How to do a Character Study + “David, the Servant of the Lord”
David, the Servant of the Lord.
On Thursday morning, I had overslept and only had a short time to “sit.” I read Psalm 19, not expecting any grand revelation. GOD KNOCKED MY SOCKS OFF!!!! As I read verse 11, “Moreover by them is thy servant warned,” the phrase “thy servant” popped out at me.
I looked up the phrase and, if I counted correctly, David uses the phrase 25x in the Psalms alone. There are many other times throughout First and Second Samuel where David uses the phrase, “Thy servant.”
· In his pre-king days, in talking to Saul, he referenced himself as “THY SERVANT.” (1 Samuel 17:32, 34,36)
· To his dearest friend, Jonathan, he humbles himself as “THY SERVANT.” (1 Samuel 20:7/8)
· To the enemy king, Achish, whom he ran away to for asylum, he refers to himself as “THY SERVANT.” (1 Samuel 27:5, 28:2, 29:8)
· In prayer, he refers to God as “THY SERVANT.” (1 Samuel 23:10-11, 2 Samuel 7:19, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, and 29)
Over and over, David refers to himself, to God and others as “THY SERVANT.”
· When he is spared from taking Nabal’s life. (1 Samuel 25:39)
· When he repented for numbering the people. (2 Samuel 24:10)
David never forgot to take the lowly role. David never forgot that he was a servant. Whether walking in calling or preparing for calling, he remembered his first role was servant.
What’s interesting is that others referred to him as “thy servant,” too.
· Solomon, David’s son, refers to him as “David, thy servant.” (1 Kings 18:25)
· The people recognized “all goodness that the Lord had done for David his servant…,” though David is no longer living. (1 Kings 8:66)
· Two Psalms opens by saying “A Psalm of David, a servant of the Lord.” (Psalms 18 and 36)
· In the most beautiful recognition of David’s life, God himself refers to David as “David, my servant…”
o “By the hand of my servant David…” (2 Samuel 3:18)
o “Thou shalt say unto my servant David…” (2 Samuel 7:8, 1 Chronicles 17:7)
· In Luke 1:69, Zacharias references the “house of His servant David…”
God speaks to Nathan the prophet, “Now therefore shalt thou speak to MY SERVANT DAVID, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep to be a ruler over my people Israel…”
Thousands of years after David’s life, the Apostle Paul quotes God, “I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart who will do all my will…” A servant does the will of Another.
In stark contrast, never once does Saul use the words, “thy servant.” Saul was larger than life, even in how own eyes. When his kingship is rejected by God, Samuel refers to earlier times, “When thou was little in thine own sight…” Saul, you were made to be king when you were little, but now you have exalted yourself above the command of God, the man of God, and the Word of God. (1 Samuel 15:16-23)
Saul, if he ever was one, did not remain a servant.
Such an incredible contrast in both the mindset and the legacy of 2 subsequent kings.
This reminds me of the words of Jesus,
· “…whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant…” (Matthew 20:27, Mark 9:35, Mark 10:44)
· “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shalt exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.” (Matthew 23:11-12)
· “Blessed is the servant, whom his Lord when he comes shall find so doing.” (Matthew 24:26 and Luke 12:43)
· “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there also shall my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honor.” (John 12:26)
Truly, servanthood is the way of the kingdom.
The words we live for prove this point. We, as Christians, long to one day here the King say, “Well done, THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT.” Not good and faithful pastor…. evangelist…mother…father…secretary….fire fighter….author…missionary…speaker….TV anchor…ship builder. Nope. Just good and faithful SERVANT. Wherever God takes us, whatever title is on our door, the primary goal is to be a SERVANT and to hear those words. We never outgrow serving. It is our highest goal and greatest reward.
I am reminded of one final thing…
In the final chapter of Revelation, when a picture of heaven and the restoration of all things is painted, we read this verse: “And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him: and they shall see His face and His name shall be in their forehead. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign forever and ever.”
In heaven, we’re still SERVING. Just like David, simultaneously reigning and serving. The service of the King is our highest joy and chief aim. Then and now. Let my posture, attitude, and behavior reflet that role: “Thy servant.”