Expectations

Due to David’s position of King and head of the army, people expected him to revel in death and slaughter.

2 Samuel 4.1-12

Reference: v. 10 … when a man told me, ‘Saul is dead,’ and thought he was bringing good news, I seized him and put him to death in Ziklag. That was the reward I gave him for his news!

Explore: David was a mighty king, however he did not hold the typical stereotype for a king. Two men have just brought him the head of Saul’s son, David’s opposition, thinking that they would be praised for their bravery and dedication to David. Their reward was the sword. David found it loathsome that they would kill a man while he slept unprotected in his own bed, and that this man was the son of Saul, whom David had respected until his dying days. These men had the wrong perception of David. Because he was an incredible king and defeated many people in battle, they expected this act of cruelty towards his enemy to be celebrated. But David’s heart was bigger than his sword. He was God’s anointed before he was a fighter.

Application: People can make a lot of assumptions about others, particularly those in roles of leadership. Two men assumed David would celebrate murder however we constantly read that David was a man of integrity. Unfortunately this was a rare characteristic of a king in that time, yet David stayed true to his character in God rather than the expectations of humans. It does not matter what realm we may work in, people will put certain expectations on us. However, if we align our lives with Christ we will have the right mould to make Godly decisions and hold the correct character to give us eternal reward.

Prayer: Lord, it’s often easier to go with the flow and set our character mould to those who have gone before us. Help us to be like David and set the mould of our lives around your character. Amen.

2 Samuel