2 Samuel 23:1-7
Notes
Transcript
Do a search on the internet and you’ll find several examples of the last words people spoke. Here’s a sampling:
Drummer Buddy Rich died after surgery in 1987. As he was being prepped for surgery, a nurse asked him, “Is there anything you can’t take?” (referring to medicines he was allergic to).
“Is there anything you can’t take?” asked the nurse.
Rich replied, “Yeah, country music.”
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock Holmes stories, died at age 71 in his garden.
He turned to his wife and said, “You are wonderful,” then clutched his chest and died.
Jack Soo was an actor on the TV series Barney Miller. On the show, there was a running gag about Soo’s character making bad coffee in the office.
Soo developed cancer of the esophagus, and when was being wheeled into an operating room, he joked to one of his co-stars, “It must have been the coffee.”
When Groucho Marx was dying, he let out one last quip: “This is no way to live!”
Basketball great “Pistol" Pete Maravich collapsed during a pickup game. His last words: “I feel great.”
Sir Winston Churchill’s last words were, “I’m bored with it all.”
>We read at the start of 2 Samuel 23: These are the last words of David.
Whether or not these are literally the last words of David is not really the point.
We have here *some* of David’s last words, possibly the last poem/song David wrote. Could be that these are David’s last public words, not necessarily the last thing he uttered before he died.
I don’t think that they were literally the last words David breathed out, but that these are probably his last official words; his last words “for the record.”
Whatever the case, this is an eloquent way to go out.
Several of the patriarchs of the OT have their “last words” recorded for us. They’re mostly blessings of different people.
David’s “last words” aren’t him blessing his sons or his people.
David’s last words are a prophecy about the kingdom.
2 Samuel 22 (last week’s text) and 2 Samuel 23 are the center of the ending to this book.
The song/psalm of Chapter 22 is a reflection of David looking back upon how the LORD established the kingdom under David.
The prophecy of 2 Samuel 23:1-7 looks forward to how the LORD will establish the kingdom in its fullness.
If you have your Bible (and I hope you do), please turn with me to 2 Samuel 23. As you are able and willing, please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word:
READ 2 Samuel 23.1-7.
May God add His blessing to the reading of His Holy Word!
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The introduction to David’s prophecy comes at the start, as all good introductions do.
David starts out to tell us how to think about what he’s going to say.
These aren’t just words from David, though words from the king would be worthy listening to all on their own.
These aren’t just words from David; this utterance is inspired.
This is a prophetic word from the LORD, given through David. The utterance of the man exalted by the Most High.
The word utterance or oracle or declaration is the Hebrew word often associated with prophecy.
We don’t think of David as a prophet, but we probably should. Peter did when he was preaching on the day of Pentecost:
Referring to David, Peter says: Acts 2:30 “But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.”
David’s claim in verse 2 is that The Spirit of the LORD spoke through me; His word was on my tongue.
This, what follows from David, is a divine message. Like the words of every other Biblical author, what we have here is “God-breathed.”
2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
What David claims here is absolutely true; this is the Spirit of the LORD speaking. This is His word, not David’s word.
The first phrase of Verse 3 asserts the same thing: The God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said to me…
What David passes on here is nothing but what the God and Rock of Israel has declared.
The repetition throughout is insistent. Purposeful, even.
In verses 1-3, David goes to great pains to highlight that this is inspired utterance, utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, this is the Spirit of the LORD speaking, it’s His Word; the God of Israel spoke, the Rock of Israel said…
Repetition is a good way to get your point across.
After yelling “backboard” about 1,000 times, my kids are finally starting to put the basketball in the little box on the backboard.
David repeating that this is from the LORD should make it sink in. “Understand,” says David, “we’re hearing from the LORD here.”
The way David starts out is to tell us how to think about what he’s going to say.
We can’t miss what he’s trying to say; his constant repetition doesn’t leave room for us to miss it.
What David announces next is not David’s guess, but the LORD’s certain will.
It’s not a piece of human insight, but divine decree.
It’s God’s Word, and if it’s God’s word, then it is a sure and certain word.
We can depend upon this.
The prophecy given to David is about:
The Certainty of the Kingdom
The Certainty of the Kingdom
Verses 1-3 make it clear—repeatedly—that this is God’s Word, God’s decree, God’s will. And then again in verse 5, we have more evidence of the same. Look:
2 Samuel 23:5 “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.”
The hope of the future of this kingdom doesn’t rest of David. David knows this.
The hope of the future of this kingdom rests on God’s promise, what the LORD has already promised to David. The everlasting covenant the LORD had promised to David.
We have to think back a ways. All the way to 2 Samuel 7, when the LORD spoke this to David:
12 When your days are over and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, your own flesh and blood, and I will establish his kingdom…Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.’ ”
The LORD has already made it more than clear to David that David’s going to rest with his ancestors. That’s a euphemism, a really nice way to tell David that he’s going to die.
But David’s death won’t be the end of what the LORD promised.
David’s kingdom doesn’t end with David.
David’s house and David’s kingdom will endure forever; David’s throne will be established forever.
What the LORD spoke to David early on in his kingship is a welcome note of certainty—for David, yes; for you and me, absolutely.
We need certainty. Assurance. A guarantee. And the only certainty, assurance, or guarantee that exists at all is the certainty that comes from the LORD.
Just try to get the appliance company to honor their warranty.
I have been wholly dissatisfied at Men’s Wearhouse on more than one occasion, and George Zimmer doesn’t give a single hoot, regardless of his “guarantee.”
The only certainty, assurance, or guarantee that exists is the certainty and assurance that comes from the LORD.
There is a lot that seems up in the air. The world devolves into chaos around us. Our lives are riddled with uncertainties. Question marks are the punctuation we live with.
From personal experience, most people would never assume a hopeful end.
Nothing with a downward trajectory logically ends up all good at its termination (with the exception of Hallmark Christmas movies).
What David tells us here is that none of the success of the kingdom depends upon personal experience or any human idealism; the success of the kingdom depends on divine certainty—God’s Word, God’s faithfulness, God’s promise.
There’s no certainty in the events of this life, but we have something better: Kingdom Certainty.
The Attractiveness of the Kingdom
The Attractiveness of the Kingdom
Verses 3 and 4 make up the heart of David’s prophecy (the central verse is the central point about the central Person).
We already know how to think about what David is about to say; it’s from God, it’s God’s Word. God spoke to David and this is what David has to say.
And so, David speaks:
2 Samuel 23:3–4 “‘When one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’”
David sees a Ruler. A universal Ruler—not just over Israel, but all mankind.
This Ruler is righteous, just. The fear of God characterizes His rule.
Verse 4 paints a picture of freshness and vitality. Light and sun and rain, reviving, refreshing, renewing. This is what the reign of the Ruler will be like; this is how it will feel.
The Ruler to come will rule righteously.
His rule renews and refreshes all He touches.
If we pause here and ask, “Who can possibly fill this role?” What’s the answer?
The only plausible answer is the Messiah, the Christ.
This is Jesus.
The Ruler of this prophecy is a Davidic king—one from David’s house. We also know this prophecy is doing more than holding up an ideal for those in the house of David to aspire to.
This is, and I have no doubt, speaking prophetically of the Final Representative of David’s dynasty.
All the divine inspiration, the inspired utterance, the Spirit’s speaking is pointing to the One True and Final King: Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God.
A Ruler who shines like the sun and brings refreshment and renewal—that’s an attractive picture. This explains Jesus to a ‘t’.
We’re drawn to the picture of a Ruler like this, for a number of reasons to be sure.
But the main reason is that we don’t have, have never had, and will never, ever see a human ruler who is anything of the sort.
The Kingdom is attractive because the King is attractive.
The One who will rule righteously and justly, bringing renewal and refreshing…that Ruler is attractive. We’re drawn to One like that.
No one, in any democracy or dictatorship or anything in between, has ever been a Ruler like this.
And no earthly king or kingdom will ever fill the shoes of the One David describes.
The leaders of this age—elected or imposed—are altogether immoral, corrupt, oppressive, power-grubbing.
There’s no relief or renewal in their reign, it’s all only repressive.
For God’s people, the only thing princes and presidents, leaders and lords, demagogues and dictators serve to do is make us long for the King of kings and LORD of lords.
The broken systems of our world should stir our appetite for the Final David and His Perfect Kingdom and Rule, and prod us to pray for His kingdom to come.
Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed by your name.
Your kingdom come…on earth as it is in heaven.
The Kingdom David writes of here is attractive, because the KING is attractive.
We think we want some form of this earthly government and worldly system, until we are invariably disappointed by every human iteration of government our feeble minds can eek out.
But Jesus will not disappoint, never. Jesus never fails.
He will only ever exceed our expectations. Jesus is this refreshing, righteous, renewing King; the King we desire, the King we need.
The text concludes by speaking of
The Exclusivity of the Kingdom
The Exclusivity of the Kingdom
We desire the King who is promised to us. God’s people—those who belong to Him by faith—want the King who is to come.
But not everyone wants that King. Not everyone wants the kingdom to come; they’re just fine with the worthless, worldly kingdoms they have now.
Some people want no part of a Righteous Ruler’s reign. They are not interested, nor are they drawn to it.
David refers to them as evil men (worthless men, sons of rebellion, sons of Belial, wicked).
These are like thorns. They inflict pain. They will be cast aside, cut down, burned up.
Here’s the hard truth about the Kingdom of God, the Kingdom Jesus ushered in and will done day bring in it’s fullness: it’s exclusive.
Some will be a part of the Kingdom; others will not.
The coming kingdom involves both restoration and destruction, both salvation and judgment.
All who don’t submit to the Righteous King will be cast aside, thrown into the fire.
Jesus taught this exact truth:
41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they will weed out of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 They will throw them into the blazing furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Preparing the way for Jesus, our friend John the Baptist said this:
12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
There are those who will be inside, and those left outside. Some will be part of the Kingdom; others will be kept from it.
The Kingdom is exclusive.
This is a wildly unpopular teaching today.
Even among some who profess to be Christians. If you say, “Apart from faith in Jesus Christ, no one will be saved,” prepare yourself for a, “Yeah, well, but you know, there’s always…”
I understand the struggle, the difficulty. It’s a hard truth to swallow.
But we must listen to David and to Jesus. God’s Word must inform our theology, not our feelings.
The Kingdom of God is exclusive.
At the last, the godless will stand outside the walls of the Messiah’s Kingdom.
All the way through and at the very end of the NT, this truth is taught explicitly and without apology.
Revelation 21:8 “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—they will be consigned to the fiery lake of burning sulfur.”
Revelation 22:15 “Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.”
Revelation 21:27 “Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.”
The Kingdom is exclusive.
You must belong by faith to Jesus, the Coming King, or you will be left outside where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Narrow is the road that leads to life and salvation: it’s through Jesus, and only through Him.
He is the door. He is the gate.
We only enter in through Him.
Wide is the path that leads to destruction.
Literally, every other way but Jesus leads to death, destruction, damnation.
If you are trusting in anything or anyone but JESUS, you will be lost forever.
Turn to Jesus! Repent of your sins, and run to Christ the KING!
In Christ, we are assured of our salvation. In Him is life, abundant and eternal.
Take heart, friends: though early kingdoms come and go, our King reigns forever and His Kingdom will never end.
2 Samuel 23:4 “He—Jesus—is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.’”
>2 Samuel 23 record David’s “last words.”
Working through this about the Kingdom promised to David, and the One who sits on David’s throne, made me think about Jesus’ last words:
From the cross, Jesus said, “It is finished.”
He said this because His death was the final sacrifice for the sins of those who would belong to Him.
Jesus has done all that’s necessary for us to be saved, to be made right with God, to be welcomed into His kingdom.
Put your faith in Jesus and in His finished work on the cross.
After His resurrection, Jesus’ disciples asked Him: Acts 1:6 “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
To this, Jesus’ spoke His last words before He ascended into heaven:
Acts 1:7–8 “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After Jesus spoke these last words, the disciples were looking up into the sky as He was going, when a pair of angels came and stood beside them and asked,
Acts 1:11 “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
This we know: Jesus is going to return.
And when He does, He will gather all those who belong to Him, He will set up His Kingdom here on earth, and we will be with Him forever and ever.
In the meantime, our task is the same as the disciples’: to be His witnesses, telling others about Him—
To tell others about His death and resurrection, His present position at the right hand of God, and His any-day-now return.
And here’s the really good news we get to share:
Jesus, Righteous and Perfect,
will reign forever and ever!
