King David and Us – 2 Samuel 23:1-7

A text – 2 Samuel 23:1-7      

¹ Now these are the last words of David:

The oracle of David, son of Jesse, the oracle of the man whom God exalted,
the anointed of the God of Jacob, the favorite of the Strong One of Israel:

² The spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his word is upon my tongue.
³ The God of Israel has spoken; the Rock of Israel has said to me:
“One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God,
⁴ is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land.”

⁵ Is not my house like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure.
Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire?
⁶ But the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away, for they cannot be picked up with the hand;
⁷ to touch them one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear. And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.

A reflection:

King David was the greatest king of Israel, full of human failings and most beloved of God. We know of his relationship with God because David’s writings outlive him. Here he is about to die, and he writes this last poem or reflection, claiming his humble origin, his exaltation by God to the position of king, and the deeds he did by the power of God. He describes the way he wishes he had always behaved: justly. And he describes the result of behaving godlessly: like thorns that must be burned.

Even at the end of our life we see both good and bad, both admirable traits that lead to good prospering and godless traits that lead to a fiery cleanup. David had seen much death and also the abundance of life granted to a favorite child of the God of Israel. And even though he knew he deserved punishment for the times he was wicked, he could call upon God for the everlasting covenant they shared, still secure, despite David’s failings, because God had made it.

This is the God who loves us. This is the security we all share as children of God, that our God prospers our work because God co-creates with us every day a trustworthy world for those around us and for those who come after us. David on his deathbed knew it, and we can know it, too. We are God’s beloved children, forever. Amen.

A prayer:

Lord God, Thank you for loving us. Thank you for your promises to us, your beloved children. Help us to accept that, though we don’t deserve your good care, you give it. Though we don’t believe we can have gifts we haven’t earned, you bestow them. Though we always fall short of loving God and our neighbor, you forgive us and wrap your loving arms around us, always. Help us to remember that. Amen.