The heart of God: Dr John Garvey considers the prophetic psalms of David.

King David does not often appear on the list of Israel’s prophets. But Peter certainly regarded him as a prophet (see Acts 2:30). In fact, there are more quotations in the New Testament from the psalms which are attributed to David than from any of the other prophets, with the exception of Isaiah.

Not only was David a prophet – he was the head of a school of prophets. In 1 Chronicles 25:1 we see that David set aside “some of the sons of Asaph, Heman and Jeduthun for the ministry of prophesying, accompanied by harps, lyres and cymbals.” All the men of this hereditary guild of prophets were under the supervision of their fathers, and the fathers were under the supervision of the king himself. “The spirits of prophets are subject to the control of prophets” (1 Cor 14:32) indicates that it was not only as their king, but as their senior prophet, that David was overseer of their ministry.

We can read the work of some of these men in the Book of Psalms, and this is also the place where we find David’s prophecy. The style and content of his words are very different from the other prophets. This is because the psalms were written as songs for temple worship, and not mainly for teaching or exhortation. What we know of David’s gifting agrees with this – he was a poet, not a preacher.

A Prophet and a King

But how did David become a prophet? We are used to prophets who confront kings, not kings who preside over prophets! We are not told directly of his call, but it seems likely that the start of his ministry coincided with his anointing by Samuel as king, when “the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power” (1 Sam 16:13).

The cosy idea we sometimes have of the shepherd-boy David writing psalms whilst tending his sheep is unlikely. In the NIV, there are a few psalm headings which may suggest that they were written before David began his reign (for example Ps 34), but he had already been anointed as king. He may have been a poet and musician from his youth, but it took the anointing of the Spirit to make him a mouthpiece for God.

Not only was David a prophet, he was the head of a school of prophets.

However, anointed kingship alone did not make him a prophet either. Of the kings who were descended from him, only his son Solomon was a prophet, and though Solomon wrote many proverbs he only wrote one psalm. What was so special about David? To answer that, we must look at the content of his prophecy.

It could be argued that every psalm is prophetic, because all were inspired by the Spirit and included in the canon of Scripture. But it will be more useful here to distinguish ‘prayer’ from ‘prophecy’ and look at those parts of David’s psalms which specifically declare God’s will and foretell his future acts. If we do this, we find that David’s prophecy has two particular emphases.

Prophetic Themes

His first theme is the righteous and the wicked, viewed as a king would view them; as the righteous who need to be encouraged, and the wicked who need to be disclosed and weeded out of the kingdom if the king is to rule well. Examples of this are Psalm 5:9-10 (quoted in Rom 3:13), where David calls on God to banish the wicked; and Psalm 12:5 – God’s own oracle to a discouraged king declaring that he himself will protect the weak and needy from those who malign them.

His second theme is the king himself, and in particular the descendant whom God promised would inherit his throne forever. God had made this promise to David by the Prophet Nathan: “I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom for ever” (2 Sam 7:12-13). This is the promise, or covenant, on which depends the whole concept of Jesus as the Messiah, or Anointed One.

David may have been a poet and musician from his youth, but it took the anointing of the Spirit to make him a mouthpiece for God.

In Acts 2:30-31, Peter said that David was a prophet and “knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay.” This refers to Psalm 16:8-11, which Peter had already quoted to the Pentecost crowd.

The apostle presents a picture of David as trusting fully in God's promise and being enabled by the Spirit to see something of how it would be fulfilled in Jesus. How far he understood what he was seeing, and how far it was unconscious, we perhaps cannot know.

King of Kings

Some psalms, like Psalm 110, seem to have been written for use on royal ceremonial occasions, such as a coronation. That is, they concern David himself and the later kings as well. And yet, they include things which could never apply personally to any human king, as Jesus himself pointed out (Matt 22:41-46). In Psalm 110 David calls the king “my Lord” (v1) and “a priest for ever” (v4).

Other psalms, like Psalm 22, were personal prayers which, in the light of the events of Jesus’ life, astound us with their accurate prediction of his sufferings. It is almost as if David himself, half consciously and half unconsciously, were living out the life of the coming messianic king.

This is perhaps the best way to look at David's prophetic gift. Unlike the other prophets, he was not just a chosen watchman, but himself a central figure in God's salvation plan. He was the first of the royal line that would lead to Jesus. He was a ’type’ of Christ, just as the Passover was a ‘type’ of his Passion and the temple a ‘type’ of his Church.

Like King Jesus, King David rescued his people from their enemies, ruled them with justice and compassion, and led them in their worship of God. His victories foreshadowed Christ’s victory. His sufferings exemplified those of the one who was to come. Israel looked back at the golden age of David as a model of the eternal reign of ‘David’s greater Son’.

David was not just a chosen watchman, but himself a central figure in God’s salvation plan.

Understanding the Heart of Christ

No man before David ever understood better the mind and heart of Jesus. The very nature of his role as Israel's archetypal king, a “man after God's own heart”, led to so many comparisons with the life of his promised successor. Then again, God's providence created more parallels, such as his persecution by evil men and his betrayal by close friends. We see these reflected in David's prayers, prayers from the depths of a godly heart. If we add to that a spirit guided by prophetic insight to see what his descendant’s reign would bring, then we can see that David’s prophecy gives us a unique view of our Lord.

We might almost say that if you want to know what Jesus has done, you must read the Gospels; but if you want to understand his heart, you must read the Psalms. This, above all, is David's prophetic word to the people of God today.

Trust and obey: life lessons from the ministry of Samuel.

 In the sixth part of our series on the relevance of the message and ministry of the non-writing prophets for today, Pete Dye looks at Samuel.

The significance of Samuel as one of the great men of God is often unrecognised. In some ways he was second only to Moses as a leader of God’s people - Israel. Samuel was also the last of the judges, and the measure of his worth as leader is seen in the kingdom that emerged under Saul and then David.

After settling in their land, the 12 tribes had quickly become disgruntled and divided. The structure of their nation was falling apart. The judges, whom God raised up, were often only recognised by one tribe or group of tribes, and only briefly did they unite the people. It was a time which the writer of the Book of Judges summarised as: “In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit” (Jud 21:25).

Samuel's Early Years

Samuel's father, Elkanah, had been married to his mother, Hannah, for several years. They had no children, so Elkanah took another wife who was fruitful and bore him children. Although this provided Elkanah with what he desired it also brought division into his household.

Hannah, a godly woman, took her burden to the Lord and vowed that if he gave her a son, she would give him back to the Lord. The Lord answered her prayer and Samuel was born. Hannah fulfilled her vow and brought Samuel to the Lord. He lived in the house of the Lord under the tutelage of Eli, without his mother's closeness. Eli, his substitute parent, was ineffective as a father - as was demonstrated by the behaviour of his sons Hophni and Phinehas, who were wicked men.

In some ways Samuel was second only to Moses as a leader of God’s people.

Although, at first, Samuel did not recognise the Lord speaking to him, once he did he responded immediately and gladly. This marked out his life; he was a man who heard God clearly and was obedient to what he heard. One of the great needs of today is for men and women to do just this. God has provided us with his written word as a benchmark, but he also speaks clearly through the prophetic word, which must always be tested.

Intimacy with God

In many ways, Samuel was a shadow of our model, the Lord Jesus Christ. The Psalmist describes the Messiah as the one who says, “I desire to do your will, O my God” (Ps 40:8). Jesus had an open ear to his Father. Is this not the secret of any ministry that God blesses? It begins with this kind of intimate relationship with God.

The Lord was with Samuel and his early experiences set the tone for his life. As God spoke to him so Samuel was able to speak the word of the Lord clearly to the nation. It was more than just the word of the Lord, however! Samuel had an intimacy with the Lord as the Lord revealed himself through his word (1 Sam 3:19-21). The Lord showed Samuel in incredible detail what would happen, and then confirmed his word by its fulfilment. In that way, God let ‘none of his words fall to the ground.’ Should we be expecting that kind of prophetic word today?

As a young man, Samuel knew intimacy with God through prayer. Like Moses, he was a man who talked with God. His public praying was a reflection of the private relationship he had with God. Jeremiah 15:1 links Samuel and Moses in this respect: “Then the LORD said to me: ‘Even if Moses and Samuel were to stand before me, my heart would not go out to this people. Send them away from my presence! Let them go!’”

The people of Israel had reached a situation of utter disgrace before God. They had been under Philistine oppression and had lost the Ark of God in battle. They had never had authority from God to use the Ark in the way that they did, and it was only a sovereign act of God that made the Philistines return it.

Samuel was a man who heard God clearly and was obedient to what he heard.

Repentance

20 years were to elapse before the people turned to the Lord in repentance: “It was a long time, twenty years in all, that the ark remained at Kiriath Jearim, and all the people of Israel mourned and sought after the Lord” (1 Sam 7:2). During this time Samuel was able to speak to the nation clearly about God’s terms.

If there was a seeking after God from the heart, then there were things to do to express that repentance. He called the nation to cleanse itself from the false gods that had been tolerated and they responded to his call. They put away all their false gods and determined to serve the Lord alone (1 Sam 7:4). On this basis, Samuel could call the nation to come together.

The implication of Scripture is that this repentance was in part the result of Samuel's ministry. Although his words had come to Israel, his words had also come to God in prayer. At the right time, in this national gathering, he could pray publicly for the people of God. Scripture records that the Lord both heard and answered his prayer (1 Sam 7:9).

Is this not relevant to God’s people today? Are there not false gods worshipped by God’s people in modem Britain? There are gods of materialism that are avidly worshipped in the modern church. They may be more sophisticated than the Roth of Samuel's day, but just as insidious and destructive to the people of God. Samuel was straight with God's people. They had to serve God alone and his preaching had great effect.

Man of Integrity

Another feature of Samuel’s ministry was that he was a man whose judgment could be trusted. He never judged to please men of importance. He could be trusted and did not accept bribes. He was scrupulously fair. Sometimes good men can make bad judges, and some bad men can make good judges. Samuel was both a good man and a good judge. Even while Saul was king, Samuel was the supportive elder statesman who did not get in Saul's way. Samuel made a circuit of Israel; from Bethel to Gilgal and Mizpah and then back to his administrative seat in Ramah, Samuel would travel the land.

Samuel was straight with God's people - they had to serve God alone, not idols.

Our modern world, despite its sophistication, is full of dishonesty. This even affects the Church. The Christian in business and work a few decades ago would be known for his integrity. I believe that Christian standards are slipping. We have become too much like our culture in its dishonesty. Maybe God is calling us afresh through Samuel to live lives of transparent honesty and integrity before the world and in the Church. People respect that and feel safe with it, even if it makes them feel uncomfortable. We need Christian leaders with that same characteristic.

Sacrifice and Cost

There was also a cost involved in Samuel’s life and ministry. His mother had promised him to God as a Nazirite (1 Sam 1:11). And so he was, his life was totally consecrated to God from his days in the sanctuary at Shiloh under Eli until his death.

But it was never easy. He went through experiences that the modern psychologist would use to excuse unrighteous behaviour. He left home at an early age and may have felt rejected. He lost the sanctuary that had been his home at Shiloh when it was destroyed by the Philistines. He could so easily have become bitter because of this. Then his sons disappointed him. He had great expectations of them and made them judges, but they accepted bribes and did not follow his ways.

He was the leader of Israel, but was told by God to first anoint Saul, and later David, to be king. Samuel felt deeply rejected by this, and God had to point out to him that it was the Lord who was being rejected. Samuel was only rejected because he was God’s anointed representative. What an example to us as we excuse our behaviour because of our circumstances!

Samuel's home was at Ramah. He administered justice and built an altar to the Lord there. His home, his work and his worship were all in harmony. Some Christians manage to compartmentalise their lives. They can be keen Christians as far as church is concerned, and yet at work no-one knows that they are Christians. Sometimes they are different at home to how they are in church. Samuel was consistent and presents a tremendous challenge to us. His godly life and example were the means which God used to bring together 12 ungodly tribes into a nation that was one under the leadership of David.