2 Samuel 23:3-4 – A Better King
Who is David talking about in verse 3? Is he just giving general principles for how kings should act? Or is he speaking about a specific king to come? Verses 3 and 4 do give us general principles about kingship. But everything that comes before – in verses 1 and 2 – is preparing us for a prophecy of a particular individual. The fact that we’re told these are David’s last words. The fact that these verses are described twice as an oracle. The fact that David says in verse 2 that it’s the Holy Spirit speaking through him. In fact, we should perhaps see verses 2 and 3 as a reference to the whole Trinity. We have the Holy Spirit in verse 2 – the Spirit of the LORD. We have the God of Israel in verse 3. And then we have the Rock of Israel. And 1st Corinthians 10.4 tells us that the Rock was Christ. So given that build-up, I think we’d be right to expect more than general principles for kingship here. David is speaking of one particular coming king.
On top of that, you have the reference to the covenant in verse 5. The covenant God had made with David back in chapter 7 was about one specific individual. As Peter put it in Acts 2, David knew that God had sworn an oath to him to put one of his descendants on the throne. So what we have in verses 3 and 4 are a picture of the true king, and a picture that all human kings fall short of. A king is coming, verse 3 tells us, who will rule justly. And not just rule over Israel, but rule over mankind. He will rule in the fear of God. That’s not saying that he will rule justly AND rule in the fear of God – as if they were two different things. Rather it’s telling us that ruling justly means ruling in the fear of God. And vice versa. If someone rules in the fear of God, then they’ll rule justly. And that’s what’s prophesied of Jesus in Isaiah chapter 11:3-4. How different from the rulers we have today!
What would it be like to have a King like this? We’re given 3 pictures in verse 4. The first one is of the morning light dawning. Have you ever been anxiously waiting for the dawn? Perhaps after a long night of struggle, work, waiting, anxiety, fear, danger. Then the morning comes and ushers in a new day, and the fear and anxiety of the night disappear. That’s what Jesus’ rule will be like after the unjust, godless, self-interested rule that we experience so often on earth. For many people, political corruption, incompetence and abuse of power simply make them angry. And that’s a right reaction. It should make us angry. But let it also make you long for a better king. It’s the very lack of that in this world which should lead us to pray: ‘Your kingdom come’. We’re longing for the morning to come after the long, dark night.
Question
- How is the king described here in verses 3-4?
Prayer Points
- Pray that Christ’s kingdom would come on earth as it is in heaven.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.