Life Lessons from David

Materials Included - 4 Sessions of Learner's Materials - 4 Sessions of Teaching Materials - Handouts Sessions Included 1. The Adolescent David: Waging Battles of Giant Proportions 2. The Adult David: Dancing Before the Lord 3. The Midlife David: Frustrated and Foolish 4. The Senior Adult David: Passing on a Legacy Scriptures 1. 1 Samuel 17:1-51 2. 2 Samuel 6:1-15 3. 2 Samuel 11 4. 1 Kings 1:1-2:12 Brief Description From the time I first heard of David and Goliath, I've been "hooked" on David. Several elements of his story have caught my attention. First is the huge amount of biblical material devoted to David: the stories about the "human" David (1 and 2 Samuel); the more "idealized" interpretation of David's reign in 1 Chronicles; and the post-Davidic references to David in the books of 1 and 2 Kings. Combine these David stories and references with the numerous psalms attributed to David, as well as the New Testament passages where Jesus is referred to as the "Son of David," and you will see the massive amount of Scripture that is devoted to Israel's second and greatest king. A second element is the high regard biblical writers placed on David and his rule. The overall biblical evaluation of David is "ideal" king (1 Sam 13:14). David's reign was regarded as the "Golden Age"-so golden that the Israelites viewed the coming messiah as one who would be a "son of David" and establish a new Davidic-like kingdom on earth. A third element that lures me to David is that despite the mostly "ideal" treatment David receives, many Scriptures (2 Sam 9-20) offer a candid and human portrayal of him. Adultery, attempted cover-ups, murder, and conflict with his adult children are a few of David's "sins." This "human" description of David relates to a fourth surprising "catch"-namely, God loved and used David in spite of his sins. If forgiveness and hope were available to David, they surely exist for us. John Claypool has helped me notice another aspect of David's story. In the Bible, we catch David in the various stages of the human journey: childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and senior adulthood. From the biblical treatment of the stages of David's life, we can land some insights to assist us in better understanding the human journey. So I invite you to join me as we cast a few "lines and lures" into the sea of biblical material about David. Specifically, we'll "fish" a bit in the waters of David's adolescence, adulthood, midlife, and senior adult years. With a little "luck," perhaps we will "catch" enough from David's story to make our own human journeys more successful and fulfilling. May God be with us as the "Lord was with David" (1 Sam 16:18)!