"I will sing of mercy and judgment: unto thee, O LORD, will I sing. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart."
Psalm 101:1-2
Part 3
Yesterday: Singing to the LORD
“I will sing of mercy and judgment.”
As a new king, David needed both of these qualities for his reign.
“Unto thee, O LORD, will I sing.”
Never forget who our audience is; we sing to the LORD!
Today: King, Parent, or Child, Behavior Matters!
“I will behave myself wisely.”
David’s wisdom is seen here. He knows the importance of a king’s sensible behavior. He must learn to do the right things at the right time. He has made this a matter of choice, of his will.
“I will – I will manage all my affairs with wisdom and integrity”[1] (John Wesley).
As the king, David lived in a “fishbowl,” and his behavior was always being watched by someone. He made the decision that he “will behave himself wisely.”
“Behave” in the sense of “to act circumspectly, act prudently, act wisely”[2] (BDB).
“And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways, and the LORD was with him” (1 Samuel 18:14).
He was “thoughtful” about how he lived. He didn’t just bump along day by day, giving no thought to his life. David was determined to behave well, with God’s help, “I will…”
Parents, as we teach our children how, when, and where to behave in specific ways, we need to let our children know that their behavior is always on display to the Lord. He sees and hears all, all of the time, and He cares about them.
“In a perfect way.”
He was not “perfect” in the sense of never making a mistake or never sinning. These are impossibilities for sinful humans.
“Perfect” is the idea that his “behavior” will be “complete, whole, entire, sound… healthful …. wholesome, unimpaired, innocent,” and “having integrity”[3] (BDB).
“To be holy is to be wise; a perfect way is a wise way”[4] (Spurgeon).
It was good for David to go through the mental and spiritual exercises involved in determining what he had to do to be a good king. David’s history will show us that his practice did not always match his good intentions or promises. Let’s not be too hard on him, though. We can understand his plight, for we are made of the same dirt. We often have trouble remembering our promises to the LORD and our family. It is good for David and us as parents to plan ahead and think through what we need to be and do to be good at this calling.
“A king had need to be both sage and pure, and, if he be not so in intent when he comes to the throne, his after conduct will be a sad example to his people. He who does not even resolve to do well is likely to do very ill”[5] (Spurgeon).
David wisely mapped out his planned behavior before he was put into the position of king. He planned ahead to do right!
Parents, this is a great strategy to teach our children. We need to show them how to plan ahead, especially in new situations that they have not yet experienced. Isn’t this how God taught Adam? Before placing him into the Garden, He told him what was expected first. Later, Adam could never say “I didn’t know” when God confronted him with his sin. Think, pray, plan first – then act.
Parenting is not a matter of pressing all the right buttons, and the child has instant perfect behavior. But, here’s a simple thought I hope might encourage us to be consistent in our parenting.
Speaking Wise and Determined Words
+ Repetitive Modeling and Follow-Through
= Consistent Parenting.
David was wise in his behavior, whether at court or at home. He knows that he needs Jehovah, and so he asks about God’s presence with him. Come back tomorrow, and we will look at David’s desire to be near the LORD.
Quote: “So here is David, loved, praised, eyed, envied, alienated, feared, and schemed against, but the Bible says that David ‘behaved himself wisely.’ Behaving himself wisely looked an awful lot like humility. David behaved himself wisely by acting in humility and under authority”[6] (Bill Rice Ranch).
[1] John Wesley. John Wesley’s Notes on the Bible, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 101:2.
[2] Brown, Driver, Briggs. Brown-Driver-Briggs’ Hebrew Definitions, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 101:2.
[3] Brown, Driver, Briggs. Ibid.
[4] C.H. Spurgeon, Treasury of David, the electronic version in eSword. Psalm 101:2.
[5] C.H. Spurgeon, ibid.
[6] Quote from the Bill Rice Ranch Downloaded: Saturday, February 13, 2021. From: https://ca.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?hspart=trp&hsimp=yhs-001&type=Y143_F163_201897_112520&p=quotes+about+I+will+behaive+myself+wisely&rdr=1.