warnings to us today. These moments, though shameful, also demonstrate the depths of God's grace. It is in David's very public ownership of his own sin, and willingness to repent and accept consequence, that we are encouraged to face our own shortcomings and encouraged to become the men that God crafted us to be. Become....The shepherd boy became a mighty warrior who became a powerful General. The General became a hunted outlaw who became a warlord. Through that journey he became the King whose voice still speaks, still strengthens, still inspires.
It is in the journey that we are molded. It is in the laughter and in the tears that we learn. It is in the desert, in the wilderness, and in the battle that we are initiated into the ways of men and into the ways of God. In your battles, in your victories, and yes, in your failures, engage with the story of David. Learn of the King, and in so doing, become. Become.
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