The Bible Study Podcast, Episode 264. Today, the Bible Study podcast continues the study of Second Samuel with Chapter 23.

Welcome to the Bible Study podcast. I'm your host, Chris Christensen.

Well, we're certainly wrapping up Second Samuel. This is the second to the last chapter,

and it's David's last words. These are the last words of David.

The inspired utterance of David's son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed

by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel's songs. I'm going to assume that those first two

sentences, even though they're in quotes, are not actually what David said as his last words,

but his last words start here. The Spirit of the Lord spoke through me. His word was on my tongue. The God of Israel

spoke, the rock of Israel said to me, when one rules over people in righteousness, when he rules

in the fear of God, he is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the

brightness after rain that brings grass from the earth.

If my house were not right with God, surely he would not have made me an everlasting covenant,

arranged and secured in every part. Surely he would not bring to fruition my salvation

and grant me my every desire. But evil men are all to be cast aside like thorns,

which are not gathered with the hand. Whoever touches thorns uses a tool of iron or the shaft of a

spear. They are burned up where they lie. So what is it that David is trying to tell us at this point?

One is that God has spoken through him,

and certainly if we read the Psalms, it's clearly evident that God was communicating to David,

if not that David was hearing his voice, that David's heart was aligned with God's,

at least most of the time. And as we know, David also had his failings,

including things like adultery and murder. So he had some pretty big failings. But David spent a lot of his life really trying to do what God wanted and really trying to be faithful. And so

he has this picture here of the one who rules over people in righteousness, like the light of morning and sunrise, this image of light, that they bring light to things, that they bring light to things. And light as we know, brings healing, light brings life, and that the ruler who rules in righteousness really is bringing life to his people.

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