The King David Legacy

<p>THE KING DAVID LEGACY </p> <p>King David was the Old Testament person that could most be compared with Jesus in his heart attitude towards God and in his awareness of his own soul. The Bible says he had a heart after God’s own heart (1Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). Jesus was called in the Bible ‘The son of David’ (Matthew 12, Matthew 15, Matthew 21, and many other times).</p> <p>Of all the people in the Old Testament David had about the deepest understanding of the work of the Holy Spirit. It was almost as if he was having a peek into the new Covenant experience of being joined to the Lord in his Spirit. He said things like ‘create in me a clean heart O’ God and renew a right spirit within me’. He did indeed have more Holy Spirit anointings than anyone else, the anointing of a king and the anointing of a prophet. David also did something quite outside tradition when it comes to the Holy Spirit priestly anointing. Only the high priest could wear the priestly garment called the ephod which priests wore when praying to God on behalf of all of Israel, but David once requested the ephod from the priest Abiathar, and he wore the ephod to enquire of the Lord at a critical time when Saul was waging war against him. God heard David’s priestly prayer and Saul was defeated (1Samuel 23). Jesus was the only other King, Priest and Prophet (and this is also our legacy).</p> <p>David understood that a true fear of God was not the thought of God watching us in a threatening way that made us want to hide and feel nothing but guilt for our sinfulness. In fact, he knew that the true fear of God was a fear of being separated from him. He trusted in the loving forgiveness and mercy of God and he knew that the only place of safety and freedom for his soul was being in God’s presence, as close to him as he could possibly be. Psalm 51.11 cast me not away from your presence O Lord and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and uphold me with a willing spirit. He had the true picture of God in his sight