We have a busy Saturday ahead of us and we will need the Lord to be with us as we tackle the challenges of the day. So I prayed that as a family we would have the blessings and companionship of the Holy Ghost with us and that we would work well together to accomplish the work that needs to be done. If we can do that then I will count the day a success!
1 Kings 1-2
It never ceases to amaze me how the people in the Old Testament have to make everything so much harder than it really is. The transition from Saul as king to David as king was rough to say the least, and in chapters 1 and 2 in the book of Kings we find that the transition from David to Solomon did not go smoothly either.
The book of Kings opens with news that David is not well, he is having problems keeping warm. In his weakened condition his son Adonijah decides that he should be the next king and starts preparing for this by gathering supporters (1 Kings 1:5-6).
The problem with Adonijah's plan is that God did not choose him to be the king, he chose Solomon. And he will soon find out that his father will also choose Solomon. We have quite the messy family affair going on here. Two brothers and one position for king!
There were a few things that bothered me about the way David dealt with this situation. In verse 6 of chapter 1 we are told that David didn't tell Adonijah that he was not to be king. Why wouldn't David tell him? Was David not aware of what was going on? By verse 18 we know that David is aware of the situation and yet he still doesn't talk to his son, instead he prepares to name Solomon to be the king. I do not have all the details on the relationship between David and his sons, but this seems like it would have been a good time for some fatherly guidance.
I admit that I am a little disappointed in David at this point, I had hoped for more from him at the end of his life, considering all that the Lord had done for him. Chapter 2 added to my disappointment. 1 Kings 2:5-9 describes what is possibly one of the saddest moments recorded as we come to the end of David's life. We find his last recorded words consisted of counsel and advice to his son Solomon to get revenge for him.
Regarding Joab - "...let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace." (v 6)
Regarding Shimei - "...I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword....but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood." (vv 8-9)
I found this difficult in light of the fact that in verses 2-4 I thought David gave Solomon some amazing advice:
"I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
That the Lord may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel."
What a great message to give to your son before you die. I wish we could have seen more of this from David near the end of his life. This is the David that I love.
We have come to the end of the reign of King David. He is one of my favorite people in the scriptures to study because his strengths and his weaknesses are shared with us. There are so many lessons that we can learn from his life and apply to ours. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have had to get to know him better. Through the study of David I have learned a lot about my own weaknesses and strengths, and for that I am extremely grateful!
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