Thursday Evening Bible Study

September 27, 2012

Introduction

Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel preached? Does it speak to the broken hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision Is the church loved?

The books of Kings get their titles because they record the histories of all the kings after David.

David is only mentioned briefly, with most of the history of his reign being recorded in 2Samuel 2-24 and 1Chronicles 11-29.

In the Hebrew, the books of 1Kings and 2Kings are one book.

The books are not divided because of a natural break in the history, but simply to put the books on two scrolls of equal length. They are regarded as a continuation of the history recorded in 1&2 Samuel.

1Kings picks up where 2Samuel left off.

We are now going to see the transition from David’s reign to his son.

1&2 Kings are parallel to the account of 2Chronicles, but they come from slightly different perspectives.

In Chronicles, the focus is on the kings of the southern kingdom of Judah.

In 1&2 Kings, the focus is on both the southern kingdom of Judah, and the northern kingdom of Israel.

Chronicles puts an emphasis priestly elements such as the temple and worship.

Kings puts emphasis on the kings and prophets.

1:1-4 Abishag

:1 Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm.

:1 David was old

We think David is somewhere around seventy years old. (2Sam. 5:4)

(2 Sa 5:4 NKJV) David was thirty years old when he began to reign, and he reigned forty years.

:2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.”

:3 So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

:4 The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her.

:3 Abishag the Shunammite

Her name means “my father is a wanderer”, and she apparently won some sort of beauty contest to get her job.

(Play Shunem map clip) Shunem is a town about seven miles south of Nazareth.

This is close, but not the same word that is used to describe Solomon’s bride in the Song of Solomon, the Shulamite (Song 6:13)

(So 6:13 NKJV) —13 Return, return, O Shulamite; Return, return, that we may look upon you! What would you see in the Shulamite— As it were, the dance of the two camps?

Shulamite – Shuwlammiyth – “the perfect” or “the peaceful”. This is a feminine version of Solomon.

Some have suggested that this could be the same woman, but we don’t have any way of verifying it.

This gal will become important later on.

:3 she cared for the king

Without electric blankets, they devise an ingenuous method of keeping David warm.

Ancient historians record that this was kind of therapy was practiced into the Middle Ages. This gal was strictly here to be a nurse to David. David did not become intimate with her.

1:5-10 Adonijah’s Presumption

:5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.

:5 Adonijah – ‘Adoniyah – “my lord is Yahweh”

Adonijah is the fourth son of David, but currently the oldest surviving son, making him the typical next in line for the throne.

(2 Sa 3:2–4 NKJV) —2 Sons were born to David in Hebron: His firstborn was Amnon by Ahinoam the Jezreelitess; 3 his second, Chileab, by Abigail the widow of Nabal the Carmelite; the third, Absalom the son of Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur; 4 the fourth, Adonijah the son of Haggith; the fifth, Shephatiah the son of Abital;

The first son, Amnon, was killed by Absalom. We never hear anything about the second son, Chileab. Absalom was the son that rebelled against David and was killed by Joab.

He feels that it is time to do something about it.

:5 fifty men to run …

This is what Absalom had done before declaring himself king, sort of a way of showing off.

(2 Sa 15:1 NKJV) After this it happened that Absalom provided himself with chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

:6 (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)

:6 his father had not rebuked him

David had never asked Adonijah what he was doing with the chariots and men.

Lesson

Speak up

As a parent, you have a responsibility to say something.

I think the fact that the writer records that David didn’t do anything to upset Adonijah give the implication that he should have been saying something.

(Pr 29:15 NKJV) —15 The rod and rebuke give wisdom, But a child left to himself brings shame to his mother.

Lesson

Don’t mistake silence for acceptance

I think we need to be careful about putting all the blame on David here.

Adonijah shouldn’t have been making plans without consulting with his father either.

:7 Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah.

:7 Joab – this is David’s nephew, the head of David’s army. Joab has stayed faithful to David over the years. He did not follow Absalom.

:7 Abiathar – This was one of the two high priests (Zadok was the other). He has been with David for a long time. When Saul had found out that David had received help from the priests, he had ordered all the priests killed (1Sam. 22). Abiathar was able to escape and he has been with David ever since.

(1 Sa 22:20 NKJV) —20 Now one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David.

:7 they followed and helped Adonijah

It could be that Joab and Abiathar don’t see this as betraying David as much as supporting the next king to take over when David dies.

:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.

:9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Rogel; he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants.

:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or Solomon his brother.

:9 En Rogel

Play En Rogel map clip

En Rogel is a spring just south of Jerusalem.  It’s about ½ mile away from David’s palace, perhaps to not bring too much attention to the palace.

This is no ordinary barbeque.  Adonijah is intending to declare himself king.

:8 Zadok … Benaiah … Nathan

These are the other key leaders at the time.

Lesson

Hiding from conflict

Adonijah seems to be a guy who doesn’t want to hear the “bad news”.

Sometimes when we make big decisions, we already have an idea of who will like the idea and who won’t.

Sometimes we purposely don’t talk to the people who are going to say “negative” things because we don’t want anyone ruining our party.

The problem with these kinds of presumptive actions, is that we set ourselves up for big problems later on.

There may be good reasons why you shouldn’t do what you’re thinking of.

People’s feelings get hurt when they should have been consulted and weren’t, and their being offended will be harder to overcome than if you do the harder work of working it through ahead of time.

Husbands and wives – make your big decisions TOGETHER.

Work through issues and problems BEFORE you make the decisions, not afterwards.

1:11-31 Nathan’s Countermove

:11 So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it?

:12 Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.

:12 save your own life

If Adonijah becomes king, Solomon is as good as dead.

Lesson

Healthy friendships

This is the same Nathan that had been the one to call David on the carpet concerning his sin with Bathsheba.

Some people might have looked at Nathan and felt that he wasn’t a “friend of the family” for having said the things he did to David.

Yet you can see here that he is in fact a very faithful friend.

You can see that the things that Nathan said to David weren’t said out of spite or anger, they were said out of love, having been directed by God.

It seems that David’s friend Ahithophel responded to David’s sin with Bathsheba by rebelling against David and joining with Absalom to kill David.

Nathan responded to David’s sin with Bathsheba by confronting him, sticking with him, and here working to defend David and Bathsheba.

We grow when we have people in our lives who can “speak the truth in love”.

(Eph 4:15 NKJV) but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ—

:13 Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’

:14 Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”

:15 So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.)

:16 And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?”

:17 Then she said to him, “My lord, you swore by the Lord your God to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’

Apparently at some time (we don’t know when), David had made a promise to Bathsheba that her son Solomon would succeed him as king.

:18 So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it.

:19 He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited.

:20 And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

The nation is waiting for David to say who he wants to be king.

Keep in mind, there has been no set standard as to kingly succession.  There have only been two real kings, Saul and David.  Even though Saul’s son Ishbosheth briefly ruled over part of Israel, part of the people had made David king.

:21 Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.”

They could be considered a threat to Adonijah.  They would probably be put to death.

:22 And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.

Apparently, when Nathan comes in, Bathsheba leaves (vs.28).

:23 So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground.

:24 And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’?

:25 For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’

This is the first time we have the mention that they are declaring Adonijah to be king.

:26 But he has not invited me—me your servant—nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon.

:27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

:27 Has this thing been done by my lord

Lesson

Clear Instructions

Sometimes as leaders we don’t give clear instructions to people as to what we think ought to happen – and that leaves room for people like Adonijah to take advantage and push their own agenda.

(1 Co 14:8 NKJV) For if the trumpet makes an uncertain sound, who will prepare for battle?

Sometimes we have told a few people, but haven’t followed through in implementing a plan.

Nathan knew of David’s intentions about Solomon, but he’s being gracious with David in not reminding David that he apparently dropped the ball in waiting too long to crown Solomon.

:28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.

:29 And the king took an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress,

:30 just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.”

David promises to take care of the situation.

:31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”

Lesson

Confirmation

David waits until he hears two reports against Adonijah. He doesn’t just respond with Bathsheba’s report. It’s not until Nathan give his report that he acts.

Paul writes,

(1 Ti 5:19 NKJV) —19 Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.

I wonder if this isn’t an example of the fact that David has learned in his life to wait for confirmation of things.  It seems that Nathan knows this about David and perhaps this is why he spreads out the warning to include both he and Bathsheba.

1:32-40 Solomon made king

:32 And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king.

:33 The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon.

:33 ride on my own mule – this will make it known that Solomon is being given the kingdom by David.

Mules were apparently rare in Israel. They were forbidden by law to breed them. They had to be imported. The Hebrew indicates that this was a female mule. This was a special mule, something that only a king rode on.

:33 Gihon – Giychown – “bursting forth”

Play “Gihon” map clip

Gihon is the main spring in Jerusalem, right down the hill from David’s palace.

David wants there to be a procession in which the New King enters into the city and the city pays attention.

There is no tap water in those days.  The springs are where the people would gather.  It would be a great place to start a parade.

Meanwhile, Adonijah is down the hill at En Rogel.

:34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

:35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

:36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the Lord God of my lord the king say so too.

:37 As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

:38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon.

:39 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, “Long live King Solomon!”

:40 And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.

:39 anoint – mashach – to smear, anoint, spread a liquid.

This is the root of the word “Messiah”, the “Anointed One”. A king was an “anointed” one.  He had oil poured over him.

:39 horn – shofar – ram’s horn

:40 the earth seemed to split

They made a HUGE noise. The ground is shaking because of the commotion.

1:41-53  Adonijah’s response

:41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?”

Josephus (Antiquities; 7:14:6) writes that when the people heard the noise, they all lost their appetites.

Now when Adonijah and his guests perceived this noise, they were in disorder; and Joab the captain of the host said he was not pleased with these echoes, and the sound of these trumpets. And when supper was set before them, nobody tasted of it, but they were all very thoughtful what would be the matter.

The noise seems to have taken away their appetite.

:42 While he was still speaking, there came Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring good news.”

Jonathan was one of the messengers that had helped David keep informed when Absalom had rebelled against David (2Sam. 15:27).  In the war, it was Ahimaaz that wanted to run but didn’t have a message (2Sam. 18:19)

:43 Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king.

:44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule.

:45 So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard.

:46 Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom.

:47 And moreover the king’s servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, ‘May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed himself on the bed.

:48 Also the king said thus, ‘Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!’ ”

:49 So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way.

:49 all the guests …were afraid

They are now on the “losing” side of things.  They are afraid they might be branded as traitors.

:50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

:50 took hold of the horns of the altar

Ancient altars had pointy things coming up on each corner, “horns”.

Grabbing the “horns” was a way of begging for God’s mercy.

:51 And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”

:52 Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”

:53 So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

:52 If he proves himself a worthy man

Solomon will be watching Adonijah.  He is not going to give him immediate blanket amnesty.

Is he someone that Solomon can trust, or is he someone out for his own interests?

2:1-11 David’s final instructions

:1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying:

We do not know how old Solomon is at this time.  Some think he is pretty young (some as young as 10 years old, though there’s nothing to support that).

:2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.

:3 And keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn;

:3 keep the charge of the Lord your God

Lesson

Doing the Word

It could be that David is simply encouraging Solomon to pay attention to all of God’s Word, as we all should be doing.

But there were actual commands written down for kings, written four hundred years before there was a king.

It included (Deut. 17) commands not to multiply horses (and depend on your military instead of God), not to multiply wives, and not to multiply wealth.  All three were things that Solomon was known for.

There was also another interesting command.

(Dt 17:18–20 NKJV) —18 “Also it shall be, when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, that he shall write for himself a copy of this law in a book, from the one before the priests, the Levites. 19 And it shall be with him, and he shall read it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God and be careful to observe all the words of this law and these statutes, 20 that his heart may not be lifted above his brethren, that he may not turn aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left, and that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children in the midst of Israel.

Whether we’re a king of not, it’s a good thing to know and study God’s Word. 

Not just for the first couple months that you walk with the Lord, but “all your days” (vs. 19).

It keeps your heart in the right place.

:4 that the Lord may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, ‘you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

:5 “Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet.

:6 Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.

:5 what Joab …did to me

Both Abner and Amasa were killed by Joab in a time of peace. Both men were killed by Joab against David’s wishes.  Both men’s deaths caused David much trouble.

At first it will look like David is asking his son to clean up the messes he was afraid to deal with – it might be true, but might be something else.

Joab had value to David, and David was able to keep Joab in line to some extent. But David knows that Joab will be a problem for Solomon so Solomon will need to deal with Joab soon.

Perhaps with Joab having sided with Adonijah, David knows that he will be a problem.

:7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

When David fled from Absalom to the city of Mahanaim, Barzillai was one of the people that helped feed and support David and his men.  We believe that Chimham is one of the sons of Barzillai (2Sam. 19:37).

:8 “And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the Lord, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’

:9 Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.”

:8 Shimei the son of Gera

When David was fleeing from Absalom, this was the guy who came out to curse at David and throw rocks at him.

David wouldn’t let anyone harm Shimei because he wasn’t sure if perhaps Shimei was right.

When David returned to Jerusalem, Shimei came out to meet him, accompanied by 1,000 men.

Shimei isn’t just a lone wolf who causes trouble.  He was a leader in the tribe of Benjamin.

The tribe of Benjamin is still hurting over their loss of power after King Saul died and David became king.

Shimei was a man with an agenda, and Solomon needed to keep an eye on him.

Lesson

Transition work

Transferring power from one authority structure to another takes work and much wisdom.

When you get promoted at work and you take someone’s spot, keep in mind that things will change, people will treat you differently than they did the previous boss, and you need to learn lessons about transition.

:10 So David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David.

:11 The period that David reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years.

:10 was buried

Josephus records that David was buried with a huge amount of his gold and even though some later leaders took and used some of that gold, most of it was supposedly hidden.  Who knows?

Josephus (Antiquities, 7:15:3) has recorded how David was buried:

He was buried by his son Solomon, in Jerusalem, with great magnificence, and with all the other funeral pomp which kings use to be buried with; moreover, he had great and immense wealth buried with him, the vastness of which may be easily conjectured at by what I shall now say; for a thousand and three hundred years afterwards, Hyrcanus the high priest, when he was besieged by Antiochus, that was called the Pious, the son of Demetrius, and was desirous of giving him money to get him to raise the siege, and draw off his army; and having no other method of compassing the money, opened one room of David’s sepulchre, and took out three thousand talents, and gave part of that sum to Antiochus, and by this means caused the siege to be raised, as we have informed the reader elsewhere. Nay, after him, and that many years, Herod the king opened another room, and took away a great deal of money, and yet neither of them came at the coffins of the kings themselves, for their bodies were buried under the earth so artfully, that they did not appear even to those that entered into their monuments; — but so much shall suffice us to have said concerning these matters.

David’s reign as king was around the year 1,000 BC.

2:12-25 Dealing with Adonijah

:12 Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

We’re going to see the things that happened to establish Solomon’s kingdom, established his authority and power.

:13 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. So she said, “Do you come peaceably?” And he said, “Peaceably.”

:13 Adonijah … came to Bathsheba

Lesson

Be Direct

It seems that Adonijah likes doing things through the back door.

He has something important to ask Solomon, but instead of asking him directly, he tries to use Solomon’s mom to help him.

Why doesn’t he just ask Solomon?  Because his request is going to be WAY out of bounds.

:14 Moreover he said, “I have something to say to you.” And she said, “Say it.”

:15 Then he said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their expectations on me, that I should reign. However, the kingdom has been turned over, and has become my brother’s; for it was his from the Lord.

:15 the kingdom was mine

This phrase alone ought to spell trouble.

He might have tried to make the kingdom his, but he was out of line.

:15 it was his from the Lord

I don’t know how serious he is about this statement.  He might be saying this to simply set Bathsheba up for his question.

Lesson

God’s will or mine?

Adonijah is a self-willed man.

I When we do things like Adonijah – sneaking around behind people’s backs, perhaps we are trying to do things according to “our” will instead of God’s.

:16 Now I ask one petition of you; do not deny me.” And she said to him, “Say it.”

:17 Then he said, “Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.”

:17 give me Abishag … as wife

Even though Abishag was David’s “nurse”, she had a serious connection with David.

This might sound like an innocent request, but it’s not.

A woman was often seen as a connection to power.

When Saul’s son Ishbosheth reigned briefly, he was upset because he had heard rumors that Saul’s general, Abner, was sleeping with Rizpah, one of Saul’s concubines (2Sam. 3:7). Ishbosheth felt threatened by this.

When David was offered the throne of Israel, one of the first things he asked for was to get his old wife, Michal, the daughter of Saul back as his wife (2Sam. 3:13).

When Absalom revolted against David, the first thing he was advised to do was to sleep with the ten concubines that David had left back at the palace (2Sam. 16:21).

Keil & Delitzsch: Among the Israelites, just as with the ancient Persians (Herod. iii. 68), taking possession of the harem of a deceased king was equivalent to an establishment of the claim to the throne.

Adonijah is setting himself up to look like David’s heir to the throne.

:18 So Bathsheba said, “Very well, I will speak for you to the king.”

Bathsheba might indeed be a silly, naïve woman.  But I tend to think she is one shrewd, wise woman.  She most likely realizes what Adonijah is doing, and is simply going to give Solomon the perfect reason to get rid of Adonijah.

:19 Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand.

:20 Then she said, “I desire one small petition of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”

Even Solomon had a hard time saying “no” to his mom.

:21 So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.”

:22 And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Now why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also—for he is my older brother—for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.”

:22 Ask for him the kingdom also

Solomon sees the significance of Adonijah’s request.  He doesn’t take it as a little, insignificant request.  He knows that Adonijah is still plotting to get the kingdom.

Suggestion:  It would be an interesting romance story if Abishag the Shunammite is the same individual called the Shulammite in the Song of Solomon ( Song 6:13). Some think they are the same person.  The Shulammite becomes Solomon’s wife (or at least one of them).  There are some that suggest that one reason Solomon gets so upset is because he’s in love with Abishag himself.

:22 Abiathar … Joab

Apparently Solomon is aware that this is not just an issue with Adonijah, but involves the other two major leaders who sided with Adonijah.

:23 Then King Solomon swore by the Lord, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life!

:24 Now therefore, as the Lord lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has established a house for me, as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

:25 So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he struck him down, and he died.

:25 by the hand of Benaiah

Solomon sends down the death sentence.

I can imagine the look of surprise on Adonijah’s face when he hears the doorbell ring, goes to the front door expecting to see beautiful Abishag, but instead is greeted by big old Benaiah.

Benaiah is a dangerous man.  He is in charge of the king’s bodyguard.  He has a reputation.

He’s one of David’s mighty men.  He’s fought in some pretty hairy battles. (2Sam. 23:20-21)

(2 Sa 23:20–21 NKJV) —20 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 21 And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear.

2:26-27 Dealing with Abiathar

:26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord God before my father David, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.”

:27 So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the Lord, that he might fulfill the word of the Lord which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.

:27 fulfill the word of the Lord

Solomon doesn’t feel he could handle being responsible for putting a high priest to death.  Abiathar had suffered with David through many things.  He had not been guilty of several murders like Joab.  He goes into exile.

There were two families of high priests descended from Aaron.

During the days before the kings when Eli was the high priest, there was a prophecy that the lineage of priests from Eli’s family would one day cease being priests (1Sam. 2:31).

That starts now.

2:28-35 Dealing with Joab

:28 Then news came to Joab, for Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom. So Joab fled to the tabernacle of the Lord, and took hold of the horns of the altar.

Joab hears about Solomon making his moves against Adonijah and Abiathar and he knows he’s next.

It could be that Joab just fled to the tent that David had set up in Jerusalem for the Ark of the Covenant.  It is also possible that he fled to Gibeon, where THE Tabernacle of Moses, along with the bronze altar, were located.  Gibeon is about five miles to the north of Jerusalem.

Perhaps Joab thought that if he clung to the altar that Solomon would have mercy on him.  Perhaps he thought that Solomon wouldn’t dare have a person killed at the altar of God.

:29 And King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the Lord; there he is, by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.”

:30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle of the Lord, and said to him, “Thus says the king, ‘Come out!’ ” And he said, “No, but I will die here.” And Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.”

:31 Then the king said to him, “Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed.

:31 strike him down

It’s possible that Joab thought that he might truly find mercy from Solomon if he clung to the altar, but the truth is, God’s Word actually gave Solomon permission to have Joab put to death at the altar because he was a condemned murderer.

(Ex 21:14 NKJV) “But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.

You could make the case that when Joab killed Abner, he was just acting as the “blood avenger” because Abner killed Joab’s brother Asahel.  But Joab had no reason to kill Amasa.  That was simple murder.

:32 So the Lord will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword— Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it.

:33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the Lord.”

:34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

Josephus records that Solomon ordered Benaiah to cut off Joab’s head. (Antiquities; 8:1:4)

There was a measure of respect still given to Joab in allowing him to be buried at his family’s estate.

:35 The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

Benaiah takes Joab’s place as head of the army.

2:36-46 Dealing with Shimei

:36 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere.

:37 For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

:37 cross the Brook Kidron

Remember that Shimei is not just a guy with a language problem because he cursed David.

As a leader of the tribe of Benjamin, he poses a legitimate threat to Solomon’s kingdom.

Play Bahurim map video.

Shimei’s home, Bahurim, was on the other side of the Brook Kidron from Jerusalem.  Solomon is making Shimei relocate to Jerusalem where he can keep an eye on him.

:38 And Shimei said to the king, “The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

Perhaps Shimei has heard what has happened to Adonijah and Joab.  He seems to be getting off easy.  He agrees to Solomon’s offer.

:39 Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish the son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Look, your slaves are in Gath!”

:40 So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath.

:41 And Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back.

:42 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’

:43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the Lord and the commandment that I gave you?”

:44 The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the Lord will return your wickedness on your own head.

:45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.”

:46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

:46 struck him down

It might not seem fair that Solomon had Shimei killed just because he left town, but the contract details were very clear from the beginning.

Lesson

Careful Discipline

Solomon gave Shimei the benefit of the doubt and put him on “house arrest”, with the agreement that if he ever leaves Jerusalem, he will be put to death for the things he did against David.

And Shimei agreed to those terms.

But it would seem that at some point, Shimei felt he no longer needed to be concerned about Solomon.  Wrong.

Good discipline includes:

Clear guidelines

You have to make it clear what the problem is and what the penalty is going to be.

Even when our kids were little, we tried not to just punish them because we were angry, we tried our best to make sure they understood what it was that they had done and that they had crossed lines we had already established.

If your kids don’t know the rules because you make them up as you go, you are going to have some pretty frustrated kids.

Follow through

Don’t just promise they are going to lose their privileges and then not do it, make sure the penalty is something you are going to follow up on.

Yelling louder solves nothing.

Promising a penalty and following through shows your kids you are serious about the rules you set.

:46 the kingdom was established

Solomon has dealt with the known issues that would challenge his newly started reign.

I imagine that the kingdom saw that Solomon was in charge and shouldn’t be messed with.