As David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, "I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statures, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn..."
I've often wondered, if I had the chance in my dieing moments, what I would be saying to those around me; and especially to my children and grandchildren.
First, I want to be aware of my approaching death. If I'm not allowed that at death's door, I certainly want to be keenly aware of it throughout my life, and prepared to face that inevitable moment in my life. Isn't it interesting that, given that this is the most certain event in our lives, such little thought is given to it in comparison to preparing ourselves for other things in life? I don't know of any university that offers a major in dieing. Can you imagine? You would even be hard pressed to find one class on it. And who in the world would sign up for it? Yet, next to salvation, death is the most sobering, life altering, event we will ever face in our lives; all of us! That's what David captures in his statement to his son Solomon. The writer notes that, "As David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, 'I am going the way of all the earth...'"
Second, I want to be aware of those around me at my approaching death. So many are so concerned and concentrated on their own death that they don't take opportunity with others. David was concentrated on his son; not death. And I love his sense of what mattered in that moment. He said to Solomon, "Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man." No wishy-washy, gushy stuff here. No! Just BAMM! "BE STRONG...SHOW YOURSELF A MAN!" David, with some of his children, had faced some of the results of his own failure to demonstrate and discipline (I Kings (Adonijah, I Kings1:5-6; Amnon, II Samuel 13; Absalom, II Samuel 14-18) and you can almost feel his angst as he now speaks to Solomon. He gives full attention to him.
Thirdly, I want to be aware of God at my approaching death. Where David had failed to guide, discipline and instruct his children in the past, he now urges Solomon to step up to the plate of human responsibility in the light of divine presence. He says to him, "Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statures, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn..." Honestly, could it have been said any better? He pointed Him to the LORD God. He pointed him to the Word of God. He pointed Him to the ways of God. I pray I will have enough sense about me in that day to do the same with those I love, but I don't want to wait till then. May God help us to give our full attention to our family all along the way, "till death do us part".
I've often wondered, if I had the chance in my dieing moments, what I would be saying to those around me; and especially to my children and grandchildren.
First, I want to be aware of my approaching death. If I'm not allowed that at death's door, I certainly want to be keenly aware of it throughout my life, and prepared to face that inevitable moment in my life. Isn't it interesting that, given that this is the most certain event in our lives, such little thought is given to it in comparison to preparing ourselves for other things in life? I don't know of any university that offers a major in dieing. Can you imagine? You would even be hard pressed to find one class on it. And who in the world would sign up for it? Yet, next to salvation, death is the most sobering, life altering, event we will ever face in our lives; all of us! That's what David captures in his statement to his son Solomon. The writer notes that, "As David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, 'I am going the way of all the earth...'"
Second, I want to be aware of those around me at my approaching death. So many are so concerned and concentrated on their own death that they don't take opportunity with others. David was concentrated on his son; not death. And I love his sense of what mattered in that moment. He said to Solomon, "Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man." No wishy-washy, gushy stuff here. No! Just BAMM! "BE STRONG...SHOW YOURSELF A MAN!" David, with some of his children, had faced some of the results of his own failure to demonstrate and discipline (I Kings (Adonijah, I Kings1:5-6; Amnon, II Samuel 13; Absalom, II Samuel 14-18) and you can almost feel his angst as he now speaks to Solomon. He gives full attention to him.
Thirdly, I want to be aware of God at my approaching death. Where David had failed to guide, discipline and instruct his children in the past, he now urges Solomon to step up to the plate of human responsibility in the light of divine presence. He says to him, "Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statures, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn..." Honestly, could it have been said any better? He pointed Him to the LORD God. He pointed him to the Word of God. He pointed Him to the ways of God. I pray I will have enough sense about me in that day to do the same with those I love, but I don't want to wait till then. May God help us to give our full attention to our family all along the way, "till death do us part".
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