December 03, 2020

1 Kings 2:1-4 (KJV)
1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
3 And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
4 That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
At the end of King David’s life and the beginning of King Solomon’s rule David gives a charge to his son. David tells Solomon to be strong and show himself to be a man. He has two tasks that would be unpopular for Solomon to accomplish. These tasks required strength. We are going to look at one of them today.
After the Ark of the Covenant arrived in Jerusalem, God promised David’s lineage would occupy the throne of Israel. God also stated that if kings committed iniquity that Israel would be chastened. The kings in Israel often set the spiritual tone of the nation. In his charge David tells Solomon to walk in God in the ways of the Lord. This is a simple statement, but it is difficult to accomplish. So many kings failed to live this way including King Saul and included King David. As a father, David wanted Solomon to prosper where he had failed.
David knew the pressures of being a king. He knew of the personal and political pressure of a nation that did not always seek God first. He knew firsthand of the temptations involved. He knew how the hearts of the people could easily be turned. The nation had so quickly left David and followed Absalom who had so little spirituality. To walk right had to be a decision made at the beginning of his rule to be most effective. With his dying breaths David made sure to convey the importance of following the Lord.
It is so important for a king to follow the Lord, but is also important for fathers, mothers, and Christians to follow the Lord. We all have an impact on those around us. We either impact them for Christ or against Christ. People see when we walk in God’s ways and when we do not. We must make a purposeful decision each day to follow Christ. If we don’t follow Him, we are not the only ones who suffer, those who’s life we impact suffer as well.

Jacob Jarriel