Who was King David?

In the Bible we are first introduced to King David, who earned his position not because of his lineage but because he was chosen by God.

David, the youngest son of Jesse, was originally an aid in the court of Saul, until the monarch’s jealousy drove him to threaten David’s life. Saul had become jealous of David’s popularity and eventually began to plot against him, so David fled to the coastal plain of Palestine where he began his reign in a rather unconventional way.

He became the leader of a group of other outlaws and they began to progressively integrate themselves back into society and protected each other from other bandits.

According to the Bible, David was first king of Hebron. He fought against Ishbaal, Saul’s surviving son and King of Israel, who was eventually murdered during the war. David was then crowned King of Israel.

He was said to do a lot of good and was praised for his great success as a warrior and empire builder. According to britannica.com “The authors of the biblical accounts of David’s political career display a deep insight into the character of a man who could make an indelible personal impression in a specific situation. Along with that ability to exploit the immediate situation in the service of his momentary requirements, he possessed the knack of making his conduct in particular situations serve his persistent and long-range aims.”

Although he was not a perfect man by any stretch and is known for many of his mistakes, including sleeping with Bathsheba, having many wives and taking a census, all of which went against the moral, religious and cultural rules of the time, he was also known for being repentant and humble and God chose him to be part of the lineage of Jesus Christ, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genealogy_of_Jesus.