Name means: “Beloved”

Did you know? Jesus’ earthly father, Joseph, was a direct descendant of King David, fulfilling the Messianic prophecy, “In love a throne will be established; in faithfulness a man will sit on it—one from the house of David—one who in judging seeks justice and speeds the cause of righteousness” (Isaiah 16:5 NIV).

Startling facts: Only the second king to reign over a united Israel; though anointed in his youth, he had to wait a number of years from the time he was anointed to be king by the prophet Samuel till the time he was proclaimed king over Judah after King Saul’s death. During his wait, David endured many hardships, one of them being contending with his best friend’s father—the king—who was continually trying to kill him. At the time, he probably didn’t know that God was preparing him for the great things ahead.

Coolest trait: We all know of the great things that David did as a youth—from killing lions and bears to protect his father’s sheep, to felling a ten-foot giant to save Israel. But this child warrior wasn’t perfect, and when as a grown man and king he did something very wrong in having a man killed so that he could have that man’s wife, God sent the prophet Nathan to deliver a message of chastisement to David. (Read this story in 2 Samuel 11, 12:1–15.) David repented, and just as quickly, God forgave David, though he was still chastised for his sins. David went on to write many psalms about God’s mercy, which are a comfort to many today.

You can too: Forgiveness and renewal are yours each day through the ultimate sacrifice that Jesus paid.