Almost everyone will agree to the vital nature of leadership in life.
Of the greatest leaders of God’s people in Scripture, surely David can be seen as one of the biggest in Israel’s history. Jesus is unquestionably the greatest spiritual and moral leader on either side of the cross.
This piece isn’t an effort to compare them (since no one is favorably comparable to Jesus), But we can benefit from the example set by both as they carried out God’s desires for them.
First, David proved himself to be a more than capable leader of ancient Israel. Even though at first his potential wasn’t recognized, even by his family, God knew he could become the kind of king Israel needed so badly at that stage in their history.
David was the grandson of Obed, and great-grandson of Ruth and Boaz — a great linage! As the youngest of Jesse’s seven sons, he was a faithful and courageous helper for his family, tending sheep and protecting them from danger. Throughout his life, with few exceptions, David showed great respect for God, his will and his people. He accepted his anointing as Saul’s successor with great humility, and he proudly and eagerly fought and defeated the enemies of Israel, beginning with the Philistine hero Goliath.
Generally speaking, David was a man of great character and honor. On two occasions, he refused to harm Saul, who was trying to kill him. He always thought about the safety and other needs of his friends and followers.
Of course, David did have some great failings, including his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah, one David’s most fearless and loyal soldiers. And then, there was David’s virtually complete failure with his son, Absalom. In spite of these and other moral failures and lack of humility and wisdom. David was still counted as a man “after God’s own heart.”
Second, Jesus, the “son of David,” has proven himself as Lord and Master of God’s New Covenant People, both then and now.
He demonstrated his identity as the Christ, the “son of David” (17 times in the Gospels), the son of God.
His miracles testified about who he was. His friends and enemies alike could only marvel at the power and uniqueness of his teaching. His death, burial seemed to deny his claims, but his resurrection from the grave did away with all doubt for those who were (and are) willing to hear him fairly. He showed his humility through his obedience to his father’s will.
Yes, Jesus has proven himself as our more than capable spiritual example and leader. He was a man of consistent prayer and meditation on God’s will. He showed his faith in the Scriptures by quoting them and fulfilling them. And he remained faithful, even though many rejected him and finally killed him.
In conclusion, both David and Jesus serve as powerful examples of faithfulness as God’s chosen leaders. As a warrior and example of bravery, David was without peer. As our savior and Lord, Jesus provides for our every spiritual, emotional and physical need. Only in him can we find spiritual delivery and security.