Show Yourself A Man
As a teenager I went through a short phase where I kept a journal of famous people’s last words. I’m not sure what happened to that journal but there’s still one set of last words that has stuck with me. On May 10, 1863 after being shot by his own troops and contracting illness due to surgery, Stonewall Jackson said before he died, “Let us cross over the river, and rest under the shade of trees.” It’s such a haunting and beautiful phrase considering the circumstances of his death.
In 1 Kings 2:1-9, we read David’s last words. His long life is coming to an end and his beloved son Solomon is next to him as the heir to the throne of Israel. David understands the challenges that await his son. So David’s last words of instruction to him can be summed up in the words: “Show yourself a man.” David wants his son to be a man and he goes on to explain what this looks like in two ways.
DAVID THE MAN AND THE KING
When it comes to the topic of manhood, David has a unique authority to explain what it is, not only because he was a man, but because his life as a man was remarkable. He killed lions and bears, he fought and killed a giant named Goliath and lopped off his head, he entertained kings, stood his ground against kings, he wrote psalms that have been recorded and read for thousands of years, he represented God and stood firm in his faith. All of this he did before he was ever king!
After doing all these things, then he became king of Israel. He warred against Israel’s enemies on all sides and was so effective that the Philistines were almost completely wiped out. When he famously sinned with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, he repented and turned back to God. He conquered Jerusalem and brought the Ark of the Covenant there and united all twelve tribes of Israel. With a resume as impressive as David’s, our ears should perk up when he says, “Show yourself a man.” David has unique authority to give that challenge and explain it.
DAVID’S WORDS TO HIS SON THE KING
As Solomon leans in, David says, “Be strong, and show yourself a man.” For Solomon this would entail two charges. First David says, “Keep the charge of the Lord, walk in his ways, his statutes, his commandments, his rules, his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses.” (My paraphrase of 1 Kings 2:3). This is seven different ways to say, “Keep obeying and loving God’s Word.” David wants his son to be a king who reads God’s Word and loves to obey it. David is reiterating Moses commands for kings in Deuteronomy 17:18. There, Moses commands that the king must copy down their own exact copy of the Law and have it with them at all times and do it. For Solomon to show himself a man is to not only know God’s Word but to love to do it.
Second, to show himself as a man, David tells Solomon not to procrastinate but to get to work right away as king. In verses 5-10, David is basically giving Solomon a hit list of people that he should go out and deal with because Israel is at stake. When the leadership changes from David to Solomon, enemies might pounce. When you read this passage, you can sense the urgency in David’s voice. Solomon is to get to work immediately.
SHOW YOURSELF A MAN
Not only were they David’s last words, but he described what he meant by “Show yourself a man.”
It meant loving and obeying God’s Word; a man who reads God’s Word and knows it, but also a man who loves to obey it. This sort of man is eager to bring his family to church on Sunday mornings and sit under the Word being preached. It is a man who engages in small group, accountability relationships, personal study and devotions, and leads his family in worship.
It is also a man who gets to work. He sees and understands the needs around him and rises to meet them. He is assertive, proactive, and gets things done.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). Sound familiar? These are among Paul’s last words to Timothy and they really aren’t that far off from David’s. Brothers, let’s show ourselves as the kind of men that David is describing: one’s who love to obey God’s Word and love to get to work for His kingdom.
In 1 Kings 2:1-9, we read David’s last words. His long life is coming to an end and his beloved son Solomon is next to him as the heir to the throne of Israel. David understands the challenges that await his son. So David’s last words of instruction to him can be summed up in the words: “Show yourself a man.” David wants his son to be a man and he goes on to explain what this looks like in two ways.
DAVID THE MAN AND THE KING
When it comes to the topic of manhood, David has a unique authority to explain what it is, not only because he was a man, but because his life as a man was remarkable. He killed lions and bears, he fought and killed a giant named Goliath and lopped off his head, he entertained kings, stood his ground against kings, he wrote psalms that have been recorded and read for thousands of years, he represented God and stood firm in his faith. All of this he did before he was ever king!
After doing all these things, then he became king of Israel. He warred against Israel’s enemies on all sides and was so effective that the Philistines were almost completely wiped out. When he famously sinned with Bathsheba and murdered Uriah, he repented and turned back to God. He conquered Jerusalem and brought the Ark of the Covenant there and united all twelve tribes of Israel. With a resume as impressive as David’s, our ears should perk up when he says, “Show yourself a man.” David has unique authority to give that challenge and explain it.
DAVID’S WORDS TO HIS SON THE KING
As Solomon leans in, David says, “Be strong, and show yourself a man.” For Solomon this would entail two charges. First David says, “Keep the charge of the Lord, walk in his ways, his statutes, his commandments, his rules, his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses.” (My paraphrase of 1 Kings 2:3). This is seven different ways to say, “Keep obeying and loving God’s Word.” David wants his son to be a king who reads God’s Word and loves to obey it. David is reiterating Moses commands for kings in Deuteronomy 17:18. There, Moses commands that the king must copy down their own exact copy of the Law and have it with them at all times and do it. For Solomon to show himself a man is to not only know God’s Word but to love to do it.
Second, to show himself as a man, David tells Solomon not to procrastinate but to get to work right away as king. In verses 5-10, David is basically giving Solomon a hit list of people that he should go out and deal with because Israel is at stake. When the leadership changes from David to Solomon, enemies might pounce. When you read this passage, you can sense the urgency in David’s voice. Solomon is to get to work immediately.
SHOW YOURSELF A MAN
Not only were they David’s last words, but he described what he meant by “Show yourself a man.”
It meant loving and obeying God’s Word; a man who reads God’s Word and knows it, but also a man who loves to obey it. This sort of man is eager to bring his family to church on Sunday mornings and sit under the Word being preached. It is a man who engages in small group, accountability relationships, personal study and devotions, and leads his family in worship.
It is also a man who gets to work. He sees and understands the needs around him and rises to meet them. He is assertive, proactive, and gets things done.
“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith” (2 Tim 4:7). Sound familiar? These are among Paul’s last words to Timothy and they really aren’t that far off from David’s. Brothers, let’s show ourselves as the kind of men that David is describing: one’s who love to obey God’s Word and love to get to work for His kingdom.