David the Great

David is one of the great figures of the Old Testament. For one thing, he does what no one else could do: he conquers the Middle East. That fact alone makes him an important figure for all times, since very few people have ever been able to do that. And yet, despite that, he remains a bit of a disreputable figure: he disobeys God, he has an illicit affair with Bathsheba, and hence, he must be severely punished by God for his shortcomings. And, of course, he is; his very life is in danger from his sons. And yet, unlike his predecessor, King Saul, whom God finally rejects utterly and leaves to his own resources to fight the battle of Gilboa, the Lord is still helping David at the end of his life as He did at the beginning. One wonders if that is not because of his wonderful psalms, all of which are encomiums to the Great God of All Creation. One thing about David, he never loses his focus upon the Lord God, who took him out of the sheep cote and made him king of Israel and ruler of all the Middle East.