Henry H. Mitchell and Ella Pearson Mitchell - "A Man After God's Own Heart" (February 17, 1991)

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	(men singing in foreign language)	0:03
	(organ music)	0:15
	(men singing in foreign language)	0:47
	(men singing in foreign language)	1:35
	(organ music)	1:49
-	Good morning.	5:07
	This is the first Sunday in the Christian season of Lent.	5:08
	The season of the cross, the season for penitence	5:14
	and self-examination.	5:18
	Our guest preachers today are Dr. Henry Mitchell	5:22
	and Dr. Ella Mitchell, two distinguished practitioners	5:25
	of the art of preaching.	5:29
	They have published widely and have spent a lifetime	5:30
	teaching, preaching in a variety of academic settings	5:33
	and we are honored to have them today	5:36
	for a special dramatic dialogue sermon	5:38
	to begin our season of Lent.	5:43
	For some years, it has been the practice on the first Sunday	5:47
	of Lent here in Duke Chapel to begin the service	5:49
	with choir and Congregation Chants chanting the Great Litany	5:52
	from the Book of Common Prayer.	5:55
	This year we are having the entire service,	5:59
	the music for the service, done in Gregorian chant,	6:01
	music of the earliest days of the church,	6:05
	music appropriately reflective and penitent,	6:08
	so we hope that this will enable us all	6:12
	to approach this time of self reflection	6:16
	and penitence in a special way.	6:19
	And now let us stand for the chanted greeting.	6:23
	(organ music)	6:30
-	(chanting) Create in me a clean heart oh God.	6:39
-	[Congregation Chants] And renew a right spirit within me.	6:44
Cantor Chants	Open my lips oh Lord	6:50
-	[Congregation Chants] And I will make known your praise.	6:51
Cantor Chants	Oh God the Father,	6:59
	Creator of heaven and Earth.	7:01
-	[Congregation Chants] Have mercy on us.	7:06
Cantor Chants	Oh God the Son, Redeemer of the world.	7:09
-	[Congregation Chants] Have mercy on us.	7:14
Cantor Chants	Oh God the Holy Ghost,	7:17
	Sanctifier of the faithful.	7:19
-	[Congregation Chants] Have mercy on us.	7:23
Cantor Chants	Oh holy blessed and glorious Trinity,	7:27
	one God.	7:31
-	[Congregation Chants] Have mercy on us.	7:33
Cantor Chants	Remember not, Lord Christ, our offenses,	7:37
	nor the offenses of our forbearers.	7:40
	Neither reward us according to our sins.	7:45
	Spare us good Lord, spare thy people whom thou	7:49
	has redeemed with thy most precious blood	7:54
	and by thy mercy preserve us forever.	7:58
-	[Congregation Chants] Save us oh Lord.	8:05
Cantor Chants	From all evil and wickedness,	8:07
	from sin, from the crafts and assaults of the devil	8:10
	and from everlasting damnation.	8:15
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord deliver us.	8:20
Cantor Chants	From all blindness of heart,	8:22
	from pride, vainglory and hypocrisy,	8:24
	from envy, hatred and malice	8:28
	and from all want of charity.	8:32
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord deliver us.	8:36
Cantor Chants	From all inordinate and sinful affections	8:40
	and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh,	8:44
	and the devil.	8:48
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord deliver us.	8:51
Cantor Chants	From all false doctrine,	8:54
	heresy, and schism,	8:55
	from hardness of heart and contempt of thy Word	8:58
	and commandment.	9:02
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord deliver us.	9:06
Cantor Chants	From lightning and tempest,	9:08
	from earthquake, fire, and flood,	9:10
	from plague, pestilence and famine.	9:14
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord deliver us.	9:20
Cantor Chants	From all oppression, conspiracy	9:22
	and rebellion, from violence, battle, and murder,	9:25
	from dying suddenly and unprepared.	9:31
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord, deliver us.	9:37
Cantor Chants	By the mystery of thy holy incarnation,	9:40
	by thy holy nativity and submission to the Law,	9:44
	by thy baptism, fasting, and temptation.	9:49
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord deliver us.	9:55
Cantor Chants	By thine agony and bloody sweat,	9:58
	by thy cross and passion, by thy precious death and burial,	10:00
	by thy glorious resurrection and ascension	10:08
	and by the coming of the Holy Ghost.	10:12
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord deliver us.	10:17
Cantor Chants	In all time of our tribulation,	10:20
	in all time of our prosperity, in the hour of death,	10:23
	and in the day of judgment.	10:29
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Lord deliver us.	10:33
Cantor Chants	We sinners do beseech thee to hear us	10:37
	Oh Lord God and that it may please thee to rule	10:40
	and govern thy holy church universal in the right way.	10:46
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us Oh Lord.	10:53
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to illumine	10:58
	all bishops, priests, and deacons with true knowledge	10:59
	and understanding of thy Word and that both	11:04
	by the preaching and living, they may set it forth	11:09
	and show it accordingly.	11:14
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us Oh Lord.	11:18
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee	11:23
	to bless and to keep all thy people.	11:25
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us Oh Lord.	11:28
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to send forth	11:32
	laborers into thy harvest and to draw all people	11:35
	into thy kingdom.	11:40
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us Oh Lord.	11:43
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee	11:48
	to give to all people in peace of grace	11:50
	to hear and receive thy Word	11:52
	and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit.	11:55
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us Oh Lord.	12:00
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to bring into	12:04
	the way of truth all such as have erred	12:07
	and are deceived.	12:11
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	12:14
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to give us a heart	12:18
	to love and fear thee and diligently to live	12:22
	after thy commandments.	12:27
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	12:30
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee so to rule	12:35
	the hearts of thy servants, the President	12:38
	of the United States, and all others in authority	12:42
	that they may do justice and love mercy	12:47
	and walk in the ways of truth.	12:52
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	12:57
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee	13:00
	to make wars to cease	13:02
	in all the world, to give to all nations unity,	13:04
	peace, and concord and to bestow freedom	13:10
	upon all peoples.	13:15
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	13:18
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to show thy pity	13:23
	upon all prisoners and captives, the homeless	13:25
	and hungry and all who are desolate and oppressed.	13:30
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	13:36
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to give	13:42
	and preserve to our youths the bountiful fruits	13:44
	of the earth so that in due time all may enjoy them.	13:46
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	13:53
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to inspire us	13:57
	in our several callings, to do the work	14:00
	which thou givest us to do with singleness of heart	14:03
	as thy servants and for the common good.	14:08
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	14:13
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to preserve all	14:18
	who are in danger by reason of their labor	14:20
	or their trouble.	14:24
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	14:27
-	That it may please thee	14:30
	to preserve and provide	14:33
	for all women in childbirth, young children and orphans,	14:34
	widowed, and all whose homes are broken or torn by strife.	14:40
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	14:49
-	That it may please thee to visit the lonely,	14:50
	to strengthen all who suffer in mind, body, and spirit,	14:55
	and to comfort with thy presence those who are	15:01
	failing and infirm.	15:04
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	15:08
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to support, help,	15:13
	and comfort all who are in danger, necessity,	15:16
	and tribulation.	15:19
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	15:22
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to have mercy	15:27
	upon all people.	15:29
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	15:32
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to give us	15:36
	true repentance, to forgive us all our sins,	15:39
	negligences, and ignorances and to endue us	15:43
	with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives	15:47
	according to thy holy Word.	15:52
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	15:56
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee	16:00
	to forgive our enemies,	16:02
	persecutors, and slanderers and to turn their hearts.	16:04
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	16:10
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to strengthen such	16:14
	as to stand, to comfort and help the weak hearted	16:17
	and to raise up those who fail and finally	16:22
	to beat down Satan under our feet.	16:27
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	16:32
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to grant	16:35
	to all the faithful departed eternal life and peace.	16:37
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	16:42
Cantor Chants	That it may please thee to grant	16:46
	that in the fellowship of all the saints	16:48
	we may attain to thy heavenly kingdom.	16:52
-	[Congregation Chants] We beseech thee to hear us oh Lord.	16:55
Cantor Chants	Son of God we beseech thee to hear us.	17:01
-	[Congregation Chants] Our God, we beseech thee to hear us.	17:05
Cantor Chants	Oh Lamb of God that takest away	17:10
	the sins of the world.	17:13
-	[Congregation Chants] Have mercy on us.	17:16
Cantor Chants	Oh Lamb of God that takest away	17:19
	the sins of the world.	17:21
-	[Congregation Chants] Have mercy on us.	17:23
Cantor Chants	Oh Lamb of God that takest away the sins	17:26
	of the world.	17:29
-	[Congregation Chants] Grant us thy peace.	17:31
Cantor Chants	Oh Christ hear us.	17:34
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Christ hear us.	17:36
Cantor Chants	Lord, have mercy upon us.	17:39
-	[Congregation Chants] Oh Christ have mercy on us.	17:42
Cantor Chants	Lord have mercy upon us.	17:46
All Chant	Our Father Who art in heaven,	17:50
	hallowed be thy name.	17:52
	thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth	17:55
	as it is in heaven.	17:59
	Give us this day our daily bread	18:01
	and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those	18:04
	who trespass against us	18:09
	and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil.	18:11
	For thine is the kingdom	18:16
	and the power and the glory forever amen.	18:18
Cantor Chants	Oh Lord let thy mercy be showed upon us.	18:25
-	[Congregation Chants] Grant us oh Lord your peace.	18:30
-	Let us pray.	18:34
	Almighty God Who has promised to hear	18:35
	the petitions of those who ask in thy Son's name,	18:37
	we beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ear to us	18:41
	who have now made our prayers and supplications unto thee	18:46
	and grant that those things which we have asked faithfully,	18:51
	according to thy will may be obtained effectually	18:55
	to the relief of our necessity and to the setting forth	19:00
	of thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord.	19:05
-	[Congregation Chants] Amen.	19:11
Cantor Chants	The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ	19:13
	and the love of God and the fellowship	19:16
	of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore.	19:19
-	[Congregation Chants] Amen.	19:25
Cantor Chants	Please join in praying the prayer	19:44
	for illumination.	19:45
	Let us pray.	19:48
All Chant	Open our hearts and minds oh God by the power	19:50
	of your Holy Spirit so that as the Word is read	19:54
	and proclaimed we might hear with joy	19:58
	what You say to us this first Sunday of Lent.	20:02
	Amen.	20:05
-	(chanting) Our reading from the book of Samuel,	20:11
	the Lord said to Samuel, "How long will you grieve	20:13
	"over Saul?	20:17
	"I have rejected him from being king over Israel.	20:19
	"Fill your horn with oil and set out.	20:24
	"I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite,	20:29
	"for I have provided for Myself a king among his sons."	20:32
	Samuel said, "How can I go?	20:38
	"If Saul hears of it, he will kill me."	20:41
	And the Lord said, "Take a heifer with you and say	20:45
	"'I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.'	20:50
	"Invite Jesse to the sacrifice	20:54
	"and I will show you what you shall do	20:56
	"and you shall anoint for Me the one whom I name to you."	20:59
	Samuel did what the Lord commanded	21:06
	and came to Bethlehem.	21:08
	The elders of the city came to meet him trembling and said,	21:11
	"Do you come peaceably?"	21:16
	He said, "Peaceably I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.	21:19
	"Sanctify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice."	21:25
	And he sanctified Jesse and his sons and invited them	21:31
	to the sacrifice.	21:35
	When they came, he looked on Eliab and thought	21:38
	surely the Lord's anointed is now before the Lord.	21:42
	But the Lord said to Samuel, "Do not look on his appearance	21:47
	"or on the height of his stature,	21:52
	"because I have rejected him.	21:55
	"For the Lord does not see as mortals see.	21:58
	"They look on the outward appearance, but the Lord	22:01
	"looks on the heart."	22:05
	Then Jesse called Abinadab and made him pass before Samuel.	22:07
	He said, "Neither has the Lord chosen this one."	22:12
	Then Jesse made Shamah pass by and he said,	22:17
	"Neither has the Lord chosen this one."	22:23
	Jesse made seven of his sons pass before Samuel	22:26
	and Samuel said to Jesse, "The Lord has not chosen	22:30
	"any of these."	22:35
	Samuel said to Jesse, "Are all your sons here?"	22:37
	And he said, "There remains yet the youngest,	22:43
	"but he is keeping the sheep."	22:47
	And Samuel said to Jesse, "Send and bring him in,	22:50
	"for we will not sit down until he comes here."	22:55
	He sent and brought him in.	22:59
	Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes	23:01
	and was handsome.	23:04
	The Lord said, "Rise and anoint him, for this is the one."	23:06
	Then Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed him	23:13
	in the presence of his brothers and the Spirit of the Lord	23:17
	came mightily upon David from that day forward.	23:21
	Samuel then set out and went to Ramah.	23:26
	This is the Word of the Lord.	23:30
All Chant	Thanks be to God.	23:35
-	The second reading is taken from the Acts of the Apostles.	23:46
	After the reading of the Law and the Prophets,	23:50
	the officials of the synagogue sent them a message saying,	23:52
	"Brothers, if you have any word of exhortation	23:56
	"for the people, give it."	23:59
	So Paul stood up and with a gesture began to speak.	24:01
	"You Israelites and others who fear God, listen.	24:09
	"The God of this people, Israel, chose our ancestors	24:11
	"and made the people great during their stay	24:15
	"in the land of Egypt and with uplifted arm,	24:17
	"they led them out of it.	24:21
	"For about 40 years, he put up with them in the wilderness.	24:23
	"After he had destroyed seven nations	24:27
	"in the land of Canaan, He gave them their land	24:29
	"as an inheritance for about 450 years.	24:33
	"After that he gave them judges until the time	24:38
	"of the prophet Samuel.	24:41
	"Then they asked for a king and God gave them Saul,	24:44
	"Son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin,	24:49
	"who reigned for 40 years.	24:53
	"When He had removed him, He made David their king.	24:56
	"In His testimony about him He said,	25:01
	"'I have found David, son of Jesse, to be a man	25:05
	"'after My heart, who will carry out all my wishes.'"	25:09
	This is the Word of the Lord.	25:14
Congregation	Thanks be to God.	25:17
-	In the mid-80s I taught a summer term Saturday class	25:52
	in preaching at the School of Theology	25:55
	at Virginia Union University in Richmond.	25:58
	We were focusing on making the Bible come alive.	26:02
	We were using narratives, character sketches,	26:06
	metaphors, et cetera, to do the job.	26:09
	A bi-vocational public school music teacher	26:13
	brought in what he called an imaginary dialogue,	26:16
	completing his assignment off the beaten path	26:20
	of straight narratives, which was so popular	26:23
	among his classmates.	26:25
	He saw himself conversing with Israel's King David	26:27
	concerning the fact that David had been cited	26:31
	in Acts 13 as a man after God's own heart.	26:34
	David had also been accorded full standing	26:39
	in the spiritual Hall of Fame in Hebrews 11.	26:42
	It was a most intriguing idea to question how this happened	26:47
	and I promised him on the spot that I was going to try	26:52
	my hand at it.	26:55
	My effort was published in the Pulpit Digest	26:58
	and that's how we got invited to preach it here today.	27:01
	Later it was included in my book,	27:05
	Celebration and Experience in Preaching.	27:07
	We want to thank Dr. Wulliman for the idea of preaching it	27:11
	as an actual dialogue.	27:14
	We are grateful also for the opportunity to preach	27:16
	the Word in a dramatic form which we as a couple	27:19
	had never before attempted in all our 46 years together.	27:23
	Ella will be Henry, that's me.	27:29
	And I will be King David.	27:33
-	Call this a dream, a vision, you name it.	27:36
	All I know is that it was inspired.	27:41
	You know, I had a habit of hanging around the halls	27:45
	of heaven and strolling up and down the streets of gold	27:48
	and as I wandered around one day,	27:52
	I saw this striking, distinguished looking regal man.	27:55
	His face seemed so familiar that I got up my nerve	28:00
	and I asked, "Sir, how I do feel I know you.	28:03
	"Oh yes, aren't you His Royal Highness King David?"	28:09
	I'll never forget how he responded so readily.	28:16
	He smiled almost mischievously and his voice was warm	28:19
	and resonant.	28:24
-	I certainly am and who in heaven might you be?	28:27
-	I am Henry Mitchell from the U.S. of A.,	28:32
	Atlanta, Georgia, which is where I lived last on the earth.	28:35
-	Oh I see, and what did you do for a living there?	28:41
-	Oh, I taught preachers to preach.	28:45
	In fact, I hope to break all the laws of heaven and earth	28:49
	and go back and teach some more preachers fairly soon.	28:52
-	Well sir, I am indeed glad to meet you.	28:58
-	But nowhere nearly as pleased as I am to meet you,	29:02
	Your Royal Highness.	29:06
	This, you know, is an experience I never dreamed of	29:09
	and I'll never, never forget it.	29:13
-	Well, let's do away with the highness	29:15
	and just call me plain old David.	29:18
	Around here, we don't use titles.	29:22
	Everybody's the same before the Creator.	29:25
	No highnesses, no doctors, no professors	29:28
	or other titles, just people,	29:31
	so if you don't mind,	29:34
	I'll just call you Henry.	29:36
-	That'll be just great with me.	29:39
	I've always wished it were that way	29:42
	in our churches and on our college campuses.	29:43
	Of course, I know there is value in respecting achievement	29:47
	and authority, but the best way to help folks	29:51
	is to be close up.	29:56
	So now, well, David,	29:58
	that makes it easier for me	30:02
	to ask a few questions that have been bothering me	30:04
	for years, or do you mind if I dabble a little	30:06
	in your personal business?	30:11
-	Oh no, not at all.	30:13
	Not now anyhow.	30:15
	Just help yourself, there's nothing I need to hide	30:17
	at this point.	30:20
-	Okay, how's come you were rated as a man	30:21
	after God's own heart when by law you were	30:25
	a principle accomplice to a coldblooded murder?	30:29
	You conspired, as they say, to have Uriah killed	30:35
	and besides, you had a few other	30:39
	rather heavy moral offenses,	30:41
	if you don't mind my saying so.	30:44
-	Oh, that's perfectly alright, young man.	30:46
	Just help yourself.	30:49
	To tell the truth, I'm still a bit surprised myself	30:50
	at that rating Paul gave me at Antioch.	30:54
	To try to explain it would take quite a while,	30:58
	but if you have the time.	31:00
-	Oh, that's about all I've got.	31:02
	I'd be willing to hear all that you are willing to tell.	31:04
-	Well to start with, I had no idea that God	31:08
	ever paid me any attention at all.	31:11
	That is, until that day they sent me to come in	31:13
	from the pasture.	31:18
	Then there stood Samuel, that awesome presence.	31:20
	I'll never forget that day.	31:25
	I was actually filled with the Spirit of God	31:27
	and I haven't ever been the same since.	31:30
	From then on, I knew I was somebody special	31:34
	with something very important to do in my life.	31:36
	It was a very strange and wonderful feeling.	31:40
	All this even though I was young and had never been anywhere	31:45
	or gone to any school or even seen a king's court.	31:49
	I still look back and wonder about the way	31:54
	that anointing affected me.	31:57
-	You know, that reminds me of another question I had.	31:59
	How in the world did you get up the nerve	32:04
	to take on that giant, Goliath,	32:08
	when nobody else dared?	32:10
	Is that anointing what gave you the courage?	32:13
-	You could say that.	32:16
	I wouldn't have dreamed of such a thing,	32:18
	but the Spirit told me that God had to have somebody	32:20
	and God refused to be mocked, so I just went on out there	32:24
	and I told them that was why I was there	32:29
	in the name of the Lord, but even with all that speech,	32:32
	I was really shocked when that huge giant	32:35
	fell to the ground so fast.	32:37
	Imagine, that great big man dead already.	32:39
-	Oh, you were so innocent then	32:44
	and you could be used any way God wanted.	32:47
	In fact, I've always admired the high character	32:51
	that you showed when you were young.	32:54
	When Saul was doing his best to have you killed,	32:58
	you spared his life that night in the cave.	33:01
	Most people in your shoes would have forgotten	33:05
	all about that rule about not touching God's anointed.	33:07
	You had to be after God's own heart	33:13
	when you seemingly weren't even tempted to kill Saul	33:16
	and you had him right there in your hand.	33:22
	You downright refused to get even with him.	33:26
	You followed that rule that Jesus talked about later	33:30
	when He told us to love our enemies.	33:34
	Oh, you were so clean cut and so upright	33:39
	when you were younger.	33:43
	But somewhere, somewhere along the way, you changed	33:45
	quite a bit.	33:50
-	Please don't say it that way, with such finality.	33:51
	I did do some terrible things later on,	33:56
	but I never ever really changed that much.	33:59
	There were times when I was faced with awesome temptations	34:03
	but I didn't ever turn all the way around.	34:07
	I just got weak.	34:11
	But don't get me wrong, I'm not making excuses.	34:13
	It's just that when I got to be king,	34:16
	it got to be a lot more complicated	34:18
	than most of you Bible students	34:21
	would likely imagine.	34:23
-	I'm sure all of that is true, David,	34:25
	but Uriah got killed.	34:28
	I mean, like dead, and that must have been	34:31
	an awful lot of complication.	34:35
	I feel kind of funny calling you David	34:39
	and talking to you like this.	34:41
-	Go right on.	34:44
	In fact, if you manage to go back to the earth,	34:45
	like you want to, it will be good that you dug into this	34:49
	and I leveled with you.	34:52
	You're not the only one wondering about that business	34:54
	of being a man after God's own heart.	34:56
	I suspect that's troubled a whole lot of people.	35:00
-	Thanks, you always were a big hearted sort of person.	35:03
	Now would you mind telling me about some	35:07
	of those complications, as you call them.	35:10
-	(laughs) Well, to start with, you have to face the fact	35:15
	that it took two of us to get into that mess.	35:19
	Yes, Bathsheba was very beautiful and tempting,	35:23
	but she was also very ambitious.	35:26
	You remember how anxious she was for her son Solomon	35:30
	to succeed me?	35:33
	Well she didn't just get that way when he grew up.	35:36
	She was that way from the start and to add to that,	35:39
	I'm pretty sure she was seriously encouraged	35:43
	by her folks.	35:46
	Now mind you, I'm not trying to cover up.	35:48
	I didn't fight the feeling and of course I wasn't blind	35:52
	to the advantages of political alliance with her tribe,	35:56
	so I admit that doesn't get me off the hook,	36:00
	but she was definitely not taken by violence.	36:03
	Do you understand?	36:06
-	I'm afraid I don't.	36:08
	Do you mean that she was willing?	36:10
-	Not only willing, Henry, but anxious.	36:12
	That whole affair worked out exactly like	36:17
	that very beautiful lady had in mind.	36:20
-	What you say, David?	36:22
	You mean she wasn't even surprised when you	36:24
	sent for her?	36:27
-	Yes, Henry, precisely.	36:29
	It was no accident that she bathed in clear sight	36:33
	of the place where I was known to walk at night	36:36
	and she knew just how hard it would be	36:39
	for me to resist the temptation.	36:41
	Now I wasn't a wild man, but I did have a few wives,	36:44
	so my interests in women were no secret.	36:48
	Now can you imagine yourself a king,	36:51
	able to have whatever you want, and nobody to challenge you?	36:54
	No police, no news reporters, no Supreme Court?	36:58
	You are the Supreme Court.	37:04
	I suppose one of the closest things	37:06
	in the experiences of your people	37:08
	would have been slave masters.	37:11
	I can look at you and tell that some master	37:14
	just couldn't resist taking advantage of some slaves	37:16
	and you understand, he didn't have to resist,	37:21
	he was the master.	37:24
	There was nobody, not even his wife,	37:26
	with the power to stop him.	37:28
	It's a lot harder to be pure when you're a master	37:31
	or a king entirely without restrictions and controls.	37:34
	Most people never have to face any such	37:40
	powerful enticements.	37:43
-	Wow, now I begin to get the drift.	37:44
	That's heavy.	37:48
	But you know, in all of these years,	37:50
	I had never even thought of the parallel.	37:52
-	And let me tell you about another small competition.	37:56
	The only reason I sent Uriah to death myself	38:00
	was that he wouldn't take a hint from me	38:03
	and stay with his wife that night.	38:05
-	Oooh.	38:08
-	He was busy obeying the law against being with your wife	38:09
	while you're on active duty.	38:13
	If he had just assumed it was okay,	38:15
	somebody would have reported the infraction	38:17
	and he would have been sentenced to death	38:21
	by a military court.	38:23
	I wouldn't have had to touch him.	38:26
	As it was, I had to have him die for his country.	38:28
	If he had lived and this report had spread around,	38:34
	not only I as king, but the country itself	38:36
	could easily have been destroyed.	38:40
	Nobody else has ever brought Israel and Judah together,	38:42
	uniting the kingdom, and if you look carefully,	38:45
	you will see that nobody else has ever gotten them	38:49
	back together once they divided after Solomon's death.	38:51
	Yes, Uriah did in fact have to die for his country.	38:56
-	But wait, back up just a minute.	39:00
	You mean Bathsheba was aware	39:05
	that Uriah had to be eliminated somehow?	39:08
-	Yes, that's just about what I mean.	39:13
	How else could her father have a grandson who was a king	39:17
	if she remained married to dear old Uriah?	39:20
	But don't get me wrong, that doesn't get me off the hook	39:24
	either as I said, it's just a complication	39:27
	that may help you understand that this whole affair	39:30
	wasn't as strange and premeditated and diabolical evil	39:33
	as you thought.	39:39
	Anybody could get started in such a chain of events	39:41
	and wind up accused as a murderer, just like me.	39:44
-	You know, David, I hate to admit it,	39:48
	but I guess you're right.	39:51
	Now let's get back to that man after God's own heart.	39:53
	You may not be the coldblooded murderer	39:58
	that I wondered about, but that still doesn't put you	40:01
	as high as after God's own heart.	40:04
-	You won't get any argument out of me on that.	40:09
	But God used Paul to write more books of the Bible	40:13
	than any other single writer, yet he too was,	40:17
	as you say, a chief accomplice to a murderer, just like me.	40:20
	And don't forget Moses.	40:25
	He killed a man with his own hands.	40:27
	God seems to work with people as they are,	40:29
	even if they have human blood on their hands.	40:33
-	My, my, that is something to think about.	40:37
	All three of my favorite Bible characters	40:40
	are guilty of the same major crime.	40:45
-	That's just how gracious God is.	40:49
	In that same vein, perhaps you should stop focusing	40:52
	on my crimes and look for a moment	40:57
	at a few of the things	41:01
	I managed to do right, besides just refusing	41:03
	to kill God's anointed, old King Saul.	41:07
-	Well, everybody knows that you were a strong supporter	41:10
	of the temple and the priesthood.	41:15
	Solomon may have built the temple,	41:18
	but you had the vision and did all the real preparation.	41:21
	Nobody can take that from you.	41:26
-	And I seriously tried to stay in the will of God,	41:29
	just about all the time.	41:34
	It may not have seemed so to the man on the street,	41:36
	but I was constantly seeking the guidance of God	41:39
	in making decisions.	41:42
	I didn't just write about it in the Psalms.	41:44
	When I sang praises like lead me in the way everlasting	41:47
	or lamp unto my feet and light unto my pathway,	41:50
	I really meant it.	41:55
	I never would have been able to govern that huge kingdom	41:57
	without God's guidance.	42:00
	Me, a shepherd boy with nothing like a formal education?	42:02
	If God hadn't showed me where to look for such wisdom	42:08
	as I needed, I never would have made it.	42:10
-	Well and I can see that pretty clearly.	42:13
	But I must admit, I had never thought of it	42:17
	that way before.	42:19
	The Bible stories all make you look	42:21
	like some sort of superman and most of us Bible students	42:23
	simply don't associate the spiritually minded author	42:29
	and the singer of the songs with the war hero	42:34
	and the ruling monarch.	42:38
	We never roll them all into one human being.	42:40
-	I guess that's typical, but let me go on	42:44
	to the bottom line on this man after God's own heart.	42:47
	I know now that the most important thing	42:52
	I ever did to please God was to respond the way	42:55
	I did to the pointed finger of that prophet, Nathan.	42:58
	All else would have been lost if I had tried	43:03
	to stonewall that one.	43:06
	When he said, "Thou art the man," I nearly died.	43:08
	I had never felt that bad in all my life.	43:13
	That's one time the anointing really upset me.	43:17
	I fell prostrate before the Lord and fasted and cried.	43:22
	I put on sackcloth and ashes.	43:26
	Oh, it was an awful thing.	43:29
	And when that child died, I hardly knew if I wanted	43:32
	to keep living myself.	43:35
	That's when I got the inspiration for that prayer hymn	43:37
	or that psalm of repentance.	43:40
-	You mean the 51st Psalm?	43:43
-	Yes, I believe that's what you folks call it.	43:46
-	It surely would be a blessing to hear you sing	43:49
	your own song.	43:52
	You would know just how to sing it.	43:54
-	Well, no, not quite.	43:58
	You see, the original psalm was in a different language	44:00
	and the music itself was quite different	44:04
	from anything you could relate to.	44:06
	The best way for you to hear it is from your own lips	44:09
	and your own heart.	44:14
	Praying for your own forgiveness.	44:16
-	I can see now why God loved you so.	44:19
	And you were indeed a man after God's own heart.	44:23
	I can't help feeling very close to you myself now.	44:28
	Close enough to do just what you have suggested	44:32
	and pray your prayer and mean every word of it.	44:36
	Have mercy on me, oh God.	44:44
	According to thy lovingkindness,	44:48
	according to the multitude of thy tender mercies,	44:50
	blot out my transgressions.	44:53
	Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity	44:57
	and cleanse me from my sin.	45:01
	For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin	45:05
	is ever before me.	45:08
	Purge me with hyssop and I shall be clean.	45:11
	Wash me and I shall be cleaner than snow.	45:16
	Create in me a clean heart oh God	45:22
	and renew a right spirit within me.	45:25
	Cast me not away from thy presence	45:29
	and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.	45:33
	Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation	45:38
	and uphold me with thy free Spirit.	45:42
	Then will I teach transgressors thy ways	45:45
	and sinners shall be converted unto thee.	45:49
	Oh Lord, open thou my lips	45:54
	and my mouth shall show forth	45:57
	thy praise, for thou desirest not sacrifice,	46:00
	else would I give it.	46:05
	Thou delightest not in burnt offering.	46:08
	The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,	46:11
	a broken and a contrite heart, oh God,	46:15
	thou wilt not despise.	46:18
	Thank you Lord, thank you Lord.	46:22
Both	Amen.	46:26
	(organ music)	46:35
	♪ Let all mortal flesh keep silence ♪	47:16
	♪ And with fear and trembling stand ♪	47:21
	♪ Ponder nothing earthly minded ♪	47:28
	♪ For with blessing in His hand ♪	47:34
	♪ Christ our God to earth descendeth ♪	47:40
	♪ Our full homage to demand ♪	47:49
	♪ King of kings, yet born of Mary ♪	47:56
	♪ As of old on earth He stood ♪	48:03
	♪ Lord of lords in human vesture ♪	48:09
	♪ In the body and the blood ♪	48:16
	♪ He will give to all the faithful ♪	48:22
	♪ His own self for heavenly food ♪	48:29
	♪ Rank on rank the host of heaven ♪	48:38
	♪ Spreads its vanguard on the way ♪	48:44
	♪ As the Light of light descendeth ♪	48:50
	♪ From the realms of endless day ♪	48:56
	♪ That the pow'rs of hell may vanish ♪	49:03
	♪ As the darkness clears away ♪	49:11
	♪ At His feet the six-winged seraph ♪	49:19
	♪ Cherubim with sleepless eye ♪	49:26
	♪ Veil their faces to the presence ♪	49:32
	♪ As with ceaseless voice they cry ♪	49:38
	♪ Alleluia, Alleluia, ♪	49:45
	♪ Alleluia, Lord Most High ♪	49:52
	(bells ring)	50:10
	(singing in foreign language)	50:19
	(organ music)	56:45
	♪ Praise God from whom all blessings flow ♪	57:31
	♪ Praise him all creatures here below ♪	57:40
	♪ Praise him above ye heavenly hosts ♪	57:48
	♪ Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost ♪	57:56
-	(chanting) Oh God, we are made glad by the good news	58:11
	of your love for us and for all.	58:15
	We thank you for creating us	58:20
	and giving us all that is necessary for life.	58:23
	We thank you for your action in Christ	58:29
	by which our lives are measured, found wanting,	58:33
	and renewed.	58:38
	Help us to remember your gifts that we may praise You	58:40
	with lives of joy and service.	58:44
	Through Jesus Christ, Amen.	58:48
	The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,	58:58
	the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit	59:01
	be with you now and forever more.	59:07
-	[Congregation Chants] Amen.	59:13
	(organ music)	59:25
	(congregation singing drowned out by organ music)	1:00:00
	(organ music)	1:03:04

Item Info

Title:

Henry H. Mitchell and Ella Pearson Mitchell - "A Man After God's Own Heart" (February 17, 1991)

Description:

In this fictional dialogue between Henry Mitchell and King David, the preachers explore the seeming contradiction that David was said by Paul to be "a man after God's own heart" while also having a questionable moral track record. (Abstract created by Duke Divinity School staff.)
Sermon start time: (Part 1) 25:52. Sermon end time: (Part 1) 46:29.
Key quotation: “I know that the most important thing I ever did to please God was to respond the way I did to the pointed finger of that prophet, Nathan.”

Permalink:

https://idn.duke.edu/ark:/87924/r4hm5308x

Date:

February 17, 1991

Speaker:

Liturgical Calendar:

Lent

Biblical Book:

Chapter and Verse:

Subject:

Contributor:

Duke University. Chapel

Identifier:

UA.17.01.0003 VHS-0222
ref8907_4wn
uachapelsermaud
duke:321741
dcrmv001212
ark:/87924/r4hm5308x
2f5f2199-90a7-4d09-b9ab-68556dfdd83f

Digital Collection:

Duke Chapel Recordings

Source Collection:

Duke University Chapel recordings

Related Resources:

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Language:

English

Location:

United States
North Carolina
Durham (N.C.)

Format:

Provenance:

The Duke University Chapel Recordings were transferred to the Duke University Archives beginning in 1970.

Rights:

Limited Re-Use

Unknown Rights-Holder

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This material is made available for research, scholarship, and private study. Copyright in this material has not been transferred to Duke University. For reuses of this material beyond those permitted by fair use or otherwise allowed under the Copyright Act, please see our page on copyright and citations: https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/research/citations-and-permissions.

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