0:00 First Kings chapter two. And what we're gonna be considering together is the first 11 verses of this chapter. As you can tell, this is a very lengthy chapter like many chapters in Kings, but we are going to take our time to dissect appropriate themes or the flow of thought that seems appropriate to stop at. And so we're just gonna before we pray, let's just read these verses together without interruption and just have a frame of what's about to take place and how we're going to receive from God's word. First Kings chapter two beginning in verse one.
0:36 When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son saying, I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong and show yourself a man, 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, 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. Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zuriah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in a way, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
1:55 But deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table. For with such loyalty, they met me when I fled from Absalom, your brother. And there is also with you Shammai the son of Gera, the Benjaminite, from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went out to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord saying, I will not put you to death with the sword. Now, therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man.
2:27 You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol. 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. So Solomon sat on the throne of David, his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
2:53 Lord, this is your word. We tremble at it. Now use this time to pierce our hearts, to awaken our affections, to apply its instructions without hesitation. And, Lord, help us see Christ. In Jesus' name.
3:14 Amen. The time for King David, that man that we have studied for years, week after week, Friday after Friday, session after session, the time for this man to die has now arrived. And David here is going to take the opportunity to bring his son, to look him in the eyes, and to grant him final instructions. As he is coming to the end of his life, he wants to give direction for Solomon's life. And it's not difficult to see how this text exhibits timeless wisdom for you and I, but I believe the best way to benefit from this portion of scripture is to not look at it from a one dimensional point of view because it's easy to do that.
4:06 It's easy to limit what we're seeing here as a way of listening in on a monologue, a father speaking into the heart of his son. But David is not just speaking to Solomon. David is speaking about other people. There are three specific individuals that David brings into this conversation. And by looking at them as well, not just looking at what is being said to Salma, but looking at them and the complexities of how they relate to David and Solomon, we will leave this bible study richer.
4:44 Greater revelation, greater things to apply to our lives, a more holistic view of what the Lord has in mind in this text. And by doing this, I want to encourage you to read your Bible in a certain way. Again, not to just look at it from one limited dimension, but to consider the other characters, to consider other vantage points, to consider the multifaceted truths that are packed into one place. And so the way you and I will organize our thoughts is to first look at David's instructions to Solomon, but also to look at what he says concerning Joab, concerning Barzalai, concerning Shammai. It's a very simple way of approaching this.
5:28 All we're really going to do is collect some thoughts. There isn't one main theme here. If there is a theme that you would like, it's wisdom for life. What to do and what not to do. I love how the Bible takes certain people and allows us to see and hear their final words before they depart.
5:49 Why is that? Why does the Bible care to give us the last words of certain individuals surely for us to know how to finish well, surely for us to know what, again, not to do and what to do, to understand how our decisions today will affect our tomorrows whether you realize it today or not. And so let's consider these words. First, his direct instructions to Solomon before he deals with these other individuals and what Solomon ought to do with them. When David's time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son saying, I am about to go the way of all the earth.
6:28 What a fascinating way for the Holy Spirit to label death. I am about to go the way of all the earth. Every single person here is unique. Every single person here might have a unique journey, but every single person in here with the billions of other people who are living today have one thing in common among other things, and that is this, there will be a cessation of this earthly life. The way of all the earth is death.
7:03 And the way David speaks about death is with an accepting tone. I am about to go the way of all the earth. He embraces that. And unfortunately there are many people when it comes to death live as though it is optional. Live as though it can be suspended by their will.
7:23 It can be delayed at their command. And that is not true. Though there are practical things that you and I can do and God calls us to do to prolong life, ultimately it is determined by his sovereignty. But what's interesting here is by David speaking in this way, he proves that he is accepting this reality. And some people can't accept that reality, and I'll prove it to you.
7:46 They don't ever ruminate over it. Let me ask you a question. When is the last time that you gave more than ten seconds meditating on your mortality? Sounds morbid. It sounds scary.
8:01 It sounds strange to do so, and yet the Bible says it's wisdom. Teach me to number my days that I may gain a heart of wisdom. And so there are those who refuse to accept it, who who shoo the thought away the the moment it visits them, and there are others who are willing to accept it. It's part of their theological framework. And even if you're not a believer, you understand that this is just a component of life that is inescapable.
8:28 We're all going to die. And though they might accept it, they don't prepare for it. David here not only accepts it, David is preparing for it, and we need to do both. So it's one thing to say, I acknowledge that this is true. It's another thing to say, now if this is true, what am I going to do concerning it?
8:50 And it's absolutely vital for you to accept and prepare for it because we need to invest in a life that's going to be eternal. And based on how we even live with that perspective, it'll determine the quality of life that we know today. You know, there's an interesting verse found in the book of Amos chapter four verse 12. If you're one to highlight in your bible, there's a phrase in that verse that is worth underscoring, and it's in light of Amos warning the people of God to be confronted with the judgment of God in their lifetime, but it's something that we can apply to something that you and I will all experience. Amos four twelve.
9:32 If you've never seen this verse, you'll enjoy it. What does the prophet say? Therefore, thus I will do to you, oh, Israel, because I will do this to you, prepare to meet your God, oh Israel. Prepare to meet your God. How much preparation are people doing with that divine appointment to meet with their God?
10:06 Even you and I as believers have to prepare to meet with our God. Yes. We will not stand at the great white throne, but we will stand at the judgment seat of Christ. And I wonder how many believers today have thought about that conversation with Jesus. What will my conversation with Christ be like?
10:28 Am I ready to meet him? Will I be ashamed if he calls me and summons me before him? This is important. Prepare to meet your God. How much preparation are we doing?
10:40 We should be doing it day by day, for tomorrow is not promised. Now David, in knowing that he's about to go the way of all the earth, gives three exhortations to Solomon. They're there in verse two. I'm about to go the way to all the earth. Be strong, number one.
10:57 Be strong, Solomon. Number two, and show yourself a man. And number three, and keep the charge of the Lord your God. Be strong, show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord. What do you think he means when he says be strong?
11:13 Lift some weights? What kind of strength is Solomon speaking about here or David rather? Any idea? This is what we would all automatically go to, spiritual strength. Right?
11:30 Be stronger in your soul. Be stronger in your spirit. And it's that's obviously included. But I am under the impression based on the context that he's also speaking about a different kind of strength and an emotional strength. Why do you think he would say be strong to Solomon?
11:47 He's on the verge of dying. Naturally, if your father is going to die and you're aware of it, that will be especially painful to you as a son. There's a second reason. Why else would he need to be told, be strong, Solomon. Be strong.
12:05 He has to lead the whole nation. And who's not there with him to give him wisdom and guidance and consolation? The one who's been doing it for four decades. So David is not going to walk into this new journey with Solomon. Solomon, in essence, humanly speaking, is walking into this all by himself.
12:25 David knows this. David's aware of this. David's about to go the way of all the earth, so he says, Solomon, my son, I need you to be strong. What do we take from this? Here's what we take from this.
12:40 There are certain individuals in our life who might be particularly inspirational and influential, who provide almost a supernatural kind of encouragement and counsel and comfort. But those people, no matter what they mean to you, are not your ultimate source. God is. God is. And David is speaking to his son in this manner.
13:04 He wants him to understand that despite the fact that I will be absent, there was somebody who will be with you. Listen. People will come and go in your life. People who mean the world to you even. In those moments, if you truly walk with the Lord, there should be no reason to completely and permanently collapse.
13:32 You have to understand that our God is a personal God, and that our God is prepared to meet our needs and to help us flourish every step of the way, every second of every step of the way. And he can do that directly. He can do that by raising up new people in your life. But one thing is for certain, that you can count on his friendship. You can count on him being there for you as an individual, as a person in your particular life with all the circumstances and all the context.
14:04 He is right there as though you're the only person on earth. And here's how and why I believe that this is why David is saying be strong, because David's instructions here are expanded in first Chronicles 28. And notice what he says in first Chronicles 28 to prove that when he's saying be strong, he wants him to know that the Lord is with him, though he will not be with him any longer. Look at first Chronicles 28 and scroll down here in verse 20. Then David said to Solomon his son, be strong and courageous and do it.
14:38 Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, is with you. Do you see it? He's with you. He will not leave you or forsake you until all the work of the service of the house of the Lord is finished. I love how he says, even my God, the same God who was with me from the beginning, Solomon, the same God who took me through every single episode, every trial, every tribulation, every chapter, the same God that you witnessed even in your young life who delivered me over and over, that same God will be with you also.
15:13 And let me say this to you. The same God who led David, the same God who led Solomon is the same God who's for you. Amen. And he's for me. The same one.
15:22 The same one. It bothers me when people approach the Old Testament and scorn others by drawing practical inspiration from. How dare you? I have every right to come to the Old Testament and look at Joseph and look at David and look at Daniel and say, the same God who was there for them is with me. He's with me.
15:42 And he's telling that to his son. Be strong. I'm gone. I'm going, but God's with you. Show yourself a man.
15:52 Show yourself a man. That's the second exhortation. Show yourself a man. This is a a a charge for Solomon to forsake childish ways and to pursue maturity. Why is this important as our brother just alluded to?
16:08 Because Solomon now is entering and embracing a massive leadership role, and before he can even consider transitioning into that, he must first be convinced that I need to develop a set of convictions, a level of courage, and a frame of mind in order for me to know true enjoyment and effectiveness for the things that God has called me to. And this is a very crucial thing in understanding, especially for men, that if you are entertaining the idea of committing yourself or enjoying certain privileges in life, that you must first be willing to forsake childish ways and childish things. Show yourself to be a man. Show yourself to be a man. You will not know God's blessings, though it's very possible to accept manly things while still holding and maintaining childish ways.
17:18 And so there is a time in life where you have to cut that off and say, I I have to think differently about the way I see the value of time. I have to think differently about the way I handle my resources. I have to think differently about the way I know and embrace relationships. I have to think differently about how my decisions are not just individualistic, but they affect others. I have to think differently.
17:47 Solomon could not even begin to become the leader he was called to be without first becoming a man. And what's so fascinating here is that that word man, when he says show yourself a man, is a very gender specific word. So it's not just a call to be mature, it's a call to be masculine. That word in certain places in the Hebrew scriptures is even used for husbands. Show yourself to be a man man, not just mankind, humanity, mature, develop.
18:22 No. Be a man. Now if this goes into the Internet sphere and reaches the right person or reaches something in terms of secular podcasts or whatever platform, I just broke a million hearts right there. Yeah. Be a man.
18:40 Our society is demonizing men, demonizing masculinity. And so we see here that the Bible has a different tone, that there are specific responsibilities and mindsets that belong to men and in the same respect for women. And so Solomon needed to be a man. And we can take the rest of this Bible study to understand what biblical masculinity looks like, but we don't have the time to do. And that's the frustrating thing about Bible study, that you find these awesome verses that you can just expand and they can explode into different places in the Bible, but then you have all these other verses to deal with, so we can't do it.
19:20 So be reminded that Bible study, a lot of the times, are observations more than they are in-depth doctrinal dissections of things. Be a man. Show yourself to be a man. You know what this verse tells me? You can be biologically male, not be a man.
19:38 Yes. You can be a boy and be 40 years old. You can be a boy and 60 years old. Show yourself to be a man. Well, I I am a No.
19:49 No. No. There are characteristics that define manhood, and it's beyond your biology. What does manhood look like? If I can push you, I can nudge you in a direction.
20:01 I don't want to sound cliche, but just for you to even begin to understand it, look no further than the God man Christ Jesus. I know that sounds cliche, but it's not. It's the go to prescription throughout the New Testament. Let me give you an example. When Paul charges husbands and points them to an example concerning how to harbor and how to nurture harmonious and holy family life.
20:25 Who does he point to? The Lord Jesus Christ. You want to love your wife? You want to love your children? Look to Christ.
20:33 Look to Jesus. And then from there, we don't just stay there. We also look at the whole counsel of God and see all these different examples and instructions so that we can furnish ourselves to be men, to be women, the way God designed us to, which brings us to our third point. I wish I can stay there. I wish I can stay there.
20:54 But he says, keep charge of the Lord your God. That's the third exhortation. Keep charge of the Lord your God. This is what how we connect all these things together. You can't really be strong spiritually, mentally, even physically.
21:08 You can't really be strong nor can you really be who God designed you to be as a man or as a woman without the word of God. Keep the charge of the Lord your God Because look, our culture, as crazy as it's getting, there are people who are aware that there is an attack on manhood, there's an attack on womanhood, but the issue also is not just in that attack, but the solutions that the world is proposing. So you have a lot of guys now that are, becoming famous because they're giving a bunch of fatherless and directionless young men solutions to what it means to be manhood, to be man a man, and it's leading him in a whole different direction of destruction. You can't do it without keeping charge of the Lord. You can't do it without walking in his ways.
22:03 He will show you. He will define it for you, and he will empower you. He will guide you. And this is what's so fascinating because Solomon is about to enter into this new journey, this new path of life, and David feels it absolutely necessary for him to establish a fresh conviction concerning the supreme authority of the word of God in his life. Notice the repetition here.
22:28 He says, verse three, and keep the charge of the lord your god. And then he says, walking in his ways and keeping his statues. Keep it. Keep it. Keep it.
22:37 What does he mean by keep it? Guard it. Observe it. Protect it. Cherish it.
22:45 Keep it. And the way that you will draw from it is when he says later on, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, with not just your mental faculties, but with your affection, your devotion. Don't just have a surface level relationship with the word of God. Hold on to it with your dear life. Only then will you really benefit from the word of God.
23:20 Keep the charge of the Lord your God. There are many people here, and as I said earlier, who have unique lives, unique journeys. And what's beautiful about the a setting like this, a ministry like this, is that there are different people here who are entering different stages in life. Some of you are entering school. Some of you are finishing school.
23:41 Some of you are experiencing a blossoming of a very special relationship. Some of you are ready to start a family. Some of you are venturing into the business world and have great dreams and hopes of being successful in one way or another. Some of you maybe are just settling in life. Humanly speaking, you're at that point where people tend to retire.
24:01 No matter what stage in life you're at, we have to understand the wisdom here is that what new thing we are walking into cannot cause us to forfeit this principle about the word of God. Keep it. No matter where you go, no matter what comes your way, no matter what you're exploring, no matter what you're entertaining, one thing must remain the same, your love for the word of God. It will always be your steering wheel. You will always seek it, dig it, mine it, and draw God's blessings from it.
24:39 Don't hesitate for those whom you love. Don't hesitate to pour into them with that same instruction. Parents with your children, as they're ready to leave the house, as they're ready to entertain a possible mate, as they're ready to move here or there, do this or do that, son, daughter, brother, sister, Whatever you do, don't lose sight of God's word, lest other influences captivate you and draw you away from him. So this is what he was supposed to do. Be strong.
25:12 Show yourself a man. And the last thing, to embrace the word of God with a fresh sense of devotion and conviction. But now he goes off. He says moreover in in verse five. Moreover, the rewards of keeping the word of God is that he would prosper in his own way and that there would be generational blessing.
25:33 Specific to Solomon because there was a Davidic covenant, but that principle still apply to you and I. There is generational blessing for the person who choose to cut the cycle of disobedience and rebellion against God and say, I'm going to serve the Lord. My house is going to serve the Lord, and those who come from you will hopefully be blessed by that. Verse five. Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zuriah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel.
26:01 And he mentions them. We know them, Abner and Amasa. And what's the conclusion that he makes? Kill him. Solomon, you're wise, and do what you think you need to do.
26:24 But whatever you think you need to do, make sure one thing happens, that he doesn't go down to the grave in peace. Then he talks about Barzalai, and then he talks about Shemaiah or Shemi. Many people accuse David here on his deathbed being riddled with bitterness, that he is being vindictive here, and that he is not ending so well. Is David wrong? Let let's deal with each of these people separately.
27:02 Is David entirely wrong in asking for the execution of Joab? Who would say, yes, he's being vindictive here? Who would say, no, this is his right? Who doesn't know? Well, let's break this down.
27:26 Was Joab guilty of murder? Yes. According to the law, did Joab deserve to die because of his sin? Yes. See?
27:37 It's that easy. He does deserve to die. So I'm not among those who who judge David for being unforgiving here, but I would say that if there's any wrong in David and what we see before us is that he delayed enacting upon the judgment that Joab deserved and leaving that mess for Solomon to clean up. It's delayed obedience, and now somebody has to carry the burden for that delayed obedience. And so Solomon here, is experiencing these loose ends and he has to tie them up.
28:24 And this is unfair. Really, this is unwise for David to do. For whatever reason why he delayed, there is no excuse. It didn't justify this prolonged and this judgment that is overdue. So here's yet another lesson of what delayed obedience does.
28:42 It causes hurt and strain and problems for other people eventually, And we delay obedience for many reasons. One of the reasons why we delay is because we think that we are preserving ourselves and others from pain and hurt, embarrassment, awkwardness. But when you leave it without dealing with it, it's going to resurface in one way or another. And it's gonna bring even more pain than you had anticipated originally. So Solomon now has to deal with this.
29:10 This is how he has to start his kingdom, by killing a man. This is something David should have done a long time ago. But let's look at it from Joab's perspective. Remember, we're trying to consider the complexities of this text. Look at Joab.
29:25 Right? Joab here was a man who who was willing to put on the blood of war on the belt and around his waist and on the sandals of of his feet. He was willing to comfortably carry the stains of innocent blood. He felt secure all his life. He was bold about it.
29:43 He had no sense of fear of God. He had no sense of fear of the sword of the government. He just did his thing even though he he slew and destroyed the lives of two men more righteous than himself. But what's happening here? Retribution has finally arrived.
30:02 It's finally come. He could not ultimately escape it. And Solomon wrote the book of Ecclesiastes. I wonder this isn't explicitly stated. It just came to mind.
30:16 I wonder if Joab was included in his thoughts when he penned these two verses. It's in Ecclesiastes eight eleven to 12. This is one of the most brilliant insights concerning human behavior, namely among those who are not in Christ. Solomon makes this observation, he pens it, but I wonder if Joab, among others, was someone that came to his mind when he did write it under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. What does he say here in Ecclesiastes eight?
30:49 It says here, because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed speedily, the heart of the children of man is fully set to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a 100 times and prolongs his life, yet I know that it will be well with those who fear God because they fear before him. Why do sinners continue to sin? Because there is no immediate or speedy divine judgment, And they interpret that delay as approval, and they continue headlong into the rebellion. And Solomon says, this is why so many people don't repent because of God's grace, believe it or not.
31:39 God's grace, that that window of time where there isn't any interruption, there isn't any affliction is meant to actually cause you to realize how is it that this holy God has not yet destroyed me. I fall on my face to say, I want to be yours. And what do they do instead? They use it as fuel to continue to harden their hearts and be brazen faced towards the heavens. And so it's not a matter of when they'll if they'll be judged, but when they'll be judged.
32:15 There's no question about the if. It's always about the when. And Joab here is a lesson about how your sin will find you out. You can think that you tricked everyone, including God himself. But if you have not repented, it will find you one way or another.
32:33 It will find you. So what's the solution? Flee to the city of refuge as quickly as possible. Come to the foot of the cross. Ask him to wash you fresh in the blood.
32:41 And here's the guarantee that he will always forgive you and restore you. Joab, unfortunately, was too late. So Joab here teaches us about how sin will not be overlooked. But look now here at this other person in verse seven, but deal loyally with the sons of Barzalai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table. Who remembers Barzalai?
33:04 He was one among a few others who came to the aid of David while he was pushed out as a fugitive when Absalom revolted against his father, and he brought bedding, and he brought fruits, and he brought food, and he wanted to make this exile as comfortable as possible for the true king of Israel, David. And Barzillai was sought after to be rewarded immediately, but he says, look David, I'm old. I I can't even taste the difference between food. Can I really bear the singing of people? I'm just gonna be a burden to you if I come with you to Jerusalem.
33:39 So here's my servant, deal with him, and let me just live and die here in my hometown. And David wants to reward him, which teaches us that not only is the sin and rebellion of the wicked the wickedness of man overlooked, not overlooked, neither will be the justice, the loyalty, the faithfulness of men concerning the cause of Christ. That will not be overlooked either. And that should encourage our hearts. You know, in Hebrews six ten, there's an interesting verse that, again, reveals a wonderful diagnosis, not just of human behavior, but of Christian behavior.
34:20 Do you know what you and I are tempted to do as we serve the Lord? Hebrews six ten reveals what many servants of God are tempted to believe, especially as time goes on, especially as you serve God with the people of God. What does he say in Hebrews six ten? This is a beautiful and encouraging scripture. For God is not so unjust as to overlook your work and the love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints as you still do.
34:49 Why would he write that? Why would the Holy Spirit write these things to Christians? I believe because Christians are tempted to feel overlooked by God. Is that not the case? And one of the ways in which many Christians feel overlooked by God is that they interpret God through people who bear his name.
35:13 So you're not appreciated by other Christians. You're not being acknowledged by other Christians. You're not being praised and commended by other Christians. And what do you do? Well, surely then God doesn't see me.
35:22 How silly. What he's saying is men might, even the best of men, even the saints of God, they might overlook, they might not consider the weightiness and what your participation does for the advancement of the kingdom, but God sees it. And he is not unjust. He will not forget. He will not fail to consider and ultimately reward you for that.
35:45 So keep your eyes on the Lord. On the Lord. On the Lord. You know why so many people burn out? Because of because of this.
35:56 Is this really worth it? Is is this really going to count? Is there really a difference being made? Is this really being considered? Well, if you keep your eyes on people, I can see why you would think that way and you would wanna give up.
36:09 But if you really believe that there is a God whose character is on the line and would not dare to overlook your faithfulness, then all of that will give you the strength to continue on. Especially as you do what? In serving the saints? It's not easy. Saints, positionally saints, not always practically saints.
36:36 Positionally saints, Not always practically saints. There's another thing while we're in this verse I think is worth mentioning. Notice this, and the love that you showed for his sake, other translations would say his name. The love that you showed for his sake in serving the saints. If you love him, you will serve his people.
37:04 If you want to glorify Him, you will love His people. If you are not serving God's people with intentionality and desire and consistency and commitment, perhaps that's an indication that your love for his name is cold. Because what will propel you, what will keep you is a burning love for God. The secret is not necessarily to love people, though we are called to love. Don't hear me wrong here.
37:41 Don't cut that out and make something of it that you're not supposed to. But more than that is to love God, and through your love for God and through his name and for his name and for his sake, you love others. So when people give you very little reason and motivation to love them, it's your love of God that will consume you and convince you to love regardless, that you showed for his sake in serving the saints. I get very nervous with people who have low views of Christians and low views of the church. It says something about their love for his sake.
38:21 So Barzillai here reminds us that, there's a point coming when the Lord, the King of kings, not an imperfect king like David, but the King of kings, will reward us, and he will remember the little things that we've done. Who remembers how old Barzillai was? Because his age is given to us. Anybody remember? Who said it?
38:43 80 years old. 80. 80 year old man. Look at this now. And he's not like the early Genesis 80 year olds that are like the modern day 20 year olds.
38:55 He's not that kinda 80. Because he tells us that he can't even taste the difference between food and he can't bear too much things going around and he's like a real 80 year old. Okay? 80 years old and here's a man who perceives this opportunity at that point in life to serve the cause of God. 80.
39:18 And it wasn't some small thing. For him to step out and to help David was to put his life on the line. Why? Because there was a crazy man who occupied the throne at the time named Absalom, who is willing to destroy anyone who showed a hint of allegiance to his father. And Bezalai, this 80 year old man says, get the fruit, get the beds, we gotta help the king.
39:40 I love 80 year olds like that. That inspires me. That motivates me. That tells me that at 80, if God gives you and I 80, there will still be divine providential leadings and opportunities to serve the cause of the kingdom. And God will reward that kind of service just as he does any other kind of service.
40:03 Because we look at them, we go, bedding, food? What's the big deal? We're drawn to other kind of 80 year olds like Moses. Remember Moses at 80? What did he do?
40:11 He led a nation out of slavery. Oh, that's something. Whether you lead a nation out of slavery or you provide bed and food for somebody who is being mistreated, God will reward both. And if you're 80 and you feel like all your ministry is is providing bed and food, don't compare yourself to the guy who's leading millions out of Egypt. Don't do that.
40:39 This is what God's called me to do. I'll do it. And I'll believe that God will not overlook, but will reward even this. What an amazing God we serve. So we see Barzalai now.
40:52 We sandwich between Shammai and Joab is Barzalai, but we unfortunately come to another dark scene set of instructions in verse eight. And there is also with you Shammai, the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord saying, I will not put you to death with the sword. K? Shoulda ended there.
41:25 It doesn't. Now, therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol. Is this this is this the same thing going on here as what we saw with Joab? It's not.
41:45 Well, convince me why. Because Shimei did something very treacherous. He actually committed treason. He curses the king. Exodus says, do not curse the ruler of God's people.
41:57 He flings stones and dust. He falsely accuses the king, and he pretty much wants the king out of there. That's not a good thing to do, so he's not innocent. So then again, is David demanding something here that is righteous and true? And if not, why not?
42:30 So Joab, he he just ignores it for whatever reason. Maybe he's afraid that he's going to expose him or fight against him. He doesn't wanna deal with Joab. He says, I'll just wait until my dying day and give it over to Solomon. What's the difference here?
42:42 Lack of action versus quick action. Okay. The difference between Joab and this fellow is what? Both are guilty in their own way, but David does something for Shimei that he doesn't do for Joab. What does he do?
42:57 He pardons him. Not only does he pardon them, he makes a promise to him. And David even confesses it here. He says it here to Solomon. I swore to him by the Lord saying, I will not put you to death with the sword.
43:14 So how is this happening? Well, let's think back. Okay. Actually, let's do this. Let's go back to when he makes that oath, and maybe we'll get come closer to whether or not this is right or wrong.
43:25 Go to two Samuel 19, and look here in verse 23, and you'll see where he originally made this promise. But you'll notice something he says before this verse that shows how clever David really was in making this oath. Second Samuel nineteen twenty three, and the king said to Shammai, you shall not die, and the king gave him his oath. Is he breaking his promise? No?
44:01 Yes? Maybe? Look back at what he says in verse 22. Because one of his men was wanting to kill him right on the spot, but David said, what have I to do with you, you sons of Zuriya, that you should this day be as an adversary to me? Shall anyone be put to death in Israel this day?
44:19 For I do not know that I am for do I not know that I am this day king over Israel? Is there a certain phrase that is repeated here? This day, three times. Three times he said. He's being very strategic with his words.
44:35 Very strategic with his words. Well, he says here, you son of Zaria, should I this day be an adversary to me? Should you be an adversary to me? Shall anyone in the death of Israel be on this day? For I do for do I not know that this day I am king over this day, this day.
44:50 What is he saying? Nobody's dying today. Not today. Why not today? What's the context of him saying this?
45:04 Absalom was killed. He's returning to Jerusalem, and the last thing he wants to do is give more people more reasons to not put their trust in him, to not give him a warm welcome, to not rebuild his government. And so he's playing politics here. He's playing politics. Nobody's gonna this is a day of celebration.
45:25 This is a day of restoration. We're not gonna we're not gonna shed any blood here yet. And he adds to that, I'm not going to kill him. Shema, I'm not going to put you to death. And he has his fingers crossed behind his back, in a sense.
45:47 Duplicity. Some would say that this is the same kind of scenario as with Joab. I don't believe so. If you wanna accuse David of really having bitterness, it's not with Joab. It's more here than with Joab.
46:06 Here is a man who made a promise, and he's going to break the spirit of that promise. How do you understand you will not be put to death? I'm not going to expect at any time that I'm gonna be put to death for this offense. David didn't mean that. When the right time came, I made an oath to Shimei that I would not kill him.
46:37 That doesn't mean, Solomon, you can't. So Solomon, this man cursed me. He embarrassed me. He shamed me. He betrayed me.
46:50 Deal with him accordingly. Now if you're hesitant to believe that about David, I know we want to hold on to our heroes in the Bible. I know we want the Sunday school version of our characters in the Bible. Even when you look at what Solomon does in response to these commands is that I believe an indication that he himself realizes that there's a confliction with this final instruction from his father. Does Solomon kill Joab?
47:24 Does he? Yeah. Yeah. But does Solomon a call for his death. Yes.
47:31 He calls for his death. And it was immediate. It was swift. There was there was no reconsideration. He kills him at a very tragic place we're gonna discover.
47:41 What about Shammai? Does Solomon kill him in the same way he kills Joab? What does he do with him? He makes a deal with him. He puts him on house arrest.
47:53 He extends mercy. What did David say though? Make sure you bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol. It's almost as though there's hesitation in Solomon. It's almost as though in not wanting there to be any accusation against his father, he gives Shimei another chance, a test so to speak, to see if his integrity is true, if he was really a repented man.
48:21 So he gives him another test, and he fails it unfortunately. But I think that says something that he doesn't act upon the command of his father to immediately kill him, because he understood that even in that oath it's there's kind of there's binding. It's binding. You know what this is a picture of? Here's what people tend to do with the relationship between David and Shammai.
48:48 They tend to go to that example to receive instruction on how to forgive, and you would be right in doing so if there wasn't a first Kings chapter two. If it ended with David looking at Shammai saying, you will not be put to death, Have a series on how to forgive and use that as an awesome example. I argue the opposite. David, in this case, is an example of how not to forgive, not how to forgive. Is it possible to look at somebody who's offended us and say, I forgive you?
49:23 Is it possible to be in a complicated issue among different parties in the church and you sit before the elders, you you sit before other mature believers and say, I forgave that person, while at the same time in your heart you wanna kill them. You wanna hurt them. You wish harm upon them. You delight in the thought of them receiving pain instead of pardon. David is an example of anything is it's what empty forgiveness looks like.
50:01 What a deceptive forgiveness looks like. I'm saying this one thing to you. Again, the problem is not whether Shammai was wrong or not. He was wrong. The issue here is that David made an oath, and he didn't really keep it.
50:18 And he played around with the wording of it. I won't do it, but my son Solomon would do it. How do I know if I've forgiven somebody? Is it me being able to say it to that person as difficult as that might be? No.
50:36 That's not how you know you've forgiven somebody. You know you've forgiven somebody if you've surrendered whatever right you feel you have to give retribution to them. That's how you know. When that is released, I will not, when and if the opportunity arises, consider vengeance, retribution, payback. Forgiveness says I release that concept.
51:09 I refuse to entertain it. I refuse to act upon it. And guess what? That does not mean that with that release comes the release of the pain or the wrong that you experience. Somebody gave a very simple illustration that if you were to forgive somebody to who who hit you or who crashed into your car intentionally or whatever the case may be and you still have physical pain, that presence of physical pain doesn't negate the fact that you've truly forgotten that person.
51:40 That's true with emotional pain. So don't interpret your the presence of emotional pain to be an indication that you have not forgiven somebody. And so David here, unfortunately, has not surrendered. He's not surrendered what he felt like it was his right to pay back somebody who's done him wrong when he said that I will not hurt you back. I will not come after you.
52:06 This is unfortunate. It's unfortunate to know that after all those years, David had something in his heart against this man, and it revealed itself on his deathbed. This is the last thing we see of David before he dies. And then we are told we get an obituary in verse 10. Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.
52:40 And then we're told how long he reigned, and we're told that Solomon sat on the throne of David, his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. Again, I told you how in first Chronicles 28, you get an ex expanded version of what we see here in David's last moments in life. In first Chronicles 29, you get added details about the description of David's summary of life. I want I want you to see it there in first Chronicles 29 as we close in verse 28. In first Chronicles 29 verse 28, we read, then he died at a good age.
53:19 He died at a good age, full of days, riches and honor, and Solomon his son reigned in his place. Good age, full of days, riches and honor. If you disassociate god's faithfulness in those things, even the heathen wanna die this way. Who doesn't wanna end their lives in this way? A good age, full of days, riches and honor on top of it?
53:51 Yeah. That's the way I wanna go. Again, if you don't if you don't filter that verse in light of God's covenant to him and his faithfulness to him, who doesn't want that? Don't strive for that. If those things are tied to God's dealing with you in your life to glorify himself, then so be it.
54:16 But to look at those things on a superficial surface level way, this is what most people wanna do. They wanna live like that. They wanna live and end in this way. But there's another commentary on how David ended his life, and that's what you and I should strive for, whether these things are present or not, whether these things grow or not, whether these things come with us to the end or they vanish as we go the way of all the earth. Can I show you where that is?
54:47 Does anybody know where I'm going? Acts 13. Good guess, though. Acts 13 verse 36. Look what the Holy Spirit says about David here.
54:59 And this is what you and I should say, oh, God, let this be said of me. Acts thirteen thirty six. For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, After he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep and was laid with his fathers and saw corruption. Served the purpose of God in his own generation. And understanding that we are all headed the same place, that same entryway into eternity, is that your desire?
55:49 Lord, please, with riches, without riches, with honor, without honor, full of days or short life humanly speaking, whatever it takes for me to serve your purpose for my life in this generation, so be it. Please let it happen. Please don't let me miss the purpose that you have for me. And again, that might look like a Berzelai where you serve God. That might not seem impressive to the human eye, or it might be something spectacular like what Moses did.
56:22 That doesn't matter as long as I know that I fulfilled his purpose. You know how people have, like, life verses? Life verses. What's your life verse? What's my life verse?
56:32 Like, how can I pick? There's a whole library here. But if there was, at least at this point in my life, a life verse nobody asked, but I just thought I would share it with anyway. Not Acts thirteen thirty six. Acts twenty twenty four.
56:49 Acts twenty twenty four. I love this verse. It's what Paul says to the elders in Ephesus, and maybe it's your life verse too. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself. If only I may finish my course in the ministry that I received from the lord Jesus to testify to the gospel of the grace of god.
57:12 There is zero value to my life apart from me fulfilling the ministry that I received from god. No other purpose. My life is not precious apart from me knowing and obeying the purpose of god for my life. Radical Christianity? No.
57:37 Christianity one zero one. This isn't radical. It should be all of our life verses. And God will help us, and he will energize us. And he has given us studies like this and time in the word on your own to see what not to do and what to do and how it's possible to live with bitterness in my heart till the last breath that I have.
57:57 Lord, please, no, rescue me from it. It's possible to live in sin and thinking that I can prolong my life without any intervention from God and be surprised if not in this life and the life to come. Oh, it's possible to feel overlooked and to feel as though that I don't have anything of value to offer, and we'll be shocked at the end of it all to realize that God will reward us for even giving a glass of water. Oh, it's possible to start well as Solomon did and not end very well. And what we wanna do is say, Lord, through all of these things that I've learned, help me do one thing, fulfill my purpose, and to consider that the most precious thing about my brief existence on the earth, and he will help us.
58:42 He will help us. Let's pray. Thank you, father, for this time. As rewarding as it is, Lord, we also feel that there's so much more that could be said. So we pray that these observations that were made together would encourage us to think deeper, to meditate longer, to explore further how these things relate to us, how they reveal you, your wisdom, your love, your holiness.
59:18 Father, as we as we pause now to meditate and to ultimately give you the sacrifice of praise in response, Be glorified. Be glorified, Lord. Be glorified not just in our discovery of these things, but in the application of them. Help us. We want to live for you, Lord.
59:41 And so we say again, thank you for your word. Thank you for your mind being revealed to us. May we now reflect it in every way possible. In Christ's name we pray. Amen.
59:55 Amen. Let's stand and worship the Lord together.
