There was a young man named David who cared for a few sheep of his father. He was the youngest of all his brothers. When the whole family was called for an important meeting with a religious leader David was the only one they didn’t invite.
All these years later, we see David an old man, hair turned white, beard gone gray, wrinkled and tired, laying in bed, unable to keep warm.
King David has setup his son Solomon to become king after him. He has given him a charge in his last words to Solomon about how he should reign.
Now King David is dying. He’s surrounded by his family. And he’s going to give his last words to his family, to the nation, and to us today.
But first we get this summary of David’s life from the writer of 2nd Samuel,.
It says this in 2nd Samuel 23:1, “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…”
We find here the inspired utterance of David. What that means is the author agrees that the words of David given here were inspired by God himself.
First point today, God can use you as well to bring forth inspired utterance. In other words, God will speak through you if you let Him.
When you’re talking with someone whose struggling, pause a moment and ask God for the right words. Then trust in your heart that he’ll provide them. Then, as you talk with this person, God will bring just the right words out of your mouth, to touch their heart.
And you’ll sense in that moment that it was from God. And so will they. All of us do this from time to time without realizing it.
The closer we are spiritually with God, the more it will happen I think.
The most extreme and amazing version of this, as an inspired utterance, is the prophetic person, who gives you a word from God directly.
David was also it says, exalted by the Most High God. This is the idea of being promoted to a higher position. He was given authority. He was shown before all to trusted by God.
Second point today, God will at times exalt you, and at times he will humble you. If you show your faithfulness to God, he will exalt you, if you resist God and act pridefully, then he’ll humble you.
David was exalted by God, yet he was also anointed by God. He was prepared by him for all he had for him to do. God spoke truth over him through Samuel the prophet. And the author also says, David was the hero of the songs of Israel. That’s certainly true, most of the psalms are written by David in the book of Psalms!
Next we actually get to what David said, as he lay dying, an old man in his bed.
He says this:
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.’”
King David actually quotes something God whispered to him in the past here.
God apparently made it clear to David, if you do these two things, you will successful as a leader of Israel.
One, rule over people in righteousness. What that means is you’ll be careful to make the right decisions that are morally correct. You will do righteousness, which is pure. Do the right thing even when it’s hard.
Two, rule in the fear of the Lord. This means David really did fear God. That is by the way, the ultimate secret to living a successful Christian life. You tremble before God and know God is for real. You fear God, you are actually afraid of God, and then when you’re tempted to sin, you tremble at God, and say no, I better not do that.
If you want to learn the fear of the Lord, I recommend this: Go on YouTube and look up some hell testimonies from Christians who have seen hell. Watching those testimonies will bring a fear of the Lord into your life.
God says, rule in those two ways ,righteously and in the fear of God, and your leadership will be like a beautiful morning at sun rise. On a cloudless morning. Like a the brightness after rain, that brings grass.
So your leadership will be like the sun in the sky, bright shining warmth, and it will be like the brightness of the sun after a long rain, and now everything is growing because of the rain.
Point number three, make your decisions in righteousness, and fear God, and you’ll be like a bright warm sun to those around you. You’ll be a blessing wherever you go. If you’d you’ll be a curse to those around you.
Then it verse 5 David continues, “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.”
David here reflects on how God has been faithful to his covenant agreement with David. A secure covenant, an everlasting covenant that David would always have a descendant on the throne of Israel.
David knows he is saved. He says God has brought to fruition his salvation. He knows where he is going.
And he also says God has granted his every desire. God satisfied David’s desires. And we can trust God will do the same for us.
Point number four, like David, if you’ve followed God faithfully, you can know your salvation is secure. I hope and pray that when each of you are old and gray in your bed getting close to death, that you would know that Jesus has paid your sins, and that you’re on your way to paradise.
So verse five was David celebrating and rejoicing in all God has done and that he is on his way to heaven.
But then in verses 6-7 we see David leave all those around him with one final warning:
It says, “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.”
So David affirms that he is headed to heaven. But he also hints at the fate of those who are evil. They will go down to the pit of hell.
Evil men will be dealt with by a holy God. They will not be gathered up. But will be thrown down. He compares it to thorns, they are not gathered, but they burned where they lay.
So David confirms for us, that heaven is real and hell is real. Both are very real.
Point number five today, there will be rewards for the righteous in Christ, and damnation for those who continue on in evil. Sin leads to hell. And the hell will be tortured for all time, in a place of fire. The righteous in Christ will live eternally in heaven. Those are the two destinations, there is not a third option. Heaven in christ, or hell without Christ. End of story.
So to review today,
Our Five Points were:
1. God will speak through you if you let Him.
2. God will at times exalt you, and at times he will humble you.
3. make your decisions in righteousness, and fear God, and you’ll be like a bright warm sun to those around you.
4. if you’ve followed God faithfully, you can know your salvation is secure
5. there will be rewards for the righteous in Christ, and damnation for those who continue on in evil.
