November 24, 2015

“Now these are the last words of David: The oracle of David, son of Jesse, the oracle of the man whom God exalted, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the favorite of the Strong One of Israel: The spirit of the LORD speaks through me, his word is upon my tongue. The God of Israel has spoken, the Rock of Israel has said to me: One who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God, is like the light of morning, like the sun rising on a cloudless morning, gleaming from the rain on the grassy land. Is not my house like this with God? For he has made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and secure. Will he not cause to prosper all my help and my desire? but the godless are all like thorns that are thrown away; for they cannot be picked up with the hand; to touch them one uses an iron bar or the shaft of a spear. And they are entirely consumed in fire on the spot.” 2 Samuel 23:1-7

“What is interesting, according to Professor Ralph Klein, is that this passage is the first of many “last words of David” in the Old Testament. Klein counts ten “last words” of David; the second and third of which can be found 1 Kings (2:2-4 and 5-9) and the fourth through the ninth in 1 Chronicles (22:7-16,17-19; 28: 2-10, 20-21; 29:1-5, 10-19; 23:27). Even more intriguing is the fact that David is unique in this regard — there are no recorded last words for any of David’s royal successors! So why is David accorded so many chances at having the final word?
In the legends, if not actual history, of ancient Israel, David’s stature only seems to increase as time passes. This is not so different than giants of history a little closer to home. It’s hard to imagine that more can be said about George Washington, but more than 40 biographies on Washington alone have been published since the early 1990s. The count is comparable for other greats such as Thomas Jefferson and Abraham Lincoln. And these books sell well — they often top bestseller lists. What is it about these men that fascinate us? Why do we return again and again to the smallest details of their lives (not always distinguishing history from legend)? Maybe we hope that combing through the minutia just one more time can elicit some insightful bit of wisdom or a kernel of previously undiscovered truth. That’s likely what David’s biographers within the biblical text were after in their emphasis on and inclusion of his last words. Last words, especially in pre-modern times, were significant. There was a sense that it in that brief moment between life and death, heroes would impart something profound, something to hold onto and to live by.” (Commentary on 2nd Samuel, Karla Suomala, Working Preacher website)

Have you ever googled “famous last words” and looked at some of the purported last words of famous people? I have. Here are a few:

Sir Winston Churchill’s last words were, “I’m bored with it all.”  

Actress Joan Crawford yelled at her housekeeper, who was praying as Crawford died. Crawford said, “Damn it! Don’t you dare ask God to help me!”

Bo Diddley died giving a thumbs-up as he listened to the song “Walk Around Heaven.” His last word was “Wow.”

Baseball player “Moe” Berg’s last words: “How did the Mets do today?”
Emily Dickinson’s last words were, “I must go in, for the fog is rising.”

Sometimes the last words from people come from a love and concern for their loved ones, sometimes from a haze of pain medications, sometimes they are just the random thought someone was having not knowing they were about to have a heart attack and die. Yet, there is this expectation that someone who is dying might indeed have some profound parting words. Martin Luther is purported to have said something to the effect of “We are all beggars.” Jesus, of course said “It is finished” in one Gospel, and in others he is said to have yelled “Eloi, Eloi lema Sabachthani”, or “My G*d, my G*d, why have you forsaken me.”

Jesus was just as profound with his final words as he was with his entire body of teachings. When you look at his final day, he did a lot of teaching on that day – he left a lot of final thoughts and teachings. Take time today to google the final words of Jesus – or take time to read the end of one of the Gospels. When faced with his own death, Jesus was able to tell his disciples to love one another, tell his mother she would be cared for, and tell the thief beside him on the cross that his faith would save him. The last words and the final deeds of Jesus are profound indeed.

Pastor Dave