2020 Theme – A People After God’s Heart

This year’s pulpit theme is “A People After God’s Heart”.

We will be preaching through the book of 1 Samuel for most part of this Year.

David was called “a man after God’s heart”.

In order for us to appreciate this term, we will have to see it from the context of when David was introduced in biblical history.

When Israel was delivered from the hands of the Egyptians, God brought them into the promised land where they were granted victories as they fought and conquered the Canaanites through Commander Joshua. Israel then fell into recurring spiritual cyclones of sin and redemption which we were introduced to in the book of Judges. There was no permanent peace because there was no permanent good king, everyone lived as though they were their own kings.

We then caught a glimpse of the light of salvation through the kinsman-redeemer, Boaz in the book of Ruth. Both Boaz and Ruth were given a son, Obed, who was the special son whom God will use to preserve the royal line to not only bring forth a great king, David but the ultimate and permanent King, Jesus.

Right at the tail-end of the period of Judges, in 1 Sam 8, Israel asked for a king. The reason? Not so much because they wanted a king like the nations around them but that they are rejecting God as their King.

Here lies the pivot from which we can understand what it means to be a “man after God’s heart”. Saul was king and so was David but only David was named “a man after God’s heart”. The key is found in Acts 13:22.

And when he had removed him (Saul), 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.’ (Acts 13:22)

Saul when he was king, ruled as if he has absolute power whereas David, ruled with a crystal-clear knowledge that God is his ultimate King and the ultimate King of Israel.

God was the true King of David’s heart.

David was a man after God’s own heart not because he was a sinless man or that he knew God’s law perfectly. He was a man after God’s heart because God is the true King of David’s heart.

This explains “a man after God’s heart, who will do all my will”.

Though king of Israel,

he does not see himself as the autonomous king,

he remembers he was once a shepherd boy,

he knows he was conceived in sin in his mother’s womb.

This explains why David loves God’s ways, God’s plans, God’s word, God’s Kingdom, God’s people. This explains why David had a repentant, humble, thankful, obedient, trusting and grateful heart.

God can rule over David. God can confront David of his sin. God can use David in any way He pleases. David surrendered his power, righteousness, resources, skills, will, desires, emotions to his King. David lived to please his King. Many years later, “the Son of David”, Jesus, will proclaim these words:

From that time on Jesus began to preach,

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” (Matthew 4:17)

My meat is to do the will of him that sent me,

and to finish his work. (John 4:34)

2020 will be the year we live likewise.

Can you imagine, what delight we would bring to our King Jesus, if we are to be A People After God’s Heart?

Dn. Gideon Loh