1.  David, knowing that death is near, prepares his son Solomon for his future responsibilities.

2.  He first impresses upon Solomon his need to put God first in his life, to attend to his spiritual life.  For Solomon to make good decisions and to have the courage to follow through on them he must know the Word of God and walk in His ways.

3.  We must likewise prepare our children for life by teaching them:  to love God and  value the Word of God; to have good work habits; to value character above looks, popularity, etc.; what authentic biblical manhood and woman hood is; to delay gratification by respecting time tags (certain experiences are meant to be saved for certain stages of life); self-control; to avoid sexually charged situations and to anticipate dangerous situations.