David’s Charge to Solomon (Solomon): Before his death, King David gave his son, Solomon, one last charge. What did he say in those final moments? David said to be strong and act like a man by being Biblically faithful. But would Solomon learn to be a righteous king? Can anyone be truly righteous? A right belief in God’s word leads to a right understanding of how to live in God’s world. Recorded on Oct 5, 2025, on 1 Kings 2:1-12 by Pastor David Parks.
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This sermon is part of the Solomon: The Legacy of a King series. King Solomon was a complex man whose story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy? Would he learn to be a wise and godly king? Could he overcome the plotting of his enemies, the dysfunction of his family, and the temptations of virtually unlimited wealth, fame, and women? What would be his legacy? Solomon’s story is a vital part of the history leading up to the ultimate son of David and anointed king, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Sermon Transcript
This fall, we’re exploring the life of one of the most important ancient kings of Israel in a sermon series called Solomon: The Legacy of a King. And we’re only a few weeks into this series, so if you’ve missed any of the sermons so far, you can always watch or listen to the podcast online if you’d like. But we’ve said that Solomon’s story started some 3,000 years ago, when David, his father, was the most powerful and successful king of ancient Israel. David’s reign brought peace, prosperity, and plans to build the temple before handing the kingdom to Solomon. However, before he could take the crown, a potential rival emerged from within his own family, Solomon’s brother, Adonijah. Last week, we saw that David’s response was successful. Solomon was made the next king, and his first act as the king was to extend mercy to the slippery self-appointed Serpent King. Today, we come to the end of the historic life of King David. Throughout this series, we’re asking, “How would King Solomon handle living in the shadow of his great father’s legacy?” Well, we’re about to find out. But before his death, David gives Solomon one last charge. Let me ask you this: if you knew you only had a few weeks or even a few days left to live, what would you want to tell your kids/friends/spouse? If you were David, what would you tell your son before you died? I’ll tell you what, as a pastor, I’ve been with a number of people in their final moments, at their bedside, surrounded by loved ones. These are sacred moments. Very often, love is expressed, grief is shared, forgiveness is offered, Scripture is read, prayers are said, and plans are made for what will happen next. Have you ever experienced that? Well, today, we’ll step into a scene like this and see what David’s final words were to his son. Would the young man listen to his father? Would he learn to be a righteous king? Let’s jump in. If you have your Bible/app, please open to 1 Kings 2:1.
1 Kings 2:1–4 (NIV), “1 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, 3 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 4 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.’” So it’s clear to me from passages like this that David read his Bible a lot. Now, at this time in history, David didn’t have a Bible in the format that we have today, because not everything had happened by this point in history that God wanted to record in his word. There would still be almost a thousand years before the time of Jesus. But at this time, David had the Torah, or the first five books in our Bibles, which contain the Law of Moses as well as the historical record from creation down to the exodus of Israel out of Egypt. David also had the books of Joshua, Judges, Job, Samuel, and some of the Psalms. Isn’t that interesting? If that’s all the Bible you had, would you be able to know who God was and what he was like? Yes, you could. David certainly had. Even before the fullness of the gospel was revealed in Christ, many faithful men and women loved God and trusted him for salvation. David had been one of those faithful people. He had been careful to observe what the Lord required and walk in obedience to him, to not merely listen to the word, but to do what it says (James 1:22). We know this from his story, but even from his statement here, it’s clear that the scriptures had embedded themselves into David’s heart and mind. We know this because what David says before his death is almost exactly what Moses said to the Israelites before his death (Dt 4). And it’s almost exactly what Joshua said to the Israelites before his death (Jos 23). David had read passages like these over and over; he had meditated on them to the point where, when it was time for him to face the end of his life, he literally thought Biblically about it. God’s word had worked its way so deeply into his thinking that it shaped how he faced everything in life, including his own death. Oh, that the same could be said of us! Do you read God’s word often enough, do you meditate on the Scriptures long enough, that they work themselves into your heart and mind, shaping and transforming you over time? This is what, at the very end of his life, and maybe even on his own deathbed, David wanted to remind his son. In this sacred final moment, David wanted Solomon to have the kind of relationship with God and his word that he had enjoyed. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” meaning I’m about to die, son. “So be strong [and] act like a man,” But what does that mean? What did strength and masculinity mean for the mighty King David? He meant to be Biblically faithful. Be strong and act like a man by walking in obedience to God, and keeping his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Isn’t that interesting? If someone today said to be strong and act like a man, would you think they meant to read the Bible and do what it says? Probably not. Our culture would have all sorts of other nonsense to say about that, because our culture is desperately confused about what it means to be masculine or feminine. It doesn’t mean wearing blue or pink or following any other silly gender stereotypes. And it certainly isn’t something we can define or change however/whenever we want. We were created, we are creatures, so our Creator gets to define us and declare his will for what we do. But David knew what was at stake. “Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go.” In other words, Biblical faithfulness was the key to his success. David never let what other people said about him define him as a man. God defined him and declared his will for his life, and this led to victory after victory, to peace and prosperity. Now, it’s always a good idea to do the right thing, to obey God’s word and follow God’s way. It’s never the wrong time to do the right thing. But this was especially for Solomon. God would not tolerate an ungodly and disobedient king like King Saul had been, at least not for very long. As the king goes, so goes the kingdom. This is why, here at the end of his life, David was hanging on to the promise of God that we looked at last week from 2 Samuel 7. If Solomon were to be Biblically faithful as David had been, and “If [Solomon’s] descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before [the Lord] with all their heart and soul, [their family would] never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.” No wonder David was thinking about this at the end of his life. Biblical faithfulness was the most important message David could’ve given. But this wasn’t the only advice David gave his son. Let’s continue.
1 Kings 2:5-9 (NIV), “5 “Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son 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. 6 Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. 7 “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. 8 “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.’ 9 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.” Ok! If you’re anything like me, you’re thinking, “Isn’t this the plot to the Godfather movies?” This reminds me of when the son, Michael Corleone, was preparing to take over the family business from his aging father, Vito Corleone. And Michael needed to be prepared for who would come for him after his father was gone. Michael needed to take out his enemies before they took him out. (Isn’t that what you were thinking? Maybe that’s just me.) But David wasn’t a mob boss. And Solomon wasn’t taking over an organized crime family. (Although it does kind of have the same feel.) So what’s going on here? Wasn’t David just talking about being careful to do the right things according to God’s word? Now he’s talking about going after Joab and Shimei? It sounds like David wants Solomon to tie up some loose ends for him. Well, David was a brilliant military and political leader. He had been surrounded by mighty men most of his life, men who could’ve tried to take his throne, and some who had tried (unsuccessfully). So David certainly knew where the threats and the vulnerabilities lay for Solomon…but I don’t think that’s what was happening here. Now, did David have mixed motives? It’s possible. But I think this was more about doing what was right than getting revenge. See what you think. First, David warned Solomon about Joab, the commander of David’s army. And Joab was a dangerous man. He was very powerful, having at least some of the army loyal to his leadership. But he had shown that he wasn’t always loyal to David, having ignored David’s direct command not to kill his son, Absalom, and, most recently, supporting Adonijah’s failed coup. Joab was a major threat to Solomon, but David never mentioned his disloyalty. He did mention Joab’s crimes of murdering Abner and Amasa. We don’t have time to get into the drama around those situations, but Joab should not have killed them. Their blood was still on his hands. Justice still needed to be done. Second, David was concerned that Solomon should continue to show kindness and hospitality to the family of Barzillai of Gilead, who supported him when David was on the run from his son, Absalom. Finally, we have Shimei, who had cursed David during the rebellion of Absalom. Barzillai had blessed David, but Shimei had cursed him, and David was the Lord’s anointed. Now, what’s the big deal with that? Well, when King Saul was hunting David before David finally became the king, David had several opportunities to kill Saul, but he refused to lay a hand on the Lord’s anointed king. Even though Saul was evil and was actively trying to murder him, David still respected the office of the king because it was the Lord’s, not his. So David isn’t telling Solomon to get even with Shimei because he had insulted him. This wasn’t an ego thing for David; this was about respecting the Lord and his anointed. So these three situations weren’t about David getting revenge. This was about doing what was right/just. Now, we’ll see how all this plays out next week. But now, we come to the end of David’s story.
1 Kings 2:10–12 (NIV), “10 Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. 11 He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 12 So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.” This is God’s word. As it says in 1 Chronicles, “[David] died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.” (1 Ch 29:28). So the king was dead. Long live King Solomon, the Lord’s anointed. Now, we’ll have to see, not just next week, but for the next few months of our series, whether or not Solomon would listen to his father’s advice. Would he make Biblical faithfulness his first priority? Would he obey God’s word and follow God’s way? Would Solomon deal with everyone (friend and enemy alike) according to justice and righteousness? But what about us? Will we learn to live like this? Obviously not as a king or queen, but will we learn to obey God’s word and follow God’s way? Will we deal with the people in our lives according to what is just and right? In the weeks ahead, we’ll consider the themes of justice and wisdom in more depth. But today, let’s zoom in on one of the great themes of the whole Bible, that we see here, that of righteousness. Well, we’ve already seen that the righteous life starts with Biblical faithfulness. Do you believe that God’s word defines you and directs your life? Do you believe that you are under the authority of God’s word or that you can pick and choose what you want to obey/reject? I like what the Bible says about caring for the poor or turning the other cheek, but I don’t like what it says about sexuality or hell and judgment. But you can’t do that unless your word has more authority than God’s word. Here’s why this matters so much; here’s why, on his deathbed, this was the most important thing David could share with his son: A right belief in God’s word leads to a right understanding of how to live in God’s world. Right belief leads to right living. Very simply, righteousness means to think/speak/do what is right, but (and here’s the kicker), what is right as defined by God’s word, not your word. Righteousness means you think what is true, you speak the truth in love, you love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and you love your neighbor as yourself. That is what’s right. Can you imagine if the whole world lived that way? It would be a whole world of love! It would literally be heaven. Now, is it a good thing to try to live a righteous life? Of course! But if you’ve ever tried to do this for more than five minutes, you’ll realize something that might come as a shock. We can’t do it. Try as we might, we always fail. Even the godly King David failed to be perfectly righteous. No matter how wise Solomon would become, he still failed to be perfectly righteous. This is a real problem because, according to God’s word, only the righteous will live. Now, most of us are fairly good most of the time (provided we don’t get too stressed out, hungry, frustrated, or anxious). But do we always think/speak/do what is right? No. And the wages of sin (in other words, what unrighteousness deserves) is death. But here’s the good news of the gospel: the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Ro 6:23). You see, God had promised he would send a truly righteous king. After David and Solomon’s time, each generation of kings seemed to be worse than the last. There were a few good ones in there, but for the most part, it was just a mess until God’s people were finally sent into exile. But in Jeremiah 23, the Lord gave his people a gracious promise. Jeremiah 23:5 (NIV), “The days are coming…when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.” Despite the failure of the kings, a different kind of king was coming. One who would be perfectly righteous. The gospel is the story of this king. Through whom “the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,” (Ro 1:17). Jesus was the only truly righteous man who ever lived. He lived a life without sin, so he never deserved to die. But then he chose to die on the cross for the sins of the world. Jesus traded his righteousness for our sin through his substitutionary death. He paid the price we could never pay. But then he rose alive, breaking the power of sin and death forever. So when we believe this good news, we fulfill one of the promises of God: The righteous will live by faith. Would Solomon learn to live according to righteousness? And would he trust the Lord when he failed to be perfectly righteous? (Will we learn these things?) It all starts with God’s word. Because a right belief in God’s word leads to a right understanding of how to live in God’s world. But when we fall short, we must not forget that we have a righteous savior, one who is not only the Lord’s anointed but who is himself, the Lord of Glory. And his name is Jesus. Friends, if this were my last moment, if this were my bedside, I’d want to tell you about him, too. No one is greater. No one is better. You can trust him. He will never lead you astray. The righteous life, and a right understanding of how to live in God’s world, is found in him. Let us pray.
