David: A Man of Passion & Destiny (Great Lives from God's Word Series: Volume 1) (Hardcover)

by Charles R. Swindoll (Author) "On the surface, there seemed to be nothing about David that would have impressed God..." (more)
Key Phrases: true guilt, King David, King Saul, Old Testament (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

David, unlike any Bible character before him, had the charisma to inspire a great nation. Yet in other ways he was a most ordinary man--often gripped by destructive passion, rocked by personal tragedy, and motivated by political gain. Yet, he is the one character the Bible describes as a "man after God's own heart." In this first volume of the "Great Lives" series Charles Swindoll shows how David proved his love for God many times over in an extraordinary life that left an enduring legacy of faith.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Thomas Nelson (February 26, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0849913829
• ISBN-13: 978-0849913822
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #91,091 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

  Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

  #21 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible & Other Sacred Texts > Sacred Writings > Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) > Biography
  #22 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Christianity > Reference > Biographies > Old Testament
  #30 in	Books > Religion & Spirituality > Authors, A-Z > ( S ) > Swindoll, Charles

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good Book from The Good Book, January 17, 2000

By	Donald Brickeen (Memphis) - See all my reviews

Charles Swindoll does an excellent, if not remarkable, job of not only presenting the trials of David in modern day life, but he also vividly illustrates the psalmist's shortcomeings into lessons for today. Without a doubt, this book was written with God's guidance (no slight intended towards Mr. Swindoll), and I recommend this book to be used as a tool for the Christian of today in his/her walk with God. Upon finishing, I not only had renewed insight upon David, but also within myself, and found newborn strength to conquer my own daily struggles. God has annoited this book, of that there is no doubt, and I strongly urge Christians to delve into it.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Book About a Great and Flawed King!, July 25, 2003

By	Michael Taylor "Michael Taylor" (Indian Trail NC) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

Consistent with Swindoll's writing style, the reader sees the character as described by the Bible - both good and bad.

While David was Israel's greatest king, he also committed grevious sins that adversely impacted those around him. Even so, he was described as " a man after God's heart".

Some of the excellent points Swindoll covers in his book include:

1. God can use our talents and use them for His glory.
2. Do not fight battles in your own strength! Rely on the
Lord and His timing and methods.
3. How our bad decisions affect others.
4. God cares about the details of your life - the better you
know your standing with the Lord, the freer you are.
5. We must not abuse God's grace to sin and expect no
consequences.
6. When God says no to our dreams, it may be because of
redirection in our lives.
7. The importance of having a thick skin - if you want God
to use you, you need to shed your ultrasensitivity.
8. Important notes about true friendship.

All in all, an excellent read that can encourage us and sober us about the impact we have on other people!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Human Side of Greateness, March 11, 2001

By	Rev. S. Gilder (SILSBEE, TEXAS United States) - See all my reviews

Mr. Swindoll gives you a complete account of David's life. Not only does he accurately depict the greatness of David, the anointing by Samuel, the victory over Goliath, and the courage of Daivd, but he also vividly portrays the human side of greatness. That is the fleshly side. For so long we have to come to highly esteem our Biblical brothers and sisters just for the good side and great accomplishments. Mr. Swindoll takes you into every aspect of David' s human side (David's sin and faults). He expounds on David's lack of discipline toward his children, his inability to provide a functional home, his quick temper with Nabal the husband of Abigail, his issues with Bathsheba that we all know about along with his murderous plot of Uriah, his pride in numbering the people of God, and the rashness (quick judgment) of his counsel as when he was instructed by the Prophet Nathan to build God a house. This was not God's will for David but he was instructed as so. I don't want to dwell on the negatives, I just want to commend Dr. Swindoll for covering the whole aspect of the life of David and not just the good. Every human being, even Bible great ones as David, have two sides. We ought to learn from both. Take the good side of the great ones and model it. Then take the faulty human side in order to learn how not to make the same mistakes. For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope. Romans 15:4. I commend Dr. Swindoll for doing a wonderful job of covering every side of the life of David. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to take the lives of the Bible Patriots as a modeling tool and as a studying tool. This book was recommended to me by a friend. and I do the same to any interested party