1 Kings, 2:1-4
1 When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. 2 "I am about to go the way of all the earth," he said. "So be strong, show yourself a man, 3 and observe what the LORD your God requires: Walk in his ways, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and requirements, as written in the Law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go, 4 and that the LORD may keep his promise to me: 'If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.'
Who would have thought that I, a never married at almost 40 female, would be attempting to blog about what it means to be a real man. Luckily, God has given us some clues in David’s life.
In verse two, David gave Solomon some advice - “So, be strong, show yourself a man” Who comes to mind when you hear these words? James Bond? Clint Eastwood? Maybe John Wayne? Is it the guy with the most toys or the most money? Or maybe it’s the guy with the most touchdowns or the highest batting average. Is it the most powerful guy at the office or the guy who never backs down from a fight, never cries, and never does “women’s work”? These are just some of the lies that society feeds upon about what it means to be a real man.
Although we can learn the most about what it means to be a real man by looking at the life of Jesus Christ, we gain some valuable insight from the way David lived his life and the advice he gave to his son Solomon.
Real men like David love the Lord. They love him so much and their faith is so strong, that the desire of their hearts is to live a life of obedient service. A real man like David inquires of the Lord and submits to His will. David first exhibited obedience as he patiently waited for his time on the throne. It was over 20 years between the time of his anointing and the time he fully took the throne. We also saw his faith and obedience as he courageously went up against the giant in the name of the Lord, knowing that God would fight his battle for him. He entered battle after battle courageously, knowing that God would hand over the enemy to him.
On the other hand, real men like David also know when to back down from a fight. He showed restraint when faced with the opportunity to kill Saul. And when Abigail intervened on behalf of Nabal, David backed off and allowed God to handle it. David also knew that it was God who established him, God who anointed him (1 Chron 14:2). In 1 Chronicles 17:16, David asked in humility, “Who am I that you have brought me this far”? He knew that everything he had and everything he was came from God and he was grateful.
David wasn’t perfect by any means. He made a lot of mistakes, but when he failed to walk in the way of the Lord, he did what any real man would do…he repented. Wholeheartedly. He cried out. He wept. His own sin broke his heart. And when he repented, he accepted his consequences and moved on to continue to serve God, always thankful for the forgiveness he received.
So the picture of a real man that we see in David is a little different than the norm of our culture:
- He weeps
- He admits his mistakes and asks for forgiveness
- He is a submissive, obedient, servant; he inquires of the Lord
- He knows when to back down from a fight.
- When he is required to go into battle, he enters courageously, knowing that his battle is already won by someone else’s hand.
- He is humble & patient
- He knows that his strength comes from the Lord
- He is courageous…a mighty warrior for God.
- Real men love the Lord.
today's post submitted by Kelly Coxe
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