The King David Legacy

THE KING DAVID LEGACY 

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).

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).

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 sights and he declared that to God in such a graphic manner. He said to God ‘ You know when I sit or stand. you know my every thought. You chart the path ahead of me and tell me where to stop and rest. Every moment you know where I am. You know what I am going to say before I even say it. I can never be lost to your Spirit! I can never get away from you my God! If I ride the morning winds to the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, your strength will support me. If I try to hide in the darkness, the night becomes light around me. For even darkness cannot hide from you. (Psalm 139.1-10) 

While David is the person that the Old and the New Testament Scriptures most likened to Jesus in mind and heart, we could also see that he is the one that we in our humanity can most relate to in the workings of our own minds and hearts. 
We could even put ourselves in the picture with David in Psalm thirty-two, as in a very humble and honest way he lets us in on his personal struggles and the stresses he had experienced in his soul and even in his body - and how wonderfully God comforted and strengthened him with love and forgiveness. David shares with us in that Psalm about his soul, how he felt like he had let God down and let himself down. He also shares the experience of God’s deep healing of his soul when he comes into the place of prayer in the refuge of God’s presence. 

1 Count yourself blessed about how happy you must be when you get a fresh start, your slate's wiped clean.
2 Count yourself blessed about how GOD holds nothing against you and you're holding nothing back from him.
3 When I kept it all inside, my bones dried out like powder and my words became groaning all day long. 
4 The pressure never let up; draining the sap of life out of me.
5 Then I let it all out to God; I said, "I'll make a clean breast of my failures to GOD."  Suddenly the pressure was gone - my guilt dissolved, my sin disappeared. 
6 These things add up. Every one of us needs to pray; when all hell breaks loose and the dam bursts we'll be on high ground, untouched.
7 GOD is my island refuge, keeping danger far from the shore, throwing garlands of hosannas around my neck.
8 He gave me some good advice saying; I'm looking you in the eye and giving it to you straight:
9 Don't be resistant like a horse or mule that needs a bit and bridle to stay on track."
10 God-defiers are always in trouble; GOD-affirmers find themselves loved every time they turn around. 
11 Sing together, everyone! All you faithful and open-hearted people and be joyful.

He discloses to us in this Psalm that he had been brooding about himself instead of getting his eyes upon the Lord, but he recalls the truth of what he knows he believes in and decides to hold nothing back from God and he immediately realises that God would hold nothing back from him. 
Psalm 46:6 Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
He admits that his wrong thinking had tortured his poor soul, but now his right thinking about God’s love and forgiveness allows change. God looks right into his eyes and into his heart and offers forgiveness and mercy and tells him to draw close and to stay close, while David’s guilt and sin disappears. David tells us quietly and firmly to stay close to God and not to be resistant to the powerful presence of God. 
God has been with us throughout every moment of our lives, wherever we went and whatever we did, just as David discovered. And Holy Spirit is here with us now - having felt every personal hurt and pain that we have felt – He has felt that with us as he did with Jesus. 
And Holy Spirit take us from those past moments into the present moment of faith and brings God’s love and healing to that pain and brokenness. 
Holy Spirit overrides time and if we learn to be still and know his nearness like David did we discover that the present moment is the most powerful moment in our lives. That is when and where God acts upon our soul; instead of the past circumstances acting upon it. Every moment is a present supernatural transforming moment of God’s new hope for us, it’s always a new beginning. God is present, his power and love are present, but we must be present to that reality. That is why we practice presence, because that is where and when God is present.
When King David gave his heart and mind to God this way he was able to do the things God wanted him to do, and when we give ourselves to God this way, we find grace to do the things that God wants us to do.