1-27 The Struggle for Succession
- King David is growing old and having a hard time keeping warm, so they find a beautiful young virgin, Abishag the Shunammite, to keep him warm in his bed.
- She becomes his attendant and servant -- there is no sexual relationship.
- One of David's sons, Adonijah by Haggith -- very handsome, just younger than Absalom -- "exalts" himself to become king, supported in the effort by Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest. [Here, Joab's lack of loyalty is surprising. At one time he defends David, then here he goes against David's wishes. Does he just do what serves his own interests?]
- However, the priest Zadok, Beniaiah son of Jehoiada [officer over the Cherethites and Pelethites], Nathan [the prophet], Shimei and Rei and David's own warriors do not support Adonijah.
- Adonijah sacrifices animals by the stone Zoheleth, beside En-rogel, and invites his brothers and officials of Judah, but excludes Nathan, Benaiah, the warriors and Solomon.
- Nathan comes to Bathsheba to tell her of Adonijah's self-appointment as king, and asks her to inform David, in order to save Solomon's life as well as her own.
- Then Nathan will come before the king and confirm the news.
- Bathsheba, bowing before David, tells him that although he has promised Solomon would be king, Adonijah has had a banquet and invited his brothers, as well as Abiathar and Joab, but not Solomon. If this happens, "my son Solomon and I will be counted offenders."
- While she's still speaking, Nathan enters -- also bowing to the ground before David -- and reports the same thing, adding that his guests are saying, "Long live King Adonijah!"
- David summons Bathsheba [she apparently left when Nathan came in] and tells her that he will appoint Solomon as the next king that day.
- David summons Zadok, Nathan and Benaiah and tells them to put Solomon on David's mule, bring him to Gihon, and there anoint him king over Israel.
- Blow the trumpet, and let him sit on my throne. And Benaiah says, "Amen!..."
- They do so, and all the people, saying "Long live King Solomon!" follow him with music and rejoicing, so that the "earth quakes at their noise."
- Adonijah and his guests hear the noise; Jonathan, Abiathar's son, comes in and tells them of David's anointing of Solomon.
- Fearing for their lives, Adonijah's guests scatter, and Adonijah takes hold of the horns of the altar for protection.
- Solomon assures him that if he proves to be worthy, he'll be safe.
- Adonijah comes to do obeisance before Solomon, and Solomon tells him, "Go home." (Don't bother with your phony bowing now -- just get out of my sight.)
1-21 Solomon Instructed to Build the Temple
- David assembles all the officials of Israel, including military commanders, stewards, and palace officials
- He tells them he wanted to build a house for God, but because he has been a man of war, God has chosen his son Solomon to build it instead.
- He exhorts Solomon to follow God "with a single mind and willing heart," and be blessed for it. "But if you forsake him, he will abandon you forever."
- David gives Solomon -- in writing -- the plans for
- the building of the rooms of the temple
- the divisions of the priests and all the work of service in the temple
- all the utensils used in the temple, and for the ark of the covenant
- He exhorts him to be strong and of good courage; God will be with him throughout the work on the temple.
- He puts at his disposal priests and Levites for service in the temple.
1-9 Offerings for Building the Temple
- This is God's temple, not man's.
- David offers gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and precious stones. Out of his personal treasury he gives 3,000 talents of gold (of Ophir) and 7,000 talents refined silver.
- Other leaders respond in kind with 5,000 talents, 10,000 darics of gold, 10,000 talents of silver, 18,000 talents of bronze, and 100,000 talents of iron.
- The people rejoice at the generosity of the offerings.
- Exaltation of God's greatness and power
- Recognition that they are only giving back to God what is his already
- Petition on Solomon's behalf and for the building of the temple
- A blessing of God by David and all those assembled
- Sacrifices the next day: a 1000 bulls, 1000 rams, 1000 lambs
- With Zadok as priest
- The LORD exalts Solomon in the sight of all Israel, more than any king before him
- Over Israel 40 years – 7 years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem
- His acts written in records of Samuel, Nathan, and Gad
1-9 David's Instruction to Solomon (Comparison to Joshua's Charge to the People in Joshua 1)
- Be strong and courageous. (Joshua: Be strong and courageous, do not be frightened or dismayed.)
- Keep the charge of the LORD your God
- Walking in his ways
- Keeping his statutes, ordinances, and testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses.
- Joshua: Act in accordance with all the law that my servant Moses commanded you.
- So that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn. (Joshua: So you may be successful wherever you go.)
- If your heirs take heed to their ways, to walk in faithfulness, there shall not fail you a successor
- Do not let Joab's gray head go to Sheol in peace, for murdering Abner and Amasa in a time of peace
- Deal loyally with the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite for their loyalty to me.
- Deal justly with Shimei who cursed me. I swore I would not kill him, but you are wise --deal with him as you see fit.
- David dies and is buried in the city of David.
- He reigned 7 years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem, 40 years total.
- Adonijah comes to Bathsheba and asks to marry Abishag. She agrees to speak to Solomon on his behalf. There's something going on that's not mentioned. Did Abishag and Adonijah already have a relationship? What would possess Adonijah to do such a thing, especially after what Absalom did with David's concubines? Is this just self-destructive behavior?
- Bathsheba goes to Solomon and passes on Adonijah's request.
- Solomon's (flabbergasted) response: Why not ask for the kingdom as well? And not only for him but for the priest Abiathar and Joab!
- Solomon sends for Benaiah son of Johoiada, and he goes and kills Adonijah. Apparently asking for Abishag was not "proving to be a worthy man," as enjoined by Solomon in 1:52.
- Next is Abiathar: He banishes him from serving as priest.
- Joab in fear grasps the horns of the altar for protection (as Adonijah had), but Solomon is not deterred. Benaiah requests twice that Joab come out of the tent, but he insists that he wants to die there by the altar.
- Solomon's words: "Strike him down...and take away from me and my father's house the guilt for the blood Joab shed without cause."
- Shimei: Solomon tells him for his cursing David he is to build a house in Jerusalem and never leave under sentence of death. Shimei agrees it is a just sentence.
- Three years later, two of Shimei's slaves run away, and he goes to Achish to look for them. Solomon is told, and has Shimei killed (again by Benaiah).
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