David A Type Of Christ
David A Type Of Christ
Now these be the last words of David; David the Son of Jesse said, and the Man who was raised up on high, the Anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet Psalmist of Israel, said—2 Samuel 23:1
THESE be tile last words of David. This refers not to what goes before, in the preceding chapter, which contains a psalm or song of David, and which is no other than the 18th Psalm with some little variation. That Psalm was penned upon a solemn and joyful occasion, as we are told in the title. David spake unto tile Lord the words of this song, in the day that the. Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and the hand of Saul (50, Title). Now this can only respect his conquest over the Moabites, Edomites and Syrians, which we read of in the eighth chapter of this book, and which was some time before the death of David, therefore cannot be his last words.
These be the last words of David, must therefore refer to what follow in verse 2 to verse 7.
Now, when they are said to be the last words of David, we are not. to suppose they were the last he ever spake in this world; no, it seems pretty plain that he said a great deal after this. It looks as if after this he had conversation with his son Solomon; gave him directions about building the Temple; informed him of the preparation lie had made for it, and encouraged him to begin and go on with that work. But these are the last words of David, after he had finished his book of psalms; the last words of David which he spake by divine inspiration; the last words of David delivered by way of prophecy, for a prophet he was: so the Apostle Peter calls him in the second of Acts. He foretold things to come, things concerning the Messiah. The ancient Chaldee Paraphrase calls these his last words, expressly, "A prophecy that he prophesied concerning the times of consolation, the days of the Messiah;" and it is most clear and manifest, the Messiah is spoken of by him in these, who should be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain (verse 4). As we shall see hereafter.
Well then, these were the last words of David, which he spake by way of prophecy; and they were, no doubt, spoken at the close of his days, that is certain and it may be observed, that great men, under the former dispensation, towards the close of their days, in some of their last speeches, said things prophetical. So Jacob, when his time drew near to die, called for his sons, and told them what should befall them in the latter days: not so much what should befall their persons, as their tribes in after times. So Moses the man of God, just before his death, blessed all the tribes of Israel in a prophetic way. And David's last words were of this kind.
The words of persons of note and esteem among men, persons of rank, in an elevated state of life, of large capacity and great knowledge, especially those of piety and religion, are generally taken notice of, and had in great esteem: and such was the person whose last words these are. He was a man of high rank, in an elevated station, a King of Israel. He was a man of great capacity and knowledge in things natural, civil and divine. That he was a religious man, the book of psalms is a full proof—Now the last words of such a man must deserve public notice; are worthy of our consideration. The last words of our friends and acquaintance are generally regarded, and often talked of; surely then the words of so great a man as David deserve our highest regard for which reason I purpose to consider and go through them.
Let me, however, just observe here, that if these last words of David are worthy of our notice, how much more the last words of our blessed Saviour, our Lord Jesus Christ? of whom he was an eminent type. Some of his last words, as recorded by the Evangelist Matthew, were his expostulatory ones before his divine Father. When he was under natural darkness, the sun having withdrawn himself; when under spiritual darkness, God having hid his face from him; and when he bore the wrath of God, and all the vengeance due to his people for their sins and transgressions, it caused him under all to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me (Matthew 27:46)? These, I say, were some of his last words, according to Matthew. The Evangelist Luke gives us a larger account than this. He mentions some other words, which were his last, or near his last. One is a petition put up on the behalf of those who crucified him. Father forgive them, for they know not what they do (Luke 23:34). This shows what an excellent spirit he was of, and worthy to he regarded and followed by all that call themselves the disciples and followers of the blessed Jesus. Another expression recorded by the same Evangelist, and which seems to be later, is, Into thy hands I commit my Spirit (Luke 23:46); that is, his reasonable soul, which was just about to be separated from his body by death. He committed this into the hands of his divine Father. This deserves our imitation also. But; the Apostle John is still more particular: he tells us the very last words which were spoken by Christ, that he said, It is finished (John 19:30), and then gave up the ghost. Then the work he came into this world to do was all finished, and particularly the great work of our redemption and salvation: that was finished, I have finished the work which thou gayest me to do (John 17:4). O, what words are these! they ought always to be remembered, and never forgotten by believers in Christ. These last words of Christ are the foundation of all our faith, hope, joy, and comfort. Salvation is finished. These were the last words of our antitypical David.
I proceed now to the text, in which we have a description of David,
II. By his descent—the son of Jesse—which was comparatively low and mean.
III. By his exaltation from a low estate to a higher one—The man who was raised up on high.
IV. By his unction—the anointed of the God of Jacob.
And in all these things I shall consider David as a type of the Messiah, our Lord Jesus Christ. We shall find all the characters agree with him.