DAVID'S LAST WORDS by William Neil Glenn

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Nov 11, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 43.

DAVID'S LAST WORDS.

By William Neil Glenn

"THE last words of David." Adam Clarke says (and other commentators concur), "I suppose the last poetical composition is here intended." The entire chapter seems to be a psalm, or song, wherein the writer's mind is carried from his own obscure origin to the fulfillment of God's covenant with him concerning his house and the Messiah's reign. David never attempted to ignore his humble origin. The truly regenerate man will never indulge pride of heart, no matter how highly he may have been exalted, or how deep the "hole of the pit from whence he is digged." All have cause of rejoicing and thanksgiving before God. "Let the brother of low degree rejoice in that he is exalted; but the rich, in that he is made low." Jas. 1:9, 10.

"THE sweet psalmist of Israel." Not merely of the natural seed, but especially of the true Israel. "For they are not all Israel which are of Israel." Rom. 9:6. An Israelite is an overcomer, a prince. "They which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God." Only the true Israel, who are "Jews inwardly," can appreciate the value of the "sweet psalmist's" inspired melodies, moral instructions, and prophecies. There are many professed Christians who, in their eagerness to eschew anything "Jewish," especially the Sabbath of the Lord, will utterly ignore the Old Testament. Of course they lose the benefit of the psalms, as also much other essential help.

IN this psalm David explicitly asserts inspiration from the "God of Israel," the "Rock of Israel." Then let us not be too fast in endeavors to cut loose from things pertaining to Israel, lest in so doing we spurn away our connection with the Rock Christ Jesus, who is the Rock of Israel. To Israel "pertaineth the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises." Rom. 9:4. If David wrote by inspiration of the Rock of Israel, it behooves all who would stand upon that Rock to take heed to what David says.

"HE that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God." Clarke paraphrases: "The just One is the ruler among men;" and, "It is by God's fear that Jesus Christ rules the hearts of all his followers." Boothroyd says: "These words contain the substance of what God had promised; and they cannot be applied with propriety to Solomon. For how could he be said to be a ruler over mankind? . . . The just ruler then must signify the future Messiah, who sprang from David, and whose kingdom was to be universal." And the following verse shows that the reference is not to any mere human ruler: "He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds."

ON verse 5 there are about as many different renderings as there are commentators, mostly based on the idea that the expression, "Although my house be not so with God," should be in the form of a question, implying an affirmative, asserting that David's house is "so" (or established) because of the covenant. Be this as it may, the common rendering states an important fact, which also seems to be in harmony with the general thought of the prophecy: "Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure." It had not been "so" with David himself, nor was it so with his successors; but the promise—the covenant—was that "thine house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thee; thy throne shall be established forever." Chap. 7:16. And the psalmist adds (verse 5 of the lesson), "For this is all my salvation, and all my desire." This could not be true of anything short of a perfect ruler; and of all the representatives of the house of David, this could be said of no other than Christ. But "he shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David; and he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there shall be no end." Luke 1:32, 33.

IF further evidence were wanting of a direct reference in the lesson to the final reign of Christ on the throne of David, the following verses would supply it. "The sons of Belial shall be all of them thrust away;" and "they shall be utterly burned with fire," are expressions so often used as descriptive of the final destruction of the wicked, that there can be no excusable mistake as to the identity of the just ruler, and the time when he shall take his throne. See Matt. 25:30 and onward. W. N. GLENN.