July 8, 2012
Lesson Focus:
Those who lead in
righteousness brings
God's security
Lesson Scripture:
2 Sameul 23:1-7
1Chronicles 18:14
INTRODUCTION. In this week’s lesson we will see how David, Israel’s greatest king, was able to rule Israel with justice as he too was delivered by God from his enemies.David showed by his lifelong example that although he failed at times, by pursuing God’s purposes and requirements he was able to be Israel’s most successful king.
(23:1).Our text begins with “Now these be the last words of David. David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said.”The phrase “these be the last words of David”refers to the last words formerly spoken by David and includes verses 1-7.These words were his last literary contribution to Israel.David as the speaker here introduced himself first as “the son of Jesse.”This description was to remind his readers of his humble beginnings in Bethlehem, being the youngest of Jesse’s eight sons.Next, David identified himself as “the man who was raised up on high.”From his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy, he was elevated to king, the highest position in Israel.He also referred to himself as“the anointed of the God of Jacob.”He was personally chosen by God and anointed by Samuel to become king (I Samuel 16:5-13) a role that Saul failed in miserably (see I Samuel 15:12-15, 22-24).David described himself as “the sweet psalmist of Israel.”This identified him as an author of the psalms. David’s psalms expressed important theology as well as guidelines for worship, and precious words of worship whereby God has been exalted for centuries.Some of the psalms are even prophetic.
(23:2).What David said next was“The Spirit of the Lord spake by me, and his word was in my tongue.”This was David’s claim to divine inspiration.He was the instrument through whom the Holy Spirit spoke.God had placed His very words on David’s tongue.
(23:3).Here David begins to tell us what the message from God was. He said “The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” This message was really the qualifications of a good ruler or leader.David called the Lord “The God of Israel” and “the Rock of Israel” which spoke of God’s strength.In describing a good ruler, God’s message first was “He that ruleth over men must be just.”In other words, the ideal leader must have a righteous or right character, and his government must be based on right principles. A “just” ruler or leader does not allow his rule to rest on favoritism,whether it is from family, friends or wealth.He must also avoid being surrounded by those who expect to profit from his or her decisions.All decisions must be based on God’s principles of righteousness.The just ruler must also rule or govern “in the fear of God.”There must be a strong sense of fear, or reverence of God in his service, because the ruler is accountable to the Lord for how he rules.
(23:4). David continues to say that the ideal ruler is one that “shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.”David likens the ideal ruler to two conditions of nature.The first is that he “shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds.”Just as a sunrise on an unclouded day reminds one of purity of air and freshness of the atmosphere, likewise the ideal ruler is pure,not touched by corruption or his own self-interests.The ideal ruler is also likened to “the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain.”He is compared to the tender grass that springs up from the earth in the brightness of the day following a rain.This seems to mean that the ideal ruler will provide the means to nourish his people and bring them to full prosperity.
(23:5).In this verse David spoke of his own example as an ideal ruler. He said “Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure: for this is all my salvation, and all my desire, although he make it not to grow.”The phrase “Although my house be not so with God” is difficult to interpret. Some biblical scholars would translate it as a question:“Is not my house so with God?”This would indicate that David’s reign was a perfect one, thus leaving no room for God’s grace as indicated by the next phrase“yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure.”In my opinion, when David said “Although my house be not so with God” he was confirming that he and his family were not perfect rulers.Indeed David himself sinned in his dealings with Bath-sheba and Uriah (see II Samuel 11: Psalms 51), and his children brought great sorrow upon his house with acts of incest, treason, and murder.But David’s faith as a man after God’s own heart (see I Samuel 13:14) was rewarded with God’s favor by making with him “an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure.”The phrase “ordered in all things, and sure” means that this was an unconditional covenant and God provided for everything needed to secure and preserve it.When David referred to the covenant as “all my salvation, and all my desire” he meant that because of the covenant, God would constantly provide for his safety and success.The last phrase “although he make it not to grow” is probably best to read as a question, “Will He not indeed make it (David’s dynasty) grow?”God would cause David’s house to prosper and ultimately make it the ideal kingdom ruled perfectly by Jesus, the Messiah.
(23:6-7a).Contrasting his house with the ungodly,David said “But the sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands: But the man that shall touch them must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear.”David called the ungodly “the sons of Belial.” The term “Belial” refers to an evil person or someone who is worthless and rebellious. Of course here it probably refers to worthless rulers or leaders.David likened these persons to “thorns thrust away, because they cannot be taken with hands”meaning like thorns, the worthless ruler is not only useless but also harmful if associated with and must be cast aside. The ungodly ruler like the thorns can only be handled with an iron tool or the shaft of a spear.This is the meaning of “must be fenced with iron and the staff of a spear.”In essence David was warning his readers about dealing with ungodly rulers and ungodly people in general because of their evil influence.
(23:7b).In the “b” portion of verse 7, David, still referring to the unjust ruler or person says “and they shall be utterly burned with fire in the same place.”This is a continuation of David’s illustration of the thorns. Like the thorns, which are burned right where they grow, the wicked, or unjust persons are destroyed, as God will gather them as weeds and burn them in the eternal fires of hell (see Matthew 13:30, 40-42, 49-50; II Thessalonians 1:7-8; Revelation 20:9-15).
( I Chronicles 18:14).In this verse, the chronicler (the author of I and II Chronicles) summed up David’s forty year reign(see II Samuel 5:4-5) by writing “So David reigned over all Israel, and executed judgment and justice among all his people.”In spite of his turbulent beginnings,David reigned as king over all Israel.As Israel’s king,he ruled and administered justice for all the people. Despite David’s lapses in later life, Israel always remembered him as the model of what a king or leader should be.At age thirty-seven he began to rule the entire nation for thirty-three years. Even at such a young age, David “executed judgment and justice among all his people.”
Conclusion.This lesson teaches us that a good ruler or leader serves God and leads and inspires his or her people.David reigned for forty years as a righteous king, who not only executed justice in Israel, but also inspired worship and served as a great theologian through his psalms
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