09/30/2008
1 Kings 2:1 - 4 (HCSB) 1As the time approached for David to die, he instructed his son Solomon, 2“As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth. Be strong and brave, 3and keep your obligation to the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn, 4and so that the LORD will carry out His promise that He made to me: ‘If your sons are careful to walk faithfully before Me with their whole mind and heart, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’
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July 4th, 1826, Lying on his deathbed, John Adams whispered “Thomas Jefferson still lives.” Adams did not know that Jefferson had died only hours earlier. There are many quotes of “famous last words” of various people. Some are more memorable than others, some humorous, some sobering. But as we read the passage above, I believe there are no words ever spoken that could be of greater import than those spoken by David.
King David was aging and at the point of death. Remember that God called David a man after His own heart. David had a passion for God that was recognized and rewarded by God. He had appointed Solomon as his rightful successor. The very last recorded words of King David are these:
“Be strong and brave, and keep your obligation to the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies.”
Our lives will be filled with all kinds of challenges. Keeping our obligations to God will require strength and bravery. This world does not understand the joy we find in God and will constantly ridicule us. Temptations will be ever present to lure us from a steadfast faith. Yet, the very most important thing we can do is to remain strong and brave, to keep our obligations to God; to walk in His ways, keeping His statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies.
David’s last advice to Solomon was not to build a big army, not to have impenetrable defenses, not to gain wealth or even pleasure, but to remain strong and brave before God. If you were beside the deathbed of a person you greatly admired and their very last word of advice was the verses above, then shouldn’t you consider the advice paramount as you continue to live?
The famous last words of King David were not only given to Solomon, but to you and me.
“Be strong and brave, and keep your obligation to the LORD your God to walk in His ways and to keep His statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies.”
Are you remaining strong and brave, honoring your obligations to God above all else?
Jeff Justus
Cleff Publishing
www.cleffpublishing.com
©2008 Cleff Publishing, all rights reserved.
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