David left a legacy behind him of both devotion to God and failure. As he leaves a legacy of corruption and generational disobedience for his sons in 1 Kings, he simultaneously praises the Lord and sacrifices all the resources and wealth he has left to the building of a permanent temple for God. Although the tension in David’s life is not always easy to accept, we have to see the honesty of Scripture as it is, acknowledge both his sins and his devotion to God, and recognize that we have the same story as David. His problem is not a “them” problem, it’s a “we” problem—we are no better than him. Where our core sins play out over time, God’s grace extends all the more.

Scripture References

Psalm 78
1 Kings 1:5-6
1 Kings 2:5-6
1 Kings 2:8-9
1 Chronicles 29:10-20
Luke 1

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Come Let Us Adore

1. David’s life can drive us to sit in judgment of his sin or only identify with the positive aspects in his life. We either don’t want to believe in the grace that remains extended to him or neglect the truth of his brokenness. Where do you find yourself in this tension? What experiences in your life make it easier to believe one of these over the other?
2. Core sins tend to play out over time and make a return appearance in pieces of our legacy. What do you need to repent of now in order to bring honor to God and avoid corruption through your legacy?
3. When our lives come to an end, a hope rooted in performance is weak and unstable. We have to trust that God is doing something in and through our lives — that He steps in and covers our failures. How have you put your hope in your performance instead of the hope of Jesus?
4. As we come to a close on David’s life, what have you learned from him? What has challenged you the most from this series? What has been your greatest take away as you move forward?

Thoughts to Consider

– We have to be weary of our tendency to create a caricature of Scripture and live within that illusion; we need to instead see that Scripture is often more honest than we are willing to acknowledge.
– God works through broken people like David. David wasn’t the end of the line; he was the beginning of what it looks like to have a king after God’s own heart, ultimately fulfilled in Jesus. Just like David, God continues to work through us for His purposes, regardless of our brokenness.
– As our core sins are playing out over time, God’s grace is also playing out right alongside if we don’t fully repent. God extends His grace in spite of our sin.
– David’s sin and brokenness isn’t a ‘them’ problem—it’s a ‘we’ problem. We are just as broken.
– The Gospel of Matthew intentionally includes four unexpected women in the genealogy of Jesus. These women, named Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba, were prostitutes, adulterers, and outsiders. In the same way that He takes broken women and stories to carry the line of Jesus, God takes the point of shame in our life and turns it into a point of blessing—He takes our Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba experiences and He works in and through them with His grace.