I Kings Chapter 2
Please read: I Kings 2 –
King David was dying and called his son Solomon to his side. His last words to his son who was his successor to the throne were his most important words spoken to him. The first thing that David addressed with his son was his duty to God. He told him to be strong and to be a man, a man that puts God first above all else. If Solomon would do this, to follow after God and to obey His commandments, then God would cause his kingdom to flourish and God would keep His promise to David. God promised that whatever was happening in all the rest of the world, David would have a son who sat upon the throne of Israel.
The second thing that David addressed was people that we might call “persons of interest” in the kingdom. David instructed his son how he should deal wisely with these certain individuals.
Verse 10 tells us that David passed away after serving as the second king of Israel for 40 years. And with that simple statement a great man went down in infamy, leaving behind a beautiful legacy of scripture inspired by the Spirit of God, to help others follow in the same way that he implored his son to live, “keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways.”
Now that Solomon was on the throne of Israel, there was a reckoning of those who had tried to circumvent David and the will of God. They were those who supported the older son of David, Adonijah, who tried to set himself up as the next king.
Let's Reflect
1. What advice might you expect a dying king to give to his son that would assume the power of a great kingdom?
2. David told his son about how the man that had been general of Saul’s army and his own army, had circumvented his authority more than once. David had not been blind to this man’s actions. What was this man’s name? See verse 5.
3. David did not want this man to go to Sheol (his grave) in peace. How did Solomon carry out his father’s wishes? See verse 34.
4. Barzillai’s sons were those that David wanted Solomon to take good care of because of the kindness he had shown to him when he was running for his life from his son Absalom. Barzillai had prepared food for David while in exile from his own throne. What kindness did David want Solomon to extend to this man’s sons?
5. Another person of interest was Shimei. He had yelled curses against David and threw rocks at him as David and his people passed by into exile. His men had wanted to take him out, but David had made a promise to him. David wanted Solomon to deal wisely with this man. What happened to Shimei according to verses 36-46?
6. The most significant person of interest would have been his older son Adonijah, but he was not spoken of. I think David knew what would happen to him and it didn’t need to be said. Adonijah was denied the throne but he did ask for something for himself, what did he ask for?
7. Who did Adonijah use to try to get Solomon to give him what he wanted?
8. This request of Adonijah was the dumbest thing he could have done, it cemented the decision of Solomon. According to verse 25 what happened?
9. Solomon also took care of the priests that had supported Adonijah by replacing him. What does the Bible say about this particular action. See verse 27.
10. Joab, the general of the army, heard about all that Solomon had done and he knew he was next. He thought he might save himself by grabbing ahold of a sacred thing of God, the altar. Joab was killed. And the last verse tells us that the kingdom was now where David had wanted it to be for his son. What does the last verse say about the kingdom of Israel?
