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Good Friday morning to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends.
By now in America, we have weathered a full week of trauma as the leadership transition related to the death of a US Supreme Court Justice continues. Leadership Transition is an important part of every family, church, business, organization and even nation. I wonder what you are observing in this month of leadership transition in America, both in the Supreme Court and in this political election year? What have you observed in past leadership transitions in your profession or your nation, wherever you live? Can you easily tell the difference between those involved in these transitions who have respect for God and His Word, His values, and those who don’t?
This is why in our “Walking with Jesus” these days, we are seeking to learn God’s perspective on God honoring leadership as we look at the kings of Israel. Today, let’s take a final look at Israel’s most famous king David and the end of his life.
As David grew old he had two major issues to face which are similar for all leadership transitions: his hand-off of the throne to the next leader of Israel, and the completion of an unfinished major project. Perhaps you’ve noticed that when the patriarch of a family dies, the children wrestle with several key issues:
* How will the estate be distributed equitably and in accord with the wishes of the deceased?
* Who will be the new leader of the family and how should the family hold together?
* What is the legacy of the family and how will that legacy be carried forward without the deceased leader of the family?
Has your family considered these questions and are you prepared for the departure of the oldest members of your family? Have you noticed similar questions face any organization, church or even nation, as leadership age and approach transition.
King David was growing old, but evidently his family was in great confusion about any plans he had in place for his Succession Plan. The uncertainty, jealousy and infighting among his sons was part of the ongoing dysfunction in David’s family as a result of his sin of adultery and murder which we discussed yesterday. David’s inability to lead his family well, as he approached the end of his life, is evidence of the loss of leadership respect his sinful failure had caused. 1 Kings 1 is a sad report of the power grab for his throne which ensued as David grew old and his sons began to wrestle for position.
If you are the patriarch or matriarch in your family, I urge you to look closely at how king David failed in his handling of leadership with his family in succession planning. If you are a senior leader in any organization, any business, including a church, I urge you to take note and be sure you have built and communicated well a God honoring leadership transition plan well before it is needed. Have you noticed that leadership transitions are times of great volatility, vulnerability and even spiritual conflict as the devil aims to disrupt all leadership transitions.
1 Chronicles 28 gives us a different perspective. Once king David recognized the chaos his lack of a clear plan was causing in both his family and the nation, Daivd rallied key leaders in Israel and made it clear GOD had communicated with him long before that Solomon was God’s choice to succeed king David: “David summoned all the officials of Israel to assemble at Jerusalem… the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel… of all my sons, and the LORD has given me many, God has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of Israel…” (1 Chron. 28:4-6)
May I draw your attention to the leadership transition charge king David gives first to the assembled leaders of Israel, starting in verse 8: “I charge you in the sight of all Israel… and in the hearing of our God: Be careful to follow all the commands of the LORD your God, that you may possess this good land and pass it on, as an inheritance, to your descendants forever.” (1 Chron. 28:8)
Oh how I want to shout this to all in Washington DC. As America crumbles, right before our eyes, for lack of God honoring leadership all across the nation, this brief but powerful statement is a warning suitable to America today! Unless American leadership changes very soon and returns back to honoring God, listening to God, following God’s lead… there will be little of value left of America to pass on to the young generations following us!!
Look closely at king David’s charge to his son Solomon who is about to inherit the throne of Israel: “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve Him with wholehearted devotion, and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek HIM, He will be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will reject you…” (1 Chronicles 28:9) Knowing what you do about David and both his closeness with God and his failures in life, can you see what in David’s life, is behind these wise words of wisdom? Have you found this to be true in your life my friends? Have you taught this to your descendants?
The second great challenge king David faced at the end of his life was passing along to his son Solomon, and the leaders of Israel, the final great project God had stirred in David, the design and construction of the great Temple in Jerusalem. Notice 1 Chronicles 22:7 “David said to Solomon: ‘My son, I had it in my heart to build a house for the name of the LORD my God. But this word of the LORD came to me: ‘You have shed much blood and fought many wars. You are not to build a house for My name… but you will have a son who will be a man of peace and rest…His name will be Solomon and I will grant Israel peace and quiet during his reign. He is the one who will build a house for my Name…”
“Now my son, the LORD be with you, and may you have success and build the house of the LORD your God, as He said you would. May the LORD give you direction and understanding when He puts you in command over Israel, so that you may keep the law of the LORD your God. Then you will have success if you are careful to observe the decrees and laws the LORD gave Moses… Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or discouraged.” Does that sound very much like the leadership transition challenge Moses gave to Joshua and the leaders of God’s people near the end of Moses’ life? (Deut. 30,31)
And one more brief statement of king David to this great gathering of Israel’s leaders, which seems so appropriate to our day and every nation, every organization, every church in the world: “Now devote your heart and soul to seeking the LORD your God…” (1 Chron. 22:19)
1 Chronicles 23-27 may seem like meaningless information, but I urge you my friends to not rush by those long lists of names too rapidly. They represent the seriousness with which David took the challenge of “Finishing Well”, and positioning Israel for smooth transition!. Think back over your life. Think about the times you’ve changed jobs, or relocated from one community to another, or even changed churches. What is your track record of ‘finishing’? How did you wrap up your responsibilities, and what reputation did you leave behind as you walked away for the last time? I have found the manner in which a person finishes and moves on is very often hugely significant to the legacy they leave behind. It appears David was led by God to be sure that he left the leadership of Israel in good order, as he handed the throne and kingship leadership to his son Solomon and other key leaders.
In closing, may I point out one more very important thing David accomplished in the twilight years of his life? I can imagine it was a great disappointment when David realized God would not allow him to build the magnificent Temple. But notice what David did… rather than pout or turn sullen, it seems David leaned in with determination to do all he could to PREPARE for this great Temple project. It would be the greatest Temple of worship anywhere in the world in that day, for its purpose would be the worship of Almighty God!
First David received the design from God, very similar to how Moses had received the Tabernacle details from God on Mount Sinai. (Exodus 24-31) It appears king David, perhaps with the help of engineers, drew out all the detail of the plans God had spoken into his mind. “Then David gave his son Solomon the plans…of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for…the Temple.” (1 Chron. 28:11ff)
Secondly David set about to rally the people and the leaders to give of their resources toward this great Temple project. He even re-aligned his last will and testament to be sure a huge amount of his personal assets were set aside for this great Temple project! “With all my resources I have provided for the Temple of my God – gold, silver, bronze. . .and in my devotion to the Temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything else I have provided. Now who is willing to consecrate himself to the LORD today?” (1 Chron. 29:1-5)
My friends, the rest of 1 Chronicles 29 is one of the greatest leadership transitions and ingathering of resources, for a God given project, in all of history. King David, invested his last days to make every possible provision for the accomplishment of the great Temple of worship project which God had placed in his heart. Among his final words are these in a prayer of blessing over his beloved Israel: “I know my God that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity. All these things have I given willingly and with honest intent. And now I have seen with joy how willingly Your people who are here have given to you. O LORD, God of our fathers Abraham, Isaac and Israel, keep this desire in the hearts of Your people forever and keep their hearts loyal to You. And give to my son Solomon the wholehearted devotion to keep your commands…” (1 Chron. 29:17-20)
The book of 1 Chronicles concludes with this statement: “David, son of Jesse, was king over Israel. He ruled 40 years…He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.” I wonder what your epitaph and mine will be my friends? Think about that, for we each are building our life legacy with each day we live! What do you hope will be the mark you will have made on this world when you die?
I urge you to take your journal and ask God to speak to you right now about how He sees your life and how God wants you to build a good succession plan for your life. How God wants you to finish well, and transition well, from your life here, to your eternity which awaits you.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Click to read today’s chapter: 1 Chronicles 28; 1 Chronicles 29. (At the top you can choose a different translation.)
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Pastor Doug Anderson 262.441.8785
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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