The King is Dead: A Father's Last Words

The King is Dead: A Father’s Last Words Historical Background o o o o o o 1 Kings 2 August 22, 2021 The Lord’s plan for Israel was not for them to be like all other Kingdoms with a man who was their King. Israel was to know that the Lord was their ruler. The Lord relented and gave them a king. Sometimes His judgment on our stubbornness is allowing what we insist we must have. Saul was Israel’s first King and David was the second. 1 Kings opens with King David at the end of His life. King David’s rule has been challenged by two of his own sons. Solomon was a son of David and Bathsheba, the 10th son of David’s 17 sons. His name may mean “peaceful”. He was also known as Jedediah, meaning “beloved of the Lord.” Solomon will be like his father, a man of contrasts and extremes. He will pray for the Lord to give him wisdom and was rewarded with God’s wisdom. At the same time, he often resorted to sinful foolishness. The Big Idea: The death of a family member is one of the most jolting events in a human’s life. Those deaths don’t so much shape our faith as they reveal our faith. Godly people will approach death with the knowledge that these are sacred, holy moments in which God desires to make Himself known to us and speak deep truth into our being. 2 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.’ Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. 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 10 11 sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. Life and Death Lessons From Today’s Scripture ü One day, unless we are alive when Jesus returns, we will all die. [Hebrews 9:27; Acts 13:36] ü We may or may not have an opportunity to plan for final conversations. Some things need to be said now. ü One of the great acts of love and mercy to someone who is dying is to spend time with them and listen to their words. ü One of the great acts and gifts of love when you are dying is to thoughtfully plan conversations with people who matter to you. ü Courage is essential if you want to live a Christian life in a hostile culture. [“be strong”] ü Courage needs the fuel of obedience to God’s call on your life and His Word in your life. ü We must never turn obedience into a transaction with God where we obey in order to get rewards. Truth is true whether I believe it or not. Right is right whether I do it or not. ü The Lord says to his children that He will graciously bless and “prosper” us in what we do. This has almost nothing to do with money and everything to do with the fruit of God’s touch on what we do and what we say. ü Facing death is the ultimate test and revealer of our deepest beliefs. [Romans 8:31-39] ü The greatest legacy you can leave those you love will have no monetary value – it will be your example of knowing and walking with Jesus and of letting people see you repenting from sin and being forgiven and restored by your God. [Psalm 51:1-13]