LAST WORDS OF DAVID THE PROPHET KING
David’s last words began with the assertion that the Spirit of the Lord had spoken by him. He had an awareness that the multitude of psalms he had written were really from God. They were not merely the “fruit of his genius” (Gill), but by the inspiration of the Spirit of God.
This is called internal evidence. Internal evidence is one of the considerations for answering the question, “Is the Bible God’s word?” For internal evidence describes what the Bible claims for itself. Studying the Bible’s internal claims, one might begin by considering what the writer thought of his own writings and also what other Bible authors thought of those writings. Here in 2 Samuel 23:2, David clearly claimed to have written by God’s Spirit. Then as to what others thought of his writings? David’s words are the most quoted by other writers of Scripture than any other prophet. “Prophet?” You ask. Yes, David was a prophet. For that is exactly what Peter called him in his sermon on Pentecost (See Acts 2:30).
Why does this matter? It matters because the authority of the Bible matters. If it’s merely the words of men, we are all adrift. But if it is the Word of God as it claims, then we have an anchor for our souls.
PRAYER: Dear Father, we trust Your written word. For we believe that You have spoken us through the prophets and most fully through Your Son, Jesus. We have a sure Word from You and we do not doubt it. We love Your Word. It is as food to our souls. Give us this day our daily bread, O Lord, as we read and study Your Word. In Jesus’ name, amen.