Thank you for the question on God’s care for us, “Why does God care so deeply about David when he is so emotional and sinful?”
God knows that we are imperfect humans who is prone to wander from the God that s/he loves. Our wandering from God doesn’t change his love for us.
Here are some further thoughts for one’s consideration:
A. The reason why God loves David despite his failure is God’s love is unconditional.
The Apostle John states that God is love. That is one of his attributes. In the Old Testament, that love is expressed as the loyal love of God. The Hebrew word is “hesed.” His love is based on his own character, independent of external factors. In the New Testament that loyal love of God is expressed with in the Greek word, agapeo. The love that seeks the best for the other person. It implies also a loyal love that doesn’t change on the circumstances.
B. The reason why God loves David is because of his desire to honor God.
When Goliath came to challenge the Israelites, no soldier of King Saul dared to faced that giant warrior. I Samuel 17 says this, “David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. 46 This day the LORD will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. 47 All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the LORD saves; for the battle is the LORD’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.” (NIV).
And when David became King of Israel, he want to build a house for God. In all of the previous years, no one thought or called the Israelites to build a temple to house the Tabernacle except for David.
II Samuel 7 says this, “After the king was settled in his palace and the Lord had given him rest from all his enemies around him, 2 he said to Nathan the prophet, “Here I am, living in a house of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent.” 3 Nathan replied to the king, “Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you.” 4 But that night the word of the LORD came to Nathan, saying: 5 “Go and tell my servant David, ‘This is what the Lord says: Are you the one to build me a house to dwell in? 6 I have not dwelt in a house from the day I brought the Israelites up out of Egypt to this day. I have been moving from place to place with a tent as my dwelling. 7 Wherever I have moved with all the Israelites, did I ever say to any of their rulers whom I commanded to shepherd my people Israel, “Why have you not built me a house of cedar?”’ (NIV).
David is known as a man after God’s own heart. He was faithful to God and lived by faith. He sought the honor of God above himself, most of the time. It was only when he became ruler with wealth that his heart drifted at times away from God. His passion for God can also lead him away from God as with his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, her husband.
I find it comforting that God does not reject me when I fail to walk in paths of righteousness. To know his loyal love for me never changes even though he may have to discipline me for my waywardness from him.
As a parent and grandparent when our children or grandchildren disobeys or disrespect us, I do not reject them. My love is not based on their conduct, but on our relationship with us. As a grandparent, I see them as my children. I may say some thing to adult children about their children’s attitude or conduct. I may gently correct them. There is no thought that I would discard them when they fail to meet my expectation.
SUMMARY: God’s love for David is based on God’s relationship to David, not on David’s conduct toward God.
For more perspectives:
https://www.quora.com/Why-does-God-care-so-deeply-about-David-when-he-is-so-emotional-and-sinful