David's Last Words: The Godly Leader, a Beacon of Righteousness
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
We are coming to the last in the series of David’s Life. David will not die in this passage but this passage and the rest of Samuel is more like an appendix to the story of David.
Today we are talking about David’s Last Words.
2 Samuel 23:1-7
2 Samuel 23:1-7
1 These are the last words of David:
“The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse,
the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High,
the man anointed by the God of Jacob,
the hero of Israel’s songs:
2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me;
his word was on my tongue.
3 The God of Israel spoke,
the Rock of Israel said to me:
‘When one rules over people in righteousness,
when he rules in the fear of God,
4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise
on a cloudless morning,
like the brightness after rain
that brings grass from the earth.’
5 “If my house were not right with God,
surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant,
arranged and secured in every part;
surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation
and grant me my every desire.
6 But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,
which are not gathered with the hand.
7 Whoever touches thorns
uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a spear;
they are burned up where they lie.”
Pray
This poem is commonly referred to as “David’s Last Words,” although it represents more his legacy to to Israel and His descendants than his last word.
This is David’s final prophetic word or his last Oracle.
Reminds me of Jacob gathering his sons around him and sharing his last words in Genesis 49 or when Moses spoke to the children of Israel in in Deut 33 or Paul's final words to the elders of the church at Ephesus in Acts 20.
1 These are the last words of David: “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs:
Israel’s greatest king is described in four different ways in the opening verse of this oracle.
Humanly - he was the son of Jesse.
Exalted - David’s life was exalted by the Most High.
Anointed - He was a man anointed by the God of Jacob. Anointing involved having specially prepared olive oil poured on a person’s head by an authorized representative of God. The oil symbolized the enabling presence of God coming upon an individual, marking and equipping him to carry out divinely commissioned tasks.
Israel’s singer of songs - From the earliest period of David’s recorded life story (1 Sam. 16:23) and throughout his career, David was Israel’s most famous musician. Within the book of Psalms he is credited with composing 73 psalms—more than any other person.
David’s words are said to be from the Spirit of the the LORD, spoken through the king. His words were not his own; instead, God’s word was on his tongue.
Qualities of a Godly Leader
Qualities of a Godly Leader
What God of Isreal revealed in this passage was the ideal qualities of a Godly leader. He wants to remind his people that all future leaders what great leaders look like and accomplish. If they are kings of Israel, Presidents few the United States or leaders in your own home.
Humility
Justice
Fear of God
3 The God of Israel spoke; the Rock of Israel said to me, “The one who rules the people with justice, who rules in the fear of God,
Humility
Humility
David realizes that he is not God. He is the Shepard. God is the Rock of Israel. That which all of the nation stands on. David is not the rock. Temptation for many leaders is to thing that they are the important one. Look at all I have done David could have said. David willing to pass the Crown because it isn’t about David it is about the Father.
and in his humility he recognizes this own failures. His affair, his murder, his abused children.
Just
Just
In contrast to the kings in the countries that surrounded Israel and with the kings who preceded and followed him, David had exemplified high standards of government. All the people were treated with fairness and justice.
Thousands of years after David we still live in a world where there is more justice for some than for others and where there are leaders who pervert justice and oppress the people
Fear of God
Fear of God
One who leads while living in submission to the leadership of God is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning.
This image suggests that a leader who follows God helps bring about opportunities for growth and blessing for his subjects.
This concept is reinforced when David compared the ideal leader to the brightness after rain that brings the grass from the earth. This metaphor suggests that proper leaders help create an environment in which people they are responsible can flourish.
4 he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’
A Good leader doesn’t just look out for himself, or the people closest to them. But wants an evironment where the people they are responsible for can grow, flourish, take life.
Drink from streams of living water.
5 “If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made with me an everlasting covenant, arranged and secured in every part; surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation and grant me my every desire.
If my house were not right with God.
Graciously God made David an everlasting covenant a promise of blessing that would endure throughout the generations.Like many other ancient kings, David hoped that God would allow him to have a long and prosperous reign and that his descendants would continue to provide leadership for the nation. Thanks to the promises the Lord had given him, David possessed the confidence that God would bring to fruition his salvation and grant him his every desire.
Despite his failures God is still with David
That promise came trough through the birth of Jesus Christ. 2 Samuel 23 not only describes the ideal Jewish King, but also promises the very real King of the Jews and the Gentiles who will bring peace/Shalom to the earth. The coming of that perfect King was absolutely sure because it was rooted in the unbreakable promise of God, “arranged and secured in every part.”
Next Steps
Next Steps
Are we, are you leading with the ideal characteristics in your life?
Seeking a place where people can flourish. Grow.
Humbling yourself before the Lord. Think to highly of yourself
Seeking Justice