2 Samuel 23 is labeled as the last words of David. Yet as we continue to read, we see that there are a few more things that are recorded that David says and does. What is really going on here? We can read these seven verses as David’s final will and testament. These are his last words in 2 Samuel for the people, words that he wants to be remembered by, words that he is inspired to share for Israel to hear as if he were writing his own obituary. The great king is shaping how he will be remembered after his death. I highly recommend writing your own obituary as a spiritual practice. When we are young, we can live in a passive denial of death and mortality. Writing our own obituary is a reminder that eventually we will go down to the grave. When we are old, it might seem a little bit too close for comfort to think about such things, but all the more reason to follow in David’s footsteps. We can think intentionally about the legacy we want to leave behind and may discover some corrective measures we want to take. In that regard, David gives us some insightful advice about how to write such a thing. It’s clearly evident from the beginning that God is at the center of David’s understanding of his life’s meaning. He starts by noting the Spirit of the Lord had moved through him. I’ll admit, if I were in David’s shoes, I would probably start by bragging about how I killed Goliath, the hero of the Philistines! But at the end of life, his epic feats as a warrior are no longer what’s most important. God is most important. I wonder if our obituary would be the same? Is it a last chance to brag about what we did or an opportunity for future generations to know that above all else, we prioritized the Lord? We might be a little surprised that David speaks of his house being in order, especially if you’ve been reading through the Bible in a year. Amnon, Tamar, and Absolom might come to mind as examples of David’s house being quite a mess, and that’s separate from his own Bathsheba adultery and Uriah murder. Yet at the end of life, David is not pretending to be perfect, nor should we. Covenant, salvation, and security are all gifts from the Lord, and David is resting in that amazing grace that God has shown him. I hope our own obituary reflects that steadfast trust in our steadfast Savior, our acceptance of the Lord who loved us when we were still sinners. With David’s cues, write your own obituary and make it the best you can! What would you most want to celebrate? Dare some idealism, dig into robust hope! And then read it over and ask if there’s any course correcting you need to do in life right now so that your ideal obituary becomes a reality. (Psalm 139 also gives us a template for this type of working prayer). Remember also to note that we aren’t meant to handle everything in life on our own. The thorns are handled by a spear or iron tools. Our sin isn’t ours to handle on our own to prove how tough we are: we need Jesus. The spear pierced him; the thorns were crowned on his head so that we may live. In this way our end-of-life obituary is only the beginning of life eternal. - Pastor Steven