David's Death
Text: 1 Kings 1; 2; 1 Chronicles 23-29
Death!
Death is a reality!
Death is the enemy that cannot be put off!
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
We all have an appointment with death. We do not evolve, we just grow old and die, just as our world is growing older and will also die!
But the Word of God teaches us something different than the world does.
The Word of God teaches us of the physical death of the body but not of the soul.
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Death then is the end of our physical life through the separation of the soul and the body.
Jas 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead", so faith without works is dead also.
We know that the life of our body is in the blood but life in our soul is in the hands of the God who made us!
Physical death results from sin and "No One" is exempted from it!
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, "and death by sin"; and "so death passed upon all men", for that all have sinned:
For the unbeliever death means eternal torment.
Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
For the believer death means going home to be with Our Lord.
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
The believer is looking forward to a far better life than the one here on Earth.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
After a long and fruitful life, David was nearing his death and would die, but David already knew even in his day that death was not a defeat but actually a victory for he was truly a man after God's own heart.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
The most important thing we can know as Christians is that when we die, we will meet the Lord.
While living, we need to live for the Lord.
We can never be ready to die until we have lived for the Lord!
God has exposed to the world the life of David from a teenager throughout his years as King of Israel.
God has allowed us to see the sin in David's life and some say how could those things happen to some one who said he loved the Lord.
But before we judge David, we need to take a hard look at our own selves.
The Bible still says:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Before the story of David ends, God will show us how a man of God makes preparation for his own death having no fear of that death.
David teaches us some valuable lessons just before his death.
Because we do not know the time of our death, it is important to make preparations for our death as soon as possible so we can live fully prepared to die.
This begins with salvation.
*****1Ki 1:28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.
1Ki 1:29 And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
1Ki 1:30 Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
King David had already informed his sons and the elders of Israel that Solomon would be the next King of Israel but as he lie on his death bed he was informed that Adonijah, another son had decided himself that he should be king.
Not only that but Joab, the General of David's army and Abiathar who shared the duties of High Priest with Zadok had taken the side of Adonijah.
Notice David was not in a panic this time as he had been with Absalom.
David knew he was redeemed.
David knew that the Lord had saved him out of all the distresses in his life and He would again.
David set things in order before he died!
David had already made all the preparations for the Temple.
David had already prepared Solomon.
David had already made obligations to the Lord.
And while he was still alive, David had to make sure these things were set in place.
We will all certainly grow old and feeble in our later years but as long as we have breath, we have an opportunity to serve the Lord in some way.
Even at the very end we can still pray, which is our greatest weapon against the evil of this world.
Besides all these things, David was still King of Israel!
David called Bathsheba and certain men he knew he could trust to him.
*****1Ki 1:31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
1Ki 1:32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
The way to stop Adonijah was to take action now and not allow this rebellion to grow. David had failed in this with Absalom.
By making Solomon king before his death, David knew that Solomon would rule at the bidding of his father.
In this we can see that Solomon would begin as a "type" of Christ Jesus, who will rule on this Earth at the bidding of His Own Father in Heaven.
We must also consider that all these problems would have been avoided had King David been the husband of "one" wife and not had so many sons from his many wives.
But even on his death bed King David knew exactly what to do.
*****1Ki 1:33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
1Ki 1:34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.
Mules were used by all the princes and Solomon would have had his own mule but there was one mule which was the state mule set aside only for the King.
There were three things that brought on the death penalty in Israel besides some of the Laws of Moses.
1) To sit on the Kings throne without permission would bring the penalty of death.
2) To handle the King's scepter without permission would bring the penalty of death.
3) To ride on the King's mule without permission would certainly bring the penalty of death.
All subjects, including the King's own family were forbidden to ride on this state mule.
With Solomon riding the mule of the King for all to see, it was a public declaration that it was Solomon who had been chosen to be the next King of Israel.
This Gihon was a fountain near Jerusalem and also a very public place where many people gathered throughout the day.
From the birth of Solomon up to this time, Solomon had been educated by the prophet Nathan.
Both King Saul and King David had been anointed by the Prophet Samuel and it would be the Prophet Nathan who would anoint Solomon as the new King of Israel.
Since David had not yet died, Solomon would rule as regent to his father David.
This means he would sit on the throne as judge, ride the state mule, use the King's scepter but his father David would still make all the governmental decisions.
When that trumpet was sounded most of Jerusalem would have heard the sound and they understood it's significance.
The trumpet was used to signal many things in these days.
There was the call to religious service, the call to fast, the call to the different feasts, the call to war, and there was the sound of the trumpet that came only every 50 years, when slaves would be set free.
Every slave would know this sound for sure!
The people of Jerusalem knew the different sounds of the trumpet.
We should take note.
When the Trump of God sounds, at the time of the Rapture, all God's saints will recognize that sound!
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
After this it was Solomon who sat on the throne in stead of his father David as regent.
*****1Ki 1:35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
1Ki 1:36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.
Benaiah was the son of the chief priest, Jehoiada but he had chosen to serve King David and was the commander of David's personal body guard and one of the "Mighty Men".
Benaiah said. "Amen"---Thus saith the Lord!
And the people agreed and said "God save King Solomon".
King David knew his time was short and it was time to prepare Solomon to be on his own.
*****1Ki 2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
1Ki 2:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
It seems that the rulers of today only concern themselves with their own time.
We will see that King David thought just as much about the future of Israel as he did in his own time!
From David's teenage days, he had been the anointed son, he had the hero of Israel, and he had made the transition from a shepherd to a King but even with all these things and the riches he had obtained, David still knew he would die the death of man.
David understood "Creation" as it was written in the Word of God.
David was not an "evolutionist'!
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
And we know that Solomon never forgot this time with his father because he also wrote these words for us.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Solomon also was a "Creationist."
It is a fact, we will all reach this point in our lives and it is best to remember it is God who created us!
Our bodies of flesh will die but the spirit that God has given us will go back to Him!
It is during this life time given to us by the Lord that we need to make the decisions concerning our spirit.
Those that have not made salvation a priority while they lived, will hear these words from the Lord, when their spirit returns to the God who made them.
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, "I never knew you": depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Unless the "Rapture" comes, we will all go by the way of all the Earth!
The Apostles gave a similar message to the Corinthian church and to all believers:
1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Men of wisdom, which is given to us of God if we ask, will not be as children who are unstable and weak and not carried and tossed about with every wind of doctrine.
The Jews had a saying that goes like this: "In a place where there are no men, show thyself to be a man"! "when there are no wise men to teach you, then teach your self to be wise"!
They had the true understanding that all wisdom comes from the Lord!
This is the same message David gave to Solomon.
*****1Ki 2:3 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:
Solomon was God 's choice to succeed his father David but Solomon could never lead this nation without God.
David also gave these words to Solomon.
1Ch 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
For Solomon to succeed as King of Israel, he would have to be strong in the Word of God.
Satan knows our weaknesses and he will exploit them if we do not remain strong in the Lord.
We must know certain things:
1) A knowledge of God will include the fact that God exists. There is no beginning with God until we first believe that He exists.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
2) We must then be in constant fellowship with our Lord.
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
3) We must have full confidence in the Lord.
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
4) We must then be engaged in active service with Him!
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
And David also gave Solomon a warning: "He will cast thee off forever".
There is also a warning to the Church.
Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
A consuming fire burns until all fuel has been burnt up.
If Solomon would obey his own father then he would not have a problem with obeying the things of God.
*****1Ki 2:4 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.
David understood the things of the Messiah because guided by the Holy Spirit, he gave us these words.
Psa 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Psa 89:4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
Psa 89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
Psa 89:28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
Psa 89:29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
Psa 89:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
Psa 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Psa 89:35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
Psa 89:36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
Psa 89:37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
It was important for Solomon to understand all these things.
God had revealed to David, His desire to be behind the man that who sat on the throne of Israel.
Solomon could succeed if he allowed God to rule his heart as his father David had!
*****1Ch 29:23 Then Solomon sat on "the throne of the LORD" as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
We should be able to see here that Solomon was sitting on the Lord's Throne!
The office of King of Israel never belonged to any human king but has always belonged to the Lord.
God has placed many men on His throne for many years until the day He returns to sit on His own throne.
But God also makes this promise to every believer.
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
These things come in two parts.
Solomon had to submit to the Lord and Israel had to submit to Solomon for these things to work.
*****1Ch 29:24 And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, "submitted" themselves unto Solomon the king.
What is submission?
Submitting meant that these men would make no decisions in the government of Israel but would only follow the wishes of King Solomon.
They swore allegiance to Solomon!
This is what every believer does when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Our Savior.
We must submit to the King, King Jesus!
*****1Ch 29:25 And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
The reign of King Solomon began. King Solomon would set the standard for all kings to come both in Israel and throughout the world.
Until the time of Solomon, Israel had lived the simple life and had little contact with other nations unless threatened or attacked.
Solomon would bring Israel in contact with the world especially through Pharaoh and Hiram.
Israel would become the center of commercialism.
Israel would become rich and take part in the luxuries of this world.
Silver and gold would become as common as the rocky landscape.
Agriculture, commerce, architecture, arts and sciences, would become part of the national life.
And with all these things, worship of the One True God would take a back seat.
Peace would come but by national alliances, and by corruption and by inter-marriages that go against the Word of God.
Solomon did not know the life of the Shepherd nor the life of the Servant, and though wiser than any man that did not know God, Solomon would place himself above God.
Solomon was magnified because the Lord magnified him.
Solomon was regal and had majesty because it came from the Lord.
Solomon was illustrious because the Lord made him that way.
As the reign of Solomon began the life of King David ended.
*****1Ch 29:26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
We do know a whole lot about Jesse the father of David.
In the life of David, his Heavenly Father took priority!
Jesse was the son of Obed, who was the son of Boaz and Ruth of the Book of Ruth.
Jesse's entire wealth seems to have consisted of a flock of sheep and some goats.
What is the greatest thing written of Jesse in the Bible?
Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the "stem of Jesse", and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:10 And in that day there shall be "a root of Jesse", which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
This rod was not King David.
This root was not King Solomon.
This was written of Jesus.
Mat 1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
Mat 1:6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
This ensign of the people was the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.
*****1Ch 29:27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
If we just use the numbers mentioned in this verse we see the number 7.
7) Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). It derives much of its meaning from being tied directly to God’s creation of all things.
3) The number 3 pictures completeness, though to a lesser degree than 7. The meaning of this number derives from the fact that it is the first of four spiritually perfect numerals (the others being 7, 10 and 12).
30) The number 30 can symbolize dedication to a particular task or calling.
The number thirty can also represent the sacrificial blood of Jesus. He was betrayed by Judas for 30 silver coins.
In 30 A.D. Jesus suffered and shed His precious blood as God's sacrificial Lamb for the world's sins.
40) The number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation.
The number forty can also represent a generation of man.
Jesus, just days before his crucifixion, prophesied the total destruction of Jerusalem.
Forty years after his crucifixion in 30 A.D., the mighty Roman Empire destroyed the city and burned its beloved Temple to the ground.
The Bible says:
Ecc 5:15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
And the Bible says this:
Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
In Ecclesiastes that One man died and had nothing for his labor.
In Revelation the other man died and was blessed.
The choices we make while we are yet alive determine whether we are blessed or go to death empty.
King David died blessed!
*****1Ch 29:28 And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.
David had lived enjoying good health, having lived as long as living was desirable.
David had lived till he saw everything that he lived for accomplished, except maybe the Temple and he knew that the building of the Temple, was in the hands of his son Solomon.
David had lived the life of a shepherd but he had also lived the life of a king with great riches.
David had lived full of honor.
Up till his time ended his warrior skills and his ability to organize was known throughout the world.
David lived knowing he had passed something special on to his son.
David died knowing that the best was yet to come!
This is the death of the believer!
*****1Ch 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
1Ch 29:30 With all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.
We may live life one moment and one day at a time but our life is broken down in "times"!
There is the time we were born.
There is the time until we could walk.
There is the time until we can leave home to be one out own.
There is the time when we can support ourselves.
The time we have a family.
The time we enjoy life or not enjoy life.
The time we grow old.
And there will be the time we die.
Our lives are broken down in "times".
These "times" had went over David, more good than bad, and he had reached that time to die and many good men had written down the things that David had accomplished in his "times".
Each of us have our own "times".
If David had only been King Of Israel, he would have still been remembered but David was also a song writer and he also made many musical instruments.
If David had just done one of these things he would have been remembered here on this Earth.
We have spent may days seeing the things David did wrong but praise the Lord, God will never remember us for any of those things and nor was David in the eyes of God.
What will we be remembered for?
I want the world to know I was "forgiven"!
The world may remember us for many things.
But God will only remember the good things!
Questions?
Let's Pray!
Text: 1 Kings 1; 2; 1 Chronicles 23-29
Death!
Death is a reality!
Death is the enemy that cannot be put off!
Heb 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
We all have an appointment with death. We do not evolve, we just grow old and die, just as our world is growing older and will also die!
But the Word of God teaches us something different than the world does.
The Word of God teaches us of the physical death of the body but not of the soul.
Mat 10:28 And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Death then is the end of our physical life through the separation of the soul and the body.
Jas 2:26 "For as the body without the spirit is dead", so faith without works is dead also.
We know that the life of our body is in the blood but life in our soul is in the hands of the God who made us!
Physical death results from sin and "No One" is exempted from it!
Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, "and death by sin"; and "so death passed upon all men", for that all have sinned:
For the unbeliever death means eternal torment.
Luk 16:22 And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried;
Luk 16:23 And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom.
For the believer death means going home to be with Our Lord.
2Co 5:8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.
The believer is looking forward to a far better life than the one here on Earth.
Php 1:23 For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better:
After a long and fruitful life, David was nearing his death and would die, but David already knew even in his day that death was not a defeat but actually a victory for he was truly a man after God's own heart.
1Co 15:54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
The most important thing we can know as Christians is that when we die, we will meet the Lord.
While living, we need to live for the Lord.
We can never be ready to die until we have lived for the Lord!
God has exposed to the world the life of David from a teenager throughout his years as King of Israel.
God has allowed us to see the sin in David's life and some say how could those things happen to some one who said he loved the Lord.
But before we judge David, we need to take a hard look at our own selves.
The Bible still says:
Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Before the story of David ends, God will show us how a man of God makes preparation for his own death having no fear of that death.
David teaches us some valuable lessons just before his death.
Because we do not know the time of our death, it is important to make preparations for our death as soon as possible so we can live fully prepared to die.
This begins with salvation.
*****1Ki 1:28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bathsheba. And she came into the king's presence, and stood before the king.
1Ki 1:29 And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,
1Ki 1:30 Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.
King David had already informed his sons and the elders of Israel that Solomon would be the next King of Israel but as he lie on his death bed he was informed that Adonijah, another son had decided himself that he should be king.
Not only that but Joab, the General of David's army and Abiathar who shared the duties of High Priest with Zadok had taken the side of Adonijah.
Notice David was not in a panic this time as he had been with Absalom.
David knew he was redeemed.
David knew that the Lord had saved him out of all the distresses in his life and He would again.
David set things in order before he died!
David had already made all the preparations for the Temple.
David had already prepared Solomon.
David had already made obligations to the Lord.
And while he was still alive, David had to make sure these things were set in place.
We will all certainly grow old and feeble in our later years but as long as we have breath, we have an opportunity to serve the Lord in some way.
Even at the very end we can still pray, which is our greatest weapon against the evil of this world.
Besides all these things, David was still King of Israel!
David called Bathsheba and certain men he knew he could trust to him.
*****1Ki 1:31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever.
1Ki 1:32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.
The way to stop Adonijah was to take action now and not allow this rebellion to grow. David had failed in this with Absalom.
By making Solomon king before his death, David knew that Solomon would rule at the bidding of his father.
In this we can see that Solomon would begin as a "type" of Christ Jesus, who will rule on this Earth at the bidding of His Own Father in Heaven.
We must also consider that all these problems would have been avoided had King David been the husband of "one" wife and not had so many sons from his many wives.
But even on his death bed King David knew exactly what to do.
*****1Ki 1:33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:
1Ki 1:34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.
Mules were used by all the princes and Solomon would have had his own mule but there was one mule which was the state mule set aside only for the King.
There were three things that brought on the death penalty in Israel besides some of the Laws of Moses.
1) To sit on the Kings throne without permission would bring the penalty of death.
2) To handle the King's scepter without permission would bring the penalty of death.
3) To ride on the King's mule without permission would certainly bring the penalty of death.
All subjects, including the King's own family were forbidden to ride on this state mule.
With Solomon riding the mule of the King for all to see, it was a public declaration that it was Solomon who had been chosen to be the next King of Israel.
This Gihon was a fountain near Jerusalem and also a very public place where many people gathered throughout the day.
From the birth of Solomon up to this time, Solomon had been educated by the prophet Nathan.
Both King Saul and King David had been anointed by the Prophet Samuel and it would be the Prophet Nathan who would anoint Solomon as the new King of Israel.
Since David had not yet died, Solomon would rule as regent to his father David.
This means he would sit on the throne as judge, ride the state mule, use the King's scepter but his father David would still make all the governmental decisions.
When that trumpet was sounded most of Jerusalem would have heard the sound and they understood it's significance.
The trumpet was used to signal many things in these days.
There was the call to religious service, the call to fast, the call to the different feasts, the call to war, and there was the sound of the trumpet that came only every 50 years, when slaves would be set free.
Every slave would know this sound for sure!
The people of Jerusalem knew the different sounds of the trumpet.
We should take note.
When the Trump of God sounds, at the time of the Rapture, all God's saints will recognize that sound!
1Th 4:16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:
1Th 4:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.
After this it was Solomon who sat on the throne in stead of his father David as regent.
*****1Ki 1:35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.
1Ki 1:36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too.
Benaiah was the son of the chief priest, Jehoiada but he had chosen to serve King David and was the commander of David's personal body guard and one of the "Mighty Men".
Benaiah said. "Amen"---Thus saith the Lord!
And the people agreed and said "God save King Solomon".
King David knew his time was short and it was time to prepare Solomon to be on his own.
*****1Ki 2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
1Ki 2:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
It seems that the rulers of today only concern themselves with their own time.
We will see that King David thought just as much about the future of Israel as he did in his own time!
From David's teenage days, he had been the anointed son, he had the hero of Israel, and he had made the transition from a shepherd to a King but even with all these things and the riches he had obtained, David still knew he would die the death of man.
David understood "Creation" as it was written in the Word of God.
David was not an "evolutionist'!
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.
And we know that Solomon never forgot this time with his father because he also wrote these words for us.
Ecc 12:7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
Solomon also was a "Creationist."
It is a fact, we will all reach this point in our lives and it is best to remember it is God who created us!
Our bodies of flesh will die but the spirit that God has given us will go back to Him!
It is during this life time given to us by the Lord that we need to make the decisions concerning our spirit.
Those that have not made salvation a priority while they lived, will hear these words from the Lord, when their spirit returns to the God who made them.
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, "I never knew you": depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Unless the "Rapture" comes, we will all go by the way of all the Earth!
The Apostles gave a similar message to the Corinthian church and to all believers:
1Co 16:13 Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.
Men of wisdom, which is given to us of God if we ask, will not be as children who are unstable and weak and not carried and tossed about with every wind of doctrine.
The Jews had a saying that goes like this: "In a place where there are no men, show thyself to be a man"! "when there are no wise men to teach you, then teach your self to be wise"!
They had the true understanding that all wisdom comes from the Lord!
This is the same message David gave to Solomon.
*****1Ki 2:3 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:
Solomon was God 's choice to succeed his father David but Solomon could never lead this nation without God.
David also gave these words to Solomon.
1Ch 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.
For Solomon to succeed as King of Israel, he would have to be strong in the Word of God.
Satan knows our weaknesses and he will exploit them if we do not remain strong in the Lord.
We must know certain things:
1) A knowledge of God will include the fact that God exists. There is no beginning with God until we first believe that He exists.
Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
2) We must then be in constant fellowship with our Lord.
1Jn 1:6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
1Jn 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
3) We must have full confidence in the Lord.
Heb 3:6 But Christ as a son over his own house; whose house are we, if we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end.
4) We must then be engaged in active service with Him!
Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:
And David also gave Solomon a warning: "He will cast thee off forever".
There is also a warning to the Church.
Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.
A consuming fire burns until all fuel has been burnt up.
If Solomon would obey his own father then he would not have a problem with obeying the things of God.
*****1Ki 2:4 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.
David understood the things of the Messiah because guided by the Holy Spirit, he gave us these words.
Psa 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
Psa 89:4 Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah.
Psa 89:27 Also I will make him my firstborn, higher than the kings of the earth.
Psa 89:28 My mercy will I keep for him for evermore, and my covenant shall stand fast with him.
Psa 89:29 His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven.
Psa 89:33 Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.
Psa 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Psa 89:35 Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David.
Psa 89:36 His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me.
Psa 89:37 It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah.
It was important for Solomon to understand all these things.
God had revealed to David, His desire to be behind the man that who sat on the throne of Israel.
Solomon could succeed if he allowed God to rule his heart as his father David had!
*****1Ch 29:23 Then Solomon sat on "the throne of the LORD" as king instead of David his father, and prospered; and all Israel obeyed him.
We should be able to see here that Solomon was sitting on the Lord's Throne!
The office of King of Israel never belonged to any human king but has always belonged to the Lord.
God has placed many men on His throne for many years until the day He returns to sit on His own throne.
But God also makes this promise to every believer.
Rev 5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
These things come in two parts.
Solomon had to submit to the Lord and Israel had to submit to Solomon for these things to work.
*****1Ch 29:24 And all the princes, and the mighty men, and all the sons likewise of king David, "submitted" themselves unto Solomon the king.
What is submission?
Submitting meant that these men would make no decisions in the government of Israel but would only follow the wishes of King Solomon.
They swore allegiance to Solomon!
This is what every believer does when we accept the Lord Jesus Christ as Our Savior.
We must submit to the King, King Jesus!
*****1Ch 29:25 And the LORD magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
The reign of King Solomon began. King Solomon would set the standard for all kings to come both in Israel and throughout the world.
Until the time of Solomon, Israel had lived the simple life and had little contact with other nations unless threatened or attacked.
Solomon would bring Israel in contact with the world especially through Pharaoh and Hiram.
Israel would become the center of commercialism.
Israel would become rich and take part in the luxuries of this world.
Silver and gold would become as common as the rocky landscape.
Agriculture, commerce, architecture, arts and sciences, would become part of the national life.
And with all these things, worship of the One True God would take a back seat.
Peace would come but by national alliances, and by corruption and by inter-marriages that go against the Word of God.
Solomon did not know the life of the Shepherd nor the life of the Servant, and though wiser than any man that did not know God, Solomon would place himself above God.
Solomon was magnified because the Lord magnified him.
Solomon was regal and had majesty because it came from the Lord.
Solomon was illustrious because the Lord made him that way.
As the reign of Solomon began the life of King David ended.
*****1Ch 29:26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel.
We do know a whole lot about Jesse the father of David.
In the life of David, his Heavenly Father took priority!
Jesse was the son of Obed, who was the son of Boaz and Ruth of the Book of Ruth.
Jesse's entire wealth seems to have consisted of a flock of sheep and some goats.
What is the greatest thing written of Jesse in the Bible?
Isa 11:1 And there shall come forth a rod out of the "stem of Jesse", and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:
Isa 11:10 And in that day there shall be "a root of Jesse", which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
This rod was not King David.
This root was not King Solomon.
This was written of Jesus.
Mat 1:5 And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
Mat 1:6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
This ensign of the people was the Lord Jesus Christ, Himself.
*****1Ch 29:27 And the time that he reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
If we just use the numbers mentioned in this verse we see the number 7.
7) Seven is the number of completeness and perfection (both physical and spiritual). It derives much of its meaning from being tied directly to God’s creation of all things.
3) The number 3 pictures completeness, though to a lesser degree than 7. The meaning of this number derives from the fact that it is the first of four spiritually perfect numerals (the others being 7, 10 and 12).
30) The number 30 can symbolize dedication to a particular task or calling.
The number thirty can also represent the sacrificial blood of Jesus. He was betrayed by Judas for 30 silver coins.
In 30 A.D. Jesus suffered and shed His precious blood as God's sacrificial Lamb for the world's sins.
40) The number 40 generally symbolizes a period of testing, trial or probation.
The number forty can also represent a generation of man.
Jesus, just days before his crucifixion, prophesied the total destruction of Jerusalem.
Forty years after his crucifixion in 30 A.D., the mighty Roman Empire destroyed the city and burned its beloved Temple to the ground.
The Bible says:
Ecc 5:15 As he came forth of his mother's womb, naked shall he return to go as he came, and shall take nothing of his labour, which he may carry away in his hand.
And the Bible says this:
Rev 14:13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.
In Ecclesiastes that One man died and had nothing for his labor.
In Revelation the other man died and was blessed.
The choices we make while we are yet alive determine whether we are blessed or go to death empty.
King David died blessed!
*****1Ch 29:28 And he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour: and Solomon his son reigned in his stead.
David had lived enjoying good health, having lived as long as living was desirable.
David had lived till he saw everything that he lived for accomplished, except maybe the Temple and he knew that the building of the Temple, was in the hands of his son Solomon.
David had lived the life of a shepherd but he had also lived the life of a king with great riches.
David had lived full of honor.
Up till his time ended his warrior skills and his ability to organize was known throughout the world.
David lived knowing he had passed something special on to his son.
David died knowing that the best was yet to come!
This is the death of the believer!
*****1Ch 29:29 Now the acts of David the king, first and last, behold, they are written in the book of Samuel the seer, and in the book of Nathan the prophet, and in the book of Gad the seer,
1Ch 29:30 With all his reign and his might, and the times that went over him, and over Israel, and over all the kingdoms of the countries.
We may live life one moment and one day at a time but our life is broken down in "times"!
There is the time we were born.
There is the time until we could walk.
There is the time until we can leave home to be one out own.
There is the time when we can support ourselves.
The time we have a family.
The time we enjoy life or not enjoy life.
The time we grow old.
And there will be the time we die.
Our lives are broken down in "times".
These "times" had went over David, more good than bad, and he had reached that time to die and many good men had written down the things that David had accomplished in his "times".
Each of us have our own "times".
If David had only been King Of Israel, he would have still been remembered but David was also a song writer and he also made many musical instruments.
If David had just done one of these things he would have been remembered here on this Earth.
We have spent may days seeing the things David did wrong but praise the Lord, God will never remember us for any of those things and nor was David in the eyes of God.
What will we be remembered for?
I want the world to know I was "forgiven"!
The world may remember us for many things.
But God will only remember the good things!
Questions?
Let's Pray!
