Customer Reviews

Insightful - By: David Cranson, 22 May 2004
I'm usually a novel reader. I like to be captured quickly when reading, & I find this rarely happnes with biographies or 'non-fiction'. However, Charles R Swindoll has a way of grabbing a hold of you almost immediately & not letting go until the end.

This is his first bookin a series on the 'heros' from the Bible. His enthusiasm for the subject, his passionate & witty style of writing are very much an asset. Almost everyone will have heard of David - mostlyin Sunday School stories of David & Goliath. What some people will not know is the heart of the man. The things which drove him & made him into the hero - & the things which caused him to go so far from the God he served.

The author brings out every aspect of David's character & lifein an easy to read & enjoyable account of his life. The man 'after God's own heart' can be seen as passionate, although not alwaysin the correct way. The chosen of God, although not always workingin harmony with his God. Poet, lover, friend & above all else, human.

Mr Swindoll does not paint a rose-tinted picture of David, but lets us know exactly how he was, what drove him & how he reactedin differing circumstances. A man of passion who mainly did The Lord's bidding, but sometimes who would act first & think later. All of this is brought outin thought provovking, clear & at times, witty writing.

For a man who livedin a different time & a different place, we see that people -in all walks of life - have not changed all that much. People are still passionate, loving, hating & oft-times act first then says sorry afterwards. This is the case whether they be kings & queens or humble, poor folk like me.

So, this is warts & all account of one of the most famous characters of Scripture. It points out where David got it right & where he got it worng - sometime spectacularlyin both cases.

It's interesting to note that David's is the line that Christ Jesus chose to come from. As the old hymn says, "David's son & David's Lord."

Ultimately there is a lot of Davidin many of us. It's whether we choose to let it out & workin the right way that matters,in every aspect of our life.