Contrasting Saul and David: How to Be a Man After God’s Heart

“Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” (1 John 3:2). The hope of the Christian life is that, upon Jesus’ return, we will experience the eradication of sin and its effects on us as we are perfectly transformed to reflect the image of God on earth. At first glance, upon reading 1 John 3:2, we might think that because this will ultimately happen in the future, we don’t have much hope for our lives now. And yet, that’s not aligned with our hope in Christ.

John goes on to say in verse 3, “All who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.” While it's true that we won’t be completely like him until he returns, we are to seek to be like him as much as possible while we wait for him. The Holy Spirit aids us in this effort as we study the Scriptures and participate in the community of faith. But the question remains, without seeing him, what does it look like to be like him? 

One of the best ways to understand this is to examine characters who reflect the heart of God. In the Old Testament, one of the most popular examples to consider is the person of David. The nation of Israel had recently requested a king so that they could be like all the other nations. God gave them exactly what they asked for. King Saul that had the outward appearance of a worldly king. Saul’s continued disobedience and neglect of God resulted in God rejecting Saul. God then informs Saul that he has selected for himself a new king, a man said to be “after his (God’s) own heart” (1 Sam. 13:14). 

The word “after” there means that his heart would be like God’s heart. Made of the same quality and oriented toward the same affections.  We know that David is the man referred to in this passage. But I have to admit that when I examine the life of David, I have a hard time seeing how David is like God. He’s a man of war – with a lot of blood on his hands. He committed adultery and then covered up his sin with murder.

To understand how David was a man after God’s own heart, it’s helpful to compare David with Saul to see the difference. While there are certainly more that we could mention, at this point, I want to focus on three key differences between Saul and David that help us understand what it looks like to be a man after God’s heart.

1. David was a Faithful Shepherd

As we start to compare David and Saul, one of the most interesting comparisons is how the two of them are introduced. Both are seen as working for their fathers by caring for the family's animals.

When we first see Saul, we learn that his father’s donkeys are missing and that he is sent out to look for them. When they failed to find them, Saul desired to give up the search and head back home. His servant talked him out of quitting and led him to meet Samuel who then told them where the donkeys were before anointing him as the next king.

When we are first introduced to David, he too is caring for his father’s animals – the sheep. The difference is that David’s animals aren’t lost. While all his brothers were being shown to Samuel, David was busy taking care of his responsibilities. He did this with complete devotion! We’re told later that he had fought off both a lion and a bear on two different occasions to protect his sheep. No thought of fleeing or quitting. Willing to lay down everything to save his flock. Part of what made David qualified to be king was that he proved to be a faithful shepherd.     

2. David was Spiritually Sensitive

One thing we observe with Saul is that the first time he encountered Samuel, he failed to recognize who he was. Samuel was a big deal in that day! Easily the most famous and recognizable figure in Israel. Plus, being the nation’s judge and prophet, he would have been wearing certain clothes that would have identified him as a spiritual leader. And yet, Saul had no idea who he was. 

On top of that, Saul would go on to make rash vows, be given a tormenting spirit, and neglect God’s instructions and guidance. Saul was insensitive to God’s presence and leading in his life.

David, on the other hand, was a worshiper of God and demonstrated a deep dependence on God’s leading. Being the author of numerous Psalms, we can see that David longed for the presence of God on a daily basis. It was his worship that brought relief to Saul as he was tormented by an evil spirit. And, upon becoming king, instead of being pressured to act in his own wisdom, David sought the Lord in all his exploits. David was spiritually sensitive.

3. David was Submissive and Repentant

After Saul disobeyed God’s instructions for dealing with the Amalekites, Samuel confronted him about his failure. Saul’s response: “My people made me do it!” (1 Sam. 15:21 paraphrased). Repeatedly we see Saul disobey and refuse to take ownership. 

David, like Saul, failed miserably. After his sin with Bathsheba and the subsequent cover-up, the prophet Nathan called him out. David’s response?  Confession and Repentance (2 Sam. 12:13 & Psalm 51). What made David a man after God’s heart was not his spotless reputation, but his response to his sin with repentance.

Conclusion

Now, it might be easy to read this and think, “In order to be like God, I need to be like David.” While there are things we can learn from David’s life, it’s important to know that David is not our standard. David serves as a type of Christ in the Old Testament. Put another way, Jesus is the greater David. The true and greater King.

Jesus is the perfect shepherd. Jesus is perfectly sensitive to the Spirit of God and obedient in all things. Jesus was perfect in his resistance to sin. Not only that, but in his baptism, he perfectly demonstrated a repentant spirit on our behalf – even though he had nothing to be repentant for. (John’s baptism was a “baptism of repentance.” 

If we really want to progress in the likeness of Jesus, we don’t just try to do better. We look to Jesus. We’ll be like him as we see him. In the Scriptures, we can see him everywhere! The more we behold him – his personal character and work on our behalf – the more we’ll be like him. To follow Jesus is to be a person after God’s own heart.