Famous Last Words

Last words can tell

Quite a lot about a man

How he lived his life

And his insurance plan

Could be about regrets

And sometimes hope

Or his final counsel

On how to cope

This poem will focus

On some famous last words,

Some are familiar

Some you may not have heard.

Some may not be last words

But indicate a trend

Giving us an idea

Of that person’s end

I will start in the Old Testament

Then go to the New

But what mine will be

I don’t have a clue.

Let’s begin with King Saul

His ring loud and clear

Perhaps beyond redemption

When his end did appear.

 “I have played the fool

I have erred exceedingly”

What devastating words

To leave as a legacy!

“Let me die with the Philistines”

Not a suicide note

But Samson in his last moments

Expressed this hope.

His prayer was answered

And the building came down,

Many Philistines died

Inside and around.

“Be strong

And show yourself a man

Walk with God

Follow his decrees and command”

The words of King David

To his son, Solomon

His successor as King

Over Israel’s kingdom.

Goliath was certain

This one was in the bag

And so much so

That he began to brag.

But he was deluded

As his end showed up,

A pebble in his forehead

Was his final cup.

These are the words

That he finally said

Just before that pebble

Stuck in his head.

“I’ll give your flesh

To the birds of the air

And the beasts of the field”

Then his life disappeared.

“May the Lord see this

And call you to account”

Zechariah to King Joash

As the Word recounts.

Just before his death

By order of the king,

Concerning Joash’s ingratitude

These words did ring.

“Who is this David

And who is this Jesse?”

And in ten days time

Nabal was as dead as can be.

He had adamantly refused

To help David’s men

When in his drunken state

He had not seen the problem.

“I stood over him and killed him”

Maybe part truth and lie

But for these words

The speaker did die.

The Amalekite was killed

After he spoke these words,

Concerning Saul’s death

David went by what he heard.

He never believed the prophet

So he went up to fight,

King Ahab didn’t want to accept

That the prophet was right.

Outfitted in a disguise

He felt this would be wise,

But by an unintended arrow

He met his demise.

Hence the following words

As the word of God recounted

“Get me out of the fighting

I have been wounded”

A wound unto death

A mortal wound,

Propped up in his chariot

He later succumbed.

As I had promised

From the Old to the New

So from the New Testament

I will just give a few.

As I did in the Old

I will start with Saul

But this Saul in the New

Was also named Paul.

  

 “I have fought a good fight

I have kept the faith”

Words full of hope

Of regret,  not a trace.

“Lord Jesus receive my spirit

Hold not this sin against them”

Assurance and forgiveness

In the dying words of Stephen.

When he had said this

He fell asleep,

Very similar to Jesus

So profound and so deep.

"Yes," she said,

“That is the price.”

It behooves us to remember

That lying is not nice.

In collusion with her mate

Sapphira lied

And just like her husband

She also died.

“It is finished”

The greatest are these

The dying words of Jesus

When seemingly under siege.

Some may have felt

These were words of defeat

But instead, they trumpeted

Mission Complete!

Mission Complete!

For all who trust in him

Mission Complete!

We are saved from sin.

Stewart Russell © April 2019