Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Previously on the Chosen People.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Come now, Kibira, Can you blame me for assuming I
was going to be made king. I am the eldest
of David's remaining sons.
Speaker 3 (00:13):
Prince said, Anijah, you asked to have a word. You
stand before me. What is it that you want?
Speaker 2 (00:21):
All I seek is a wife, not an officer a throne,
That is all I want. Please speak to King Solomon.
Since he won't turn you down, let him give me Abishak.
Speaker 4 (00:34):
He has requested Abishak the Shunamite for a bride. A
member of the King's held another feather your cat as
you hoaray around Judea bribing for another bid of the throne.
Tell me, then, what's the name of Abishak's grandfather?
Speaker 2 (00:49):
I now Percy Mercy Solomon, As you say we are brothers.
Speaker 4 (00:57):
You had a chance. Did tell me that if you
made another play it would end with your death. Now
let us deal with the rest of them.
Speaker 5 (01:12):
The crown comes with weight? Will blood stain the royal robes? Shell, Oh,
my friends, from here in the Holy Land of Israel,
i'm l Extein with International Fellowship of Christians and Jews,
and welcome to the Chosen People. The throne has changed hands,
but the earth still trembles beneath it. In First Kings
(01:33):
Chapter two and in First Chronicles chapter twenty nine, we
find Solomon standing at the edge of a legacy, not
with ease, but with tension in the air. His father,
David has died. The nation of Israel holds its breath,
and we're left asking what does it take to secure
the promise of a future and what kind of peace
must be borne through conflict? This right here is where
(01:56):
Solomon's story begins.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Had the Niger's pool of blood on the stones reflected
the dim lamps of King Solomon's throne room, Solomon's court
stared back at him, hardly daring to move a muscle.
He had been crowned king, but now Solomon had to
prove that he was worthy of the appointment. But before
(02:22):
Solomon could truly begin his reign in Earnest, his father's
final commands to vanquish his enemies still hung in his mind.
He had been given a list, a ledger of those
set aside for judgment. The three men who put Solomon
on the throne fell into rank beside him as he
(02:43):
surveyed the still silent room, Nathan, the prophet Beniah, and
co high Priest Zadok. All four of them searched the
crowd before them. They were searching for some one.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
There, Ah, High Priest Abbiaga, there you am come before looking.
Speaker 1 (03:05):
The color drained from Abiathar's face, going as white as
the linen turban that marked his rank as a high priest.
Inevitability and duty pulled him forward and away from the
protection of the crowd. Onlookers parted before him, and his
lonely footsteps echoed as each reluctant step drew him closer
(03:29):
to his fate.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
Yes, my King, Abiathar.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
Knelt and inclined his head. Nonplussed, Solomon paced before the
priest's stooped figure and calmly explained his logic to the court.
He was not a cold blooded monster, despite the swift
justice that had occurred just moments before with Adenijah, despite
(03:53):
his youth and inexperience, he sought to show temperance and
control as he dealt out the king's justice.
Speaker 4 (04:01):
Have ye, though you have served the Lord all your life,
The only man who holds as high in office as
you is Zadok. Here, your brothers, this is how you
both served my father throughout his reign. How I hoped
you would support me as I sought to serve God's people.
Yet you betrayed David and me. You conspired out of
(04:25):
pettiness and jealousy. Such actions befitting a son of Aaron.
Speaker 1 (04:31):
Solomon stopped his easy pacing right before Aviatha. He saw
the man flinch, but he did not lift his eyes.
Speaker 4 (04:41):
I won't rehash the history there or ask you why
you decided to betray my father's decision. And before you
seek to defend yourself, know that you will not lose
your life. King David never called for your removal or
for your life. You've never broken faith before. He knew
that you suffered what he suffered for all those years.
(05:04):
I planned to honor his request.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Thank you, my King.
Speaker 4 (05:08):
I'm not finished. In the days since my father's death,
you've kept your head down. You've been biding your time
to strike at the hand that saved your very life.
Was I not anointed twice as king of Israel? Did
my father not swear an oath that the Lord decreed
that I would inherit his kingdom?
Speaker 2 (05:26):
He did, my King.
Speaker 1 (05:28):
The priest's dejected gaze remained fixed on the floor. He
did not beg he did not justify his actions. The
moment remained charged between the two men and the captive audience.
Speaker 4 (05:43):
He did, and I will not go against my father's
judgment of your first betrayal. Though you deserve to die,
I will stay my hand in favor of mercy. Go
to your fields in Anathos Abieza. My sentence is banishment,
banishment and removal from your office as high priest.
Speaker 1 (06:06):
The defrocked priest released a sharp cry of relief, reverberating
off the stone walls. Beniah nodded to his men and
then sprang forward to grab the elderly priest under the arms,
lifting him to his feet.
Speaker 4 (06:21):
Zadok, go with them, see that your coal high priest
is officially released from this office and settles his affairs.
Then make your own arrangements to appoint the replacement, and
give you for yourself. Someone else will need to oversee
the practices there. You will take Abiatho's place as the
(06:42):
high priest here in Jerusalem and steward the ark of
the Covenant. And soon, very soon, we'll begin the work
my father began by raising the temple.
Speaker 1 (06:53):
The priest nodded respectfully and trailed. After Aviatha, Solomon returned
to his throat. His mother's tears of shock had dried,
and she met his gaze steadily as he sat down
beside her. She nodded to him, and he could see
a twinkle of pride in her eye. Nathan's face was unreadable,
(07:16):
but he said nothing as he observed the scene play out.
But it was to Beniah that Solomon spoke.
Speaker 4 (07:23):
Next, Beniah, go and seek out General Joab and strike
him down. My father asked me to pass this sentence
of judgment for his murders. Joab must die. Go find
him where he hides, for he has surely known this
day of judgment was coming.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Fund Her rolled across.
Speaker 1 (07:46):
The hills where the ark of the Lord resided, and
lightning flashed, revealing Joab's weathered face.
Speaker 6 (07:54):
Rain descended.
Speaker 1 (07:56):
Joab didn't care. He stood in the rain, knock off
his light as he gripped the horns of the altar.
Beniah game alone. He approached the old commander, sword drawn.
Joe out smirked, what is the King's sentence? Beniah side
and rolled his neck back.
Speaker 6 (08:20):
Justice, Hm, Justice, the House of David is no understanding.
Justice Mad kings are given mercy. Psychopathic princes are wept
over David's fain. The madness con sentenced to die.
Speaker 2 (08:38):
You aren't innocent, Joe Abb.
Speaker 6 (08:41):
None of us serviced Beniah.
Speaker 1 (08:43):
You assassinated Actor on the eve of peace.
Speaker 5 (08:47):
You are annoying.
Speaker 6 (08:48):
He aided Abs along his crimes against David.
Speaker 1 (08:51):
You murdered Anisode without three kids or permission from the.
Speaker 6 (08:54):
King, and he led the coup with the donna. You
undermine Salomon's rise?
Speaker 2 (09:00):
Then why did David let me live?
Speaker 6 (09:01):
Until now?
Speaker 1 (09:03):
You know why I do?
Speaker 6 (09:07):
David needed me, He knew I was loyal to him,
and he also that sommon It doesn't need the retributions
about to come for my scenes, So you will accept
your fate? Why accept my fate?
Speaker 2 (09:24):
No?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Joab's blade flashed as the lightning struck. Baniah was ready
and blocked his attack immediately. Joab swung low. Baniah parried
Joab Swagai Vaniah evaded the wolf of Judo, refused to
back down. Bania knew it, who honored it? Baniah allowed
(09:48):
Joab to advance until he exposed his left side. Benign
jabbed struck Johab in the shoulder and then kicked him backward.
Joab staggered back and swung Hi sewed up in aspiration.
Beniah disarmed him and held his sword to Joab's throat.
Joab smiled and nodded in approval, like.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
A fine commander at my place, Baniah.
Speaker 6 (10:13):
No time, make a swift They ringing ner field.
Speaker 2 (10:20):
Goodbye, old friend.
Speaker 1 (10:23):
One swing and it was finished. Back at the palace,
Solomon convened with his counsel. Among them were High Priest Zadog, Nathan,
the Prophet, the Queen Mother, and Beniah.
Speaker 4 (10:39):
Now that my father's debts had been paid, I will
set out to do what he'd tasked me to do
with my reign. I will build the House of the Lord,
and it will be a temple like the world has
never seen, a fitting dwelling place for the One True God.
I will build up Jerusalem around the city of David,
as it is fitting for the legacy of my father.
(11:03):
King David expanded the borders of Israel. His conquest was outward.
But I tell you today we will go upward. We
will build, we will rise. My father's wars are finished.
The time for peace has come. But this reign will
not be marked by idleness. Oh, I will usher in
(11:23):
an error of building and trade, forge through alliances unlike
anything our history as evers. To that end, I've decided
to take another wife. Mother, I will need you to
begin making the arrangements for the match.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Oh, and who will the young lady be?
Speaker 1 (11:41):
Solomon saw the delight on her face, but he wanted
to ensure the older men at the table knew he
wasn't a romantic fool. Marriage was a diplomatic tool, and
he intended to wield it. He would build Israel's might
with a hammer in one hand and a bride price
(12:01):
in the other.
Speaker 4 (12:03):
Our people have had a storied history with this mission.
It has been tenuous and contentious, to say the least.
But I will attempt what no other king before me
has done. I will harness the power of Egypt. I
will take a daughter of Pharaoh.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Everyone gasped at that. Solomon smiled. They were only thinking
in two dimensions. Solomon intended to rule with much more.
He turned to Nathan to gauge whether or not the
Lord approved. The old man's face remained neutral. Solomon's mother
answered his proposal.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
First, my son, your ambition is noted, but surely you
should consider a wife of our own people. First, your
first wife was already a political one. To shore up
our alliance with an none.
Speaker 4 (12:55):
Yes, I obeyed my father's command to maintain his peace
with our hot style neighbour Amnon, and Israel has one
less enemy today than she did since I took Nam
as my wife. I intend to keep us out of
another war. Israel is done fighting. Now we are buildings. Mother.
(13:16):
You can arrange for me to take a wife from
our people as well. But Egypt is one sleeping enemy
I am dangerously to.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
His words were met with hearty applauls and fists pounding
the table. Solomon could not help but smile at their appraisal.
Speaker 4 (13:33):
Well done, King, Solomon. Imagine Egypt has an ally.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Truely, it's just the beginning of a new era we.
Speaker 3 (13:45):
Will build under Solomon.
Speaker 1 (13:46):
The room of counselors cheered once more. Slowly, they filed
out of the chambers. One by one they left, eager
to enact the king's will. Nathan, however, was the last
to leave.
Speaker 4 (14:01):
Nathan, what say you?
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Nathan's eyes were impassive. Solomon's breath stalled in suspense.
Speaker 4 (14:10):
How high do you intend to build, my king? High
enough to reach the heavens.
Speaker 1 (14:18):
Perhaps Solomon's throat clenched. Nathan bowed his head, then departed.
Speaker 5 (14:28):
How does a man whose name means peace begin his
reign with so much blood? Solomon Shlomo in Hebrew, from
the word shalom. It doesn't just mean that he inherits
a throne. He inherits tension, He inherits betrayal, old wounds
that still fester beneath the royal robes. Adonia joab sheme.
(14:50):
These aren't just men, they are questions. They're open wounds,
unresolved verdicts, hanging in the air like unsheathed swords. And Solomon,
still young, still knew you must choose ignore the ghosts
or lay them to rest. There's something that my friend
and teacher Rebby Jonathan Sachs of Blessed Memory once said
that the Bible's story makes me think of Rebby sax It.
(15:12):
Every time a nation forgets its youth, it's childhood, the
hard times they had when they were struggling to make
a go. They become decadent, and they eventually decline and fall.
But Solomon remembered, He remembered the chaos that brought his
father to power. He remembered the pain of betrayal, and
he remembered the fragility of unity. The Bible has shown
(15:34):
us again and again. God's promises aren't handed out like prizes.
God's gifts to us must be stewarded, and stewardship in
a broken world sometime demands a holy confrontation. In a
broken world, righteousness may come at a cost. Sometimes it
must uproot what's rotting before something holy can grow. It's
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hard for a ruler to turn their attention to spiritual
matters when they are unsure of how stable the throne
actually is. David's own wisdom led him on his deathbed
to be sure that those who had threatened his throne
would ultimately be sidelined. And wise King Solomon knew at
the beginning of his own reign that he would have
(16:18):
a very important spiritual goal, or many spiritual goals to fulfill,
which included the building of God's Holy Temple, and he
knew that to fulfill God's plans, he must have stability
in his rule. Solomon's order for the execution of those
who had rebelled against David must have been hard for him,
(16:40):
but he relied on the piety and the judgment that
he'd learned from his father in order to carry out
these very difficult orders. That brings us to the final
sentence of the second chapter in First Kings, It reads
like this, the kingdom was now established in Solomon's hands.
(17:01):
Here we see that the stage was now set for
the important godly plans that Solomon needed in order to
accomplish his goals. Although our personal situations aren't exactly the
same as Solomon's, of course, as he was the king
of Israel and the wisest man to ever live, we
can learn a lot from this story. We all have
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important spiritual goals in our lives, goals that God wants
for us. There's Bible study, which we're doing right now,
and of course there's prayer, there's charity, there's doing good deeds.
So each of us must try and structure our lives
in way that gives us time and a peace of
mind to accomplish these goals. I must admit that I
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find this to be a very big challenge almost every
single day. I know that, even though I'm extremely busy
with the holy work that I do leading the Fellowship
and helping needy people here in Israel, I know that
I also need to give full attention to my family
when I'm at home, so that their debility will allow
me to do the holy work that God has called
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me to do, both inside and outside of the home.
It really is a balance. We often long for the
parts of scripture that comfort, but the Bible also gives
us the parts that confront. Solomon's beginning doesn't feel gentle,
but for his rain to take hold, it had to
be made ready, and that meant hard decisions, righteous judgment,
(18:25):
and the courage to act. And what God had planned,
not what humans might prefer. God is not creating fairy tales.
He's creating truth. And truth can hurt, but it can
also heal. You may not wear a crown, but you
can carry influence in your family, in your workplace, in
your inner world. Ask yourself what loyalties are quietly pulling
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you backwards? What relationships or habits are rooted and old
compromises that no longer serve the future God is calling
you to build? Why is Solomon? Even in his earliest years,
he looked beyond himself, And though the methods may be unsettling,
the direction was right. Solomon wasn't preserving comfort for himself. Rather,
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he was pursuing God's covenant, and that, my friends, is
a calling for all of us today. We can get
rid of the things in our lives that aren't righteous.
We can act with clarity and kindness, and if we fail,
there's always t shuva that is the beautiful, gracious, holy
(19:37):
invitation to repent and to return.
Speaker 1 (19:42):
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(20:05):
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