Davids Gone but Trouble Remain
Notes
Transcript
Verses 1-9 have troubled many readers and commentators.
They present David giving spiritual advice to Solomon on the one hand, then offering him cold-blooded political counsel on the other.
Some argue that this episode was written by a pro-Solomon author who switches blame for the bloodshed from Solomon to David.
Other argue the final writer was pro-David and thus reworked the story by adding dueteronomic themes that soften David’s harsh commands.
The text makes both kings responsible for what happens. The same author who finalized Joshua to 2 Kings presents David as a righteous king, adulterer, poor father, sage advisor, and political animal - he also depicts Solomon as loyal son, wise king, and idolator.
The author simply details what occurs without commentary - this is where our discernment at the leading of the Holy Spirit comes in.
1 As the time approached for David to die, he ordered his son Solomon, 2 “As for me, I am going the way of all of the earth. Be strong and be a man, 3 and keep your obligation to the Lord your God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn, 4 and so that the Lord will fulfill his promise that he made to me: ‘If your sons take care to walk faithfully before me with all their heart and all their soul, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’ 5 “You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me and what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s army, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He murdered them in a time of peace to avenge blood shed in war. He spilled that blood on his own waistband and on the sandals of his feet. 6 Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head descend to Sheol in peace. 7 “Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom. 8 “Keep an eye on Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, and I swore to him by the Lord, ‘I will never kill you with the sword.’ 9 So don’t let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man. You know how to deal with him to bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”
David’s words or “charge” to Solomon are twofold - the first deals with Solomon’s commitments to the Lord and the second deals with ways he can secure his kingdom.
The order is important - get the God stuff right or the kingdom stuff won’t matter.
David tells Solomon the only way to be a strong man is to be faithful to the Mosaic covenant and the ways of the Lord.
If Solomon follows the Lord two benefits - first is that he will prosper in everything he attempts and second, all the promises made to David concerning his family would be fulfilled.
David’s political counsel begins by dealing with Joab who many times ignored David’s direct commands, was instrumental in the death of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, after the act of adultery and finally he sided with David’s son Adonijah in his attempt to take the throne - his actions need to be taken care of and the law demands he face death.
David also instructs Solomon to deal with Shimei who blamed David for Saul’s loss and hurled curses at David.
In between he tells him to be show favor to the sons of Barzillai.
What David is doing is instructing Solomon on how to reduce the risk of his authority as king from being challenged by dealing with old rivals and securing allegiances.
David did not directly say to kill these men but the implication is there… what he did say is “Solomon, you are wise, use your best judgment.”
10 Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the city of David. 11 The length of time David reigned over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 12 Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingship was firmly established.
David is dead - ending one of the most glamorous and momentous reigns in Israel’s history - David, second only to Moses in importance in the OT.
He is buried in the capital city, a city he built.
More importantly, Solomon has been placed on the throne and is “firmly established” - thus the promises the Lord made to David are beginning to come true.
13 Now Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. She asked, “Do you come peacefully?” “Peacefully,” he replied, 14 and then asked, “May I talk with you?” “Go ahead,” she answered. 15 “You know the kingship was mine,” he said. “All Israel expected me to be king, but then the kingship was turned over to my brother, for the Lord gave it to him. 16 So now I have just one request of you; don’t turn me down.” She said to him, “Go on.” 17 He replied, “Please speak to King Solomon since he won’t turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” 18 “Very well,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.” 19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him about Adonijah. The king stood up to greet her, bowed to her, sat down on his throne, and had a throne placed for the king’s mother. So she sat down at his right hand. 20 Then she said, “I have just one small request of you. Don’t turn me down.” “Go ahead and ask, mother,” the king replied, “for I won’t turn you down.” 21 So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah as a wife.”
Verses 13-21 relates Adonijah’s request to marry Abishag.
Instead of going to Solomon he does and end around and uses Bathsheba - he exaggerates the expectations of Israel of his kingship but claims he has no malicious intentions.
Adonijah asks Bathsheba to ask the king for him and without any argument she agrees.
In a scene reminiscent of other quick and ill fated promises, Solomon agrees to do what ever his mother asks before hearing what it is.
22 King Solomon answered his mother, “Why are you requesting Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Since he is my elder brother, you might as well ask the kingship for him, for the priest Abiathar, and for Joab son of Zeruiah.” 23 Then King Solomon took an oath by the Lord: “May God punish me and do so severely if Adonijah has not made this request at the cost of his life. 24 And now, as the Lord lives—the one who established me, seated me on the throne of my father David, and made me a dynasty as he promised—I swear Adonijah will be put to death today!” 25 Then King Solomon dispatched Benaiah son of Jehoiada, who struck down Adonijah, and he died.
Solomon heard the request and gets angry but why?
Because Abishag was David’s last concubine, and whoever possessed the harem controlled the kingdom (Absolom tried to use this tactic in 2 Samuel 16:21-22).
This is the last time we hear about Bathsheba in Kings so the questions is, why did she bring this request to her son?
Some think its because she was not a smart women, some think she was just really a nice accommodating person, maybe she just couldn’t say no to men, or maybe she didn’t understand palace politics - none of those are fitting.
Bathsheba was an integral part of helping her son come to power, as queen she no doubt would have understood the implications of palace politics - the reality is that she understands the nature of Adonijah’s request and by taking the request to Solomon she is in essence warning him about Adonijah’s inept power play.
Solomon makes a decree that Adonijah will die for his deceit and treachery - he also indicates he has plans for Abiathar and Joab for their part in previous insurrection.
He dispatches Benaiah, his military leader, to go and kill Adonijah - and he does.
26 The king said to the priest Abiathar, “Go to your fields in Anathoth. Even though you deserve to die, I will not put you to death today, since you carried the ark of the Lord God in the presence of my father David and you suffered through all that my father suffered.” 27 So Solomon banished Abiathar from being the Lord’s priest, and it fulfilled the Lord’s prophecy he had spoken at Shiloh against Eli’s family.
Solomon turns his attention to Abiathar - even though he deserves to die for his actions Solomon chooses mercy and banishes him instead - the reason is because of his previous service to the Lord and David.
This action fulfills a prophecy against Eli’s descendants found in 1 Samuel 2:31–33 “31 Look, the days are coming when I will cut off your strength and the strength of your forefather’s family, so that none in your family will reach old age. 32 You will see distress in the place of worship, in spite of all that is good in Israel, and no one in your family will ever again reach old age. 33 Any man from your family I do not cut off from my altar will bring grief and sadness to you. All your descendants will die violently.”
28 The news reached Joab. Since he had supported Adonijah but not Absalom, Joab fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 It was reported to King Solomon, “Joab has fled to the Lord’s tabernacle and is now beside the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada and told him, “Go and strike him down!” 30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle and said to Joab, “This is what the king says: ‘Come out!’ ” But Joab said, “No, for I will die here.” So Benaiah took a message back to the king, “This is what Joab said, and this is how he answered me.” 31 The king said to him, “Do just as he says. Strike him down and bury him in order to remove from me and from my father’s family the blood that Joab shed without just cause. 32 The Lord will bring back his own blood on his head because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, without my father David’s knowledge. With his sword, Joab murdered Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army. 33 The responsibility for their deaths will come back to Joab and to his descendants forever, but for David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne, there will be peace from the Lord forever.” 34 Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck down Joab, and put him to death. He was buried at his house in the wilderness.
In verse 28-34 Joab hears that Solomon is taking care of business and because of his actions supporting Adonijah and his many murders against the kings orders - Joab fears the king.
He runs to the altar and again we see a grabbing of the horns in an attempt to avoid punishment - Joab was not the most religious man and we know he was willing to disobey the king which is tantamount to disobeying the Lord.
Benaiah is sent to get him but Joab protests so the king is asked for permission to get him from the altar… Solomon pronounces the crimes, levels the judgment and order the sentence of death to be carried out.
Joab is now dead.
35 Then the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in Joab’s place over the army, and he appointed the priest Zadok in Abiathar’s place. 36 Then the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, but don’t leave there and go anywhere else. 37 On the day you do leave and cross the Kidron Valley, know for sure that you will certainly die. Your blood will be on your own head.” 38 Shimei said to the king, “The sentence is fair; your servant will do as my lord the king has spoken.” And Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time. 39 But then, at the end of three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath. Shimei was informed, “Look, your slaves are in Gath.” 40 So Shimei saddled his donkey and set out to Achish at Gath to search for his slaves. He went and brought them back from Gath. 41 It was reported to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned. 42 So the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you, saying, ‘On the day you leave and go anywhere else, know for sure that you will certainly die’? And you said to me, ‘The sentence is fair; I will obey.’
Benaiah is officially the military leader, taking Joab’s place - Zadok in now priest, taking Abiathar’s place.
Now Solomon deals with Shimei - instead of instant death Solomon offers what could be considered “house arrest” though not limited to a single house but a single town.
I believe we again have to assume Solomon’s actions are in line and in consultation with God - the sentence stay here and if you leave you die - Shimei agreed (this is important)
Well some of Shimei’s slaves leave so he goes and gets them… the issue they left Jerusalem which but going after them Shimei breaks his oath to stay in Jerusalem.
43 So why have you not kept the Lord’s oath and the command that I gave you?” 44 The king also said, “You yourself know all the evil that you did to my father David. Therefore, the Lord has brought back your evil on your head, 45 but King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain established before the Lord forever.” 46 Then the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down, and he died. So the kingdom was established in Solomon’s hand.
Shimei did not literally cross the Kidron valley so maybe he thought he was clever but he knew what he meant.
Solomon literally meant to not leave Jerusalem.
Shimei knew the terms, agreed to them and disobeyed them thus his punishment is just - he was executed.
All religious foes, supporters of Adonijah, and proponents of Saul’s dynasty have been crushed - Solomon’s kingdom is now firmly established in Solomon’s hands again fulfilling theological promises made to David long ago.
Three Takeaways
Finishing well requires faithfulness to God’s Word.
Finishing well requires faithfulness to God’s Word.
No matter our age or stage in life we are called to finish faithfully - stay rooted in God’s command.
We don’t do this just for our sake but for those who follow our example as well.
Leadership requires both wisdom and courage.
Leadership requires both wisdom and courage.
Whether is your family, a ministry team, or at a your job you will face moments when doing the right thing is hard.
Don’t delay or compromise - lead with wisdom and courage.
Hidden sin eventually demands accountability.
Hidden sin eventually demands accountability.
Some sins may seem forgotten but when left unaddressed they can undermine your life.
Don’t burry sin - confess it and deal with it.
God’s grace forgives but unrepentant sin eventually catches up with you.
