Jeremiah 9:23-24 –KJV– Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the LORD. Jeremiah 22:3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. Oppression is a very common subject in the Bible. God hates it, when people, especially leaders, rulers and persons in authority abuse their subjects based on their higher position of power and authority. If God sets us in such a position, it is not to take advantage of those who are of a lower rank, but it is to protect their rights and work for their wellbeing. We can find many examples of tyrannical kings and rulers in the Bible that we could use to illustrate this study. One of the greatest kings whose story can be read in the Bible is King David, the son of Jesse. He was a shepherd when he was younger. He had seven brothers when he was anointed king and he was the youngest. God chose and anointed him to be the king of Israel in replacement of king Saul. But why did God chose David? Because He loved Israel and delighted in David. God needed somebody at the head of His people who would lead them on the path of righteousness and give them direction, counsel, security and protection from the enemy. The role of God’s appointed leaders is to help the people to differentiate between right and wrong and teach them to live in the fear of God. When God calls a person for a particular task, He also gives the provision and equips that person with the necessary tools, talents and abilities to fulfill that task. A leader who has been called and established by God must be a model and live an exemplary life. Though he cannot be perfect, he still must be somebody that people can look unto and be a source of positive inspiration added with a good report (1 Timothy 3:1,13). God set David on the throne of Israel and Judah to be king for the Lord his God, to do justice and righteousness for His people (2 Chronicles 9:8). God had decided to replace Saul the previous king, because he was more concerned about the approval of men and did not obey God’s commands. The prophet Samuel was sent to the house of Jesse and God directed him to anoint David as the next king. God delighted so much in David that He called him a man after His own heart, who will do everything that He wants him to do (Acts 13:22). David was a valiant soldier. He defeated Goliath, the giant Philistine soldier who challenged and insulted the army of Israel for 40 days. When nobody in Saul’s army was courageous enough to face the Philistines, the young David trusted in the Lord His God and smote Goliath to death with a sling and a rock. David was a bold and courageous warrior. He won many battles and accomplished great things in his life time. He was a man of faith and he was also a worshiper. Of the 150 psalms of the Bible, David is named as the author of 75 psalms. He is known in the Bible as “the hero of Israel's songs” and he used to play the harp in worship to God (2 Samuel 23:1). David’s poetic talent, his influence and his life can be seen throughout the psalms, and equally so in books of the Bible outside the psalms. But like each one of us, David was not perfect. His life was a reflection of successes and failures. One of the major failures of his life is recorded in the story of Bathsheba and her husband Uriah in 2 Samuel Chapter 11 and Chapter 12:1-25. Unfortunately, David misused his royal influence and did a great evil in the sight of God.
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