1 Kings 1 and 2 close out the story of David.
When David was “old and well advanced in years” like many elderly folk he
could not stay warm. His servants came up with an ingenious solution. They
sought a beautiful young virgin to lie on David’s bosom so that he might keep
warm. The virgin selected was Abishag the Shunammite. The author(s) of 1 Kings
explicitly say, “but the king did not know her sexually.” (1 Kings 1:4) In
fact, this was probably the real purpose in bringing this beautiful young
virgin into the king’s bedroom. In ancient times, it was thought that a king
could maintain his kingdom only so long as he was sexually vigorous. Perhaps
there was something true in this perspective since David was obviously not
sexually active by this time and soon he died and the kingdom passed to his
son.
These opening chapters of 1 Kings deal rather
extensively with the succession. David’s second eldest son, Adonijah, wanted to
be king and schemed in order to establish himself in that role. Some of David’s
servants, like General Joab and the high priest Abiathar, went over to
Adonijah’s side. However, Nathan, Zadok, Benaiah, Shimei, Rei, and Bathsheba
sided with Solomon. In the end, Solomon won out because Bathsheba and Nathan
informed David of what Adonijah was doing and David supported his son Solomon
for the kingship, even though Solomon was not his eldest living son. Right
before David died, he spoke words of advice and encouragement to Solomon.
Notably, he gave to Solomon the same words that were given to Joshua many years
before: “Be strong, be courageous…” (1 Kings 2:2). These are words we all need
to hear and heed from time to time.
Lawrence Boadt gives this summary of the
beginning of Solomon’s reign….
The story of Solomon opens in 1 Kings 2:12, with clear
hints of what is to come: “When Solomon was seated upon the throne of his
father David, with his rule firmly established…” Above all, he was decisive. He put to death through one
excuse or another almost all of the powerful or dangerous rivals from his
father’s time: Adonijah, his scheming brother; Joab the general who had made
most of David’s victories possible; the former rebel Shimei. He also exiled the
Shiloh priest Abiathar back to his home. Next he cemented his relations with
neighboring kings, entering into a treaty with Hiram of Tyre to the north, and
taking a daughter of the pharaoh of Egypt to be his wife. He did more than make
peace with Egypt, however. 1 Kings 4 tells how Solomon organized the new empire
of Israel along the lines of administration used in Egypt. David had already
set up several officials modeled on Egyptian offices (see 2 Sam 8:16-20;
20:23-26); Solomon added a prime minister, called, as in Egypt itself, the “one
over the house.”
The move was the beginning in a whole series of decisions
to borrow practices and imitate the ways of foreign powers. Ultimately it led
to a revolt within Israel against the introduction of pagan ways. Even the
final judgment of the First Book of Kings was that Solomon had been the reason
why Israel turned away from the faithful obedience to Yahweh that David his
father had observed (1 Kgs 11).[1]
The beginning of Solomon’s compromise is
reflected in 1 Kings 3:2-3,
The people were sacrificing at the high places, however,
because no house had yet been built for the name of the Lord.
Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of his
father David; only, he sacrificed and offered incense at the high places.
Despite this compromise, there were many good
things about Solomon, especially at the beginning of his reign. Rather than
asking the Lord for wealth, he asked for wisdom, and the Lord gave him both.
This wisdom was demonstrated in practical situations brought to Solomon for
judgment such as the case of the two prostitutes fighting over a baby.
The early part of Solomon’s reign was looked back
upon as a golden age in Israel’s history. This is reflected in 1 Kings 4:20
ff….
Judah and Israel were as numerous as the sand by the sea;
they ate and drank and were happy. Solomon was sovereign over all the kingdoms
from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines, even to the border of Egypt;
they brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life….
He had peace on all sides. During Solomon’s lifetime
Judah and Israel lived in safety, from Dan even to Beer-sheba, all of them
under their vines and fig trees….
God gave Solomon very great wisdom, discernment, and
breadth of understanding as vast as the sand on the seashore…. He composed
three thousand proverbs, and his songs numbered a thousand and five…. People
came from all the nations to hear the wisdom of Solomon.
Given that Solomon asked wisdom of the Lord and
received it, if you could ask the Lord for only one thing, what would it be?
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