David The Commander

 "David departed from there and escaped to the cave of Adullam. And when his brothers and all his father's house heard it, they went down there to him. 2 And everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul,[a] gathered to him. And he became commander over them. And there were with him about four hundred men. (1 Samuel 22:1-2)

The anointed, the warrior, the brother, the now commander.  Before this, he had fled Saul (once again), and the backsliding king of Israel was not satisfied until David was dead, and was no longer a threat to the throne.  David was patient, he had left everything in the Lord's hands, and he would not take vengeance into his own.  

After all of his waiting, the Lord was rewarding him.  David now had men that would be willing to go to hell and back with him.  These men would be the core group of men who would one day make up his army that would defend Israel from the countries around.  

As the commander, David would need to be willing to sacrifice and be sacrificed.  He would take risks that many men would be frightened out of their minds to take.  He would be the man who would deny the tyrant, but yet honor him, more like honor God, at the same time.  He was the father of the Lion of Judah.  The Lion of Judah would be the Anointed one of Israel, that Warrior who would slay the darkness, the Brother of the needy, and the Commander of Light.

David The Brother

"Saul told his son Jonathan and all the attendants to kill David. But Jonathan had taken a great liking to David 2 and warned him, “My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you. Be on your guard tomorrow morning; go into hiding and stay there. 3 I will go out and stand with my father in the field where you are. I’ll speak to him about you and will tell you what I find out.”

4 Jonathan spoke well of David to Saul his father and said to him, “Let not the king do wrong to his servant David; he has not wronged you, and what he has done has benefited you greatly. 5 He took his life in his hands when he killed the Philistine. The Lord won a great victory for all Israel, and you saw it and were glad. Why then would you do wrong to an innocent man like David by killing him for no reason?”  1 Samuel 19: 1-5.

Here we see Jonathan and David's relationship.  A very promising relationship.  Personally, I think this is one of the most holy relationships in the Bible.  This is a perfect example of brotherly love.  You would be hard put to find another example as good as this one.

Jonathan and David probably met in the first days of David being at court.  We don't know how, but this would probably have been one of the most likeliest times to meet.  Here we see Jonathan defending David from his own father.  How hard would that be?  To stand against one of your own kin to defend someone, who you may have only just met a few weeks previous.  There was an immediate connection from between the two.

This subject could be expounded about, but really it comes down to this.  God took this opportunity to give David a champion in the court of Saul.  Which David would return the favor in the coming years, by defending Jonathan's descendants.  Many biblical scholars now think that Jonathan was much older than David, then this relationship was more than just brotherhood.  Jonathan was that father figure that David didn't have around him at that time.  Jonathan was a living example of wisdom, love, and protection for David. 

David the Warrior

As we continue our journey along the path of David's life, we see 1 Samuel 16.  Which is the time when David shows himself to be a mighty warrior.

This is a very popular passage, being the story of the battle between Goliath and David.  Not only does it show the might and strength of David (which the Lord gave him), but it gives another example of God exalting the low over the humble and proud.  He took a eighth son, who was a shepherd boy, and exalted him before the Army of Israel.  Not only did he beat a mammoth of a man, but he also did so with just a sling-shot.  Definitely not an ideal weapon of choice.

Many people think that this is the time when David becomes a man, because he just defeated the Champion of the Philistines.  But if you think about it, God was preparing him for this moment all along.  Did he not beat a lion and bear single handedly?  God was preparing him, when he was sitting there through the long watches of the night.  He was strengthening him, when he had to chase down that mischievous lamb down.

God was preparing David to become a mighty warrior and king.  Not only did He have him defeat a giant, but He also had him defeat a giant in front of the men he was going to lead some day... and also king Saul, who would soon make David his armor bearer, unwittingly putting his rival in his own court.  God is purposeful in His planning.

David the Anointed (Part one)

 "11 Then Samuel said to Jesse, “Are all your sons here?” And he said, “There remains yet the youngest,[a] but behold, he is keeping the sheep.” And Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we will not sit down till he comes here.” 12 And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome. And the Lord said, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” 13 Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him in the midst of his brothers. And the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward. And Samuel rose up and went to Ramah." (I Samuel 16: 11-13)

Here we have the introduction of David into the Story.  God's Story.  One from a lowly background, but of a rich bloodline.  Descendant of Judah and Boaz, and part of the line of Christ, who couldn't have asked for a richer line?  And yes, he is also the eighth son who watches the sheep.  The waterboy.

But here he is, the last person anyone would have expected.  Another example of God raising the low and exalting them.  From a shepherd, to a warrior king of a mighty nation.  This man would be the protector of Israel, and the shepherd of an entire kingdom.  Not just sheep.

God knew that Saul was not going to be faithful that long, and when he turned from the Lord, God aroused Samuel to go to Jesse.  (Notice that the Spirit of the Lord "rushed upon Davis.." and later on you'll see that Saul was troubled by a spirit of God.  This symbolizes David's rise to power.)  Thus, you find David being anointed.  And later on in chapter sixteen, you'll find that Saul actually brings the one to replace him to his own court.  Ironic much?  

God definitely had a hand in this part of the story.  As we will see throughout the story of David.  It is a beautiful story.