Check out all the previous David readings here.

David Reading | Week 5 | Day 5

Prayer

As you come to spend time with Jesus, calm your mind and body until you feel fully present. Thank Jesus that he came to save you!

Bible Reading: 1 Kings 2:1-12

Read these verses three times slowly.

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.

“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’

“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abnerson of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet.Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.

“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”

Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.

Reflection & Questions

We finish our David reading plan in 1 Kings, where David is on his deathbed, passing his crown onto his son, Solomon.

These final words were very intentional instructions. David wanted to ensure that he made clear to his son how to proceed. He didn’t leave it to chance. He didn’t leave things unsaid. He wanted to leave a legacy. There is a lesson here for us all. We don’t know when or how we will die, or even if we will have a chance to give deathbed instructions. But what we do know is that we have words today and we can use them to build up or tear down, to set an example for others to follow or we can leave it to chance. As in his life, so in his final words, David is setting a course for Solomon to follow God’s path. David tells Solomon, “I’m about to go…So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.”

David would have been a rudder in Solomon’s life. His absence would be felt, and taking on the mantle of King of Israel would be no easy assignment for Solomon. David knows the weight that Solomon would now carry. His instructions are all the more important for that reason. He tells Solmon to “be strong, act like a man.” This is not a command to have physical strength or to be a domineering king, but to have a confidence coming from knowing that God has placed you here and now with this task and He will be with you. Solomon isn’t to shrink back in fear as he realizes his own inadequacies, but he is to be confident knowing the Lord is with him. This confidence is not to lead to pride though, as if he was “all that.” No, he is to “observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him.” Solomon was going to be King, but he was only in that position because of the grace of God, and he was a King under the authority of God. He must follow God. David knew full well what could happen if Solomon took his eyes off God and took his life (and his throne) into his own hands (see yesterday’s reading about David and Bathsheba).

So it is here as David breathes his last breath that we get a sense of how David would sum up the way to walk the minutes, hours, days and weeks of this life. It is to be confident that the Lord is with you. And it is to be humble in following His ways at all times. Humble confidence. It is a beautiful way to live.

1. Are you living with humble confidence, obeying and trusting? Are there areas you are shrinking back from with fear? Are there areas you are being stubborn in pride?
2. What kind of legacy are you passing onto the next generation? Talk to God about that.

Prayer

Talk to God in response to the reading today.

Worship Song

You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:

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Questions?