2 Samuel 23:1-7
1 Now these are the last words of David.
David the son of Jesse declares,
The man who was raised on high,
The anointed of the God of Jacob
And the sweet psalmist of Israel, declares,
2 “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me,
And His word was on my tongue.
3 “The God of Israel said it;
The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over mankind righteously,
Who rules in the fear of God,
4 Is like the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
When the fresh grass springs out of the earth
From sunshine after rain.’
5 “Is my house not indeed so with God?
For He has made an everlasting covenant with me,
Properly ordered in all things, and secured;
For will He not indeed make
All my salvation and all my delight grow?
6 “But the worthless, every one of them, are like scattered thorns,
Because they cannot be taken in hand;
7 Instead, the man who touches them
Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,
And they will be completely burned with fire in their place.”
David’s Last Words
The last song
“The last words” does not mean a will or testament, but refers to David’s final poem, his final prophecy. David introduces himself in the following way: (1) David, the son of Jesse. (2) The one who was raised on high. He was given a great name by the Lord. (3) The anointed of the God of Jacob. He was anointed as king by the God of Israel. (4) The sweet psalmist of Israel. Of the 150 psalms, 73 are written by David. The number actually may have been greater. (5) David writes that his psalms (prophecies) were spoken by the inspiration of the Spirit of the Lord (the Holy Spirit). “The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me, and His word was on my tongue” (v 2). This is an important verse that explains the inspiration of Scripture.
The content of the psalm
The content of the psalm is a song describing what kind of person a noble king is. (1) A noble king is one who rules people with justice and godliness. Such a king is like the shining light of the morning sun, like the sunlight that shines on young grass after rain. (2) These words are also a prophecy of the life of the Lord Jesus, the Son of David. (3) David reflects on his own life and feels that he was neither perfect nor a righteous king. However, because of the everlasting covenant given by the Lord (the Davidic Covenant), he believes that even someone as imperfect as himself is under the Lord’s protection, and he gives thanks to the Lord. (4) Furthermore, he confesses his faith that the Lord will bring his salvation to completion. (5) Finally, he prophesies that “wicked rulers bring only harm and suffering to the people, and anyone who touches them will be wounded. Harsh judgment and destruction await that person.” We also know our own shortcomings, but at the same time, we know that because of the covenant (the New Covenant given through Christ) we are being led toward the completion of salvation. Just as Paul says, “For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:6). Let us be encouraged by this verse.
Today's prayer
God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, I thank You for loving me in my imperfection and leading me toward completion. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.