David was old and
could not get warm. He was fading away. He had ruled for 40 years.
They
acquired a young virgin to lie next to him and to serve him, so he could stay
warm.
He never took
advantage of Abishag, but the name is intriguing.
Then, in the resulting
power vacuum, his second son Adonijah, who was much favored by David and a rich personality, proclaimed himself king.
When Bathsheba mourned
the death of her illegitimate child after David’s
greatest relapse, he comforted her by promising that her next son would be his
heir (2 Samuel 2:24)
It emerged that Bathsheba
was a shrewd woman as she quickly counter-moved and appealed to David to fulfill his promise. She was ambitious for her own son.
If she could be so
shrewd and calculating, I suspect that she might have calculated her bathing
scene on the roof of her house to achieve a resolution to her mediocre
marriage. We’ll never know.
Joab revealed his
colors by nailing his own flag to Adonijah’s mast, but Abiathar the high priest
went along with the plot. However, David’s mighty men and Nathan the prophet declined.
David then directed
his faithful men to take Solomon to Gihon and anoint him as king, which they
did in the sight and within earshot of Adonijah’s party.
The party was soon over. The opposition scattered in fear and thus Solomon was confirmed as he rode on the king’s
mule and sat on David’s throne.
Solomon later spared
Adonijah.
Solomon on the rise (1 Kings 2 & 1 Chronicles 28-29)
David was on his deathbed and fading. He called Solomon and briefed his
reign.
He also made vital closing proclamations to all of Israel about the work to be done after his death and the support his son would need to fulfill that great work.
He also made vital closing proclamations to all of Israel about the work to be done after his death and the support his son would need to fulfill that great work.
As expected, he charged Solomon to uphold their traditions and rule
righteously. However, the betrayal of Joab over Adonijah was a final straw and
he instructed Solomon to deal with him.
The reasons were not just that he killed Absalom but that he also killed
nobler men: Abner, Saul’s general and Amasa. He also remembered Shimei’s
offence when he cursed the king, but left the matter in Solomon’s hands.
Then he closed his eyes for the last time to sleep with his fathers. A
great age had passed.
Adonijah, having been pardoned by Solomon then decided he would like to
have David’s young virgin as his wife and he tried to negotiate that through
Bathsheba.
To Solomon it was a final straw. Adonijah lost his life. He also
replaced Abiathar as priest, with Zadok, because he had also tried to subvert
David’s will. However, given the years he had faithfully stood by David he was
just released into retirement.
Joab was another story. Without going into gory detail, he died before
the horns of the altar. So did Shimei, but only after he violated his house
arrest. His blood was on himself.
Solomon married and started to
assert his authority (1 Kings 3)
The first priority of Solomon was to marry the daughter of the Egyptian
Pharaoh. It may have been a political move but it would corrupt his court with
pagan thought.
Certainly, he started well and loved the Lord. He was a good king. Sadly
the people were sacrificing in their own high places as there was no temple, so Solomon offered a thousand sacrifices on the great altar of Gibeon.
In a dream, Solomon appealed to God for wisdom and understanding, which
God granted. It is fascinating that it was thus so – simply given – one word of
God made it so.
Yet, because he deigned to ask for wealth or power, God gave him that
too. After all, wisdom has a good chance of making most men wealthy.
The Lord also sealed his reign and blessed him. He awoke and then went
to stand before the ark in Jerusalem to offer his thanks to God.
Shortly afterwards his wisdom was revealed when two harlots contended
over one child. His simple instruction, to divide the child between them, revealed the true mother and settled the dispute.
The nation was awed by his wisdom and he grew in stature.
A coronation hymn (Psalm 47)
“Clap your hand all ye people, shout unto God with a voice of triumph”,
was the chorus line of a great anthem that is still sung today.
“God is gone up with a shout, with the sound of the trumpet. Sing
praises to God, sing praises. Sing praises to our king, sing praises.” The
inference was the same as “God save our Queen”, which is as much a proclamation
of the God of that queen as it is about the queen of her God”.
The Chronicles are silent about the celebration, but it is evident that
Israel provided all the pomp and circumstance befitting a coronation.
Solomon’s benedictory prayer (Psalm
72)
It opens with “Give the King thy judgments and righteousness”.
He prayed the same for his son, future King Rehoboam, that they would judge the people with righteousness and the poor
with fairness, to save the children, needy and the oppressed.
Then he spoke prophetically as Jacob once did for his sons.
He blessed his reign and assured him that it would extend from sea to
sea, that he would advance like rain on mown grass, to bring in an era of
abundance and prosperity: a reign that would endure for as long as the sun and
moon endured.
All the peoples, far and near, in the cities and in the wilderness would
swear allegiance to him.
He repeated his call for a just, equitable reign that would uplift the
needy and broken and ensure a righteous reign. That was also David’s heart.
He also foresaw and prophesied the tribute of Sheba that later came when
the Queen brought her gold to Solomon and proclaimed. “the half was not yet
told”.
(c) Peter Missing @ bethelstone.com
