SCRIPTURE: 1 KINGS 2
DAVID’S CHARGE TO SOLOMON (vs. 1-12)
DAVIDS LAST COUNSELS TO SOLOMON:
- Be strong and show yourself a man.
- Walk in God’s ways and keep his decrees, commands, laws and requirements in the Law of Moses.
- Deal with Joab according to your wisdom and do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
- Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai and let them be among those who eat at your table.
- Shimei called down bitter curses to me. Do not consider him innocent. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.
David rested and was buried in the city of David. He had reigned 40 years over Israel – 7 years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem.
SOLOMON’S THRONE ESTABLISHED (vs. 13-46)
Adonijah, the son of Haggith went to Bathsheba to ask a favor. He requested her to tell Solomon to give him Abishag as his wife. When Bathsheba told Solomon about it, Solomon answered his mother: “Why do you request Abishag for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him – after all, he is my older brother – yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab, son of Zeruiah!” (v. 22). So then, Solomon gave orders to Benaiah to strike down Adonijah. Solomon told Abiathar the priest to go back to his home. He removed him from the priesthood of the Lord and replaced him with Zadok.
When the news reached Joab about Adonijah, he fled to the tent and took hold of the horns of the altar. Solomon ordered Benaiah to strike down Joab. Then Benaiah was given Joab’s position over the army.
Then the king told Shimei to live in Jerusalem and not to go anywhere else. If he leaves and crosses the Kidron Valley, he will die. Three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. Shimei went out to Gath in search for his slaves and returned. When Solomon knew about it, he gave orders to Benaiah to strike down Shimei, The kingdom was firmly established in Solomon’s hands.
THOUGHTS:
Before David died, he gave Solomon wise counsels about the men who were a threat to the throne. It is good to know who your enemies are.
Adonijah schemed a plan to take the throne by tricking Bathsheba to help him get Abishag to be his wife. Since Abishag was one of David’s concubine, claiming her would tantamount to claiming the throne. Adonijah’s plan for wedding had ended up a funeral.
ENEMIES OF DAVID THAT DESERVED JUDGMENT:
- Adonijah – By asking for the hand of Abishag, the last wife of David, he was making a rash claim to the throne.
- Abiathar – the priest who abandoned David and sided with Absalom.
- Joab – he murdered Absalom and Abner.
- Shimei – he cursed David while David was fleeing from Absalom.
God had a conditional and an unconditional provision to David. His conditional promise was that David and his descendants would remain in office as kings only if they honored and obeyed him. If they failed to to it, they will lost the throne. God’s unconditional promise was that David’s line would go on forever as fulfilled in the birth of Jesus who was a descendant of David.