We’ve been studying the life of David for the past year under the leadership of Pastor Dan, and David’s life has taught us several things as a congregation. One of the things we learned was that David was a man after God’s own heart. 

1 Samuel 13:14 - “The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart, and the Lord has commanded him to be prince over his people, because you have not kept what the Lord commanded you.”

God chose David not based on his outward appearance or any physical abilities he may have had, but God looked at David’s heart (1 Sam 16:7). David’s heart was toward the Lord, and we can see the evidence of what a heart after God looks like.

We can see David’s passion for God in several occasions: his passion for God as Goliath blasphemed God, his desire to seek God and submit to the leadership as he inquired of God in his decisions, and his passion that is evidenced in the Psalms. Much of the Psalms were written by David and describes how much David looked to God, his desire to worship God with all of his heart. 

David writes, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water” (Psalm 63:1). His heart was truly committed to the Lord, and it is no wonder God calls David a man after his own heart. 

But no matter how awesome it is to study David, we understand how Jesus is called the Son of David numerous times (Matthew 9:27, 12:23, 15:22, 20:30, 21:9, 21:5). This is obviously a title for Jesus’ kingship, but also demonstrations how Jesus embodied some of David’s characteristics, including how Jesus not only is a man after God’s own heart, but also reveals the heart of God to humanity. 

We see Jesus’ intimacy with the Father, Jesus dismissed crowds and multitudes to spent time with the Father, Jesus said, “The Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise” (John 5:19). Jesus is so connected to the Father, giving us a glimpse of true love, devotion, and relationship. Jesus is the true and better David who is pinnacle of being one who has his heart after the Father. We can take lessons from David and Jesus so we too may become those who are passionately seeking after God, and are completely committed to be after the Lord’s own heart. 

— What does it mean to be a man or woman after God’s own heart?

— What other ways do you think David was a man after God’s own heart? 

— How does Jesus embody David’s characteristic as a man after God’s own heart? 

— What can we learn as both Jesus and David were men after God?