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 The
scene is Shechem. The occasion is Joshua’s farewell address just
prior to his death. All the tribes of Israel are assembled to hear
the aged Joshua, now 110, as he begins recounting God’s dealings
with their great nation. Showing that God has continually been with
and helping them, he concludes, “Now therefore fear the Lord, and
serve him in sincerity and in truth,,.” (Josh. 24:16)
The
scene is Jerusalem. David is nigh unto death as he gives this last
charge to his son Solomon: “...I go the way of all the earth: be
thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; and keep the charge
of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and
his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies...” (1
Kings 2:2, 3)
The
scene is a Roman prison. Paul is writing his last epistle. In giving
his final charge to Timothy, he reminds the young evangelist not to
be ashamed of the gospel (2 Tim. l:8); to hold the pattern of sound
words (1:13); to suffer hardship as a good soldier of Christ Jesus
(2:3); to give diligence to present himself approved unto God (2:15)
and to persevere with urgency in preaching the word (4:2) with the
assurance that a crown of righteousness awaits all the faithful
(4:8).
Such
are the words with which these great men of God conclude the final
chapter of their earthly existence. The last words of any dying man
are generally regarded as having special significance, but the words
of these men ought to be especially so regarded—not so much
because of being last words necessarily, but because of who
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they were and what they said with these words.
Joshua,
David and Paul were men who had given most of their lives in
consecrated service to the Lord. God had used their tongues and
talents extensively to serve His purposes among men. Through
experience and revelation they accumulated such wisdom as
experienced by few mortals. Joshua, for instance, knew how the lack
of faith could prevent one’s entering into God’s rest. David understood
about temptation and sin, and Paul himself had made the transition
from “chief of sinners” to ambassador for Christ. As few others
could, they perceived how the will of God compliments the greatest
needs of man—so their last words deserve an attentive hearing.
And
what do we hear? Though different in expression and separated by
hundreds of years, we hear messages that are strikingly similar. All
emphatically recommend to others the same course they have now
finished. All emphasize serving the Lord. Essentially, they are
saying to all who shall come after them, “Live for the Lord!”;
or, as another wise man put it, “fear God and keep His
commandments”. After all, that’s what living is all
about. Theirs is a lesson we must learn! Apart from truly
reverencing God and walking in His ways, man can have no meaningful
existence here nor hope of life in the hereafter. As those destined
to go “the way of all the earth”, may the last words of these
godly men find first priority in our lives.
Dan S. Shipley
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