As a young shepherd, he was chosen by God to lead Israel, and his faith and trust in the Lord are exemplified in the Psalms, such as Psalms 23, where he writes of God's guidance and care. The Bible records his victories and struggles, including his righteous reign as king, as noted in 1 Chronicles 18:14. The prophets also look to him as a model, with Ezekiel 34:23 referencing a future Davidic leader, and Acts 13:22 highlighting his role as a man after God's own heart. Through his life and writings, particularly in Psalms like Psalms 35, David's legacy continues to inspire and instruct believers.
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After removing Saul, He raised up David as their king and testified about him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart; he will carry out My will in its entirety.’
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness for the sake of His name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Thus David reigned over all Israel and administered justice and righteousness for all his people:
I will appoint over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them. He will feed them and be their shepherd.
Contend with my opponents, O LORD; fight against those who fight against me. Take up Your shield and buckler; arise and come to my aid. Draw the spear and javelin against my pursuers; say to my soul: “I am your salvation.” May those who seek my life be disgraced and put to shame; may those who plan to harm me be driven back and confounded. May they be like chaff in the wind, as the angel of the LORD drives them away. May their path be dark and slick, as the angel of the LORD pursues. For without cause they laid their net for me; without reason they dug a pit for my soul. May ruin befall them by surprise; may the net they hid ensnare them; may they fall into the hazard they created. Then my soul will rejoice in the LORD and exult in His salvation. All my bones will exclaim, “Who is like You, O LORD, who delivers the afflicted from the aggressor, the poor and needy from the robber?” Hostile witnesses come forward; they make charges I know nothing about. They repay me evil for good, to the bereavement of my soul. Yet when they were ill, I put on sackcloth; I humbled myself with fasting, but my prayers returned unanswered. I paced about as for my friend or brother; I was bowed down with grief, like one mourning for his mother. But when I stumbled, they assembled in glee; they gathered together against me. Assailants I did not know slandered me without ceasing. Like godless jesters at a feast, they gnashed their teeth at me. How long, O Lord, will You look on? Rescue my soul from their ravages, my precious life from these lions. Then I will give You thanks in the great assembly; I will praise You among many people. Let not my enemies gloat over me without cause, nor those who hate me without reason wink in malice. For they do not speak peace, but they devise deceitful schemes against those who live quietly in the land. They gape at me and say, “Aha, aha! Our eyes have seen!” O LORD, You have seen it; be not silent. O Lord, be not far from me. Awake and rise to my defense, to my cause, my God and my Lord! Vindicate me by Your righteousness, O LORD my God, and do not let them gloat over me. Let them not say in their hearts, “Aha, just what we wanted!” Let them not say, “We have swallowed him up!” May those who gloat in my distress be ashamed and confounded; may those who exalt themselves over me be clothed in shame and reproach. May those who favor my vindication shout for joy and gladness; may they always say, “Exalted be the LORD who delights in His servant’s well-being.” Then my tongue will proclaim Your righteousness and Your praises all day long.
Vindicate me, O LORD! For I have walked with integrity; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Test me, O LORD, and try me; examine my heart and mind. For Your loving devotion is before my eyes, and I have walked in Your truth. I do not sit with deceitful men, nor keep company with hypocrites. I hate the mob of evildoers, and refuse to sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence that I may go about Your altar, O LORD, to raise my voice in thanksgiving and declare all Your wonderful works. O LORD, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides. Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed, in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes. But I will walk with integrity; redeem me and be merciful to me. My feet stand on level ground; in the congregations I will bless the LORD.