David’s last words to Solomon resemble those of a saint, instructing his son and successor to remain faithful to God. In the same conversation with his son (tomorrow’s blog article), David will sound more like a mob boss telling his Solomon to take care of business with his enemies.
The basic message of David’s instruction to Solomon was to conduct his life in accordance with God’s directions laid down in divine law.
When David’s time to die drew near, he charged his son Solomon, saying: “I am about to go the way of all the earth.
Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.
Then the Lord will establish his word that he spoke concerning me: ‘If your heirs take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a successor on the throne of Israel'” (1 Kings 2:1-4).
“Walking” in the Bible
The Bible speaks of “walking in God’s ways” as a metaphor for living our lives in accordance with God’s will.
Our walk with God is not compartmentalized, where we are religious on Sunday, but serve the world’s interests the remainder of the week. When we walk in God’s ways, we demonstrate a daily, active journey of obedience and connection with God.
When David counseled Solomon to “walk in God’s ways,” he intended the following attitudes and actions.
- Continuous action – Faith as an ongoing lifestyle, not isolated acts
- Direction and purpose – Following God’s path rather than our own
- Covenant relationship – Living in response to God’s faithfulness
- Moral conduct – Ethical behavior flowing from devotion to God
David’s instructions stemmed from God’s covenant directions for His people.
“You must walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may live long in the land that you are to possess” (Deuteronomy 5:33).
When asked about how humans should live, the prophet Micah told the people:
“He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8).
Paul encouraged the church in her walk with the Lord.
I, therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beg you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love (Ephesians 4:1-2).
John tied our love for God with how we walk.
And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments; this is the commandment just as you have heard it from the beginning—you must walk in it (2 John 1:6).
The question for Solomon was whether he would be willing to follow God’s directions, or in willfulness adopt his own self-interest.
The question is pertinent to us, too. Will we be willing or willful? Are we willing to follow God in our daily walk? Can we surrender our willfulness to loving and all-knowing God?
The Key to Prosperous Leadership
I enjoy listening to Dallas Willard on YouTube. Hearing him is like listening to a gracious grandfather who overflows with wisdom and humor. In one lecture, Willard remarked that he often asks university students who is the best economist or business leader.
After several answers that reference the usual leading business figures in the media, Willard asks them to consider if God is wiser than any of these persons.
If there is no human on earth who is wiser than God, why shouldn’t we walk in His ways? Why should we settle for our puny intelligence and live in willfulness? Why not be willing and take advantage of God’s wisdom and direction?
YouTube Discussion
Rudy Ross, Bruce Kirby, and I discussed this passage on YouTube today.
Real Voices 