The Martyrdom of St. Blaise
Giovanni Antonio da Pesaro
15th century
Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God)
From: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 10-12
David's last instructions
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[1] When David's time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, [2] "I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, [3] and keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; [4] that the LORD may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, 'If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel.'
Death of David
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[10] Then David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. [11] And the time that David reigned over Israel was forty years; he reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. [12] So Solomon sat upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was firmly established.
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Commentary:
2:1-4. David realizes that he is going to die soon and, like other outstanding biblical figures (such as Jacob, Moses and Jesus himself), he leaves a last will before he dies. David's consists of two parts -- one religious and theological (vv. 2-4), the other to do with political matters (vv. 5-9).
The first, although addressed to Solomon in the first instance, applies to all the kings in the future; in fact it is valid for all men. It begins by stressing the same thing Moses did to Joshua -- be strong and act manfully (cf. Deut 31:23; Josh 1:6; etc.) -- and it goes on to adopt the Mosaic teaching of the book of Deuteronomy: fidelity to God's commandments leads man to happiness and success; and, with reference to the people of God, fidelity is the condition for continuing to dwell in the promised land. It is the people's part of the covenant.
In general, David's successors will not keep to their commitment, and for that reason the nation will be split in two and eventually sent into exile. This is the explanation the books of Kings and Deuteronomic history provide for the tragic events of the monarchy period. But in the light of the New Testament God will be seen to fulfill his promise: Jesus Christ, Son of David, through his perfect obedience (cf. Phil 2) will be made king for ever (cf. Rev 1:15; 17:14; etc.).
The Bible's notion of a king being under divine law can be applied to the exercise of any type of authority for, as the Second Vatican Council teaches, "it is clear that the political community and public authority are based on human nature, and therefore that they must belong to an order established by God; nevertheless, the choice of the political regime and the appointment of rulers are left to the free decision of the citizens. It follows that political authority, either within the political community as such or through organizations representing the state, must be exercised within the limits of the moral order and directed toward the common good (understood in the dynamic sense of the term) according to the juridical order legitimately established or due to be established. Citizens, then, are bound in conscience to obey. Accordingly, the responsibility, the dignity, and the importance of state rulers is clear" (Gaudium et spes, 74).
2:10. "To sleep with one's fathers" is a Hebrew way of saying "to die"; it indirectly has to do with belief in life after death: this is a meaning which will emerge later.
Given that David had won the city of Jerusalem from the Jebusites, it was considered to be his property and, in line with ancient custom (cf. Gen 25: 7-10), when someone died he was buried on his property. The site of David's tomb was known to all, according to Jewish tradition (cf. Acts 2:29), and it was very richly decorated, as Flavius Joseph reported ("Antiquitates Iudaicae", 7, 394-395). A summary is provided in Sirach 47:3-12 of David's valour, glory, piety and of the forgiveness God extended to him.