Final Words
Notes
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1 When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying,
2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,
3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,
4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet.
6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
7 But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
8 And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’
9 Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”
10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.
11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
12 So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
(ESV) —21 When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying,
2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
7 But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
8 And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”
10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
Last week we spoke of the lack of preparation that David did in preparing Solomon to be the next king.
This week we will close our study of David by tempering last weeks teaching with the fact that David did prepare Solomon, but it was a one-shot deal.
One shot is better than no shot. It was good that David said what he did when he did. The transfer of responsibilities from David to Solomon would make Solomon sit up and listen. The imminent death of his father would make these last words stick in his mind.
We are not in David’s situation. There are no kings here, no matter what you may think about yourself. But we do have responsibilities. As we spoke last week about dealing with the next generation, we would do well to follow the priorities that David gives to Solomon in the same order that he gives them.
Priorty 1: Put God First
Priorty 1: Put God First
The first priority that we should embrace and that we should pass on to the next generation is that we need to put God first in our lives. When we do, we receive a blessing.
“I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,
2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man,
3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,
4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
“I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
You who call yourself “men.” What is a man?
You who call yourself “men.” What is a man? According to David, a man is a person who “keeps the charge of the Lord your God.” That is a real man.
According to David, a man is a person who “keeps the charge of the Lord your God.” That is a real man.
Your families need a real man in the house, a man committed to keeping the charge of the Lord your God.
So many homes have men who are committed, they are committed to themselves; or they are committed to their families; or they are committed to their jobs.
What we need in our church are men who are committed to the Lord. David’s last words to Solomon are “show yourself a man and keep the charge of the Lord your God.”
What we need in our church are women who are strong.
What is a strong woman? A strong woman is a woman who keeps the charge of the Lord your God. That is a strong woman.
Some women are independently strong. They brag about what they can do and how they don’t need a man, children, or anyone telling them what to do. Some women are strong when it comes to family. Their lives revolve around their husband and children. Some women are strong when it comes to their career. They have sacrifice marriage and children to get ahead.
What we need in our church are women who are strong in keeping the charge of the Lord. Strong women have blessed this church immensely. We need women who put God first in their lives.
What we need in our church are strong children.
What is a strong child? A strong child is one who had determined in their hearts to keep the charge of the Lord their God.
There are so many children who are determined. They are determined to have their own way. They are determined to do whatever it takes to make and keep friends. They are determined to find love.
What the church needs are children who are determined in their hearts to keep the charge of the Lord. We have had strong children in this church. They do not succumb to peer pressure. They respect their parents. They have often gone further with the Lord than their parents have because they are determined to keep the charge of the Lord their God.
Blessing
Blessing
With that charge comes blessing.
3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,
4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
:… that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
If you were the king of Israel, what would you want to have happen?
If you were the king of Israel, what would you want to have happen?
As I understand human nature and the thinking of that time, two things come to mind.
First, I would want to be successful as a king.
Second, I would want my children to replace me when I reached the end of my life.
God had promise that ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
David wanted Solomon to be that person. How would it happen?
Success in life comes as a result of right living.
Success in life comes as a result of right living.
Whatever you are looking for in life that is worth having is found in Jesus.
When we do what God wants in his way, we will find love, joy, peace and blessing.
People are looking for love in all the wrong places. You cannot find a man or woman that will satisfy your need for love, unless God is in it. When God is in it, he makes that love better. Husbands and wives put a lot of pressure on one another to do more than they are able. When we listen to God, we find out that human relationships will necessarily be limited in what they can do for us. We also learn from God how to maximize the relationships we have.
Success in our work is a short-sighted goal. Success in our work is best achieved when God is in our hearts helping us with our work. We work best when we work to glorify God.
If Solomon wanted success, he needed to start by walking with the Lord. He would have enough advise fro others as to what to do. He would also have inner thoughts on how to do things that had high risk of failure.
The way of the Lord is right. When we trust him and follow him, we avoid many failures and make the bad things that happen as human beings in this world to come out better than they would if we didn’t trust Jesus.
The first priority that we should embrace and that we should pass on to the next generation is that we need to put God first in our lives. When we do, we receive a blessing.
Priority #2: Deal with people
Priority #2: Deal with people
The second priority that we should embrace and pass on to the next generation is that we need to deal with people.
Isolation is not an option for the Christian. God has not called us to love him and ignore others. He has not called us to a life of spiritual blessing devoid of service to others.
Jesus said that the greatest commandment is to love God and the second is to love others.
Sometimes we have real difficult people to deal with.
David knew that so he spoke to Solomon about certain specific people that were problem people.
The first was Joab.
5 “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet.
6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
“Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
Joab was a real threat to the throne. He had already gone over to Solomon’s brothers side. He had specifically disobeyed David’s orders and had killed Abner and Amasa, tow commanders of the armies of Israel.
Joab was a real threat to the throne. He had already gone over to Solomon’s brothers side. He had specifically disobeyed David’s orders and had killed Abner and Amasa, tow commanders of the armies of Israel.
He tells Solomon,
6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
He doesn’t tell him specifically what to do, but he does tell him to deal with this problem right up front.
He doesn’t tell him specifically what to do, but he does tell him to deal with this problem right up front.
Solomon kills Joab. Joab had run to the tabernacle and grabbed a hold of the horns on the altar. This was a killer’s admission of guilt and plea for mercy. When Solomon killed him, he was only doing what the law allowed.
A second request was for the sons of Barzillai
7 But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
These men had been loyal to David. He wanted Solomon to honor these men.
These men had been loyal to David. He wanted Solomon to honor these men.
8 And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’
9 Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”
And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.”
What did Solomon do? He let Shimei decide his own fate. He told him that he would live if he stayed in Jerusalem, but if he left, he would die. Shimei stayed in Jerusalem, and then left, sealing his own fate.
What did Solomon do? He let Shimei decide his own fate. He told him that he would live if he stayed in Jerusalem, but if he left, he would die. Shimei stayed in Jerusalem, and then left, sealing his own fate.
Solomon in his wisdom gave him grace, which he trampled under his feet.
Solomon put God first. He walked according to the law. He didn’t just follow the letter of the law, he also followed the spirit of the law in giving grace to his father’s enemies.
It is out of our relationship with Jesus, our knowledge of the Bible, and our obedience to his commands that we find how we should deal with other people.
I love my wife and make sacrifices for her. She does the same for me, though sometimes it seems like she does more for me than I do for her.
Why? I love God and God has said the best chance for success in marriage is when a husband love his wife and give ourselves for her as Christ did for the church.
Modern society will pick up pieces of that, but many think it’s hogwash. And many of them have had failed relationships and marriages because they have not put a priority of following Jesus.
It’s happened in the church as well. Christians make Jesus their number two priority. Whatever is number one is going to be the number one reason that they lose the blessings of life.
So we need to put Christ first and others second in our lives.
We face adversity God’s way. We live our lives God’s way. We pass these truths on to the next generation by both word and example.
Then David died.
10 Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.
11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.
12 So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. 11 And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
What will you be remembered for when you die? Will people at the gravesite be talking about your faith? Will they give stories of your commitment to Christ and how much it impacted their lives?
What will you be remembered for when you die? Will people at the gravesite be talking about your faith? Will they give stories of your commitment to Christ and how much it impacted their lives?
David was far from perfect. But God used him because he was willing to be used. May that be true of us.