8-30-22 Today in the Word

David's Final Words Tuesday, August 30 | 2 Samuel 23:1–39 A person’s final words carry special significance. Often people record the last words of famous individuals. Sometimes these are humorous. Theoretical physicist Richard Feynman is reported to have said, “I’d hate to die twice. It’s so boring.” Sometimes they are sublime. As Beethoven was breathing his last, he declared, “I will hear in heaven.” Today’s reading records David’s last words (v. 1). They are not the last words of David in Scripture. We’ll read his words later in the book, but the narrator intentionally included his final statement here. His final words were a prophetic utterance that described his reign in idealized terms while looking forward to a coming Messianic King. David was not trying to whitewash his reign. The book of 2 Samuel is painfully honest about his shortcomings and failures. One commentator said that this poem portrays “David as he should always have been, not as he always was.” His words point to a future Son of David who will fulfill this vision of kingship. David begins by acknowledging God’s empowerment for his rule. He has been “exalted by the Most High” and “anointed by the God of Jacob” (v. 1). God is the one who had given him success. He declares that the work of a king is to rule “in righteousness” and “in the fear of God” (v. 3). When a king like that is on the throne, the people thrive. It is like the sun after a rain, which makes the grass grow and flourish (v. 4). Finally, he celebrates the covenant God made with him (v. 5). This was a solemn promise that David’s “throne will be established forever” (2 Sam. 7:16). >> All of these promises have been fulfilled in the Lord Jesus. When Jesus proclaimed, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12), He alluded to today’s Scripture passage. Thank God in prayer that He has kept His promises to David. Pray with Us Oh God, thank You for Your promises to David! We now know that Your blessings for his good also promised good for all nations through the blood of David’s descendant, Jesus.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t...
Read more

9-25-23 The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas

The Farm Chronicles: One Christmas :: By Bill Wilson Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:Bill Wilson, General Articles There are a lot of terrible things going on right now in the world. But we are at the time of the year when we, as Christians, celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. We can choose to be impacted by the world around us in its dimly lit arena, or we can choose to let our light so shine. I choose the latter. I want to tell you a little about the Christmas that I had growing up on our family farm in Ohio. I was blessed to be born into a horse and cattle farm that has been in our family for some 200 years. And Christmas, especially Christmas Eve, was a wonderful time for our family. December 24 was my Dad’s birthday. And my Dad was well-loved by his neighbors and friends, so we had a lot going on Christmas Eve. I remember one special Christmas Eve. I must have been about four years old. The night was falling, and the wind and snow were whipping across the barny...
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th...
Read more