In First Kings, chapter eleven, verse four, David’s heart was “perfect.” Not in the sense that he never failed God miserably but that he never turned to idolatry and the worship of other gods. In his adultery with Bathsheba and his attempted cover-up, David grievously sinning was to the point of despising God and His Word, as in Second Samuel twelve, verses nine to ten. Yet, he never worshipped or depended on other gods, as did many of the kings of Israel in chapter fifteen, verse five.
Today, many believers who strive to live right in the sight of God carefully receive a daily thorough examination, like through a lens of a microscope from unbelievers, pretenders, and even backsliders. However, part of it is due to initiation by them. Still, the evil spirit that has access to them will hinder them with assignments to create havoc against those believers. The devil’s motive is to use the ungodly people as a channel to aggravate and frustrate the children of God and sever the relationship between God and his people.
David and Saul created an experience that relates to the point above. In First Samuel chapter eighteen, verse seven begins the dramatic turn for Saul. “And the women answered one another as they played, and said, Saul, hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” The moment Saul disagrees with the chants, as stated in the following verse, the anger starts to show, and he responds. “They have ascribed unto David ten thousands, and to me, they have ascribed but thousands: and what can he have more but the kingdom?” In verse nine of the same chapter, Saul eyed David from that day on.
David’s heart towards God deems him perfect. Not his actions which we all have toward others at times when we will and do things wrong, but the reliance on God. Many believers and readers of the Bible mix up David’s lifestyle, especially his error with the great sin with Bathsheba. Like many believers, no one knows when we will sin or not as temptation occurs to plan to fall into sin when the time arrives. Did David know that Bathsheba would be bathing herself to go and look at her at that time?
What David did afterwards, when he fail to overcome the battle in his mind, the planning began to fulfill. His relationship with the world and with God are two different situations. Where God may see David’s heart as perfect is the expression in the many chapters by God where the Holy Spirit allowed to write through him.