1 Kings 2:3

Keep the charge. David’s charge to Solomon was, above all, of a religious nature. Solomon was first to be true to God. The Israelites were the people of God, and Solomon was to rule over them as a servant of God. The last words of David to Solomon were not so much those of a father to his son, but rather those of a head of Israel, a theocratic state, to his divinely appointed successor upon the throne. It is from this standpoint that the whole discourse is to be viewed. As king of Israel, Solomon was “to sit upon the throne of the kingdom of the Lord” (1 Chron. 28:5). When he had taken the kingdom, he “sat on the throne of the Lord” (1 Chron. 29:23). Israel was a nation of which Jehovah was king and of which the human ruler was only a servant and representative of the heavenly King.

Walk in his ways. The king was to know the ways of God and to walk in them, not only for his own best interests but also as an example to the people. The ways of God were ways of righteousness and peace, and would bring to him blessing and prosperity.

Keep his statutes. The statutes are the provisions of the law. God gave His commandments to the people, and then prescribed further regulations to make clear exactly what obedience entailed in specific cases. Such detailed statutes, judgments, and testimonies are found in the law of Moses. There are ceremonial ordinances, civil statutes, laws of health, as well as moral requirements.

Mayest prosper. All the laws of God were given for the benefit of man. God placed His children under law because He desired to see them happy and prosperous. His prescriptions and injunctions were not given to display His supreme authority but to ensure the welfare and happiness of the children of earth. Walking in harmony with the laws of Heaven, man was to find joy, peace, contentment of spirit, health of body, and fullness of life. Disobeying those laws would bring trouble, sorrow, sickness, woe, pain, and death. This has been made plain at the beginning of Israel’s history. It was constantly pointed out by the prophets down to the very end. “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isa. 1:19, 20; cf. Jer. 7:5-7). When Israel finally perished, it was made clear that the reason was failure to comply with the commandments of the Lord (2 Kings 17:7-20).