THE CHARGE. 1st Kings 2:1-12
The final words of a person's life are important. They may not be many, but they are often full of meaning, wisdom, and valuable instruction. A parent's final words to a son or daughter are not usually forgotten. In the scriptures, several leaders gave final words that we remember and are relevant to us today. Moses told Joshua, "Be strong and of a good courage ... the Lord, He it is that goes before thee; He will not fail thee; neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed." Joshua said, "Not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you." Samuel said, "The Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake ... Moreover, as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you." Final instructions need to be heard, listened to, and understood.
Those who lead the Lord’s people do so as representatives of the Lord’s authority and rule. Giving a “charge” was not a casual suggestion. Moses, Joshua, and Samuel had done this when they passed on responsibility to others. David knew Solomon's nature and personality, so he firmly told him how to maintain peace in the nation. Right at the beginning of his reign, he had to establish his authority, stop contention and division among the people, and avoid further attempts at another coup.
To "act like a man" is not a charge to be arrogant or take arbitrary control, but rather to listen to God's words and do what He requires. Obligations relating to God's commandments and decrees must be fulfilled for a man to "prosper" in whatever he is doing. David's charge to Solomon was passing on what the Lord had charged him with. Individual responsibility and the benefits that follow are based on the condition of obedience to the commands of the Lord.
Walking in truth with "all" one's heart and soul is not a casual adherence to what we know is right. It is an enthusiastic acceptance of all it means to follow our Lord. In David's charge, Solomon was to be sure that God was at the center of his personal life and the final authority in his role as king. David's line of kingship would go on and be fulfilled when our Lord Jesus Christ was born. "Of His kingdom, there shall be no end."
The statutes and commandments of the Lord are the general laws that govern behavior, like the Ten Commandments. The judgments were more specific decisions that applied to particular circumstances. Testimonies were warnings relating to obedience to God in personal ways as well as the course of the nation. The obligations are terms of the covenant the Lord God made with the nation in the wilderness and the personal covenant He made with David. There was no question that the royal line of David would continue. However, conditions were placed on each ruler based on their behavior and whether they honored the Lord.
Those who followed David's line would reign as kings as long as they obeyed God. David had done this and was passing on to Solomon what he had learned about his relationship with the Lord. Later, the kings turned away from the covenant, exiling the nation into captivity. But God will keep His promises to Abraham and David through the Lord Jesus Christ.
Solomon and the kings who followed him failed as a nation to fulfill the obligations of the covenant made at Sinai while in the wilderness. This failure led to the division of the nation into northern and southern kingdoms. That division led to the downfall of both nations and captivity, which ended the reign of kings. That will be restored when the Lord Jesus Christ returns in glory to sit on the throne of David and rule the world in peace for one thousand years.
God has remained faithful to the covenant promises He made to Abraham and David even though the Israelites have failed. God’s covenant with David was unconditional, even though the behavior of David’s descendants would not allow them to have the benefits of the covenant during their reign. The prophets said the heir to David’s throne would reign over a repentant, regathered, and restored Israel. That heir is Jesus Christ, the Savior who will be the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Joab wanted power and was willing to murder innocent people to protect the position he had and what he felt he accomplished. He assassinated Abner and Amasa. He killed Absalom despite David's command to spare his son. Then, he joined the conspiracy of Adonijah to hold his place as leader of the military under the reign of the new administration. He had no genuine concern for the will of the Lord or of David but instead wanted to retain his place of leadership as head of the army. Treachery begets treachery, as Joab was soon to find out. However, for some reason, David could not bring himself to deal with Joab according to the law. He knew the law had to be carried out for Solomon to avoid having a rebellion, so Joab was put to death.
Some people are willing to do anything to gain an advantage over others and to reach and keep that goal; they are ruthless. They intend to get their way, and when they get where they want to be, they will do almost anything to maintain that position. Even though it may be difficult to deal with those who sin and persist in pursuing their own self-interests despite warnings, the practices of evil and resistance to authority must be stopped. Self-serving does not suit a person who has been called to be a servant of the Lord well.
By contrast, Barzillai supported David and supplied him with the goods he needed during Absalom's rebellion. Barzillai did not want honor for himself but wanted the king to favor his son, Kimham. Royal funds supported him, and honor and other benefits were bestowed on him for his father’s faithfulness to the king when he needed help.
Loyalty to the Lord and a willingness to serve and live in God's way are rewarded. Payday comes sooner or later in response to every act we commit. Kindness can be shown to such a person, and it will not go to his head. The problem with people living for themselves is that they are unaware of their obligations to God. He is our Creator and the Sustainer of our lives. Some do not want God to interfere in their lives, and some people will compromise truth and sell their souls if they think this will get them ahead in material or personal ways.
Shimei learned that when a person curses one who belongs to God, he is opposing God and will ultimately lose. The restrictions placed on Shimei were similar to those put on an unjudged person who fled to a city of refuge. He was not to leave the city for any reason until justice had been served by a court of elders or until the priest died who gave the accused a period of grace as one who represented him before God. When Shimei ignored the law for personal gain, he, too, was put to death lawfully.
David advised Solomon to deal severely and entirely with the enemies within his gate, taking control of and establishing his throne. His advice was legal and would secure his position against those who could rise against him. Solomon took action right away, although the task was severe. There was no way he could pass these serious sins by.
It is not always easy to do what needs to be done because many of the people you are dealing with don’t care about the things that are important to you. But understand this: Few people can come alongside you and bear your burdens because it is our responsibility to bear our own burdens or cast them upon our Lord, who will sustain us. Act before God when the decisions you have to make are hard. It is not wise to put serious things off. Just be sure you are correct and clear before God so that you can have His blessings.
When David tied up the loose ends he had left by giving instructions to Solomon, he died and was buried right in the city of David. Despite his failures and the terrible things he did, which are written in the Bible, David is remembered and respected for his faith and open heart for the Lord his God. He knew God was faithful and forgiving, but sin has consequences that we cannot escape. He had to suffer those consequences even though he openly confessed his guilt to God when he was faced with it. David's death concluded a life of good and bad examples, of great victories and failures. We learn from him that sin has awful consequences, but when repentance is genuine, forgiveness is assured.
Confession of sin from the heart is no light matter. God knows when it is real. He does not hold back forgiveness of sin, even though He knows we may sin again, perhaps in another way. We learn from our own mistakes and, hopefully, from the mistakes of others. Consequences must be faced when confession is not genuine, and forgiveness does not necessarily remove all the consequences of sin.
We tend to want to avoid the consequences rather than experience forgiveness by confessing and forsaking sin. We often make mistakes, but when confession is real, we do not repeat them; we learn from them. Then, we can live in fellowship with God again and find joy in knowing we have been forgiven. Our trust in the Lord, our worship, and our obedience develop as we walk in the light of God and His word. Our confidence in God grows, and we mature as we learn of His goodness and righteousness.
We all remember people we knew in the past whose final words seem to leave a lasting impression. When they leave to go the way of all the earth through the door of death, those words in our memories are of exceptional worth to us, and we often want to pass them on to others. I wonder if God gives unique wisdom at the end of life to give those who loved the person an indelible message. He seems to want to use them significantly at such a time to provide us with some glimpses into what is ahead and, in that way, remove the dread separation brings.
Many special people I once knew are now at home with the Lord. Some of their lives can be summed up in simple, precise, final words: with wisdom gained through life’s experiences, they can sum it all up with a few short sentences focusing on their faith in God. I don’t know whether they had planned what those final words would be or if they knew how they would affect others in the way their words affected me. Perhaps God had prepared them and put final impacting words into their hearts just before they departed, knowing the value the hearers would place on them. By taking in the truths that they experienced and seeing things through God’s view, I may get from them a personal preview of what would be suitable and what final words I can say. I want to leave those near me while I’m slipping away a final word of encouragement, challenge, and faith they will not forget.
Not all of God’s people realize He always hears what we say and knows what we think. Divisions are severe problems in His eyes. To be strong in the Lord and the power of His might will lead us over rocky roads that cannot be avoided. Step up like a man and take charge, lest there be strife that will damage God’s work and badly affect the lives of God’s people. Grace doesn’t mean I should ever sell the truth to stay friends with the folks in the world. I will have to stand up and clarify that His Word must back the worth of things I do.