First Kings chapter two, it's hard to believe, I think it is, the final message on King David. And I might be able to squeeze one more out of it. Amen. But as I was preparing it, I almost, I was thinking about getting two in here, but I thought, you know, I can deal with the whole thing at once here. And it was kind of interesting because I number the messages as to what they are, number-wise. And it came up with the number of man, 66. This is the 66th message. And just happens to be, you know. And so we finish his life here tonight. So 1 Kings chapter 2. Let's go ahead and stand together. We'll read verses 1 to 11. If you need to remain seated for health reasons and That's fine. Just follow along as we read. And we'll go ahead and read responsibly. I got a little sad when I was coming to the end of it. I really did, because I've enjoyed his life, and I hope you have as well. I've learned a lot, you know. You think when the preachers preach it, he knows all this stuff. We don't. We're learning as we go, too. And I learned a lot about his life. Chapter 2, verse 1. Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die. And he charged Solomon, his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth. Be thou strong, therefore, and show thyself a man and keep the charge of the Lord thy God to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest and whithersoever thou turnest thyself. that the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, if thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart, with all their soul, there shall not fail thee, said he, a man on the throne of Israel. Moreover, thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zariah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel. unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his whorehead go down to the grave in peace. Show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table. For so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. And behold, thou hast with thee Shimei, the son of Gerah, a Benjamite, a Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swear to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. Now therefore hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him. But his whore head bring thou down to the grave with blood. So David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. The days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. Seven years reigned he in Hebron and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. Now verse 12 starts, then sat Solomon upon the throne of David. I thought it'd be a nice natural thing to do to go into the life of Solomon. Perhaps next week, so pray for that. Let's pray for this message tonight. Father, thank you for your goodness. Lord, we need to hear from heaven tonight. We know that your word has something for us every time we hear it. And so I pray you'd help us, Lord, to have ears to hear, to give attention to thy word. Lord, I pray specifically for every young person today, as we're listening to a father instruct his son, that we would heed the things that you have for us and that they would get from this message tonight. So please work as only you can work this evening. Help me as I preach. Fill me afresh and anew with thy spirit. Lead and direct my thoughts and words. For we ask these things in Jesus' name. Amen. Thank you. You may be seated. In 1898, a pastor named Reverend S. B. Shaw wrote a book that I have in my library at home. I typically keep books at my house that I use in almost every sermon, and I keep the other ones here. But this is one that I have in my illustrations section of my library at home. Again, it's a book by S.B. Shaw and it's entitled this, The Dying Testimonies of the Saved and Unsaved. Listen to that again. The Dying Testimonies of the Saved and the Unsaved. Now the book is exactly what it says. It's really the last words of both saved people and unsaved people just moments before they left this earth. He compiled them all together and put them in a book. It's a fascinating book. The very first words of the introduction of this book reads this, quote, the influence of human testimony and experience has had much to do with the destiny of mankind in all ages of the world. Now think on that for a moment. Let me say it again. I know it's a lot, but listen to it. The influence of human testimony and experience has had much to do with the destiny of mankind in all ages of the world. In other words, when a human being, particularly at the end of a long life, when he stands there on the horizon, if you will, on the edge, however you want to phrase it, of crossing over into eternity, and he looks back on a long life, and he honestly reflects upon it, and he gives at that very moment words of wisdom and instruction, those of us who will listen can greatly benefit from it. and really be greatly influenced by it. Especially if those words are scriptural words, which is what we have today. Words inspired by the Holy Spirit of God and recorded in God's Word. You see, what we're reading here tonight, in this last little section here of the Bible, are King David's last words. He's been on the throne for 40 years. His life included many high points, and as we've seen, many low points. I mean, there were mountaintop experiences of David, and there's some pretty deep valley experiences of David as well. Oh, when I think of the mountaintops, I think of things like his anointing by Samuel. What a day that must have been. Here he is out in the field, just doing his thing, his daily chores. He gets called in, and Samuel, instead of choosing one of his older brothers, God, through Samuel, chooses David to be the next king. No doubt he never forgot that day. We could move on and talk about the slaying of Goliath. What an amazing time that was. And then his many military victories over the Philistines and other enemies of Israel. Man, he was a great warrior and a great leader. Then that day, after all that fleeing from Saul, that he was crowned to be king, not just in Hebron over Judah, but over all of Israel. Can you imagine that day? I mean, what a mountaintop experience that must have been. as well. I think overall he had a fruitly and godly reign. He influenced many for the Lord. Many mountaintop high point experiences. But then there were some low ones. As I began to write these up, I said, wow, I've got a lot more low points than I do high points. His fleeing from King Saul, fleeing for his life for many years. His joining the Philistines against his own brethren. Then that day he came back to Ziklag and he found that Ziklag was invaded and all the women and children were captured. And how he wept over that day. Then that day his friend, perhaps his closest friend in the entire world, Jonathan, Saul's son, died at a very young age. Then when David was trying to do a right thing and bring the ark back to Jerusalem, he didn't do it the right way and he used a die as he touched the ark. What a sad day that was. And we all remember his sin with Bathsheba and the many consequences that that brought. The rebellion of his son Absalom, then the death of his son Absalom where he cried and wept out, oh Absalom, my son, my son. A rough time for any parent to have, no matter who the son is or what he did. And then the numbering of the people and all those that died because of it. And then the attempt of Adonijah here in the last days of his life to take the throne. You know, David's life sounds like everybody's life to some extent, not maybe the same things. But in our life, isn't it a series of good things and bad things, good times and bad times, if you will? But we can all, like David, say the same thing. God has been faithful through it all. And he has with David. And now here he is, laying on this bed, getting ready to pass to the other side. We know in chapter 1, he ensured Solomon's succession to the throne after Adonijah. And here this aged warrior, this saint, this king, is going to breathe out his last words. David's been down the road of life. He's fought battles. He's experienced innumerable things, many dangers, toils, and snares, as the hymnist wrote. And now he's going to impart to his son Solomon his final words of wisdom and instruction. Now, mind you, these are not just the words of a king to his successor, although they are that. These are the words of a father to his son. I'm going to tell him things that we ought to listen to as well. Tonight I want to preach on this, I think, final sermon on the life of David. I was going to call it the departing of a king, but I'm going to change that here and call it the counseling of a king. The counseling of a king. I never had the opportunity to hear the last words of my father. He died rather suddenly. He was in the car with my mother. It's a long story. I won't get into all the details. They were going somewhere and they stopped for a moment. He went to get out of the car. It was him and my mom and they had their little poodle in the car and he was going to take him out to let him do his business and all that. And so they stopped the car in the parking lot where my dad had worked there near the Echelon Mall in New Jersey. And he grabs, getting ready to grab the leash and walk out. He nudges the door open and he looks up, my mom said, and he went, Like that, took a breath and just went to the side and he collapsed and he fell out the door hitting his head on the ground. They found out he had a heart attack. They called it a heart incident. It was something that happened. We'll call it a heart attack. By the time my mother realized what was going on, found a phone, ran to the Echelon Mall. It was a snowy day with piles of snow. It actually wasn't necessarily snowing that day. It had snowed the previous day. So they had those big mounds of snow that they pile up in the mall. And she had to climb over them and get to the phone. And then the EMTs came out. And by the time all that happened, he had been without oxygen for a long time. And they did revive his body, but his body had stayed in a coma until he died just several days later. That's just in a nutshell the story. My point is this, I never got to hear any quote last words from my father. Now don't be sad about that because the truth of the matter is this. Many great men of God, many of them died either unconscious or suddenly or unable to commute with anyone. That happens more often than not as a matter of fact. So this idea of the last words is really a privilege if you get to hear them from someone that loves you and you love. I think of P.P. Bliss, a great hymn writer. He wrote many well-known hymns, including things we sing all the time, Hold the Fort, Hallelujah, What a Savior, Wonderful Words of Life. He even wrote the music to Horatio Spafford's It is Well with My Soul. He lived a faithful life serving the Lord. After spending what he called, quote, the happiest Christmas he had ever known in 1876 with his family, him and his wife and his kids went to see his family. And Bliss and his wife named Lucy, they left their children with his sister. They left Buffalo and they got on a train and they set out on their journey home. on December 29, 1876. Well, as they were approaching the Ashtabula Station, they were crossing, the station was just over this ravine. There was this deep ravine that went down, and the station was over there. They're just about ready to pull in to this station. And as they're crossing that ravine, the bridge gave way. It was a cold, cold winter, icy waters underneath and the train plunged to the bottom and exploded into flames and it killed both P.P. Bliss and his wife. Someone said, I forget where I read it, but they found what they thought to be his body grabbing his wife's hand and they went into eternity holding hands. What a nice thing happened there. But my point is this. Bliss was not able to give any last words to anyone. Maybe a few words to his wife. But it wasn't a scene like this. But don't get sad over that. Here's why. Because he left the life that he lived as a testimony to his children. That's what he left. Not necessarily these great parting words. Although those are good, they could look back on the life he lived, and that spoke volumes. So understand, while parting words are certainly precious, they're not necessary. Because a life lived for the Lord Jesus Christ is a far better thing to leave. And so here David gets this rare opportunity, Solomon gets this privilege to be in the presence of his father just moments before he dies and he's going to hear his counsel. What's he going to say? Probably the most important things that he wanted to say in his life. He says to his son. Let's go ahead to our text, and I want us to see what I believe to be three things that David counsels his son before he leaves this world. Number one, I notice that as David's uttering these words, he counsels Solomon on his character. His character. Notice what we read, now the days of David drew nigh that he should die. And he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth. Here it is. Be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and withersoever thou turnest thyself. that the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me saying if thy children take heed to their way to walk before me in truth with all their heart with all their soul there there shall not fail thee said he a man on the throne of Israel David begins counseling his son watches on his deathbed by dealing with his character his character By the way, dad, I think that's one of the most important things you ought to do in your sons, and that is to rear them with character. With character. You know, when we speak of character, it's defined as this. The peculiar qualities which distinguish someone from others. It is the attributes or features which distinguish an individual. It is some characteristics possessed by a person. That's what character is. So understand, the character of a person is their moral qualities. It is their ethical standards. It is the principles that make up who they are as an individual. And David counsels Solomon on his character. He counsels him first and foremost, be a man of godly character. The first thing he says. You know, I noticed as I kind of was taking David's statements apart, that he tells him two things concerning his character. And this is my politically incorrect portion of the message. He first counsels him to fulfill his created purpose. Listen up, young man and young lady, closely in this section. He says, be thou strong, therefore, and show thyself a man. Be a man, he says. Be the man that God created you to be. You know, when God created mankind, he only created two models. Male and female. It's amazing we have to preach this stuff today. Before it was understood. But now you've got to say it. Only two models, folks. Male, female, that's it. Nothing else. Let's try it. If you're a male, raise your hand. Hold it up high. Oh, please, please, please. Thank you. Put it down. If you're a female, raise your hand. I think everybody got it right, scanning the auditorium. That's very good. Genesis 127, so God created man in his own image. In the image of God, created he him. Male and female, created he them. Listen, young person, God does not give you the choice as to which you want to be. That's not what he did. He did not and does not let you pick which one you want to be. You are what you are, what he created you to be. There are no in-betweens and there are no mistakes. None. You see, a woman isn't a man because she thinks she's a man. A man is not a woman because he thinks he's a woman. You're either a boy or a girl. A man or a woman. And it's not that hard to figure out. It really isn't. It's really, really easy. Doctors do it all the time. When a baby is born and that baby comes out, they announce right away, moments after the birth, it's a boy or it's a girl, not it's. They get it. You can see it. It's visible. It's visual. By the way, it's not only visible, It's basic biology. It really is. A male and a female are genetically different. Listen, I don't care how they dress. I don't care what their voice sounds like. I don't care what their mannerisms are like. I don't care how many operations they have or how many hormonal injections they've received. If they were born a male, they are a male. If they were born a female, they are a female. And by the way, we should all refuse to call someone a boy who is biologically a girl. And refuse to call someone a girl who is biologically a boy. This whole, oh don't call me he, call me she, stop it already. You are what you are. That is absolutely ridiculous, and to do so, by the way, is lying. It's lying. Hey, if I say I'm a moose, does that suddenly make me a moose? How about if I do this? I'm a moose. Oh, he's a moose. He says he's a moose, you know. All right, what do you want me to call you? Bullwinkle, you know? Pastor Bullwinkle. Don't do that, please. I got to get it back here. Show thyself a man. You can't magically change gender. Just like you can't magically change age. You can't. Well, I want to be 24. That's what I am. Well, you're not. Well, that's what I am. Doesn't work that way. It's the same thing. Well, I want to be a boy. And I want to be. Stop. You are what you are. And by the way, just because you can do things legally doesn't mean that they are correct biologically or morally. If you're born a boy, you're a boy. You're born a girl, you're a girl. You get it now, right? Now that means something. It means something to God. Now understand what David's saying. I said all that to say this, not just to be funny. I'm going somewhere with this, I think. I'm gonna try to get there. David says be thou strong therefore notice and show thyself a man In other words fulfill your created purpose So what does that mean? Well David is counseling his son to be what God created you to be be a man. Okay. What does that mean? it means this he wants him to be the provider of his family and He wants him to bear the load of work, to pay the price, to work hard. Even when you're tired, that's what it means to be a man. It means to be the protector of your family. Have courage. Be the one that faces the danger. Stand up and be a man. Put the needs of others, especially women and children, before yourself. That's what it means to be a man. Stand up for what is right. Lead by example. Be a gentleman. Put away childish things. Be a man. By the way, it's time for some of y'all to put away the video games. I mean, we're seeing these young guys, and I say young, I'm talking 30, 32 years old, and they're still goofing around with video games for hours. Stop already. Some of them have a wife and children. You're sitting there for hours on the stupid video game. I use that word again. Put it away. Be a man. Show yourself a man. This idea of not wanting to work, stop. Be a man. Enough with the laziness. Enough with letting your friends pressure you into doing what is wrong. Enough with all of that. Be a man. By the way, enough with the skinny jeans. Really? Be a man. I can't stand it when I see a guy as a pastor of the church with these little skinny jeans on walking around up here. And I'm thinking, wow, that's really great. You're just really showing what it means to be a man. Enough with the girly haircuts, swooping over the guys. Come on already. You say, you're just jealous because you ain't got no hair. Listen, that's girly stuff. Put it away. Grow up. Be a man. Face life. Do what's right. Work hard. Provide for your family. Protect. Be a leader. 1 Corinthians 13, 11. When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things. Listen, if you're a boy, that's what God created you to be. Dads, listen, you need to raise your boys to be men. Yes, gentlemen as well. I mean, you walk around like some Neanderthal guy. It's all about being responsible and doing what's right. Be what God created you to be. What great wisdom David gave to his son. Look again at it. Be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man. So first, fulfill his created purpose. But then notice he says this, to follow his creator's principles. We're talking about his counsel here. Notice he tells him three things. And he says, and keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes and his commandments and his judgments, and so on. So he tells him three things. I'll just sum them up here. Number one, keep the charge of the Lord thy God. Number two, walk in his way. Number three, keep his statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies. By the way, that's good advice for all of us. Imagine David laying in that bed telling his son to show yourself a man and do what's right. Listen to God. Do what God says. Live for him. Make God your authority. Make God's word your authority. Understand, to obey God means to walk according to God's word. Young man, this ought to be, not so young man, this ought to be our authority. This ought to dictate our behavior. This ought to tell us what to do, and we should obey. That's what a man does. He doesn't waffle to the ways of the world. He's not influenced by those he works with, by doing wrong. That doesn't move him. He says, I shall not be moved. That's if he's a man. That's what he does. And then notice David tells him why. He says at the end of verse three, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and withersoever thou turnest thyself. You want a prosperous life? That's what you do. This is a man that's lived through it all. He's made mistakes. He's been on mountaintops. He's been in the valleys, and he's looking back, and he learns at the end, listen, this is what we gotta do. Be a man and do what God says. You'll never go wrong if you do what God says. That's his counsel. It kind of reminds me of Joshua 1a, right? This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth, but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein. For then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success. Psalm 11, blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, which bringeth forth his fruit and his seeds, and his leaf also shall not wither, and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. It's good counsel. It's good counsel. Isn't it interesting that the very first thing out of his mouth isn't about money? Well, Solomon, you get to this throne, I'll tell you what, you're going to have a lot of money. It's going to be awesome. He didn't say anything about that. He didn't say anything about business. He didn't say anything about leadership. And by the way, Father, to your son, this is what we ought to be teaching them. The lesson of life, as we look back, is this. Simply have godly character. That's his counsel. Counsel number one. On his character. Counsel number two, I notice, beginning in verse five, now where does he go to? He counsels him on his comrades. People. People. Life consists of dealing with people. That's what it is. I know what you're thinking. I'd be a great Christian if people would just leave me alone. Stop messing with me. Stop getting me upset. Stop rubbing me the wrong way. I think David's telling Solomon here, Solomon, you're going to have to deal with people. And you better learn to do it, because if you don't, you're not going to succeed. You need to be careful. Life consists of people. And throughout life, I think David is trying to instruct Solomon that there's going to be all kinds of people you're going to have to deal with. And that's the way it is. There are some wonderful people in this world, but then there's some not so wonderful people in this world. Oh, there are some people that are easy to deal with. And then there's some people that aren't so easy to deal with. Oh, there's some people that we just long to and want to be around. And then there's some people that are tough to be around. Matter of fact, we're even instructed in God's Word to avoid some. We are. Oh, there's going to be some that are going to treat us well in this world, and there's some that are not going to treat us so well. In fact, there'll be some out to get us. You know, when you're young, you just think that everybody's nice. Everybody's wonderful. You come to a new church, everybody's so wonderful. Those people just love one another. Everybody's just so great. Well, just hang out a little while. You're going to find out we're just people like everybody else. We have our good points, we have our bad points, we have our strengths, and we have our weakness. But you don't run around from church to church to find that church that doesn't have anyone that's not doing right, because guess what? There's people everywhere. You're not gonna find it. Life and ministry is about people, and I believe that David is trying to teach Solomon something that parents ought to teach their children as well, that not everyone is the same, and you need to be very discerning of people. And so he deals with three people here. Look at verse 5, Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zariah did. To me and what he did to the two captains of the host of Israel and to Abner the son of Ner and unto Massah the son of Jether whom he slew and shed the blood of war and peace and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom and let not his whorehead go down to the grave in peace. David counsels Solomon concerning the Joabs of life. The Joabs. Do you know that Joab was related to David? I think I may have mentioned that. According to 1 Chronicles 2, 13-16, we'll go there for time sake, David had a sister by the name of Zeriah. Zeriah's sons were named Abishai, Joab, and Ashael. So Joab was David's nephew. He was in the family. But while Joab may have been in the family, Joab was a manipulator. Joab was a schemer. Joab was dishonest. Joab was ungodly. Joab was a tough guy to deal with. Even some of the phrases that David said about the sons of Zariah, it's hard to deal with these guys. And there's Joabs in this world. We have to understand that. If you and I are going to go through this world, understand something, we are going to have to deal with the Joabs of life. Just because somebody is in the family of God, just because someone is saved, or claims to be saved, does not automatically mean they're good people. Sorry to rain on your parade tonight, but it's true. doesn't mean they're living for God. In fact, there are some believers that are downright dishonest, untrustworthy, liars, manipulators, self-serving, not interested in the things of God. You say, well, they must not be saved. Well, you take that up with them. I'm not going to argue that point. But my point is this, understand, just because someone is in the family of God, does not automatically mean they are living for God, even if they say they are. Well, praise the Lord, or they look like they are at church. Praise the Lord. Blessed be the Lord God in your life. And then go home and live like the devil. By the way, young ladies, you need to be careful in this area. And here's why, because you need to be careful of the young man who comes on strong and pretends to be something that he is not. Don't fall for it. Listen to your parents. Listen to your pastor. They can see things that you can't see. Because there are Joabs to deal with in this life. Sorry, but they're there. So David counsels Solomon concerning the Joab's of life. But then notice there's another one. He counsels concerning the Barzillai's of life. Look at verse seven. But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai, the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table. For so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. Barzillai's story is back. If you want to look back there, why not? We got a couple minutes here. It's only a couple verses. 2 Samuel 19. We won't read the whole story. It goes down to verse 38. But notice 2 Samuel 19 verse 31. Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogallim and went over Jordan with the king to conduct him over Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even four score years old, and he had provided the king of sustenance while he lay at Mahanaim, for he was a very great man. See, Barzillai was one of the few that when David had fled Jerusalem, when he was fleeing from Absalom's coup, if you will, he was one of the ones that stood by David. He was one of the ones that helped David. He was one of the ones that supported David through one of the most difficult times of his life. David tells Solomon, watch this, I think Siri's in the room now. Show his son's kindness, notice, let them eat at your table. So we're going to have to deal with the Joab's of life, but also thank God for the Barzillai's of life. You, by the way, you and I are not going to run into many bars and lies in this life. In other words, people, they're there, thank God for them. People that are true friends, people that stick by you and think, or in thin, in good times and in bad, people that you can truly trust, people that you can truly confide in, people that you can truly rely upon and depend upon, those that truly want to do right and serve the Lord. Not many of them. Not. Dave is telling Solomon, you find one of those, treat them well. because they're far and few between. Let them know you appreciate them. So he counsels him concerning the Joab's of life. He counsels him concerning the Barzillai's of life. And then he has a third person. He counsels him concerning the Shimei's of life. Notice verse eight, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei, the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I swear to him by the Lord, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. Now, therefore, hold him not guiltless, for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him. But his whorehead bring thou down to the grave with blood. So we're going to run into the Joabs of life, we're going to run into the Barzillai's of life, but then we're going to run into the Shimei's of life. Now Shimei's story back in 2 Samuel 16, would you go there please? I think you remember the story. As David once again is fleeing from Jerusalem, Shimei decides to do something. verse 5 and when the King David came to Bahum and behold thence came out a man of the family of the house of Saul whose name was Shimei the son of Gera who came forth and cursed still as he came and he cast stones at David and all and at all the servants of King David and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left and thus said Shimei when he cursed come out come out thou bloody man and thou man of Belial of the Lord hath returned upon thee all the blood of the house of Saul in whose stead thou hast reigned and the Lord hath delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom thy son and behold thou art taken in thy mischief because thou art a bloody man the shimmy eyes of life This guy threw stones at David. He cursed David. He hated David. Not because David did something wrong. David didn't do anything wrong. David was simply following the leadership of God. God anointed him through Samuel to be the king. And David was just trying to live for God. And he cursed him. Why? Simply because of his position. What David stood for. Well, there's some more good counsel right there. Because there's going to be Joab's that we got to deal with. There's going to be the Barzillai's. Then the Shimei's. Do you know if you strive to live for God and do the right thing, understand something, there are people in this world that will hate you. They will. Simply because you're trying to live for God. Simply because you're trying to raise your kids for the Lord. Because you go to church Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Because you hand out those little papers to people as they walk by. because you dress like a Christian you don't go to certain places because you're a Christian you don't participate in certain things because you're a Christian they hate you because of your position you know Jesus said in John 15 25 but this cometh to pass that the world might be the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law they hated me without a cause they hated the Lord Jesus Christ What makes us think they won't hate us? You see, my point is this, as David is giving his counsel to Solomon, his departing words, he's trying to teach him about character, to be a man and obey God. He's trying to teach him about his comrades, what he's going to face in this world, that life is filled with Joabs and Barzillais and Shimeis and to cherish the Barzillais. And so you're here tonight and you may ask, I just don't get it. Why can't everybody just get along? Ah. Sin? Amen. The flesh? Right. The devil? Why can't everybody just do right? Sin? Amen. The flesh? Right. The devil? Right. And as we go through this world, don't get frustrated because everybody's not doing the right thing. Just realize this is life. This is life. You're going to have joe abs. You're going to have Barzilla eyes. You're going to have shimmy eyes. It's part of the journey. We can still live for God no matter who's around us. So again, we see the counsel of Solomon. He counsels him about his character. He counsels him about his comrades. And then lastly, he counsels Solomon, I put it this way, through his conclusion. You say, what do you mean by that? Well, here he is. I want you to think about after David utters these last words about Shimei, we read in verse 10 and 11, so David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. Seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem. As David utters these last words to Solomon, I want you to see his son watching him drift away. His eyes begin to close. His breathing stops. He's gone. His life is over. I've been in the room on many occasions when someone's left this world. Let me say this. It's a sobering time. It's a very sobering time. You see, it was no accident that Solomon was there. God planned it. He watched as his father leaves this earth. We read in verse 10 that he buries his father in the city of David. And by watching all of this and experiencing all of this, Solomon learned something. I've learned as well that death is a mighty teacher. It is. We're told by funeral directors that people today don't want to have funerals anymore. The number of funerals has gone way down, not just because of COVID. Because people don't want to think about it. They don't want to see it. They don't want to look at a casket with a person laying in that casket. They don't like that feeling. Well, you know, we learn a lot in that day that we're in that room with that person. Because death is a mighty teacher. That's why Moses said in Psalm 90, 12, so teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. Here's what it teaches us. It teaches us this, that none of us live forever. We don't. None of us do. We only have one life to live. And we all have a meeting with our maker. And only what we do for God in this world will matter. You know, it's no wonder, and I know he went through a lot in this book of the Bible, but it's no wonder at the end of the whole thing, in Ecclesiastes 12, 13, Solomon comes to this conclusion. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. By watching David's conclusion, Solomon was taught a mighty lesson, that this life is short. And what I do for this world isn't going to last. It's what I do for the next world that's going to make a difference. And he learned that by watching his father die. The counseling of a king. Counsel didn't balance character. Be a man. Be a man. Be what God created you to be. Be a girl if you're a guy. Be a man. Live for God. Obey his word. Understand the people that you're going to deal with in this world. They'll be Joab's. They'll be Barzillai's. They'll be Shimei's. Cherish the Barzillai's. And then his conclusion is let's make every moment of our lives in this world count for God. Mighty counsel from the departing of a king the question is as we sit here and listen to it Will we heat it? Will we let it affect our hearts? Let's pray together