WHAT CONTRASTING CHARACTERS – SAUL AND DAVID

The choice one makes and decisions one takes reveals a lot about the person. It reveals the personality and also the mindset, the attitude and the character of the person. Someone who takes bad decisions need not necessarily be a bad person, but certainly would be a person with serious flaws in personality and character. 

Saul and David are the two extremes of the fallen man. Both disobeyed God and sinned against God. However, they both responded quite differently when confronted by the prophets of God.

Saul was confronted by prophet Samuel, and he tried his best to evade, justify and continue in the lie and his disobedience.
– “10 Just as Saul was finishing with the burnt offering, Samuel arrived. Saul went out to meet and welcome him, 11 but Samuel said, “What is this you have done?” Saul replied, “I saw my men scattering from me, and you didn’t arrive when you said you would, and the Philistines are at Micmash ready for battle. 12 So I said, ‘The Philistines are ready to march against us at Gilgal, and I haven’t even asked for the Lord’s help!’ So I felt compelled to offer the burnt offering myself before you came. 13 “How foolish!” Samuel exclaimed. “You have not kept the command the Lord your God gave you. Had you kept it, the Lord would have established your kingdom over Israel forever. 14 But now your kingdom must end, for the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” – 1 Samuel 13:10-14 (NLT)

David was confronted by prophet Nathan, when he committed sin with Bathsheba, and got her husband, Uriah the Hittite, killed. David, when confronted, confessed his sin, and accepted it without any reservations.
– “1 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children…and it was like a daughter to him. 4 And a traveller came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock…to prepare [prepare] one [meal] for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.” 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’…13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.” – 2 Samuel 12:1-10,13-14

What a contrast in character, between these two kings of Israel. The difference between the two is – one tried to justify himself, and never accepted his sin, nor his disobedience; while the other simply surrendered and confessed to his sin, in humility and sincerity. We still see these two sets of people in the Church. Let us not worry about others. What about us? What about you? What about me? Where do we stand? 

May the LORD help us to be always obedient to Him; if ever we falter, fail and fall down, may the LORD help us to be honest and unpretentious with Him, and confess our sins humbly and sincerely. May the LORD help us never to disobey Him, nor walk in ways of the world. Even so the LORD help us.