The Books of 1 & 2 Kings

Transcription

1 The Books of 1 & 2 Kings Bro. Frank Shallieu ( Study)

2 The following notes on the Books of 1 and 2 Kings were compiled from a Bible study led by Bro. Frank Shallieu in They should be utilized with the following understanding: 1. Each paragraph preceded by Comment or Q (an abbreviation for Question ) was introduced by someone other than Bro. Frank. 2. The original study did not follow a prepared text but was extemporaneous in nature. 3. Although the transcriber tried to faithfully, with the Lord s help, set forth the thoughts that were presented in the study, the notes are not a verbatim rendering and, therefore, should be considered in that context. 4. Finally, Bro. Frank did not review the notes for possible errors that may have inadvertently entered the text. With this disclaimer in mind, may the notes be a blessing as a useful study guide.

3 THE BOOK OF 1 KINGS (Study led by Bro. Frank Shallieu in ) 1 Kings 1:1 Now king David was old and stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat. 1 Kings 1:2 Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat. 1 Kings 1:3 So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 1 Kings 1:4 And the damsel was very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not. King David was old and stricken in years and quite feeble. His coldness must have been visibly apparent to those in his household, probably causing him to have shakes and tremors. Q: Why wasn t one of David s wives selected to keep him warm? One who loved him and was in good health would want to care for him. A: Possibly the young woman was warmer-blooded and had more energy to help David than a current wife. At any rate, the king knew her not, so there was no sexual intimacy. Q: Why, in some Bibles, are 1 and 2 Kings called the third and fourth books of Kings? A: The Books of 1 and 2 Samuel are generally designated 1 and 2 Kings in the Hebrew Bible. Then the Books of 1 and 2 Kings are called 3 and 4 Kings, for a total of four books of Kings. 1 Kings 1:5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 1 Kings 1:6 And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. 1 Kings 1:7 And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. 1 Kings 1:8 But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. Adonijah, a son of David who was born in Hebron, exalted himself, saying, I will be king, and prepared to usurp the throne. Earlier Absalom, of a different mother, had acted similarly. Absalom was the third son of David, and Adonijah was the fourth (see 2 Sam. 3:2-4). Adonijah appointed 50 men to run ahead of his chariots, thus creating an impressive spectacle when he went from city to city. Moreover, like Absalom, Adonijah was a very goodly [handsome] man. Adonijah probably considered himself next in line to ascend the throne, but David did not have him in mind and neither did the Lord. David had never provoked Adonijah to give cause for this rebellion. As intelligent as David was, he was naive in certain ways.

4 2 Adonijah conferred with Joab, the influential general of the army, and Abiathar, one of the two high priests. Before too precipitously taking this honor to himself, Adonijah wanted to make sure some of the leading men in the realm were on his side. Both Joab and Abiathar, who should have known better, agreed to help him. Joab fluctuated in his loyalties to David. Earlier he had shown an inclination to favor Absalom, and now he sided with Adonijah. Meanwhile, Zadok, the other high priest, remained loyal to David along with Benaiah, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men (2 Sam. 23:8-39). Shimei, who had opposed David earlier, now sided with him. His favorable support in David s feeble years, as well as his recognition of David after Absalom s death, helped to offset what Shimei had done previously (2 Sam. 16:5-13; 19:16-20). 1 Kings 1:9 And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king s sons, and all the men of Judah the king s servants: 1 Kings 1:10 But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. 1 Kings 1:11 Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? 1 Kings 1:12 Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. En-rogel was at the southern extremity of Jerusalem where the Hinnom, Kidron, and Tyropoeon valleys form the Hebrew letter S. The stone of Zoheleth was probably being used as an altar to sacrifice sheep, oxen, and cattle. With the exception of Solomon, Adonijah called all of his brothers, the king s sons, and all the men of Judah to a feast. Realizing what was happening, Nathan the prophet acted quickly, for if Adonijah successfully assumed the reins of authority, he would want to eliminate Solomon and probably Bathsheba too in order to consolidate his power. Since David was more or less bedridden at this time, he was not active and alert and observing what was taking place. Nathan offered to give advice to Bathsheba to save her life and that of her son. 1 Kings 1:13 Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? 1 Kings 1:14 Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words. 1 Kings 1:15 And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king. 1 Kings 1:16 And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou? 1 Kings 1:17 And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.

5 3 1 Kings 1:18 And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest it not: 1 Kings 1:19 And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called. 1 Kings 1:20 And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 1 Kings 1:21 Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders. Nathan prompted Bathsheba with the words to speak to David. Of course she realized the necessity and the urgency of following the prophet s advice. Nathan s strategy was to enter seemingly by chance during Bathsheba s meeting with the king in order to confirm her words as a second witness. When David saw Bathsheba honor him and knew she had some request to make, he asked, What can I do for you? She replied, Didn t you swear to me that my son Solomon would reign after your decease? Now Adonijah is reigning, and you are unaware of his usurpation behind your back. What do you plan to do about the matter? Adonijah is even having a feast with notable men in attendance. Your prior servants have participated in the conspiracy. Bathsheba reminded David that she and Solomon would be slain if Adonijah succeeded. 1 Kings 1:22 And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. 1 Kings 1:23 And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground. 1 Kings 1:24 And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? 1 Kings 1:25 For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah. 1 Kings 1:26 But me, even me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called. 1 Kings 1:27 Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not showed it unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? Being careful not to mention Solomon at the start of his audience with the king, but to vary his account from that of Bathsheba, Nathan asked the question Did you appoint Adonijah to be your successor? Then, to be convincing, he added the additional details that Adonijah and his supporters had actually made the proclamation God save king Adonijah. By calling Solomon David s servant, Nathan was saying that all of the king s other sons were with Adonijah, but he and Solomon were faithful: But me, even me thy servant, and... thy servant Solomon. He added, Haven t you let me, your servant, know who your successor is? Have you done something without informing me? Is Adonijah reigning by your authority?

6 4 By rebelling and presumptuously seizing the kingship, Adonijah manifested a lack of faith in God. He did not have the proper respect and reverence for God and acted more out of politics and strategy based on an ulterior motive. 1 Kings 1:28 Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king s presence, and stood before the king. 1 Kings 1:29 And the king sware, and said, As the LORD liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress, 1 Kings 1:30 Even as I sware unto thee by the LORD God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day. 1 Kings 1:31 Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. 1 Kings 1:32 And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king. 1 Kings 1:33 The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: When Bathsheba had her audience with the king, she was alone with him, relatively speaking. As soon as Nathan came in, she exited. The prophet spoke to David, and then he also left. What was David s reaction? He said, Call Bathsheba, and had a second audience with her, repeating his earlier oath that Solomon would be his successor. Next he called Nathan to return, along with Zadok and Benaiah this time. To the three, he said, Take my servants and cause Solomon, my son, to ride upon my mule, and bring him down to the Pool of Gihon for the anointing ceremony. It was important that both Nathan and Zadok be involved with anointing Solomon to be king. There needed to be a double anointing, as it were, one by the priest and one by the prophet. Comment: David s humility is seen here. He readily relinquished the crown to Solomon and offered his own mule. Reply: Yes, he saw the urgency of the matter. The anointing had to be done that very day. His mule was probably a very select animal that was white and had certain features marking it as belonging to the king. Incidentally, the Virgins Fount circular pool, the Pool of Gihon, was the same waterway as the Pool of Siloam but at the upper end. Siloam was the rectangular pool at the bottom. The Pool of Gihon was near where Hezekiah s Tunnel starts at the upper, or north end. Comment: When Solomon s Temple was built, underpriests served in the 24 courses of service set forth by David. Reply: Yes. Abiathar s support of Adonijah will bar him from service in the future Ezekiel s Temple. Because of Zadok s faithfulness and loyalty to David, he and his children will be the underpriests for the ceremonies in the Kingdom. 1 Kings 1:34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.

7 1 Kings 1:35 Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. 5 1 Kings 1:36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. 1 Kings 1:37 As the LORD hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David. 1 Kings 1:38 So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David s mule, and brought him to Gihon. A company of people went with Solomon, who rode David s mule down to the Pool of Gihon for his anointing. Following the anointing and the blowing of the trumpet, a proclamation was to be made: God save King Solomon. Q: Who were the Cherethites and the Pelethites? A: They were foreigners who had cast their lot with David when he was in hiding from Saul. Now they were like the king s household guard in one sense, whereas the mighty men were his chief fighters. 1 Kings 1:39 And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon. 1 Kings 1:40 And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them. The acoustics were particularly keen at the time of Solomon s anointing so that the sound wafted down to where Adonijah was. The earth [was] rent with the sound of the trumpet, the shout, people piping with pipes, and the rejoicing. The shout of Solomon s enthusiastic supporters was amplified by the Lord to reach Adonijah s ears. Imagine the shock and dismay that came upon him when he heard the noise! 1 Kings 1:41 And Adonijah and all the guests that were with him heard it as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore is this noise of the city being in an uproar? 1 Kings 1:42 And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou art a valiant man, and bringest good tidings. 1 Kings 1:43 And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king. 1 Kings 1:44 And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king s mule: 1 Kings 1:45 And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This is the noise that

8 ye have heard. 6 Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, reported the startling news of what had happened. Many of those with Adonijah had served under David, but they had now transferred their allegiance. Looking to the future, they threw their support to Adonijah without first consulting the Lord. Comment: In Bible chronology, David s reign is reckoned as 40 years. Reply: In reading the account carefully, we see that his reign actually lasted 40 1/2 years, but it was considered 40 years. In the chronology listings in Kings and Chronicles, the reigns are invariably rounded off and reckoned as full years. Only in rare cases are months mentioned, and that is where kings reigned for only a few months, Jehoiachin being an example (2 Kings 24:8). Had David reigned a little longer, the time would have been considered as 41 years. For the sake of the type, therefore, his reign had to be cut short. 1 Kings 1:46 And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom. 1 Kings 1:47 And moreover the king s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed. 1 Kings 1:48 And also thus said the king, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it. 1 Kings 1:49 And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 1 Kings 1:50 And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. Adonijah and his supporters had just finished eating when they heard the trumpet and uproar. Then in came Jonathan with the news. In fear, all of Adonijah s supporters forsook him, every man [going] his [own] way. Knowing his attempt to seize the throne had failed, he fled to the altar in the court of the Tabernacle and caught hold of the horns with his hands. The altar was like the tribunal of last resort, for holding onto the horns was a symbol of expecting clemency and mercy from the king. Now, at the end of David s reign, the tent he had erected in Jerusalem many years earlier to house the Ark was still there, as well as an altar. Through this expediency, the feasts could be observed until the Temple was built. 1 Kings 1:51 And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me today that he will not slay his servant with the sword. 1 Kings 1:52 And Solomon said, If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die. 1 Kings 1:53 So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house. Solomon said Adonijah could live if he showed himself a worthy man. Adonijah returned to his house as Solomon commanded.

9 7 Here was a peculiar situation with three personalities on the scene at the same time: Adonijah was illegally anointed as king, Solomon was legally anointed as king, and David was still on the scene in the flesh. In antitype, Jesus was anointed King at the beginning of the Gospel Age, and the Church has been down here in the flesh throughout the Gospel Age. Stated another way, while the David class is in the flesh, the Head of the Solomon class has already been anointed. The account is now coming to the end of David s life when Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom (verse 46). Not only did Solomon have David s mule going to and from the Pool of Gihon, but David s advice was, Have him sit on my throne (verse 35). Solomon literally sat on the seat that David customarily used on occasions of state, the point being to seal before the minds of the public that he was the successor. However, it was not until David s death that Solomon was king in the full sense of the word. Bathsheba had used that very reasoning with David: Don t you know that as soon as you fall asleep in death, Adonijah will slay Solomon and me? (verse 21). Thus the successor had been appointed and was there, but the reign aspect would not begin until the death of David himself. Q: What happened to Abiathar? A: King Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being high priest (1 Kings 2:26,27). In the United States, if the President had to undergo serious surgery and was incapacitated, someone would temporarily take over the reins of government until he had recovered. Similarly, Solomon now handled the affairs that David was incapable of doing. Because of his infirmity, David was more in the role of adviser, as is seen in the Chronicles account. 1 Kings 2:1 Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 1 Kings 2:2 I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and show thyself a man; 1 Kings 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: 1 Kings 2:4 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. 1 Kings 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. 1 Kings 2:6 Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. 1 Kings 2:7 But show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. 1 Kings 2:8 And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of

10 8 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. 1 Kings 2:9 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. Verses 2-9 are David s charge to Solomon just before his decease. The if clause spoken by David in verse 4, 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... a man on the throne of Israel, was a conditional promise. In contradistinction, the sure mercies of David were unconditional. If Solomon was unfaithful, Messiah s lineage would be reckoned through someone else. And that is what happened the true blood lineage of Mary went through Nathan (Luke 3:31). Verse 8 confirms that this is the same Shimei who had cursed David earlier. David showed kindness to him because of later actions of reconciliation. However, now that David was about to pass off the scene, he felt that Shimei was not to be held guiltless. Because he had dishonored the office of king, the representation of Jehovah s throne, he was worthy of death. Notice that David could discern wisdom in Solomon: thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him. He was confident Solomon would know how to handle the matter. Likewise David charged Solomon to put Joab to death, again referring to Solomon s wisdom: Do therefore according to thy wisdom. David was squaring accounts with Shimei and Joab. On a happier note, David instructed Solomon to show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite by letting them eat at his table. David was appreciative of their support when he was fleeing from Absalom. Q: It is understandable that, because of his promise, David did not order the death of Shimei, but why did he refrain from putting Joab to death? A: There were probably personal reasons, for Joab did some unusual things. 1 Kings 2:10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. 1 Kings 2:11 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. 1 Kings 2:12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly. In round numbers, David s reign of 40 years consisted of seven years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem. He died and was buried in the City of David. Here was another beginning, for upon David s death, then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly. Like David, Solomon was anointed ahead of time and did not officially reign until his predecessor died. There is a hint with David in regard to the closing of the door at the end of the age. We have suggested that a time will come when God will know the door is shut, but those on this side of the veil will not be aware of that fact. A little later it will be known that the door is shut, as shown by the reaction of the foolish virgins (Matt. 25:10).

11 9 In another picture, Abraham, because of his faithfulness, was told in advance about the destruction of Sodom (Gen. 18:17,18). Of course Abraham s seeing the destruction from afar indicates that in the antitype, the Little Flock will view the destruction of the antitypical Sodom from heaven. The point is that Abraham had developed a crystallized character when he was given advance information. Accordingly, the Pastor used certain Scriptures to suggest the possibility that God will know when a sufficient number of feet members are on this side of the veil to complete the Little Flock, but the consecrated down here will not know. At that point in time, the door of opportunity for the high calling will be shut. When the closing of the door is realized by the consecrated still down here, all 144,000 will be on the other side of the veil. Hence there are two hypothetical closings of the door. From that standpoint, the development of the Church occurs in stages. The anointing with the Holy Spirit to the high calling, which takes place at consecration, can be lost by an individual, yet his life can still be saved. For instance, when we give our all to the Lord and enter the door of the high calling, we are bona fide participants. If faithful unto death, we will receive a crown. But there may come a time when we are not the proper material; that is, we have not developed in the manner that is pleasing to the Lord, and He selects someone else without our knowing the person is a replacement. We are speaking now about the dispensational closing of the door. When we say the door will be closed as dramatically as it was opened at Pentecost, we are referring to the visible closing, which is part of the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Virgins. A voice from heaven will say, The marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready... [but] Blessed are they which are called [invited] unto the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7,9). That message says, in effect, that the door is closed. In regard to the opening of the door at Pentecost, just as God knew in advance, prior to Pentecost, that 11 apostles would be faithful and one would be lost, so the theoretical closing of the door, known by God in advance, will not coincide with the practical closing of the door. Q: What is the hint in the account of David regarding the closing of the door? Is it the fact that Solomon did not really assume the throne until David had died? A: Yes. The antitypical Solomon class of the future is chosen from the other side of the veil before the selection becomes apparent down here. (The David class is in the present life; the Solomon class is beyond the veil.) We know the time is drawing nigh for the wedding of the Bride and the Lamb, but we do not know which individuals will secure that honor. However, the identities of the 144,000 are known above. The aged David is significant with regard to the feet members. The anointing is one thing; being seated in office is another matter. With co-reigns in the past, such as in Egypt, where a father and a son reigned at the same time, the father was accredited with the reign in spite of his infirmity, and the son, who may have been doing the bulk of the work, did not actually reign until the father died. When David was feeble in his old age, Solomon assumed the duties of his father and spoke with his father s authority. He reigned in a practical way but not in the theoretical way until David died. Thus we see three parts to the reign: two anointings of Solomon followed by his sitting on the throne of David. The wording of verse 12 Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father implies there was a manner in which he previously did not sit on the throne, yet when Solomon was anointed, David said, Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, which hath given one to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing it (1 Kings 1:48). 1 Kings 2:13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.

12 10 1 Kings 2:14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. 1 Kings 2:15 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. 1 Kings 2:16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. In review, we recall that Adonijah was about to be proclaimed king when Nathan the prophet contacted Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, and informed her of the conspiracy. Then Bathsheba reminded King David of a previous promise wherein the Lord had committed the kingdom to be handed over to Solomon, and she wanted David to verify that promise to the nation before the conspiracy became full-blown. As a result, Solomon was anointed king, and David s decease occurred shortly thereafter. Having heard the announcement that Solomon was king, Adonijah was concerned about his future and cleverly went to Bathsheba with a petition. Since David had died and her son was now king, she was highly respected as the queen mother and had great prestige. When she asked, Do you come peaceably? he said, Yes. Adonijah was trying to extract a favorable response from her in advance for an unknown request. 1 Kings 2:17 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. 1 Kings 2:18 And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. Adonijah wanted Abishag the Shunammite for his wife. Abishag was the fair, young virgin who had become King David s wife in his old age to keep him warm (1 Kings 1:1-4). Hence this was a bold, presumptuous request, and Adonijah s ulterior motive could have been that at a later date under more favorable circumstances, he might try to lead a coup to overthrow the government. Of course he was the son of a former king, and if he married one of his father s wives, he would have sort of a legitimate right to the throne. Adonijah gave Bathsheba the words to speak to King Solomon in regard to this request. Comment: How clever of Adonijah to go to the unsuspecting Bathsheba! Reply: Yes, if he had gone to Solomon direct, the king would have seen through his strategy right away. Adonijah hoped the more subtle approach through Bathsheba would be effective. 1 Kings 2:19 Bath-sheba 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. 1 Kings 2:20 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. 1 Kings 2:21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. 1 Kings 2:22 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.

13 11 1 Kings 2:23 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. Solomon saw through Adonijah s indirect request immediately, even though it was done through Bathsheba, who asked one small petition. Adonijah s life had been graciously spared after his rebellion and attempt to become king, and now his treachery was seen to be still alive. (As stated in 1 Kings 1:50-52, Adonijah had caught hold of the horns of the altar and pleaded to Solomon for his life. Solomon said he would live if he proved worthy.) Moreover, Abiathar and Joab had sided with Adonijah at the time of his rebellion. Solomon was justifiably angry. Ask for him the kingdom also, he told his mother. In other words, Adonijah might just as well have asked for the kingdom, for that is his real intention. He is my older brother. Comment: Solomon had promised Bathsheba he would agree to her request I will not say thee nay but when he saw it was not really her request but Adonijah s, he could renege on the promise. Reply: The lesson is that it is dangerous to sign a contract without first reading the contents. 1 Kings 2:24 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. 1 Kings 2:25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died. Solomon pronounced Adonijah s death sentence, and acting on orders, Benaiah killed him. Q: Would there be an antitype when the Kingdom is established? If so, would the deaths of individuals such as Adonijah, Joab, and Shimei represent the elimination of God s enemies at that time? A: Their deaths are not necessarily a type in that sense. However, Egypt will be brought into subjection in that day, and God will rebuke strong nations afar off (Zech. 14:18,19; Micah 4:3). Those who act precipitously through blind prejudice will need to be corrected, and those who do not listen to that prophet will be cut off, some summarily (Acts 3:23). Thus in principle, Adonijah s death would apply to the Kingdom, for some will be so hardened in their prejudices that even though it is the Kingdom of light, they will disobey. It is helpful to consider what happened with the Israelites who left Egypt in the Exodus. They all witnessed the miracles of the plagues, the Red Sea crossing, manna and water being supplied, etc., but not all the people were sweetly in harmony with Moses instructions. Just because the truth is known in the Kingdom does not mean all will automatically respond. Some will firmly resist, and some will ostensibly obey through prudence but not with their heart. Sooner or later both classes will be weeded out. The number of those who are deceived and perish at the end of the Kingdom will be as the sand of the sea (Rev. 20:8). Satan will be loosed at that time, that is, after all the Kingdom work has been done. We are inclined to think that in the final analysis, about one half of the world s population will not get life. Some will die almost immediately, some after 100 years because of insufficient progress, and some in the Little Season for not being in heart sympathy with God. In addition, it is likely that one half of the consecrated prior to the Kingdom Age will not get life, as shown by the Nadab and Abihu picture, among other Scriptures.

14 12 1 Kings 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. 1 Kings 2:27 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. The counterpart of unfaithful Abiathar in the days of David was faithful Zadok. Evidently, Solomon made a search of things that were going on behind the scenes in order to root out future problems. Even though Abiathar had been a high priest, he was ousted from the priesthood and banished to his own area of Anathoth. Although Solomon did not put him to death at this time, the demotion would have brought shame and humiliation to Abiathar. We are reminded of a prophecy of Eli, the high priest, in regard to his two willfully disobedient sons, Hophni and Phinehas, in the days when the Tabernacle was in Shiloh. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever (1 Sam. 2:31-35). The house of Eli would be cut off eventually, and many evils would afflict his posterity. When Eli heard this prophecy, his heart was grieved, for it meant that his own posterity would be cut off in death. In addition, God s dealings were transferred to another family, that is, to Samuel as the successor. Q: Why does 1 Kings 4:4, a later chapter, call Abiathar and Zadok the priests when the account here in 1 Kings 2:26,27 tells that Abiathar was demoted? A: Abiathar was high priest for a while, and 1 Kings 4:4 is just a historical listing. The Kings account goes back and forth several times; that is, it is not in chronological sequence in all instances, for several perspectives are separately treated. 1 Kings 2:28 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. 1 Kings 2:29 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. 1 Kings 2:30 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. 1 Kings 2:31 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.

15 13 Benaiah was also commissioned by Solomon to put Joab to death. (Joab, David s general of the army, had sided with Adonijah.) When Joab heard of the commission, he fled to the Tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar. Such protection was intended for innocent people as the court of highest appeal. If one could not get satisfaction from the king, the Sanhedrin, etc., he could plead his case with God. But Solomon knew Joab was guilty, so he could give the order for Joab s slaying there at the altar. Possibly this is a picture of the Kingdom, for at that time, one will not be able to pretend to be innocent. Comment: The principle of slaying a guilty one at the altar is stated in Exodus 21:14, But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. Reply: In other words, while the altar is the court of highest appeal, the appeal is not always granted. If it can be shown that the party is definitely guilty, then his holding onto the horns of the altar should be ignored. However, Benaiah correctly thought twice before slaying Joab in the sacred precincts of the court of the Tabernacle, for he went back to King Solomon and repeated Joab s words. Then Solomon reissued the commission: 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. 1 Kings 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. 1 Kings 2:33 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. 1 Kings 2:34 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. David had given instruction to Solomon to treat Joab with wisdom and not to let his hoar head go down to the grave in peace (1 Kings 2:5,6). With treachery, Joab had slain two men, Abner and Amasa, who were more noble than he, and he had also slain Absalom when, contrary to David s order, he was found hanging by his hair in a tree (2 Sam. 3:26,27; 18:9-14; 20:9,10). Joab s wrongdoing was piling up, but his siding with Adonijah was the last straw. Of course Joab did some good things too, such as capturing Jerusalem from the Jebusites by climbing up a well with a rope, but his character changed. He got high-minded because of his popularity before the nation as the captain of the army. In the insurrection of Absalom, Joab was faithful to David, but when it came to the more recent insurrection of Adonijah, he defected. Sometimes the nicest characters can change for the worse if they do not properly respond to the Lord s providence. One misdeed leads to another, and as the misdeeds become habit-forming, a person s character gets worse and worse, generally speaking, unless he really examines his heart and repents. Now, at Solomon s order, Benaiah slew Joab. Joab had shed innocent blood, so his death was retribution. There comes a time when mercy ends and patience too. David pictures the Messiah as a man of war, and Solomon represents the Messiah as the King of peace in the Kingdom. As has been suggested, if Solomon s actions are a picture of the beginning of the Kingdom, this putting to death would represent the removal of those not

16 14 capable of leadership positions in order to start with a clean slate. Being able to read the heart, Jesus will give proper judgment according to the will of his Father. 1 Kings 2:35 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. At Solomon s instruction, Benaiah replaced Joab as the general of the army. Moreover, Zadok became the only high priest because Abiathar had been removed. Zadok was faithful. 1 Kings 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. 1 Kings 2:37 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. 1 Kings 2:38 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. 1 Kings 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. 1 Kings 2:40 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. 1 Kings 2:41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. 1 Kings 2:42 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. 1 Kings 2:43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 1 Kings 2:44 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; 1 Kings 2:45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. 1 Kings 2:46 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. Benaiah was now ordered to slay Shimei. This order, given by King Solomon, was righteous. It was just retribution, for years earlier Shimei had cursed King David and thrown stones at him (2 Sam. 16:5-14). Later, when Shimei saw that David was triumphant over Absalom, he was the first to acknowledge the king (2 Sam. 19:16-23). Shimei s support was crucial and very helpful to David at that time, so David forgave him for his previous actions. Hence with both Shimei and Joab, mercy had been shown, but when they disobeyed again, it was time for punishment.

17 15 Shimei s disobedience revealed that Solomon could not trust him. (One who is given to treachery is not necessarily cured by coming over to another person s side.) If Shimei had stayed confined in his house in Jerusalem (as instructed and as agreed to by an oath), his life would have been spared, for there Solomon could keep an eye on him. But now Shimei was not to be trusted. Shimei s disobedience showed a lack of respect for the king (and for God). After only three years, he disobeyed the order to stay in his house in Jerusalem. In spite of this liberty in the capital city, he broke his oath. Therefore, Solomon was justified in ordering his death. Mercy was twice shown to Shimei, but mercy reached an end. The same is true with the subject of love today among Christians. A distinction has to be made between grave sins like adultery and sins of lesser import, such as a little dig or an oversight, for example. And so in the Kingdom, those who disregard certain restrictions will be cut off in Second Death. Those individuals might be very nice people otherwise, but simple obedience is important. Comment: Since, in the final analysis, Joab, Adonijah, Shimei, and Abiathar were unrepentant enemies of David, who pictures the Church in the flesh, perhaps their being slain shows Kingdom retribution (Second Death, the loss of life) at the hands of The Christ, the antitypical Solomon and the body members. There is a spiritual lesson with the cities of refuge that is somewhat related to Shimei s leaving his house in Jerusalem. When an accidental death occurred, the Israelite could flee to a city of refuge, where he was protected from revenge on the part of a family member of the deceased. However, if the slayer left the city of refuge, he was in great jeopardy, for he was no longer guaranteed safety. Incidentally, when a trial was held after the facts were gathered, the individual who fled to the city of refuge was brought back, under conditions of safe conduct, to the local area where the crime had been committed. If the slaying was found to be accidental, the slayer returned to the city of refuge, and as long as he stayed there, he was safe. A condition today is comparable in the antitype; namely, those who forsake Christ and the robe of Christ s righteousness do not get a second opportunity. Of course for those who fail but subsequently show real remorse and a change of life, there is the possibility of reconciliation and a return to favor. However, in other cases, restoration to favor does not apply. Accordingly, the Scriptures say there is a sin unto death, and we are not to pray for an individual who has committed such a sin (1 John 5:16). Unfortunately, the great majority of Christians do not know what constitutes a sin unto death. It is where a person puts off the robe of Christ s righteousness in one of several ways. In one case, for example, a consecrated individual, an elder, turned from his dedication and cursed Jehovah. As in this case, a sin unto death is blatant. Hence there are conditions, or circumstances, where no retrieval is possible for a person who leaves a certain area of safety. 1 Kings 3:1 And Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh king of Egypt, and took Pharaoh s daughter, and brought her into the city of David, until he had made an end of building his own house, and the house of the LORD, and the wall of Jerusalem round about. Solomon married the daughter of one of the Pharaohs of Egypt and brought her to Jerusalem until he had finished building his own house, and the house of the LORD [the Temple], and the wall of Jerusalem round about. He built in several other areas of Israel as well, so his building was extensive. Comment: The Law specifically prohibited an Israelite king from having foreign wives or horses. But he [the king] shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to

18 16 Egypt, to the end that he should multiply horses: forasmuch as the LORD hath said unto you, Ye shall henceforth return no more that way. Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold (Deut. 17:16,17). Reply: Yes, and Solomon disobeyed this command by marrying a foreigner early in his reign. Moreover, the Deuteronomy text was saying, in effect, not to make an alliance with Egypt. Not only did Solomon go to Egypt, but also he married an Egyptian for political reasons; that is, he made an alliance (an affinity ) with Pharaoh. Also, he eventually had many horses and even put stables in caverns underneath the Temple. 1 Kings 3:2 Only the people sacrificed in high places, because there was no house built unto the name of the LORD, until those days. 1 Kings 3:3 And Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. Since there was no Temple yet, it was not wrong to sacrifice to Jehovah even in a high place unless the high place was associated with false religion. However, Solomon was supposed to sacrifice in Jerusalem, and some kind of arrangement could have been made there in the interim period. The implication of verse 3 is that he could have done better in this matter: Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father: only he sacrificed and burnt incense in high places. Solomon was commended for loving the LORD in his early days, but an exception was that he sacrificed in high places like the people. 1 Kings 3:4 And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there; for that was the great high place: a thousand burnt offerings did Solomon offer upon that altar. Solomon offered 1,000 burnt offerings in one day in the great high place at Gibeon. Imagine 1,000 animals being put on the altar at one time! They were prepared in an assembly-line manner, as it were. Of course the large number of offerings would have been for a special occasion. 1 Kings 3:5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 1 Kings 3:6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shown unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 1 Kings 3:7 And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 1 Kings 3:8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. Solomon s humility, which was commendable, was reflected in his prayer. Therefore, when God found fault with him, the thought is that on the whole, Solomon was trying to do what was best, but he could have done slightly better by sacrificing in the environs of Jerusalem. Instead he chose a historic altar where sacrifices had been offered in the past. Solomon spoke of himself as a little child in wisdom, saying, I know not how to go out or