1 Acts 13:16-23 (cp. 1 Sam. 13:14).
16 So Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said:
“Men of Israel, and you that fear God, listen. 17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers
and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led
them out of it. 18 And for about forty years he bore with them in the wilderness. 19 And when he
had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave them their land as an inheritance,
for about four hundred and fifty years. 20 And after that he gave them judges until Samuel the
prophet. 21 Then they asked for a king; and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the
tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. 22 And when he had removed him, he raised up David to be
their king; of whom he testified and said, ‘I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after
my heart, who will do all my will.’ 23 Of this man’s posterity God has brought to Israel a
Savior, Jesus, as he promised.
Why was Saul NOT a man after God’s own heart?
! He failed to DO the will of God... thus personifying the very warning God sent to the
people when they rejected God as king and ask for their own... to be JUST LIKE the
other nations!
" 1 Samuel 8:10–18 (RSVCE)
# 10 So Samuel told all the words of the Lord to the people who were asking
a king from him. 11 He said, “These will be the ways of the king who
will reign over you: he will take your sons and appoint them to his
chariots and to be his horsemen, and to run before his chariots; 12
and he will appoint for himself commanders of thousands and
commanders of fifties, and some to plow his ground and to reap his
harvest, and to make his implements of war and the equipment of his
chariots. 13 He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks
and bakers. 14 He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and
olive orchards and give them to his servants. 15 He will take the
tenth of your grain and of your vineyards and give it to his officers
and to his servants. 16 He will take your menservants and
maidservants, and the best of your cattle and your asses, and put
them to his work. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall
be his slaves. 18 And in that day you will cry out because of your
king, whom you have chosen for yourselves; but the Lord will not
answer you in that day.”
How is David a man after God’s own heart?
In so far as he DOES God’s will...
! Standing up to the blasphemer Goliath - the intruder/serpent of the “promised land”
" 1 Sam. 17
! Not striking back at his enemy, rather interceding for him - King Saul
" 1 Sam. 24
! Enters into Covenant communion with the People
" 2 Samuel 5:1 (RSVCE)
# 1 Then all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron, and said, “Behold,
we are your bone and flesh.
! Gen. 2:23
! Orders the liturgy (the worship of the people) to Eucharist - to the thanksgiving &
adoration of God!
" He acts as Priest in 2 Sam 6
" Organizes the Levites in 1 Chron. 23
" Institute Todah as in Psalm 22 ... etc.
! Not returning evil for evil in his passion
" 2 Sam. 15 - 17
! Desires to honor God by constructing the temple
" 2 Sam 7
" The peak of the David as the NEW Adam...
! Converts Gentiles to TRUE Worship of God
" Obedieum - 2 Sam 6
" Uriah The Hittite - 2 Sam 11
How is David not a man after God’s own heart?
When David turned from God’s ways and lives his own, failing to DO/keep the will of
God... he is NOT a man after God’s own heart!
! 2 Sam. 11 …
" Lusts after Bathsheba when he was supposed be leading his army in battle
" Lies & covers up his crime, breaking his word (yes mean yes)
" Murders Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, to perpetuate the lie.
" Takes multiple wives...
! 2 Sam. 13...
" Acts like Eli & Samuel the Prophet/Priests who DO NOT discipline their sons.
" Chaos ensues in his house - rape, murder, rebellion
! 1 Kings 2...
" After David has NOT kept the law of God well... commands his son to keep it to
avoid HIS mistakes.
Deuteronomy 17:14–20 (RSVCE)
14 “When you come to the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you possess it and
dwell in it, and then say, ‘I will set a king over me, like all the nations that are round about me’; 15
you may indeed set as king over you him whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among
your brethren you shall set as king over you; you may not put a foreigner over you, who is not
your brother. 16 Only he must not multiply horses for himself, or cause the people to
return to Egypt in order to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never
return that way again.’ 17 And he shall not multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn
away; nor shall he greatly multiply for himself silver and gold.
18 “And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy
of this law, from that which is in the charge of the Levitical priests; 19 and it shall be with him,
and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God, by
keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them; 20 that his heart may
not be lifted up above his brethren, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either
to the right hand or to the left; so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in
Israel.
! The king must be a doer of the Law!
" Romans 2:13 (RSVCE) 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are
righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
! He must NOT...
" Multiply horses!
" Multiply wives!
" Multiply gold!
# Why not horses? - PRIDE OF LIFE
" Matthew 6:19–21 (RSVCE)
! 19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth
and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay
up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor
rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
" Matthew 6:33–34 (RSVCE)
! 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all
these things shall be yours as well. 34 “Therefore do not be
anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let
the day’s own trouble be sufficient for the day.
" Why not gold? LUST OF THE EYES
! 1 Timothy 6:10 (RSVCE)
# 10 For the love of money is the root of all evils; it is
through this craving that some have wandered away from
the faith and pierced their hearts with many pangs.
! Matthew 6:24 (RSVCE)
" 24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate
the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one
and despise the other. You cannot serve God and
mammon.
! Matthew 19:24 (RSVCE)
" 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the
eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of
God.”
# Why not wives? LUST OF THE FLESH
! Matthew 19:3–9 (RSVCE)
" 3 And Pharisees came up to him and tested him by asking,
“Is it lawful to divorce one’s wife for any cause?” 4 He
answered, “Have you not read that he who made them
from the beginning made them male and female, 5 and
said, ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and
mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall
become one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but
one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not
man put asunder.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did
Moses command one to give a certificate of divorce, and to
put her away?” 8 He said to them, “For your hardness of
heart Moses allowed you to divorce your wives, but
from the beginning it was not so. 9 And I say to you:
whoever divorces his wife, except for unchastity, and
marries another, commits adultery; and he who marries a
divorced woman, commits adultery.”
! Implicit rejection of multiple wives:
" Lamech takes 2 wives in the 7 generation from Adam &
also commits murder... perfection of evil!
# Gen. 4:19-24
" The good line marries into the bad line and takes multiple
wives and they seek their OWN name instead of God’s
name.
# Genesis 6
# God wants to wipe out the corruption of the good
line & start over!
" Abraham lets his wife be taken by Pharoah & then takes a
concubine... circumcision, chaos, rejection ensue.
# Genesis 12 - wife taken
# Genesis 16 - takes wife’s advice & takes
concubine
! Genesis 17 - Circumcision - punishments fits the
crime!
" Issac takes only 1 wife
! & is revered as man of righteousness by ancient
Rabbis & others like Philo in the 1st. cent.
" Jacob takes multiple wives...
! Genesis 29
! Doesn’t accept his lot-in-life... enters into sin &
chaos, rebellion, lies and more ensue.
! Gets drunk... kinda like Noah...
" The People of Israel commit adultery and play the harlot
with Baael in Ex. 32 for ex. Chaos, rebellion, lies, murder
ensues.
! Moses make them drink the duct of the idol mixed in
water.... the prescription of an adulterer
# Just like Numbers 5 - adulterous wife...
" David takes multiple wives... again.... Chaos, rebellion, lies,
murder ensues.
! 2 Sam. 11 - & 15-20
" Solomon takes multiple wives... again.... Chaos, rebellion,
lies, murder ensues.
! 1 Kings 11
# Jesus???
" Matthew 19:10–12 (RSVCE)
! 10 The disciples said to him, “If such is the case of
a man with his wife, it is not expedient to marry.” 11
But he said to them, “Not all men can receive this
saying, but only those to whom it is given. 12 For
there are eunuchs who have been so from birth,
and there are eunuchs who have been made
eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who
have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of
the kingdom of heaven. He who is able to receive
this, let him receive it.”
The Wise King Solomon gives us an even greater example of how the Son’s of David
failed to live up to the title, “one after my own heart”!
! He multiplied horses... so many that he had to establish entire cities for his cavalry...
from Egypt! PRIDE OF LIFE
" 1 Kings 10:26–29 (RSVCE)
# 26 And Solomon gathered together chariots and horsemen; he had
fourteen hundred chariots and twelve thousand horsemen, whom he
stationed in the chariot cities and with the king in Jerusalem. 27 And
the king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stone, and he made
cedar as plentiful as the sycamore of the Shephelah. 28 And Solomon’s
import of horses was from Egypt and Kue, and the king’s traders
received them from Kue at a price. 29 A chariot could be imported from
Egypt for six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse for a hundred
and fifty; and so through the king’s traders they were exported to all the
kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
! He Multiplied Gold... 666 talents worth; ever a good number? LUST OF THE EYES
" 1 Kings 10:14–16 (RSVCE)
# 14 Now the weight of gold that came to Solomon in one year was six
hundred and sixty-six talents of gold, 15 besides that which came from
the traders and from the traffic of the merchants, and from all the kings of
Arabia and from the governors of the land. 16 King Solomon made two
hundred large shields of beaten gold; six hundred shekels of gold went
into each shield.
! Rev. 13:17 - # of the beast!
! He Multiplied Wives... who turned his heart away from God! LUST OF THE FLESH
" 1 Kings 11:1–9 (RSVCE)
# 1 Now King Solomon loved many foreign women: the daughter of
Pharaoh, and Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, 2
from the nations concerning which the Lord had said to the people
of Israel, “You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall
they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their
gods”; Solomon clung to these in love. 3 He had seven hundred
wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines; and his wives
turned away his heart. 4 For when Solomon was old his wives turned
away his heart after other gods; and his heart was not wholly true to the
Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. 5 For Solomon went
after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the
abomination of the Ammonites. 6 So Solomon did what was evil in the
sight of the Lord, and did not wholly follow the Lord, as David his father
had done. 7 Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination
of Moab, and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites, on the
mountain east of Jerusalem. 8 And so he did for all his foreign wives, who
burned incense and sacrificed to their gods. 9 And the Lord was angry
with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the
God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice,
! What happens when he committed these sins?
" Chaos ensues in his house! Rebellion! Civil War! Abuse!
# 1 Kings 12:9–11 (RSVCE)
! 9 And he said to them, “What do you advise that we answer this
people who have said to me, ‘Lighten the yoke that your father put
upon us’?” 10 And the young men who had grown up with him said
to him, “Thus shall you speak to this people who said to you, ‘Your
father made our yoke heavy, but do you lighten it for us’; thus
shall you say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s
loins. 11 And now, whereas my father laid upon you a heavy
yoke, I will add to your yoke. My father chastised you with
whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.’”
What does the ONE GREATER than Solomon, Jesus the King of Kings, Say?
! Matthew 11:29–30 (RSVCE)
" 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in
heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light.”
# Why? Because of the Yoke of Solomon & his Son, Rehoboam, was
breaking the back of the people!
# Jesus doesn't’ take multiple wives... instead he has just ONE... His Bride
is the Church! Truly... bone of HIS bones and flesh of HIS flesh!
! Jesus Takes on the 3 fold concupiscence of Adam, Solomon and the others!
" 1 John 2:15–17 (RSVCE)
# 15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If any one loves the
world, love for the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the
lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, is not of
the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world passes away, and the lust
of it; but he who does the will of God abides for ever.
" Tempted with Bread LUST OF THE FLESH
# Matthew 4:3–4 (RSVCE)
! 3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of
God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” 4 But he
answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by
every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”
" Tempted with a spectacle of power PRIDE OF LIFE
# Matthew 4:5–7 (RSVCE)
! 5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, and set him on the
pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of
God, throw yourself down; for it is written,
! ‘He will give his angels charge of you,’ and
! ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
! lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” 7 Jesus said to him,
“Again it is written, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”
" “Look at me with all my angels serving me....”
# Tempted with Earthly power LUST OF THE EYES
" Matthew 4:8–11 (RSVCE)
! 8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain, and showed
him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them; 9 and he
said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and
worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Begone, Satan! for it is
written, You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall
you serve.’” 11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came
and ministered to him.
! Each time Jesus responds... he’s quoting the LAW... the book of Deuteronomy!
# Unlike both David & Solomon... he fulfils Deut. 17... keeping the law!
St. Hilary of Poitiers
From the homily on Psalm 53/54 (Was Bishop of Poitiers in the 4th Cent.)
1. The doctrines of the Gospel were well known to holy and blessed David in his capacity of
Prophet, and although it was under the Law that he lived his bodily life, he yet filled, as far as in
him lay, the requirements of the Apostolic behest and justified the witness borne to him by God
in the words: I have found a man after My own heart, David, the son of Jesse. He did not
avenge himself upon his foes by war, he did not oppose force of arms to those that laid
wait for him, but after the pattern of the Lord, Whose name and Whose meekness alike he
foreshadowed, when he was betrayed he entreated, when he was in danger he sang
psalms, when he incurred hatred he rejoiced; and for this cause he was found a man after
God’s own heart. For although twelve legions of angels might have come to the help of the Lord
in His hour of passion, yet that He might perfectly fulfil His service of humble obedience, He
surrendered Himself to suffering and weakness, only praying with the words: Father into Thy
hands I commend My spirit. After the same pattern, David, whose actual sufferings prophetically
foretold the future sufferings of the Lord opposed not his enemies either by word or act; in
obedience to the command of the Gospel, he would not render evil for evil, in imitation of his
Master’s meekness, in his affliction, in his betrayal, in his fight, he called upon the Lord and was
content to use His weapons only in his contest with the ungodly.
! Romans 2:13 (RSVCE)
# 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers
of the law who will be justified.
How can WE be a Man after God’s own heart?
! Matthew 5:43–48 (RSVCE) - LOVE YOUR ENEMIES
" 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and
hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for
those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father
who is in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good,
and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who
love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the
same? 47 And if you salute only your brethren, what more are you doing
than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You, therefore,
must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
! Matthew 5:38–42 (RSVCE) - RETURN GOOD FOR EVIL
" 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a
tooth.’ 39 But I say to you, Do not resist one who is evil. But if any one
strikes you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also; 40 and if
any one would sue you and take your coat, let him have your cloak as
well; 41 and if any one forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles.
42 Give to him who begs from you, and do not refuse him who would
borrow from you.
! Matthew 5:33–37 (RSVCE) MAKE YOUR WORD MEAN SOMETHING
" 33 “Again you have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not
swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ 34
But I say to you, Do not swear at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne
of God, 35 or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is
the city of the great King. 36 And do not swear by your head, for you
cannot make one hair white or black. 37 Let what you say be simply
‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.
! Matthew 5:27–32 (RSVCE) SEEK PURITY OF HEART & RELATIONSHIPS
" 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ 28
But I say to you that every one who looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye
causes you to sin, pluck it out and throw it away; it is better that you lose
one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. 30
And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away; it is
better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body
go into hell.
" 31 “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a
certificate of divorce.’ 32 But I say to you that every one who divorces
his wife, except on the ground of unchastity, makes her an
adulteress; and whoever marries a divorced woman commits
adultery.
! Matthew 5:21–26 (RSVCE) - FORGIVE ALL & MAKE PEACE
! 21 “You have heard that it was said to the men of old, ‘You shall not kill;
and whoever kills shall be liable to judgment.’ 22 But I say to you that
every one who is angry with his brother shall be liable to judgment;
whoever insults his brother shall be liable to the council, and whoever
says, ‘You fool!’ shall be liable to the hell of fire. 23 So if you are offering
your gift at the altar, and there remember that your brother has
something against you, 24 leave your gift there before the altar and
go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your
gift. 25 Make friends quickly with your accuser, while you are going with
him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge
to the guard, and you be put in prison; 26 truly, I say to you, you will
never get out till you have paid the last penny.
" Matthew 5:17–20 (RSVCE) LEAD & SEEK ONLY TO THE TRUTH
! 17 “Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have
come not to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 For truly, I say to you, till
heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law
until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then relaxes one of the least of
these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called least in
the kingdom of heaven; but he who does them and teaches them shall
be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your
righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will
never enter the kingdom of heaven.
" Matthew 5:2–12 (RSVCE) SEEK FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD...
! 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 “Blessed are the
poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 “Blessed are those
who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they
shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for
righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they
shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called
sons of God. 10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for
righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
! 11 “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all
kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the
prophets who were before you.
# Beautifully captured in the life of our Lord...
" Luke 22:42 (RSVCE)
! 42 “Father, if thou art willing, remove this cup from me; nevertheless not
my will, but thine, be done.”
" Romans 5:8 (RSVCE)
! 8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were yet sinners Christ
died for us.
! Luke 23:34 (RSVCE)
" 34 And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they
do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
# Let us....
! repent of our sins
" As David does ...
# Psalm 51:1–3 (RSVCE)
! 1 Have mercy on me, O God,
! according to thy steadfast love;
! according to thy abundant mercy blot out my
transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
! and cleanse me from my sin!
! 3 For I know my transgressions,
! and my sin is ever before me.
! turn our hearts back to God
" As David does...
# Psalm 51:11–12 (RSVCE)
! 11 Cast me not away from thy presence,
! and take not thy holy Spirit from me.
! 12 Restore to me the joy of thy salvation,
! and uphold me with a willing spirit.
! forgive all who have sinned against us
" As David does...
# 1 Samuel 24:10 (RSVCE)
! David said... 10 Lo, this day your eyes have seen how the
Lord gave you today into my hand in the cave; and some
bade me kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not put forth
my hand against my lord; for he is the Lord’S anointed.’
! return good for evil & NOT evil for evil
" As David Does...
# 2 Samuel 16:11–12 (RSVCE)
! 11 And David said to Abishai and to all his servants,
“Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now
may this Benjaminite! Let him alone, and let him curse; for
the Lord has bidden him. 12 It may be that the Lord will look
upon my affliction, and that the Lord will repay me with
good for this cursing of me today.”
! seek purity of heart
" As David does...
# Psalm 51:10 (RSVCE)
! 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and
right spirit within me.
! seek chastity in our relationships
" As Jesus does...
# Matthew 19:4-6 (RSVCE)
! Have you not read that he who made them from the
beginning made them male and female, 5 and said, ‘For
this reason a man shall leave his father and mother
and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become
one flesh’? 6 So they are no longer two but one flesh.
What therefore God has joined together, let not man put
asunder.”
! unite our sufferings to Christ on the Cross
" As Saint Paul commands...
# Colossians 1:24 (RSVCE)
! 24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my
flesh I complete what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the
sake of his body, that is, the church,
! make our YES mean YES
" As jesus does....
# Matthew 5:37 (RSVCE)
! 37 Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more
than this comes from evil.
! DO the will of God.... because we LOVE HIM
" As Jesus commands...
# John 14:15 (RSVCE)
! 15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments.
! Stand up, take up our Cross and March on Calvary!
" As Jesus commands...
# Luke 9:23 (RSVCE)
! 23 And he said to all, “If any man would come after me, let
him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.
Then we can truly be MEN after God’s own heart!
