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1 Kings Chapter 2
David's Instructions to Solomon
- 1Kings 2:1 Now the
days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged
Solomon his son, saying,
- 2 I go the way of
all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a
man;
We do not know exactly when David died
or how long he lasted after his son Solomon became king but we do
know the time was getting close. David had time to instruct and
advise Solomon first.
Notice that David starts out by
instructing him to walk in the ways of God before he gets into the
other business of starting his reign. He uses the phrase, "I go the
way of all the earth." He is getting ready also to join the son that
died as a baby. David spoke of this in 2 Samuel chapter 12.
- 2Samuel 12:20
Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed
himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the
LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he
required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
- 21 Then said his
servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou
didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when
the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
- 22 And he said,
While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said,
Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child
may live?
- 23 But now he is
dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I
shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
So we see that David believed that he
would see his son again. Only the body dies at death. Before Christ
came to die for sins and then was resurrected, the soul and spirit
went to Abraham's bosom if they lived for the Lord in their lifetime
but after resurrection of Christ, He took the souls of those that
were in Abraham's bosom to Heaven with Him. This is recorded in 2
Peter when he took captivity captive. Also Paul said that those that
are absent from the body is present with the Lord.
-
2Corinthians 5:8 We are
confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body,
and to be present with the Lord.
They await the time of the 1st
resurrection when we receive new bodies that will never die again.
The body reunites with the soul and spirit but it will be a new
body. This happens at the rapture.
- 1Kings 2:3 And keep
the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his
statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his
testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou
mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou
turnest thyself:
- 4 That the LORD may
continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy
children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with
all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail
thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel.
There is a lot of if's in the bible. If
he walked in God's ways, If he kept His statues, If he kept His
commandments and if he kept His testimonies there would always be a
king of Israel on the throne ruling. The times Israel lost that is
when they forsook God and went into idolatry.
- 1Kings 2:5 Moreover
thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and
what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto
Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he
slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of
war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes
that were on his feet.
- 6 Do therefore
according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to
the grave in peace.
Joab was headstrong and was faithful to
David but did not always follow David's directions. He killed Abner
and Amasa against the will of David among other things. He
instructed Solomon to deal with him what he seemed right. I'm
thinking that David might have been fearful that Joab might do
something under Solomon's reign to cause trouble.
He wanted to make sure Solomon rewarded
those that showed him kindness in his time of trouble with Absalom.
- 1King 2:8 And,
behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite
of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day
when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan,
and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to
death with the sword.
- 9 Now therefore hold
him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what
thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down
to the grave with blood.
Even though David had forgiven Shimel
for this, it seems David had second thoughts and decided not to let
him get by with this disrespect. I'm wondering if it would have been
better to leave Shimel to God and not do this but perhaps he feared
Shimel would do something against Solomon. David seems to be trying
to protect Solomon against some that might cause trouble for him.
The Death of David
- 1Kings 2:10 So David
slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
- 11 And the days that
David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned
he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in
Jerusalem.
- 12 Then sat Solomon
upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was
established greatly.
David reigned 40 years. Saul tried to
hinder that, then Absalom, David's own son but he managed to rule 40
years with the kingdom of Israel united. After the death of Solomon
it was divided into two kingdoms, the north still called Israel and
the south Judah. Greed and the desire to rule caused the division. I
for one can't figure out why anyone would want that responsibility
but they war, fight, kill and plot to sit on thrones for some
reason.
Solomon's Reign Established
- 1Kings 2:13 And
Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of
Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said,
Peaceably.
- 14 He said moreover,
I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.
- 15 And he said, Thou
knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their
faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned
about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the
LORD.
If only Adonijah would have left this
alone and been happy he was still alive and well.
- 1Kings 2:16 And now
I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him,
Say on.
- 17 And he said,
Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say
thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
- 18 And Bathsheba
said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
- 19 Bathsheba
therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah.
And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her,
and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the
king's mother; and she sat on his right hand.
- 20 Then she said, I
desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay.
And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not
say thee nay.
- 21 And she said, Let
Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to
wife.
- 22 And king Solomon
answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag
the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for
he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the
priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
- 23 Then king Solomon
sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if
Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
- 24 Now therefore, as
the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the
throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he
promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.
- 25 And king Solomon
sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell
upon him that he died.
Because of the customs of that day
which we in the modern age would not understand, Adonijah's request
was considered a threat to the throne of Solomon. David's wives were
not to be given to anyone. Usually it was a custom for future kings
to take the wives of those that died. They were not to be given to
anyone else. Their customs seem strange to us in the 21st century
that are use to the freedom to choose our own husbands and wives.
This may be because of the influence of Jesus and the gospel.
- 1Kings 2:26 And unto
Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto
thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not
at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of
the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been
afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.
- 27 So Solomon thrust
out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might
fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house
of Eli in Shiloh.
- 28 Then tidings came
to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned
not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the
LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
- 29 And it was told
king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD;
and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the
son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.
- 30 And Benaiah came
to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the
king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And
Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and
thus he answered me.
- 31 And the king said
unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him;
that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed,
from me, and from the house of my father.
Joab took Adonijah's side and was a
threat to the kingdom of Solomon. Solomon finally had him executed
for shedding the blood of Abner and Amasa previously. He spared the
priest's life but took away his priesthood. The threat to his
kingdom finally is ended and he could move on.
Removing Abiathar from being a priest
is actually a fullfillment of the prophecy that the house of Eli was
to be cut off because of the wickedness of his sons that Eli failed
to correct.
1Kings 2:32 And the LORD shall
return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more
righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my
father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner,
captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain
of the host of Judah.
33 Their blood shall therefore
return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for
ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and
upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.
34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada
went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his
own house in the wilderness.
35 And the king put Benaiah the son
of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the
king put in the room of Abiathar.
The Zadok priesthood was a more
righteous one. True to the laws of God.
1King 2:36 And the king sent and
called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in
Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.
37 For it shall be, that on the day
thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know
for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon
thine own head.
38 And Shimei said unto the king,
The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy
servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
Shimei was of the house of Saul that
cursed David when he thought Absalom had succeeded in taking away
his kingdom. David forgave Shimei previously but advised Solomon to
deal with him according to his wisdom. Solomon instructed Shimei not
to leave Jerusalem if he wanted to live.
- 1Kings 2:39 And it
came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants
of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And
they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.
- 40 And Shimei arose,
and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his
servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
- 41 And it was told
Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was
come again.
- 42 And the king sent
and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to
swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a
certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any
whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me,
The word that I have heard is good.
- 43 Why then hast
thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I
have charged thee with?
- 44 The king said
moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine
heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore
the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;
- 45 And king Solomon
shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established
before the LORD for ever.
- 46 So the king
commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell
upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the
hand of Solomon.
So we see that all those that was a
threat to Solomon's reign as king was eventually put to death even
though Solomon gave them ways to avoid it. He wasn't hasty in
putting people to death without giving them a chance. We today do
not understand much of this but in that day this was acceptable.
Under the grace of Jesus, we were eventually influenced toward
mercy. It took awhile. Not all who claimed Christianity lived a life
of mercy toward those that disagreed with them but the real Holy
Spirit filled believers in Christ changed the way things were done.
The value of human life among real true believers in the Lord, is
precious. We leave the final judgment to God.
This day will evenually come to a close
as we see people get away from God and His word, doing things they
should never do. Abortion is one sin that I know they will not get
away with. Especially when they now want to take the life of a
newborn after it is born alive by just letting it lie and not be fed
or ministered to. It will return on their own heads if they do not
repent of this sin. Human life is precious from the cradle to the
grave. Except for captial cases where someone murders the innocent,
we should keep when a person dies up to our creator in His timing,
not ours.
Those that feared for their lives that
took hold of the altar were seeking the mercy of God. Only in
exetreme cases was anyone put to death in that place. DC
1 Kings Chapter 3
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