1 Kings 2:1-4 reads...

Today's verses are 1 Kings 2:1-4 which read,

1 - As David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, 
2 - "I am going the way of all the earth.  Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. 
3 - Keep the charge of the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,
 4 - so that the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying 'If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in the truth with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'"

This is a death bed instruction from King David to his son King Solomon.  The word "charged" means "to give a command to."  This was a common practice to give some last words in the form of a command or a blessing to the next in line.

In verse 2 King David admits that he is going to die and then give the initial command to "be strong" and then the second to "show yourself a man."  This second one needs definition and so King David lays out what it means to be a man.

A real man is keeps his word with others and with God.  A real man lives in a way that honors God.  A real man not only know the commandments of God but follows them.  A real man not only knows the commandments but he knows the testimonies (which could be miracles of Him or events of God but also the people who followed the Lord God to follow themselves).  A real man is draws upon all of these things to live his life (every part of it) in light of God.  A real man is "careful" which means "to keep, to guard" his "way" which means "the direction he is going."  A real man keeps himself before the Lord with full devotion.
I don't think this would measure up to the world's definition of a "real man."  This needs to be our teaching in the home and in our churches to redefine or reintroduce what it means in Bible terms to be a "real man."
 
Sadly, none of King David's followed this.  But God out of His great mercy sent one in the line of King David who would be the ultimate King, who would give us a living example of what it means to be a "real man."  King Jesus.

Men, don't get wrapped up in the world's definitions of a man rather look at Jesus.  All of us, be careful to look to the Word for our definitions of how we are to be rather than the popular thought of the day.  All those definitions will pass away but the Word of our Lord will not.  Let's keep our eyes on Jesus' example as the one we will follow.


Pastor Adam
A simple man serving a great God and the local pastor of Stillwater Community Chapel (stillwater-chapel.org). We are in our 38th year of full time ministry. God directed us to this local body of believers on the Western Range of the Rockies to grow with them in mission and mindedness of Christ.

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