Read
Solomon Is Crowned King
21The next day, the Israelites slaughtered 1,000 bulls, 1,000 rams, and 1,000 lambs, and they offered them as sacrifices to please the Lord, along with offerings of wine. 22The people were very happy, and they ate and drank there at the Lord's altar.
That same day, Solomon was again crowned king. The people celebrated and poured olive oil on Solomon's head to show that he would be their next king. They also poured oil on Zadok's head to show that he was their priest.
23 So Solomon became king after David his father. Solomon was successful, and everyone in Israel obeyed him. 24Every official and every soldier, as well as all of David's other sons, were loyal to him. 25The Lord made Solomon a great king, and the whole nation was amazed at how famous he was. In fact, no other king of Israel was as great as Solomon.
David Dies
26David the son of Jesse was king of Israel 27 for 40 years. He ruled from Hebron for 7 years and from Jerusalem for 33 years. 28David was rich and respected and lived to be an old man. Then he died, and his son Solomon became king.
29Everything David did while he was king is included in the history written by the prophets Samuel, Nathan, and Gad. 30They wrote about his powerful rule and about the things that happened not only to him, but also to Israel and the other nations.
Reflect
Everyone has a life story. It is interesting that at the end of David’s life story we read the people were happy and they celebrated at the altar of God. Every life story includes the passing of time as it did with David but it is not the years that matter as much as what happened in those years. David, despite his failures, lived a life which was a tribute to the faithfulness of God and his service and obedience to God. If he could have put his own title on his life story, I wonder what it might have been?
If you were to look at your life story to date and were to put a title on it I wonder what it would be? The real question is, would you change it if you could? David made it to the end and did so well. Along the way he sinned – greatly – but he always truly repented. That is one of the great pieces of good news with God. He is the God of second and third and thirtieth and hundreds of chances to change the story for good. There is an old proverb that says it well. “When you were born you cried and the world rejoiced. Live your life in such a way that when you die the world cries and you rejoice.”
Respond
God of forever,
I recognize that life is complex and at times seems very long and at other times very short. I do know that one day it will end. I pray that at the end I will be able to put a title on my life story that reflects you as well as me and as much as I know how, you more than me. Help me make the changes I need to make, with your help, to write a different life story than I could ever write on my own. Help me come to the end rejoicing. Amen.
William Morrow
William Morrow currently serves as an associate pastor at Evangel Church in downtown Montreal. Before that he was president of Master's College & Seminary in Peterborough Ontario. He also served as General Superintendent of The Pentecostal Assemblies of Canada (12 years), Superintendent of the Western Ontario District (6 years) and pastored in Montreal, Smiths Falls and Sarnia. He spent five years teaching at the college where he now serves as President. He is a husband, father and grandfather and has given his ministry life to mentoring a new generation of leaders and pastors.