Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Message from Keith de Laet, High School Teacher

I was reading in 1 Kings the other day, and I came across something I found to be interesting. We all know that the Bible tends to look favorably upon King David, even though he was guilty of some very serious indiscretions. I think that this is because he usually made a decent effort to walk in God’s ways, and owned up to take responsibility when he didn’t. This particularly hit me when I came across this passage regarding David on his death bed.

1 Kings 2:1-4 1When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2"I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, 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, 4that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'

David’s last act as a man of faith was to pass on God’s expectations to Solomon. David did not always live correctly but he knew the importance of walking in God’s ways, modeled it the best he could, and was intentional about explaining it to Solomon. It further seems to me that Solomon understood the lesson his father taught him. As we see:

1 Kings 3:5-14 At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, "Ask what I shall give you." 6And Solomon said, "You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. 7And now, O LORD my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. 8And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. 9Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?" 10It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this

Solomon says that David “walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you”. I believe this observation comes from knowing and living out God’s expectations for our lives, because it is clear that David had many public and private failures. In spite of this, at the end of David’s life when Solomon was ready to take his place in the line of Kings, his remembered his father’s desire for Godly living, rather than the obvious short comings.

So I think this means, for me at least, that I need to realize the importance of living out God’s ways as best as I understand them, before my family, colleagues, and students. This will allow me to trust that when the time here is done, the students will remember the best, not focus on the failures, and prayerfully take their place as leaders in God’s world.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks so much for this insight and practical application of Kingdom living--now.

    John Donne states, "No man is an island."

    How I forget the impact I have on my family and students, especially when I believe no one is watching.

    May we lean with all our might to intentionally lean into the finish line and the race set before us!

    Jeff Blake

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  2. Thanks for the insight

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