A King After God's Heart? Rethinking David's Title

What Does an Ancient Clay Tablet Have to Do with God?

If you ever find yourself in the British Museum, you might stumble across a small, unassuming artifact called the Babylonian Chronicle. It’s a clay tablet, thousands of years old, and yet it echoes words you might recognize from the Scriptures: "a man after his own heart."

Now, most of us know this phrase from the story of David. God has rejected Saul and declares through the prophet Samuel, "The Lord has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler over his people."

Sounds like high praise. Almost like a divine endorsement of character.

But What If That’s Not What It Means?

We tend to hear "a man after God's own heart" and interpret that as a statement about David's morality, his character, maybe even his spirituality. And too often, that becomes a kind of theological shield. Critique David? Push back on his decisions? Question his failures? Well, who are we to judge a man after God’s own heart?

But here's the thing: that's not actually what the phrase means.

Old Testament scholar Colin Tofflemire, from Ambrose University here in Calgary, puts it bluntly: "Since folks seem hellbent on trotting out King David whenever a Christian acts monstrously, I'll take this opportunity to remind everyone that 'man after God's heart' is a Hebrew phrase that refers to David's election as king. It is not related to his character or to God's approval of him."

A Royal Idiom, Not a Moral Statement

In ancient Semitic cultures, phrases like this were royal idioms. We see them across different kingdoms, not just in Israel. The East India House inscription of Nebuchadnezzar II refers to him as "the chosen of his own heart." Another clay tablet—again, the Babylonian Chronicle—records how the Babylonians, after conquering Israel in 598 BCE, appointed a new king "after his own heart."

These weren't evaluations of character. They were declarations of appointment. When Scripture says that David is a man after God’s own heart, it isn’t talking about his integrity. It’s announcing his selection. He is the king chosen in alignment with God's wishes.

Why David, Then?

That’s an interesting question, and one worth exploring. Because David is far from perfect. He is complex, courageous, and deeply flawed. And yes, in many ways, his story does point forward to Jesus. But none of that means he escapes scrutiny.

This phrase—a man after God’s own heart—is not a divine endorsement of every decision David makes. And it certainly isn’t a permission slip for Christian leaders today to dodge accountability by appealing to biblical precedent.

To do that is to misunderstand the text. Worse, it’s to perpetuate bad theology that protects power instead of seeking truth.

So Let's Be Honest About David

David is a king. A chosen king. But his story is not simple, and it isn’t sanitized. As we continue exploring his life, we’ll wrestle with the full tension of what it means to be called and flawed. Appointed and accountable.

And maybe in that space, we’ll find something far more honest—and far more hopeful—about how God works through us, too.