David’s Last Words (Level 3 | 119)

0:00The final few years of the reign of David have been full of activity. David has been preparing for something that won't occur until after his death. He's preparing for the construction of the House of God, the great and magnificent temple of Jerusalem. The desire that he had had decades ago to build a house for God wouldn't be realized by him, but he would prepare his son for the task. David would gather the materials and share proper plans were communicated. Establish the labor force, organize the Levites for the temple service, establish the descendants of Aaron as the priests for the temple. Find skilled musicians to play the lyre, symbols and harps, organize the treasurers to manage the gifts of the people, and recruit mighty and valiant gatekeepers to protect the temple. David didn't just age into obscurity. He spent his final years for something that would outlast him.

1:03He dedicated himself to a project that would honor God in a way that perhaps nothing else could. The temple would be built on that threshing floor that he purchased from Aranatha Jebusite. The place where David had seen the angel of Yahweh. The place that the prophet Gad had demanded that David purchase before building an altar for sacrifice to the Lord. This place for threshing wheat would turn into the single most holy location in the entire world. The place where the Lord God would dwell in glory atop the ark of the covenant within the holiest place of the temple. David was getting ready, ready for his son, the next great king of Israel. Solomon had been born to Bathsheba at least a year or two after David's sin with the woman. Sheba's first child by David had died shortly after birth as one of the many penalties on David's sin. A reminder that sin's consequences don't merely touch the sinner, but everyone around

2:04him or her. Solomon's birth, however, was accompanied by a message from God, two names that would be given the child. Solomon, meaning peaceful, and Jedadaya, meaning beloved by the Lord. The Lord had chosen his next king over Israel, and it would be this beloved son of David, a man of peace. Solomon would be king, and he would be the builder of the great temple of God. David held out great hope for the young man, so much so that he believed that perhaps God's great covenant with him might be accomplished in Solomon himself. David thought that Solomon might be that son of God and son of David, who would have his throne established forever over Israel. And not only told Solomon this, but he encouraged Solomon's obedience to that end. After gathering everything for the great temple project, he says this to Solomon in 1 Chronicles 22. Now my son, the Lord be with you, so that you may succeed in building the house of the

3:08Lord your God as he has spoken concerning you. Only may the Lord grant you discretion and understanding that when he gives you charge over Israel, you may keep the law of the Lord your God. Then you will prosper if you are careful to observe the statutes and the rules that the Lord commanded Moses for Israel. Be strong and courageous. Fear not, do not be dismayed. With great pains I have provided for the house of the Lord, 100,000 talents of gold, a million talents of silver, and bronze and iron beyond weighing for there is so much of it. Timber and stone too I have provided. To these you must add. To have an abundance of workmen, stone cutters, mason's, carpenters, and all kinds of craftsmen without number, skilled and working gold, silver, bronze and iron, arise and work. The Lord be with you. David also commanded all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon his son saying, is not the

4:08Lord your God with you? Has he not given you peace on every side? For he has delivered the inhabitants of the land into my hand and the land is subdued before the Lord and his people. Now set your mind and heart to seek the Lord your God, arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God so that the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy vessels of God may be brought into a house built for the name of the Lord. In this short speech to Solomon into the people, David hits on many of the major themes of his life and the life of Israel. He says first that the Lord will be with Solomon and with the people, that God's presence will be among them as they work to build the temple. He tells Solomon to be careful to obey the laws of the Sinai covenant given through Moses. Not only that, but he gives the same encouragement that Moses and God had given to Joshua, 500 years prior, saying this, be strong and courageous, do not fear and do not be dismayed.

5:09And then he emphasizes that all the preparations had been completed for Solomon. David had gathered over 5 million pounds of gold worth over 125 billion of today's dollars, along with 15 billion dollars of silver, not to mention the other precious metals. He gathered cedar and stone, and he gathered all the necessary workmen to get it all done. David then encourages the leaders to help with the project, saying that Yahweh has given them peace on every side for now. God has given them rest from their enemies and the task of the temple is before them. A rise and build, says David. You can tell that this was David's passion project, one of the great desires of his heart. You can tell why it honored God so much. There's not a hint of David wanting to build for his own fame. He wants God's name to be great. He wants to pour wealth and skill into one of the most magnificent buildings that the world had ever seen.

6:11David wanted to do it all for God, and he wanted to see Solomon be that great king who had reigned forever on David's throne. David gave Solomon the planes for the temple that he'd received from Yahweh and entrusted the temple's completion to his son. The planes were made, the preparations were accomplished, and the charge for building was given. And David had one final public prayer that he would speak before the people and before God. We read this in 1 Chronicles chapter 29, starting in verse 10. David blessed the Lord in the presence of all the assembly, and David said, Blessed are you, Yahweh, the God of Israel our Father, forever and ever. Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory in the majesty for all that is in the heavens and in the earth as yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you and you rule over all.

7:15In your hand are power and might, and in your hand it is to make great and to give strength to all. And now we thank you our God and praise your glorious name. But who am I? And what is my people that we should be able thus to offer willingly? For all things come from you and of your own we have given to you. For we are strangers before you and sojourners as all our fathers were. Our days on the earth are like a shadow and there is no abiding. O Yahweh our God, all this abundance that we have provided for building you a house for your holy name comes from your hand and is all your own. I know my God that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things. And now I have seen your people who are present here offering freely and joyously to you. O Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel are fathers.

8:15Keep forever such purposes and thoughts in the hearts of your people and direct their hearts toward you. Grant to Solomon my Son a whole heart that he may keep your commandments, your testimonies your statutes, and performing all that he may build the palace for which I have made provision. Then David said to all the assembly, bless Yahweh your God and all the assembly, bless Yahweh the God of their fathers and bowed their heads and paid homage to the Lord and to the King. And they offered sacrifices to the Lord and on the next day offered burnt offerings to the Lord, a thousand bowls, a thousand rams and a thousand lambs with their drink offerings and sacrifices and abundance for all Israel. And they ate and drank before the Lord on that day with great gladness. David's kingship was coming to an end and with his final prayer before the people, he exalts God's throne, God's kingdom and God's power.

9:18He speaks of God's Abrahamic covenant promises to Abraham Isaac in Jacob. He speaks of the graciousness with which God chose Israel to be a special nation before him. And he asks God to bless the people on Solomon with steadfastness toward him. Then the people bless Yahweh, sacrifice to him, and make a great celebration and feast before him. David, more than any other leader before, had established Israel and Canaan and continued conquering the land. He'd followed Yahweh through difficult and tumultuous times. And by the end of his life, David had been forgiven much by the God who had been ever faithful to him. David, the man after God's heart, would soon die and Solomon his son would rise. But before his last breaths, he would write these final lyrics. Next of a prophecy that looks forward to the great king to come, the one who would dwell on David's throne forever, lyrics from the Spirit of God speaking through the mouth

10:23of David. We read this in 1st Samuel, chapter 23. Now these are the last words of David. The Oracle of David, the son of Jesse, the Oracle of a man who was raised on high, concerning the Messiah of the God of Jacob, the delightful one of the songs of Israel. The Spirit of the Lord speaks by me. His word is on my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken, the rock of Israel has said to me, one who rules over men righteously shall arise, ruling in fear of God. He dawns on them like the morning light, like the sun shining forth on a cloudless morning, like rain that makes the grass to sprout from the earth. Although my house is not so with God, for he is made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things insecure. For will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? But worthless men are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be taken

11:28with the hand. But the man who touches them, arms himself with iron and the shaft of a spear, and they are utterly consumed with fire. David's final song caps off his magnificent songwriting enterprise through his life. It's a forward-looking song, a prophetic oracle about the coming Messiah, a favorite subject of David through many of his songs. The Spirit of God declares through David that a ruler is coming who will rule righteously over men, ruling as the ideal king. He will be like the morning sun and the spring rain, causing growth all around him. And although David's house hasn't been perfect, this Messiah will cause God's promises to David to come to full fruition. God will do as he promised. And this king from David will finally defeat all his worthless enemies. Unworthy to be ruled over, they will be consumed by fire.

12:30This final song of the dying David expresses his living hope, the hope of the great king to come. The seed of Eve, the seed of Abraham, the seed of David, the great hope of the Bible is coming. He's coming to rule and he's coming to conquer. David's great hope extends to his son Solomon, and as we find out, extends for centuries past Solomon. His hope extends all the way back to Bethlehem, David's hometown, where eventually the piercing cry of a newborn lights up the night with praise. Join us next time as we review the life of David before we see the temple constructed. For Bible readings, reflection, questions and quizzes, don't miss the Bible brief