Facts About King David
—A simple list

King David

• As a young man, David was a shepherd. He was anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel. Saul was king at that time, but the Spirit of the Lord departed from Saul and came upon David (1Samuel 16).
• One of King Saul’s servants described David as "a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, who is skillful in playing the harp, a mighty man of valour, a man of war, prudent in speech, and a handsome person, and the LORD is with him." (1Samuel 16:18)
• Saul made David his armour-bearer and also had David play the harp to take away the depression Saul sometimes suffered by a distressing spirit from the LORD (1Samuel 16:22-23)
• Among the best known events in David’s youth is his slaying of the giant Goliath with a slingshot and a single stone. (1Samuel 17).
• Samuel described David as follows: "The LORD has sought for himself a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be commander over his people..."(1Samuel 13:13-14).
• David was made king in place of Saul (2Samuel 5).
• David was thirty years old when he began to reign. He reigned for forty years. Firstly in Hebron he reigned over Judah for seven years and six months. Then in Jerusalem he reigned 33 years over all Israel and Judah (2Samuel 5:3-5). Thus he united the kingdom.
• David committed a grevious sin of adultery, deceit, and murder, regarding Bathsheba and her husband Uriah. The child of David’s union with Bathsheba was taken by God in place of David’s life. Thus David could remain king so that the promises God made about David’s throne could stand (2Samuel 11 & 12).
• God said regarding David, "I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn to David my servant, 'I will establish your seed forever, and build up your throne to all generations'"(Psalm 89:3-4).
• The seed or descendant of David is none other than the seed of Abraham to whom God referred when he said to Abraham, "In your seed all nations of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 22:18). This seed of Abraham would also be the seed of David, and would sit upon David's throne forever.
• David s throne was the earthly equivalent of God s throne in heaven. Thus Jesus is said to have sat on David s throne when he sat down on God s throne (Acts 2:29-36, Revelation 3:21).
• Jesus Christ is introduced in the New Testament as "the son of David" (Matthew 1:1).
• David was a highly accomplished musician and song writer. The Bible contains many Psalms written by him, several of which contain prophecies about Jesus Christ (eg Psalm 16, Acts 2:25-28).