Topic: THE KING’S STAFF OF OFFICE
Text: 1 Kings 2:1-9
2:1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he [a]charged Solomon his son, saying:
2:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.
2:3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;
2:4 that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’
2:5 “Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet.
2:6 Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.
2:7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.
2:8 “And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’
2:9 Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.”
STUDY:
The concern David had for the kingdom of Israel was remarkable; so much that even in the face of death, he did not lose focus of the Lord’s charge to him, concerning the kingdom and her governance. This same charge, like a ‘staff of office’, was what he transmitted to Solomon just before his passing. He passed it down to his son obviously because it worked for him. David knew that no amount of inheritance would be enough if Solomon missed this charge. He began by saying “be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.” In verse 3, he advised him to keep the charge of the Lord and walk in His ways, so he could prosper.
The success of Solomon would be dependent on his keeping the charge. All the strategies for governance and administration were founded on this.
Like David, we all must strive to hand over ‘divine charges’ to those coming after us, especially, our children. They must get to see that life will be meaningless and possessions useless without upholding the statutes of the Lord in their endeavours. It is not enough to write a will; we must pass on the Commandment of the Lord.
Prayer:
Lord, in the success story of life, help me to know the place of your commandments and give me grace to uphold them.
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