For 40 significant years David reigned as king over God's people. Although chequered with failure and periodic lapses into carnality, David's rule was marked mainly by godliness and strength. Now at the end of his life, we find David old and perhaps physically stooped. He was facing that inevitable hour through which all must pass. Surrounded by his son, the king-elect Solomon, and an assembly of loyal followers, King David dreamed, rejoiced, gave advice, prayed, and finally died—ending an era that would never again be duplicated in the annals of history.