Now David, having served his own generation by the counsel of God, did indeed fall asleep and was buried with his fathers and saw corruption.
— Acts 13:36
In order to understand the phrase “his own generation,” we have to consider what the situation of David’s generation was.
God worked through three types of people in the Old Testament. Initially, He worked through the priesthood. The priests brought the people before God and brought God’s word to the people. God desired to maintain His testimony with His people through the priesthood. Many times, however, the priests failed, so the Lord raised up a second group made up of judges, and then kings, to rule over His people.
There were times, however, when neither the priesthood nor the kingship functioned properly. During those times, the Lord raised up a third group, the prophets. The priests brought God’s people to Himself, the kings brought His rule to the people, and the prophets spoke for God directly. Through these three types of servants—priests, kings, and prophets—God operated among His people. When all three were functioning as intended, as they did during the reign of David, the situation among God’s people was healthy, and God had His testimony among His people.
Adapted from David: After God’s Heart, pages 10-11.
Tomorrow: “Three Types of Servants (2)”