1 Kings 2:1-46
2:1-2 David knows that his days on Earth are coming to a close. Before it leaves, he must ready Solomon to reign as a righteous king. More importantly, David needs to impress upon his son the importance of living as a righteous man.
2:3 To his son, David gives this instruction: "... keep the charge of the Lord your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgement, 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."
Experience taught David that faith expertly navigated him through life. Faith made doors where there were dead ends; faith restored what was damaged, faith gave what did not exist, faith raised what had fallen. Steadfast faith enabled David to reign as a king worthy and capable of his responsibility.
2:4 God promised David that if his sons became earnest men in faith, "with all their heart, and all their soul" the tribes of Israel would continually have a king to lead them. Faith requires our wholehearted effort. Our faith must be present in every element of our lives; David asks his son to be a good man because who we choose to be is the foundation of everything we do.
He asks his son to be obedient to God. The reason is because even if Solomon were gullible and slow, God would make the reparations or conditions which enabled him to prosper anyway. David understands that if Solomon is rooted in faith, his son and the kingdom will be well nourished by righteous soil.
2:5-6 As all new kings do, Solomon inherits the responsibility of circumstances which took place before him. David gives Solomon one of his first duties to settle: Joab. The commander's service has been controversial at best and disobedient at worst. David mentions Joab's murder of Abner and Amasa which did not take place during a war or battle. Perhaps David suspects that Joab will be out of control without David; after all, David is the only one Joab has ever been completely loyal to.
2:7 The discussion between father and son turns to foreign relations. David would like Solomon to keep peace and gratitude between himself and the sons of Barzillai. When David was forced out, he found provision and shelter in their generosity. In some ways, David began with nothing. The tribes of Israel were fragmented and scattered when he became king. It is different for Solomon. Solomon inherits a united kingdom and the small bit of history it has always begun to accumulate.
2:8-9 Solomon is tasked with finishing business David was unable to do himself. David made a vow not to kill Shimei, who disrupted the tribes of Israel and propagated the chaos which resulted in David's flee from the throne. Shimei's rebellion went unpunished by David, who showed him mercy and forgiveness. But it becomes important to David that Solomon uproot the known seeds of rebellion before they begin to grow like weeds in his infancy as king.
2:10-11 David passes away and is buried in the City of David. He reigned for forty years, an obedient servant of God. (Note that humble servants of God are exalted by Him as kings).
2:12 Solomon sits on the throne and his position is secured. In 2 Samuel 7:12-16, God spoke to David about Solomon and this prophesy is here fulfilled:
12 "When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his Father, and he shall be My son. If he commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of the sons of men. 15 But My mercy shall not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 And your house and your kingdom shall be established forever before you. Your throne shall be established forever."
2:13 Now that his father has passed away, Adonijah revives his plans to take the throne from Solomon. He approaches Solomon's mother Bathsheba. Immediately Bathsheba asks Adonijah if he comes in peace, a reasonable question considering that the last time Adonijah was around, he was building a rebellion against David and Solomon. But Adonijah claims to be there peaceably.
2:14 Although Adonijah does not present an immediate threat to Bathsheba, his reason for being there is deceptive. Bathsheba likes suspects this but allowed Adonijah to speak.
2:15 Adonijah re-illustrates the past: he claims that all of Israel was his and that the people loved him and expected him to reign. He tries to make Bathsheba feel that he is owed something. From his arrogant perspective, Adonijah feels that he gracefully released his claim to the throne to Solomon. The truth is that it always belonged to Solomon. Still, Adonijah sticks to his delusions in order to promote his agenda.
2:16 Adonijah asks a favor from Bathsheba and she allows him to continue with his request.
2:17 Adonijah asks Bathsheba to ask Solomon (on his behalf) if he can marry Abishag (the young woman who was brought to care for David). Adonijah knows that his request will be denied by Solomon: this is a frank attempt to claim one of David's wives and therefore claim more of a right to take the throne. Solomon will see right through it. Adonijah hopes that if the request comes from Solomon's mother, out of affection for her, he might make an unwise decision.
2:18 Bathsheba agrees to take the request to Solomon. Likely, Bathsheba trusts her son to do the right thing regardless of who the request comes from. Bathsheba loves her son and actively participated in ensuring his reign as king; she would not throw it away. Adonijah makes the mistake of thinking Bathsheba a gullible woman.
2:19-21 Bathsheba brings Adonijah's request to Solomon.
2:22-24 Solomon is not hoodwinked by Adonijah's attempt. He knows that if Adonijah were to marry Abishag, it would solidify his claim to the throne. Solomon determines that Adonijah's continued rebellion must result in death (he will not allow good and evil to play tug-a-war with the throne). Better to thwart Adonijah before he does find a way to dethrone Solomon.
Solomon strongly suspects that Adonijah's motives are evil but leaves room for his own mistake: Solomon asks God to strike him down if he is wrong for ordering Adonijah's death.
2:25 But surely Adonijah is a representative of evil. He was not chosen by God to reign. His attempts to reign are self-motivated and deceptive. He is not an honest or righteous man. And therefore Solomon instructs Benaiah to kill Adonijah, so he does.
2:26-27 Solomon begins his work. Abiathar is removed as the priest (he went against God and joined Adonijah's rebellion). Solomon inadvertantly initiates God's prophesy in 1 Samuel 2:27-36 and 1 Samuel 3:11-14. Continued disobedience would cause this priest-line to lose their place. This is a small moment in which we can see the omniscience of God, who foresaw these events and planned for them before they ever took place.
2:28 Joab suspects that Solomon is handing out due justice to David's former men and defects to Adonijah. Just as David suspected, Joab's loyalty to David ended with David's death. He could not be trusted to support Solomon.
2:29 Following Solomon's command, Benaiah goes to Joab to execute him.
2:30 Instead of surrendering, Joab refuses to come out, he tells Benaiah that he will die where he is. Benaiah brings Joab's words back to king Solomon.
2:31-33 Solomon figures that is Joab insists on dying where he is... he can. But he will be executed there for his crimes against innocent men. Solomon does not want the justice to go undelivered as he knows it will negatively impact Israel in the future. Solomon intends to lead a righteous nation. In order to do that, justice cannot be ignored. It festers and disrupts the nations, infiltrates and poisons faith.
2:34 Therefore Benaiah returns to Joab and kills him. Joab is buried by his home.
2:35 Solomon places Benaiah as the new commander over the army; and he places Zadok as priest. Benaiah takes over Joab's former position and Zadok claims Abiathar's former position. As he becomes established in his throne, Solomon puts righteous men in command. A kingdom is a multi-headed body; if each person in a position of power is rooted in faith, the nation will prosper.
2:36-37 Finally, Solomon attends to the business of Shimei. Solomon tells Shimei to build a house in Jerusalem and to stay there. He was never punished for his crimes but Solomon makes it clear that he will not be allowed the freedom to do so again. If he leaves the designated area, he will be killed.
2:38 Shimei accepts and does as instructed.
2:39-45 Three years later, Shimei leaves his home to retrieve what he considers to be his property (slaves). We do not know the details of the circumstances which caused Shimei to break his deal with Solomon. But we do know that Solomon is wise and merciful. We also know that God enables his servants, such as Solomon, to bring His will into fruition (even if inadvertently).
Therefore Shimei is put to death for his disobedience. The events of Shimei's death are personal between himself and God, as only they know the details of the conditions. Nevertheless, he broke the law which protected him from being punished for his crimes.
2:46 "Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon." Without hesitation, Solomon began his reign faithful to God and to his father's advice. He rid the kingdom of flagrant rebellion. He restored corrupted positions with honest men.
