The School of Hard Knocks - 1 Kings 2:1-12

Introduction

If you only had a few breaths left, what would you want to say to your children? There wouldn’t be time for small talk, cliches, or pleasantries. Concerns over sports, vanity, and the approval of others fade into the background. There’s only time to talk about what matters, what really matters. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to speak with a number of people who have looked death right in the eye, and what you find is that the experience changes them. In the past, they may have hesitated to talk about the deeper questions in life with their children and their families, but now they feel pressed to have them. People who look death in the eye have something to say to the people that they love.

So, what would you say if all of the pettiness and silly-ness and vanities of life were melted away by the urgency of death? What wisdom would you pass along? What assurances would you give? What warnings would you share?

God’s Word

That’s the very scene that’s playing out in 1 Kings 2. David is lying on his deathbed after a 40 year reign as king, and he’s talking to his son, Solomon, who he has already coronated as the new king. And, he’s using his dying breath to prepare his son for the enormous task that lies ahead.

Think of what all David had seen in his life. He’d been a shepherd boy when God used him to slay the giant, Goliath, and deliver his people. He’d taken part in the killing of thousands in battle. He’d built the city of Jerusalem. He’d expanded Israel’s territory to double what he’d inherited. He knew what it was to win in battle, and he knew what it was to be on the run from an enemy. He knew what it was to experience God’s anger and discipline, and he knew what it was like to be restored by the Lord. David had a Ph.D. from the school of hard knocks. And, after all these years, he welcomes his son as a young man to sit down so that he might teach him some of those lessons the easy way and not the way that he’d learned them. That’s what you want to do for your children, isn’t it? You want to prepare them to succeed without the pain that comes from learning the hard way. So, that’s what I think we see here in the first four verses: Lessons from the School of Hard Knocks (Headline):

Live with “good courage.”

1 Kings 2:2 ““I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man”

The Right Kind of Strength

“be strong”

Do you know what the most common command in all of the Bible is? It’s probably not what you would think. You would think that it would to love God with all of your heart or to love your neighbor as yourself or maybe it would be to remain holy. But, it isn’t. The most common command in all the Bible is “do not be afraid.” And, that’s interesting command, isn’t it? If a friend came to someone whose child had just been diagnosed with cancer and was terrified of the outcome, not one of us, hopefully, would respond back, “don’t be afraid.” It doesn’t seem helpful. So, why does God say it so often? It’s a command, but more than that, it’s an invitation. You’ll find that this command often comes up when God is calling a man into his service, just as he did with Joshua and now here with Solomon. And, the command is to find your safety and your security and your strength in the Lord. We’re tempted to comfort our fears by reminding ourselves of our success, of our strength, of our vigilance, of our intellect, of our experience, but none of those work, do they? Children are not comforted by the knowledge that a monster isn’t in their closet. And, they can stay awake and remain vigilant, they can remind themselves that they were okay the night before, they can puff out their chests and look big, but children aren’t comforted by thoughts or vigilance. They’re comforted by the presence of a parent, someone greater. And, that’s the invitation issued every time that God commands us not to be afraid: it’s to draw near to him, to lean into his presence, to trust in our relationship with him.

This is exactly what David is getting at when he instructs Solomon to “be strong.” He’s not telling him to join Planet Fitness or to cowboy up or to act like he’s cut out of leather. He’s instructing his son to know where his strength comes from. He’s instructing him to recognize the source of real strength and wisdom. You have to believe that David’s mind is thinking back to when he stood before a 9 foot giant who had cornered an entire military by himself. But, do you remember what David said in 1 Samuel 17? “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!” All of Israel was trembling and afraid, but David was able to courageously go against the giant and strike him down because he had a strength that came from beyond himself; his trust was in the deliverance of the Lord?

So much of the path of your life will be determined by the source of your strength. Is it in your intellect or your charisma or your inner resolve? Your life is likely to be an anxious, timid one that blends into every surrounding and stands for very little. Is your strength found in the Lord? If it is, you can go anywhere and attempt anything because He is with you and able. Where do you find your strength?

The Right Kind of Man

“show yourself a man”

And, David says in the same breath, “Show yourself a man.” Remember who David is talking to here. He’s talking to his young adult son, Solomon. He’s a young man that’s clearly brilliant, handsome, and gifted. But, the school of hard knocks has taught David that’s not enough to sustain you, especially if you’re the king of Israel. After all, those exact same adjectives could be used to describe Saul, and things didn’t end very well for him. So, David’s concern is not so much with Solomon’s competency or charisma as he is his character. When he says, “Show yourself a man”, he’s saying, “Demonstrate through your life that you’re the right kind of man, a man of character, wisdom, and godliness.”

Solomon’s ascension to the throne was quite different from David’s. David started as a shepherd boy, and Solomon started as a prince. Being king was what he felt born for and destined to be. But, David had learned that success, freedom, and power can reveal one’s character, for better or worse, just like suffering can. Solomon was going to have every opportunity that life could afford him to reveal the kind of man he was, and David knew that. Who will you be when you can be anyone? Our character is revealed not just when our dreams are crushed, but also when they’re realized. When life goes your way, who do you show yourself to be? Do you become proud and insufferable? Do you feel like you can now tell everyone how they can be successful like you? Do you add luxuries to yourself, or do you use your success, power, and freedom to bring glory to God? Who do you become when you have the freedom to be anyone?

The Right Kind of Life

“I am about to go the way of all the earth.”

Why does David demand Solomon to live with with the right kind of strength and as the right kind of man? Because he wants his son to be able to come to the end of his life and reflect back as David is doing so that he might see that he has lived the right kind of life. You can hear David’s self-reflection when he says, “I am about to go the way of all the earth.” And, it’s his way of saying, “Listen to me, son, so that when you get to where I am, and you’ll look back with more of the joys and fewer of the regrets than I know. Prepare yourself, son, for this is the way of the earth, and it will be over before you realize, and the only thing that will matter is what you did with the life that you had. Don’t live in a way you will regret.”

When you look back over the horizon of your life, what will you see? How will you seize your brief time on this earth before your life passes like the steam rising from your coffee in the morning? Will it be a life of courageous obedience lived in the strength of the Lord? Will it be a life in which your proven to be the kind of man or woman that has brought glory to God and good to others? Or, will it be a life of timid, bored, selfish regret? Live a life of good courage!

Remember who “you are.”

1 Kings 2:3 “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”

Who You Are

“keep the charge of the Lord your God”

There was a time in David’s life, as we saw just a few weeks ago, in which success had gone to his head. He’d begun to read his own press clippings, and he’d forgotten where he’d come from. And, it cost him dearly. And, you can hear in David’s voice here that he wants to spare his son that kind of pain. He wants his son to remember who he is and how he got to where he is. That’s what’s meant by “keep the charge of the Lord your God.” It’s a reference to the calling on Solomon’s life. He’d become king, not because of his brilliance or his ability or his charisma; he’d become king because he was drafted by the Lord with irrevocable calling.

Solomon was who he was only because of God’s grace. God’s sovereign grace had chosen him and anointed him as the king. And, this means two things that are important for us to see. Because it was God’s grace alone that drafted Solomon he couldn’t take credit for it, and he couldn’t escape it. His life and his glory belonged to God alone. And, if that realization alone were grasped by everyone here this morning, then our church would never be the same. You would never be the same. If you are a child of God, you are who you are only because of the sovereign grace of God. You can’t take any credit. And, you haven’t been drafted into God’s family as one without a place. You have a role to play. You have a calling on your life. You have been called by God to build his church and advance his kingdom. You can’t take the credit, and you can’t escape the call. All of your life and all of your glory belong to the Lord. You see, we don’t lack a calling on our lives; we lack faithfulness. People spin in circles wondering what God has called them to do so as to ultimately do nothing. What has God called you to do? He’s called you to love him, love your neighbor, and serve your church. Callings aren’t gushy, warm feelings; they’re God-presented opportunities for you to show that your life has been dedicated to him. So, it may be with children if that’s what needs done. It may be a Bible study at work, if that’s what needs done. It may be serving meals to a grieving family if that’s what needs done. Your calling is your God-given opportunity to demonstrate that your life is from the Lord and belongs to the Lord.

Who You Aren’t

“walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses”

But, David isn’t just concerned that Solomon remember who he is; he also wants to Solomon to be sure of who he isn’t. Notice how many times he emphasizes the Lord’s possession. You’ll notice there are 5 different mentions of “his”. So, not only is it the Lord’s call that brought Solomon, but it’s also the Lord’s path that Solomon will follow. Solomon may wear the crown and sit in the palace, but he is not the Sovereign. These are God’s people, and Solomon is God’s king. Solomon isn’t in charge. So, David warns Solomon: “Don’t veer off course. Walk in his ways. You aren’t free to lead Israel any way that you want. And, don’t rewrite what God has written. Keep his statutes. You don’t have the freedom to create laws, policies, or exceptions to what God has said. You’re not really the king. God is.”

David had learned the hard way that life outside of the fence of God’s law was not as good as it looked. It reminds me of my old dog Rambo. We had him in a fence, and he always wanted to get out. He wanted the freedom. Well, one day, he got out, and when he got out, cars were flying by and people were yelling at him and he didn’t have his food or water. And, he did the craziest thing. He stood outside of his fence and howled until we let him back in. His freedom wasn’t as enjoyable as he expected. God’s law is like a fence for his people. But, it’s not keeping them from good. It’s keeping them from harm. We are not free to go wherever we wish because we are not the king. God is. It can be common for Christians to push their faces up against the fence and wonder why God won’t let them just be free to come and go as they please. And, the reason is that there is greater freedom under the reign of God than there is apart from it. He’s not keeping you from what’s good; He’s keeping you from being hit by a car.

Remember who you are and who you’re not. You were chosen and called by his grace. You are not your own. You are not the king; God is. And, what you’ll find is that fully understanding your true identity allows you to flourish as a person and live with the joy of knowing you’re exactly where God would have you to be.

Aim at “true success.”

1 Kings 2:3b-4 “that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, 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.’”

Prosper in God’s Will

“that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn”

David closes out his thoughts by giving Solomon a greater vision for the future. We’re tempted to see only the short term. That’s why we step outside of God’s word. That’s why we attempt to blaze our own path. We redefine the boundaries of sex and money and how we should spend our time because we don’t see the forest for the trees. We’re hung up with short-term pleasure and have no vision for long-term joy. So, David gives these two “that’s” to set Solomon’s eyes on a different trajectory. He wants him to have a long term vision of what it will look like if he walks in God’s ways.

First, he says that keeping the charge and walking in God’s ways and not his own will allow him to prosper in God’s will. He’s not saying that it will let him enjoy every pleasure that this world can offer, though Solomon would. He’s saying that Solomon will be used by God to accomplish what He has set before him and to become all that God intends for him to be. That’s what prosperity in the Bible is really about. True prosperity, true success in the Bible is the ability to become who God intends for you to be and to accomplish what God intends for you to accomplish with joy, peace, and contentment. Now, in the Old Covenant, God’s people were a geo-political nation upon which He would shower wealth and prosperity as a marker of God’s blessing. But, in the New Covenant, God is drawing an international remnant that He is forming into a new Kingdom, and they are marked by their ability to be joyful in the face sorrow, content in the face of hardship, and at peace in the midst of chaos. But, in both cases, it’s about God’s people living according to his word so that they might be who He intends for them to be, accomplish what He intends for them to accomplish, and be secure and joyful in his grace.

What definition of success are you aiming at? Because, you see, that’s what’s going to determine whether your living for right now or for later, for a grander vision or fleeting pleasures. Solomon’s joy would ultimately die by the death of a thousand pleasures. He couldn’t catch the vision that God had for the future. Will you?

Perpetuate God’s Kingdom

“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.’”

And, David is sure to remind Solomon that his life will have an impact, one way or the other, that far exceeds his lifespan. He brings him back to the promise that God had made to David to have one of his sons sitting upon the throne. And, he reminds Solomon that it’s now his turn to run the race and pass the baton to the next generation. His faithfulness or unfaithfulness will have effects that far outlive him. God is calling him to keep the charge and live by his word that he might be used to perpetuate his kingdom through us. So, David is trying to get Solomon to take his eyes off of himself and his pleasures and to look ahead to those who would come after him.

Do we have a multi-generational view of our life? Your obedience to the Lord, your answering the call is not just about your life. This past week, we laid to rest Ralph Vaughn. And, if your knew here, he’s one of the men that swung a hammer to raise the building that we’re sitting in right now. And, I thought about Ralph and Pete and Edwin this week, and I’ve realized that we’re experiencing in many ways the passing of the baton. Our patriarchs are passing away, and they’ve left us in better shape than they found us. Will we take the baton and run with it? Will we disciple our children? Will we have a vision for the future? Will we leave our families, our church, and our communities better than we found them?