Not everyone in the Bible is a role model. For example, who looks at Goliath and says, “I sure want to be like him when I grow up!”
However, how many times do we look up to David and try to emulate our lives after his? After all, he was the King of Israel, the greatest poet of all time, and the author of the psalms–including the famous Psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want…”
Now there are many honorable things in David’s life that we can learn from, but unfortunately, he doesn’t teach us morality. He’s the one who committed adultery, killed a man to cover up his tracks, and lied to get his way.
The fact is, David doesn’t teach us morality, he teaches us how to be human.
He teaches us how to be real and he teaches us how to have a close, intimate, and living relationship with our Lord God.
Great post, reminds me of a sunday school class I taught once. I mentioned St. Francis’ words concerning “Preach the gospel, if necessary use words.”
Now I had interpreted that statement as meaning preach the gospel through orthopraxy and justice like thins but someone in my class pointed to grace. She understood his statement as saying if you mess up confess it, be humble and honest, live by grace if you are to preach it.
In a sense this is similar to your comments about David , he is not an ethical role-model but he is someone who had a relationship to God we need to pay attention too.
David’s walk with God included many mistakes and many courageous, inspiring moments and like Adam and Eve, teaches from his mistakes as well as what is possible if we trust in God.