Solomon Avenging the Righteous - The Book of 1 Kings

In this Bible Story, the great reign of David came to a close. Now Solomon rules over Israel with wisdom, mercy, and justice. As his first act as king, Solomon takes care of those who were loyal to his father, and deals justly with those who betrayed him. This story is inspired by 1 Kings 2. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.

Today's Bible verse is 1 Kings 2:45 from the King James Version.

Episode 113: As David is dying, he calls in his son Solomon to bless him and speak God’s promises over him. David instructs him on what he should do with Joab and Shimei and requests that he show kindness to Barzillai of Gilead. But Adonijah was not done trying for the throne. He made a request of Bathsheba that Solomon rightly discerned as a claim to the throne. And so as per their agreement, he was executed. Solomon sought to rule his kingdom in fairness and enacted punishments that showed mercy to those who deserved death.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Let us pray, and King Solomon shall be blessed, and
the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever.
First Kings two forty five. Dear Lord, thank you for
the truth spoken over Solomon by his father David, because
they still ring true to this day. As you promote

(00:22):
me and increase in my life, I will not forsake
your presence. I will continually keep your words written in
my Bible before me day and night. Before I look
at anything else in my day, I will first seek
your face and get your advice on any matters that

(00:42):
come before me. Through First Kings two, I see that
you give me the cheat codes to a long and
fulfilling life filled with your goodness, protection, favor, and guidance.
I declare that I am a child of God, and
no matter how high you elevate me, Lord, I will

(01:03):
never be too high to bow down in humility. In
the presence of my Savior. I declare that I walk
in Godly wisdom and that my steps are ordered and
secured by your word. Lord, in Jesus' name, Amen, thanks

(01:25):
for making prayer a priority in your life. To hear
the Bible come to life. Stay tuned for the Bible
in a Year brought to you by Bible in a
Year dot com.

Speaker 2 (01:46):
Solomon avenging the Righteous. In our last story, adro Nijah
exalted himself as the king, but David made sure to
anoint Solomon as king. In this story, David will give
instructions to Solomon as he begins to rule as king,
and he will carry them out inspired by first kings.

Speaker 3 (02:10):
Hello, Pastor Jack Graham here once again with today's episode
of the Bible in a Year. In our previous episode,
we learned how Solomon became king of Israel despite the
attempts of his older brother Adonijah to seize power. Solomon
was anointed and appointed king according to David's promise to
Bathsheba and the Lord's will for all of the people.

(02:32):
Solomon spared Adanijah's life, but warned him that if he
proved wicked, he would surely be put to death. Today,
we'll hear David's final instructions to his son Solomon and
witnessed the young king acting wisely and righteously as he
follows the guidance of God and the example of his father.
Let's listen now to today's word.

Speaker 2 (02:56):
The heir was crisper than normal, and the midday sun
was beginning its descent towards the horizon. A gentle, late
summer breeze trickled in through David's window. David watched a
few blue jays prance over his window sill from his bed.
He knew that his time on Earth was nearly over.

(03:16):
He turned to one of his servants at the entrance
of his bedroom and said, bring me Solomon. The servant
nodded and left. For a short while, David continued to
stare at the birds, reflecting on his life. The door
creaked open and David saw Solomon walking in with his
kingly robes. They looked too big on Solomon, just as

(03:37):
Saul's armor once did on him. Solomon bowed before him,
and David placed his hand on his head. Death is inevitable,
David said, I am going where every man goes. There
is no escaping it. Take courage, my son, and be
a man. Look to God and follow his way. David

(03:59):
held back, te keep the laws and commandments of Moses
close to your heart. Favor and success will follow you
if you do. God promised me that if my descendants
keep his ways, he will bless them which is why
I have made you king. Solomon's eyes glistened as he
listened to his father. He could feel his hand shaking

(04:22):
on his head. His father was once known as the
mightiest man in all the East. Every nation feared his sword.
Now his voice and chest trembled with each word. It
was truly a sad sight for Solomon. However, he considered
the poetic nature of life and death. No matter how rich, successful, righteous,

(04:43):
or poor a man is, death is inevitable. David released
his hand from Solomon's head and said, there is one
more thing. Joe ab has a history of poor judgment.
He once killed my two commanders, Abner and Amesa, but
mastered it as an act of war. His hands are

(05:03):
stained red with the blood of allies. Do to him
what you desire, Just do not let him rest in
peace of old age. David paused for a moment, trying
to recollect more names he needed to consider. Be kind
to those who helped me when I fled from your
brother Absalom. Show them favor, for they showed me mercy.

(05:23):
And remember Shamah who cursed me when I was fleeing
to Mahonaem. I swore I would not kill him, but
I trust that you will deal with him justly. You
are a wise man, and I trust you will know
what to do. With these last words, David gestured for
Solomon to rise to his feet. The two of them

(05:44):
exchanged smiles. Solomon was the son of David and Bathsheba,
a corrupt union that God used for good. This was
how God worked in David's life. Whatever imperfection or shortcoming
David had, God would make into something good. David breathed
deeply with his head against his pillow, closed his eyes

(06:06):
and thought back to his time as a shepherd boy
in Bethlehem. So, after forty years of reigning as King
of Israel, David the Giant Slayer breathed his last. David
would be written into history as the anointed king of
God and a man after God's own heart. His story
of faith and failure would empower countless souls to believe

(06:29):
in God for great and mighty works. Through his seed,
another king would arise out of Bethlehem, a king that
would liberate God's people from their real enemy sin. Yet
for a short time, it would be Solomon who would
take on the mantle of king. A few days had
passed and Bathsheba was tending to a few things in
her home. The door opened up behind her. She stood

(06:52):
back defensively when she saw Adonaija standing in her doorway.
Have you come in peace? She asked, yes, he said,
I am here in peace. I actually have a favor
to ask you. Bathsheba still questioned Aronaija's intentions. He at
once tried to kill her and Solomon. What is it,
she asked. Aronaija paced the room and said, you very

(07:15):
well know the throne was rightfully mine by birth, and
the whole country of Israel was prepared to receive me
as their king. However, it has become apparent that the
Lord desired Solomon. I have conceded that, so please do
not deny me this request. Go on, she said, speak
with Solomon and ask if I might have Abershak David's

(07:38):
caregiver as my wife. All right, Bathsheba replied, I will
speak to the king, and with that, Aronaija left, and
Bathsheba sat before the king. She made the request known
to Solomon. Solomon said nothing for a long while and
then replied no. His answer surprised Bathsheba. He was forceful

(08:00):
and adamant on not allowing this request to be granted.
When pressed further, Solomon said, I might as well give
him the kingdom. If I give him Abershak, she was
precious to my father and technically one of his wives
by law, even though they did not sleep together, he
would be one step closer to the throne for Adonija.
Solomon stood from his throne and continued, saying, he is

(08:23):
my older brother, therefore more entitled to the throne than I.
He also had joe ab the commander, and Abiathar the
priest on his side. This would surely empower him more.
Solomon smiled at his mother and kissed her hand. He
sent her away to be alone with the Lord. He
looked up to heaven and spoke clearly to God, saying,

(08:44):
may you strike me down. If Adonaija has not sealed
his fate with his request, he has shown his true colors,
and it is clear to me that he still poses
a threat to the throne. He must die. So King
Solomon ordered his guard to execute Adonaia swiftly and without spectacle.
Solomon did away with his corrupted brother. Solomon knew he

(09:06):
still had to deal with those loyal to Aronaija. His
father had strictly warned him before he passed. So we
took Abiathar the priest and said to him, although you
deserve to die for your rebellion, I know you are
a man who loves the Lord. I will not kill you,
but you are strict of your title. As priest. Solomon's
mercy was well known and appreciated among the people. Just

(09:29):
as his father David, he did not kill without reason.
Then Solomon turned to Joab. He had joined Aronaija's rebellion
and was seeking refuge at the Altar of God. So
Solomon would not kill him. He would not leave the altar,
so Solomon sent men to remove him, saying he is
guilty of taking the lives of men more righteous than him.

(09:52):
Their blood is on his hands, and he is the
Lord's for revenge. So Joab was taken, killed, and buried
in the wilder. Solomon also sent for Chemae, the man
who had cursed his father and shown him cruelty. Solomon
did not want to kill Chemez, since he was not
guilty of murder or rebellion. Instead, Solomon asked that he

(10:13):
build a house in Jerusalem and stayed close. Under house
arrest Solomon's sentence was fair and well received by Chemee
at first. However, eventually Chemae disobeyed and Solomon was forced
to execute him. Slowly, Solomon's kingdom became more and more
established under him. He was well known for his fairness, wisdom,

(10:35):
an ability to discern between his emotions and the right decision.
Solomon continued to govern well in his young age, but
more hardship was ahead. There is no true peace for
a king.

Speaker 3 (10:52):
Today's scripture begins with an ending. David's time on earth
is drawing to a close, and he knows that soon
he will be in the presence of God. Surely he
was eager to rest in the arms of the Lord,
the one who had sustained him, strengthened him, and walk
with him through every valley and in every victory. But

(11:13):
David also knew there was something that he needed to do.
He needed to instruct Solomon and set him on the
pathway of success. So he calls his son to his
side for these very important words, final words, and he
tells him he is near death. And in First Kings
two verses two through three, he says, this be strong

(11:35):
and show yourself a man and keep the charge of
the Lord your God, walking in his ways, and keeping
his statutes, his commandments, his rules, 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 echoes of Moses words to Joshua, ring clear, here

(11:58):
be strong and courageous God, and his commandments, that things
may go well with you, that you will be successful.
These are such wise words for a king to give
to his successor, and for a father to leave with
his son. If Solomon listened to his father's words and
lived by them, his reign would be even more successful

(12:18):
than David's. Then David turned to more practical matters, people
that Solomon needed to deal with. There was Joev, the
general who had shown poor judgment on many occasions and
spilled the blood of Israelites under the guise of war.
Then there were those who helped David when he was
fleeing Absalom. David charged Solomon with treating them kindly, welcoming

(12:41):
them to his table. Finally, there was Semee, who cursed
David as he fled Absalom, though David had sworn not
to kill him. Solomon was under no such oath, so
Sheemeae could finally be dealt with. And so these are
the final instructions from David to his son. After he
ruled for forty years, he then died and rested with

(13:05):
his fathers. He went to be with the Lord, leaving
a life and a legacy of both triumph as well
as failures that bear witness to this very day of
a life lived in fellowship with God, of a God
who is faithful and true to his promises. David was
a great man because he served a great God. Not

(13:27):
long after David died, at Anaijah approached Bathsheba and asked
if she'd make a request of Solomon for him. He
wanted to marry David's concubine, Abashak. She agreed to speak
to the king, But when Solomon heard the request, he
saw right through at Anijah's ploy at Anijah already had
the loyalty of Aviathor the priest and Joeb the commander,

(13:50):
and if he married Abshak, technically David's wife in legal terms,
it would lend him even more legitimacy in the people's
eyes and empower him to try to see control and power.
So just as he promised he would do. If Adonijah
proved to be wicked, Solomon had his brother killed. He
also dealt with abbi Athor, sparing his life but removing

(14:13):
him from the priesthood. When joe Ab learned what had happened,
he knew he was about to be next, so he
tried to seek refuge at the altar, refusing to come
out to face his fate. He also was put to death. Finally,
Solomon had Shami, who was well within his right to
kill for having cursed David, brought to him. He told

(14:33):
him to build a home in Jerusalem and never leave town. Eventually,
though Shami left town and paid with his life for
his disobedience. These were all signs of a wise and
strong king, slow to anger, and thoughtful in his actions.
Solomon was already establishing himself as a fair and merciful king,
but also one who would not be trifled with. He

(14:55):
would grow in power and strength over the coming years,
and the next time we'll hear how his wisdom grew
even greater. Dear God, as always, we thank you for
your word, which is life to us. We thank you
for the living scripture, because we know that all scripture
is inspired breathed out by you. We thank you for

(15:16):
the example of David and leaving a legacy that extended
into Solomon's life. Who would be wise and discerning? Help
us also to seek your wisdom and to walk in
your ways, and to show grace and mercy whenever it
is possible. In Jesus's name, Amen, thank you so very

(15:38):
much for listening to Today's Bible in a Year podcast.
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(15:58):
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(16:20):
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