A book about success and failure - Characte r Counts
\n2 Samuel 22:2-3 Lord\, You are my stone stronghold and my fortified place\; You are continually delivering me. He is my God\, my st rong stone - in Him I will find my refuge - my shield\, the strength of my salvation\, my high tower\, my way of escape\, and the one who is saving me. You will save me from violence.
\n\"Try not to become a man of s uccess\, but rather try to become a man of value.\" Albert Einstein
\nThe book of Samuel unfolds during the final days of the judges and concl
udes with the elderly David firmly established as king over Israel and Jud
ah. Samuel\, the last of the judges and the first of the prophets\, was a
man of exceptional purity and spiritual insight. He was wholly committed t
o fulfilling God's purpose for Israel.
\nSamuel found himself in the
role of \"kingmaker\,\" commissioned to anoint Saul\, the first king\, and
David\, Israel's greatest king.
Saul\, the king\, is a complex an d enigmatic figure. Although he possessed great physical courage\, he lack ed the steadfast determination necessary for true greatness. His inconsist ent temperament strained all his relationships\, and an overwhelming fear of potential rivals clouded his judgment\, affecting his ability to reason .
\nDavid\, a man after God's own heart (1 Sam 13:14)\, is one of th e significant figures in biblical history. Like Saul\, he came from a humb le background\, but his gifts were of the highest order. He was a born lea der of men\, able to win and retain their allegiance. Some of his most fai thful servants came from outside Judah and Israel.
\nDavid was a wis e administrator and an astute judge of human nature. He was a highly gifte d poet\, and his songs of praise enriched the worship of both the temple a nd\, later\, the Christian Church. One might think that achieving such gre atness at such a high cost would have made him strong enough to resist tem ptation. Unfortunately\, his ability to resist was no greater than that of other men. Even considering the era in which he lived\, he was not partic ularly steadfast when confronted with temptation. Despite his weaknesses\, however\, he clearly understood God's purposes for His people and foresaw the coming of the messianic king\, whom he imperfectly reflected in his l ife.
\nAs long as he sought the Lord\, God gave him success (2 Chron icles 26:5)
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