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David was 70 when he died (2 Sa. 5:4).
Though David had to suffer the consequences of his sin, as God warned in 2 Sa. 12:10-12 and as we have described in the studies on 2 Samuel, he continued to enjoy fellowship with God and continued to experience God’s blessings. God did not remove His mercy, as David celebrated in his psalms. “Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me” (Ps. 66:20). “For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him” (Ps. 103:11).
David continued to have victory over his enemies. The sons of the giant were killed (1 Sa. 21:18-22; 1 Ch. 20:4-8).
David appointed Solomon co-regent (1 Ki. 1:5-53). This happened when David’s son Adonijah tried to steal the kingdom.
David received the instructions for building the temple (2 Ch. 29:25), made preparation for that project, and had the joy of seeing his son Solomon sit upon the throne with the people united behind him.
- David was not allowed to build the temple himself, but God told him that his son would build it and God used David to prepare for it (2 Sa. 7:1-13).
- After David numbered the people, God sent a pestilence to judge the nation (1 Ch. 21:1-14). It appears that this was because David was acting in pride rather than faith, because the people were God’s and not David’s (1 Ch. 27:23-24). And David was not trusting God for deliverance, but was trusting the number of his people.
- In response to David’s confession and prayer, God stopped the pestilence at the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. David bought the place (1 Ch. 21:18-30) and prepared to build the temple there.
- This is Mt. Moriah, where Abraham had gone to offer Isaac and God provided a ram instead, pointing to Christ’s vicarious death for the sins of the world (2 Ch. 3:1; Ge. 22:2). David’s sacrificial altar on Moriah also pointed to Christ’s cross. Just as God stopped the pestilence from destroying Israel via the sacrificial altar (1 Ch. 21:25-26), so He stopped the pestilence of judgment on mankind by Christ’s atonement on the cross. As the fire from heaven fell on David’s sacrifice, God’s judgment fell on Christ at Calvary. David offered both a burnt offering and a peace offering (1 Ch. 21:26). The burnt offering signified Christ as the sinless man who was acceptable to God in the behalf of sinful man. It signifies Christ offering “himself without spot to God” (Heb. 9:14). The peace offering depicts Christ reconciling man with God through the offering of Himself. It signifies Christ as “having made peace through the blood of his cross” (Col. 1:20).
David exhorted his son Solomon to know God and to be faithful to Him (1 Ch. 22:11-13). “And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. ... Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed: for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee, until thou hast finished all the work for the service of the house of the LORD” (1 Ch. 28:9, 20). David had failed in many ways in his family, but he continued to the end of his life to exhort his children to walk with God. In spite of his own sins and failures, he didn’t quit trying to help the next generation. This is wise. If you fail in some area of your Christian life, you should repent and get things right and go on to try to help others. And wise children will give honor to and receive instruction from their parents even though they have failings. This is God’s will.
David exhorted Israel to support Solomon and the building of the temple (1 Ch. 28:1 - 29:25). This occurred after Solomon was coronated the first time. See 1 Ch. 29:22-25. David assembled all of the princes, captains, stewards, officers, and mighty men (1 Ch. 28:1). What an assembly it would have been! David spoke to the people at length (1 Ch. 28:4 - 29:20).
David gave to Solomon the pattern for the temple that he had received by divine revelation. “All this, said David, the LORD made me understand in writing by his hand upon me, even all the works of this pattern” (1 Ch. 28:19). See also 1 Ch. 28:11-13 and 2 Ch. 29:25.
David exhorted Solomon to be strong and of good courage and to overcome fear (“Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not, nor be dismayed,” 1 Ch. 28:20). This is a necessary element of spiritual leadership. Solomon could do this by the confidence that God was with him (“for the LORD God, even my God, will be with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee”). It is by God’s strength that God’s people can be strong. It is by faith in God’s promises that we overcome.
David recounted how that he had prepared for the temple (1 Ch. 29:1-5). From his private funds alone he donated 3,000 talents (110 tons) of gold and 7,000 talents (260 tons) of silver (1 Ch. 29:3-4).
Solomon was coronated the second time in a more public, formal manner (1 Ch. 29:22). Zadok was ordained the high priest. Zadok had remained loyal to David during the revolt of Absalom (2 Sa. 15:24-29) and of Adonijah (1 Ki. 1:8). Abiathar, formerly the high priest, had followed Adonijah (1 Ki. 1:7). David praised God before the congregation and led the people to the Lord (1 Ch. 28:1-8; 29:10-19).
David organized the music worship for the temple. He did this in coordination with Gad and Nathan by divine revelation (2 Ch. 29:25). This began when David brought the ark to Jerusalem (1 Ch. 15:1-28). See also 1 Ch. 16:4-6; 23:1-5; 25:1-31.
David continued to write beautiful Psalms by inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
David wrote Psalm 72 for Solomon (see Psalm 72:1 and 72:20), and yet it looks ahead to the kingdom of David’s greater Son Jesus. God promised David that his son would sit on the throne of God’s kingdom for ever (2 Sa. 7:10-16). Part of the prophecy applies to Solomon (2 Sa. 7:14-15), but most of it looks beyond Solomon to Christ. Here we see the characteristics of Christ’s kingdom. It is God’s kingdom on earth. It is the kingdom for which Christ taught us to pray: “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven” (Mt. 6:10). Things on earth will be set right after the age-old rebellion. The earth is the Lord’s (Ps. 24), not man’s and not Satan’s. All men belong to God, and God alone is their rightful ruler.
David wrote Psalm 71 in his old age, and we see that he continued to have zeal to glorify God to his generation and future generations. To the very end, David was passionate to teach Israel about God. He was a man after God’s own heart, a man who had the heart of a shepherd-king.
“Now also when I am old and grayheaded, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come. Thy righteousness also, O God, is very high, who hast done great things: O God, who is like unto thee” (Ps. 71:18-19).
David wrote Psalm 37 in his old age to reflect on his life, and it is filled with confidence in God, praise to God, and good counsel to younger people. It is one of his most beautiful psalms.
“The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand. I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. ... Wait on the LORD, and keep his way, and he shall exalt thee to inherit the land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it. I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea, I sought him, but he could not be found” (Ps. 37:23-25, 34-36).
David’s last words were a beautiful Messianic psalm (2 Sa. 23:1-7).
Contrary to the example of many of the kings that came after him, David followed God to the end of his life. David set the pattern; he was used as the standard by which the others were measured. For example, of Josiah it was said, “And he did that which was right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left” (2 Ki. 22:2). See also 1 Ki. 11:4; 15:3; 2 Ki. 14:3; 16:2.
David was a man subject to like passions as we are (Jas. 5:17), a man with a corrupt nature and many faults, a man whose spiritual treasure was held in an earthen vessel, but he loved God passionately and he loved God’s law. He was a man after God’s own heart to the end. We see his heart of hearts in his psalms. “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength” (Ps. 18:1).
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