David, the last of the Ushpizin, is brave and daring. He volunteers to answer Goliath’s challenge, and kills the giant to protect Israel. David narrowly escapes Shaul many times, but David will not lay a hand against him. He rescues the town of Keila at great personal risk and then makes his escape. David strives for fairness in interpersonal dealings. He is angered when Naval refuses to compensate his men who have worked guarding Naval’s property. He insists that spoils from the battle be shared equally among those who fight and those who stay behind. Again and again, David encounters those who urge him to kill his pursuer, Shaul, but David emphasizes that he would never commit the sin of killing the “anointed one of God.” When vigilante men kill Shaul and other “enemies,” David is furious and orders that the killers be put to death. David then eulogizes Shaul and Yonatan with a moving eulogy.
After his sin in the story of Batsheva and Uriya, he acknowledges his culpability, accepts his punishment without being defensive and strives. David turns to God and prays.
He wishes to build God’s Temple. Though he himself is not allowed to build it, he lays the groundwork for a future Temple.
For a summary of David's life story, click here
To learn more about David, check out the links below:
Natan's Vision: Why Didn't David Build the Temple
Mizmor 34's Significance in King David's Life
Poetry, Passion and Politics: Who is David HaMelekh?
