Was David Really a Good Man?

I know this seems like an odd question, after all the Bible does say that David was a man after God's heart, and he remained faithful (1 Samuel 13:14). A man after God's heart must be a good man right?

While I don't question God at all in this, or David's faithfulness, I do question what sort of character David was. I like David. I hope that God looks down on me and calls me a "man after his heart", and that even through my own screw ups God will still bless me like he did David. But once again I ask the question was David really a good man.

We see that one thing David is from the beginning is a schemer. He manipulates he way around everything, including the David and Goliath story, where he schemes and persuades to go fight Goliath. Although this is a good time, there are other times when his scheming leads to some pitfalls. Like the story of Abigail and Nabal (1 Samuel 25). In this story we see how David attempted to get some supplies because of his assistance with the sheep before. We also see another downfall of David in this story, his rashness. Had it not been for Abigail in this story, David was fully intended to "ride into town, guns blazing."

I am sure that some are saying these are weak examples, that is ok, I know they are. But what about David's scheming when it came to Bathsheba? He knew what he wanted and it was her, and he was not going to let up until he had her. Once he had her he had to "justify" it. So he schemes first to "frame" Uriah, and then eventual to kill him. Nathan appears before him and presents a parable. David being rash, condemns the man in the parable to death, only for Nathan to point out that the man was David. I will give David props here because once he found out the man was him, he immediately repented and confess to God.

Another concrete example is right before he is about to die, he goes to Solomon to appoint him king. While talking with Solomon, David mentions people like Joab and Shimei. These were two people who in some way rebelled against him. David makes them a promise and says he will not harm them, but then he tells Solomon to handle them as he wishes. However, the wording of this seems like David is implying the he should kill them for what they did, since he cannot. David was scheming to make his son clean up after him!

So, conspiracies, assassinations, thieving, all of this from the "great" man called David. So again I ask what David really a good man?