David's Last Words

Click here to read II Samuel 23.

Chapter 23 records the last words of David. We need to go ahead into First Kings to pick up some events that precede this and are missing here. The event recorded here occurred after David had placed the crown upon his son Solomon's head and after he had his treasurers put in a fund for the building of the Temple on about 965 BC.

Notice how David is described here:

  1. Son of Jesse, grandson of Obed, great grandson of Boaz.
  2. Exalted or raised by the Most High.
  3. Anointed of God.
  4. The sweet Psalmist of Israel.

Now notice the main points of David's last words were to define the source of his instruction and direction. Whether David was aware of it or not, he speaks of the Trinity as the source of his wisdom. Notice the three sources he lists:

  1. In verse 3, he lists "The God of Israel", the Father.
  2. Also in verse 3, he lists "The Rock of Israel, the Son.
  3. In verse 2, he lists "The Spirit of Israel", the Holy Spirit.

David declares that the "Spirit" spoke thru him, speaking of his Psalms, his judicial pronouncements and his instructions to the people. The "Rock" spoke to him in matters concerning himself and his family. (God is God of the universe, Jesus is Lord of the individual, the Holy Spirit is our teacher.)

Notice how the Lord had instructed David on how to rule:

  1. Rule rightly.
  2. Fear God.

If he practiced these two, he would be:

  1. Welcomed as the light of the morning.
  2. Desired as a cloudless sunrise.
  3. Tender as new grass.
  4. Like sunshine after the rain.

David was aware, though he probably did not understand, that God had chosen his descendants and made an everlasting covenant with them, that was eternal, final and sealed. What was prophesied here was "The Star of David", "The Messiah" "The Christ".

David ends with a word of warning. Beware of the godless. They are like the thorns that tare the flesh. They must be chopped down and burned.

Then he listed his top three military men.

  1. Jo-sheb-bas-she-beth, (Adi-no) who once killed 100 men in one battle.
  2. Eleazar, who along with David and 3 other men, defeated the Philistines when the rest of the army fled.
  3. Sham-mah, Who, when the rest of the army fled, single-handed beat back Philistines and God gave him a great victory.
  4. It appears that there was a man who was greater than the top three. He was Ab-shai, brother of Joab, who once killed 300 of the enemy single-handed.

Then a story is told of an event that occurred early in the life of David when he was running from the Philistines. He remembered the cool water from a well near Bethlehem and longed for a drink of it. Three of his men found out about it and risked their lives getting some of that water for him to drink. When they brought the water to David, he would not drink it. "This," he said, "is the blood of men who risked their lives." The chapter ends with a listing of all of David's top men, 37 in all.


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