David

David was the youngest of Jesse's eight sons, a shepherd boy overlooked by everyone except God. When Samuel came to anoint a king to replace Saul, God passed over all David's impressive older brothers, telling Samuel, "The Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

David first gained national attention by defeating the Philistine giant Goliath with a sling and five smooth stones. His faith-filled words, "Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts," have inspired believers for three thousand years. David became a military hero and Jonathan's closest friend, but also the target of Saul's murderous jealousy.

For years David fled from Saul, refusing to harm "the Lord's anointed" despite opportunities. After Saul's death, David became king, first of Judah and then of all Israel. He conquered Jerusalem, brought the ark there with dancing and celebration, and received God's covenant promise that his throne would be established forever—a promise fulfilled in Jesus Christ.

David's greatest failure came through his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. Though he repented deeply (Psalm 51), the consequences haunted his family for generations. Yet God called David "a man after mine own heart," and his Psalms remain the prayer book of the church. He died at seventy, having reigned forty years, leaving Solomon to build the temple he had dreamed of.