These are the last words of David: “The inspired utterance of David son of Jesse, the utterance of the man exalted by the Most High, the man anointed by the God of Jacob, the hero of Israel’s songs.” – 2 Samuel 23:1

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 22, 2019): 2 Samuel 23

Sometimes, the problem with “last words” is that we often don’t know that they are going to be our last words. And usually the same is even more true of a musician’s last song. We don’t expect that this composition would be our last. There are always more words to write and more stories that need to be told. And I think that we always believe that there is a lot more time to get those stories told.

For instance, John Lennon was murdered on December 8, 1980. John’s last words are usually believed to be “Yes I am” in response to the question “Are You John Lennon?” But there is a considerable amount of disagreement about what song might be his last. For some, it is the 1978 composition “Now and Then,” dedicated to Paul McCartney and apparently a song that he was still working on at the time of his death. Or maybe it was “I Don’t Want to Face It,” a song that John recorded on September 2, 1980, just over a month before his untimely death. But there are also several unfinished songs that vie for the honor of being his last poetic expression, including “Pop is the Name of the Game” and “You Saved My Soul.” All of these, and a few others, compete for the honor being called John Lennon’s last poetic utterance.

It is doubtful that the words recorded in 2 Samuel 23 were the final words of David, the poet king. But they are likely presented here as the final poetic expression of David. This is his last poem. Into this poem, he places the expression of his life, the belief that he held in God, and his hope for what was yet to come. But the words that introduce the poem are that of another Chronicler, expressing the respect that he and the nation held for their king. In the minds of the people, the opening words of David’s last poem are undeniably true. David was a prophet who heard God and spoke out his truth. Sometimes that truth was uncomfortable, and sometimes the listener did not want to agree with David’s poem. But there could be no doubt that his words came from God.

And this is the hope that every prophet and every pastor; that God would be the one who speaks through us. And that we would be the vessels for his message to the world, not just with our last words, but with all of them. And in this our dream is, and should be, that we would be just like David; men lifted up not by our own will, but by the hand of God, to speak his words to those willing to listen and who inhabit the space around us.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Psalm 108