1 Kings 2:13-46 - Tying up Loose Ends

1 Kings 2:13-46

Solomon Executes Adonijah

13 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. So she said, “Do you come peaceably?”

And he said, “Peaceably.” 14 Moreover he said, “I have something to say to you.”
And she said, “Say it.”

15 Then he said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their expectations on me, that I should reign. However, the kingdom has been turned over, and has become my brother’s; for it was his from the LORD. 16 Now I ask one petition of you; do not deny me.”

And she said to him, “Say it.”

17 Then he said, “Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not refuse you, that he may give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife.”

18 So Bathsheba said, “Very well, I will speak for you to the king.”

19 Bathsheba therefore went to King Solomon, to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her and bowed down to her, and sat down on his throne and had a throne set for the king’s mother; so she sat at his right hand. 20 Then she said, “I desire one small petition of you; do not refuse me.”

And the king said to her, “Ask it, my mother, for I will not refuse you.”

21 So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife.”

22 And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, “Now why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also—for he is my older brother—for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, “May God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his own life! 24 Now therefore, as the LORD lives, who has confirmed me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has established a house for me, as He promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

25 So King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he struck him down, and he died.

Abiathar Exiled, Joab Executed

26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your own fields, for you are deserving of death; but I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before my father David, and because you were afflicted every time my father was afflicted.” 27 So Solomon removed Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, that he might fulfill the word of the LORD which He spoke concerning the house of Eli at Shiloh.

28 Then news came to Joab, for Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom. So Joab fled to the tabernacle of the LORD, and took hold of the horns of the altar. 29 And King Solomon was told, “Joab has fled to the tabernacle of the LORD; there he is, by the altar.” Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, “Go, strike him down.” 30 So Benaiah went to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said to him, “Thus says the king, Come out!’”

And he said, “No, but I will die here.” And Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, “Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.”

31 Then the king said to him, “Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed. 32 So the LORD will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword—Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah—though my father David did not know it. 33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the LORD.”

34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and struck and killed him; and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35 The king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar.

Shimei Executed

36 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there anywhere. 37 For it shall be, on the day you go out and cross the Brook Kidron, know for certain you shall surely die; your blood shall be on your own head.”

38 And Shimei said to the king, “The saying is good. As my lord the king has said, so your servant will do.” So Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

39 Now it happened at the end of three years, that two slaves of Shimei ran away to Achish the son of Maachah, king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, “Look, your slaves are in Gath!” 40 So Shimei arose, saddled his donkey, and went to Achish at Gath to seek his slaves. And Shimei went and brought his slaves from Gath. 41 And Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had come back. 42 Then the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD, and warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and travel anywhere, you shall surely die’? And you said to me, ‘The word I have heard is good.’ 43 Why then have you not kept the oath of the LORD and the commandment that I gave you?” 44 The king said moreover to Shimei, “You know, as your heart acknowledges, all the wickedness that you did to my father David; therefore the LORD will return your wickedness on your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever.”

46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he went out and struck him down, and he died. Thus the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

When Solomon ascended to the throne and his father king David passed away, he began tying up loose ends to establish the kingdom given by the LORD into his hands.  He began by dealing with Adonijah (1 Kings 1:52) after his reprieve for rebellion of an attempted coup as promised when wickedness was then found in him.  The wickedness was the arrogant hubris to ask for Abishag the Shunammite, former concubine of David his father, as his wife.  He dared to go to Bathsheba instead of Solomon with this demand because he thought the throne would be his by the people’s choice even though he acknowledged that his brother Solomon was crowned because it was God’s will, a loaded statement of discontent.  When Solomon heard this, he knew the reason for the outlandish request as another way to steal the throne by taking someone king David had as concubine to further his own legitimacy and make another possible attempt on the throne.  Solomon wisely had him executed as promised for this wickedness that ended his former conditional reprieve.  Then he banished Abiathar the priest (1 Samuel 2:31) as prophesied punishment for Eli’s family.  This was the priest who carried the Ark, was faithful to king David, but later rebelled with Adonijah to attempt to overthrow the king and take the throne for the one just executed for that crime.  Then Joab was dealt with, the man who killed two righteous men, Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the commander of the army of Judah, and also had defected to Adonijah.  This held him accountable for his vengeful murders and cleared the blood from the house of David to brought peace on David’s house.  Then exiled Shimei broke the terms of his banishment after three years by traveling across the brook Kidron against the conditions of his right to live.  The wickedness he did to Solomon’s father David (2 Samuel 16:5, 13) was therefore held to account at last as his reprieve was lifted and he forfeited his life.  After dealing with these loose ends of rebellion against the house of David the LORD’s anointed, the kingdom was firmly established in the hand of Solomon at last.  Sin against God’s people must be dealt with, though now through church discipline and not executed, excommunication when unrepentant and persisting in rebellion against the Lord and His word (Matthew 18:15-16, 17, 2 Thessalonians 3:14-15, James 5:19-20) but not with hate or vengeance or violence.  Loose ends must be dealt with or they consume the body of Christ (1 Timothy 1:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:16-17) like a gangrenous cancerous.  Remember Solomon and the kingdom of God in these things given for our (Romans 15:4, 5-6, 1 Corinthians 10:11) example to learn from (2 Timothy 2:16-17) His word to be the men and women He has designed for us to become. 

1 Kings 2:1-12 - God’s Established Kingdom

1 Kings 2:1-12

David’s Instructions to Solomon

1 Now the days of David drew near that he should die, and he charged Solomon his son, saying: 2 “I go the way of all the earth; be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man. 3 And keep the charge of the LORD your God: to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn; 4 that the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me, saying, If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,’ He said, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’

5 “Moreover you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two commanders of the armies of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed. And he shed the blood of war in peacetime, and put the blood of war on his belt that was around his waist, and on his sandals that were on his feet. 6 Therefore do according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray hair go down to the grave in peace.

7 “But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table, for so they came to me when I fled from Absalom your brother.

8 “And see, you have with you Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a malicious curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by the LORD, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ 9 Now therefore, do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man and know what you ought to do to him; but bring his gray hair down to the grave with blood.”

Death of David (1 Chronicles 3:4; 29:26–28)

10 So David rested with his fathers, and was buried in the City of David. 11 The period that David reigned over Israel was forty years; seven years he reigned in Hebron, and in Jerusalem he reigned thirty-three years. 12 Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David; and his kingdom was firmly established.

David was ready to join the LORD through death and so gave final charges to his son Solomon to guide and encourage him.  He first told him to be strong to prove himself a man of God by keeping His word as it is written to live the way God intended, designed, and commanded.  This meant to walk in His ways by keeping His statutes, commandments, judgments, and testimonies as delivered through Moses to the people.  Only then would Solomon prosper as he walked before the LORD in truth with all his heart and with all his life (Deuteronomy 29:9, Joshua 1:7, 8, 1 Chronicles 22:12, 13, Psalm 132:12) that the promise to David would continue to provide a seed not the throne until the final Seed, the Messiah, would sit to rule over His people and kingdom forevermore.  He also strongly advised him to deal with the treacherous ones like Joab who dealt badly with David and killed Abner and Amasa, spilling blood in peacetime instead of in wartime as would have been allowable.  He told Solomon to use wisdom in not allowing Joab to live a full life, but be held accountable with the death penalty for these things.  It was to be likewise with Shimei who both cursed and tried to make amends with David as he was banished from the throne by his son before; he was to be judged and executed for the guilt hanging over his head that was long overdue due to David’s promise not to do it himself.  Only Barzillai’s sons were to be treated well and share the table of the king for their father’s faithfulness and help when David had fled from Absalom and they met his needs along with his band of brothers in exile.  After charging Solomon with these last things, David the anointed king of Israel and progenitor of the Messiah died at last and was buried in his city of Jerusalem after forty years in total.  Thus the kingdom continued through his son as one firmly established on the LORD and according to His word.  The kingdom was built on the promise and word of God whose Son now sits and reigns on heaven and earth in the line of promise as the living Word (John 1:1, 14) come to us to establish His kingdom firmly (1 Kings 9:5, 1 Chronicles 17:14, Psalm 145:13, Hebrews 1:8, 12:28, Colossians 1:13, Isaiah 9:7) and without end.  This is God’s established kingdom.  Amen! 

1 Kings 1:28-53 - The Anointed Son Proclaimed King

1 Kings 1:28-53

David Proclaims Solomon King (1 Chronicles 29:22–25)

28 Then King David answered and said, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. 29 And the king took an oath and said, ”As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my life from every distress, 30 just as I swore to you by the LORD God of Israel, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ so I certainly will do this day.”

31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the earth, and paid homage to the king, and said, “Let my lord King David live forever!”

32 And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. 33 The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. 34 There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ’Long live King Solomon!’ 35 Then you shall come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he shall be king in my place. For I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

36 Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king and said, “Amen! May the LORD God of my lord the king say so too. 37 As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.”

38 So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn, and all the people said, ”Long live King Solomon!” 40 And all the people went up after him; and the people played the flutes and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split with their sound.

41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, “Why is the city in such a noisy uproar?” 42 While he was still speaking, there came Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah said to him, “Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring good news.”

43 Then Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, “No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule. 45 So Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon; and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise that you have heard. 46 Also Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. 47 And moreover the king’s servants have gone to bless our lord King David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may He make his throne greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed himself on the bed. 48 Also the king said thus, ‘Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, who has given one to sit on my throne this day, while my eyes see it!’”

49 So all the guests who were with Adonijah were afraid, and arose, and each one went his way.

50 Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 51 And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”

52 Then Solomon said, “If he proves himself a worthy man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth; but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” 53 So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Before the treacherous Adonijah, son of the dying king David, could usurp the throne from his father as his older brother Absalom before him had done, the true anointed son Solomon was proclaimed king as planned by God and promised by David to Bathsheba.  She exclaimed, “Let my lord King David live forever!” at the promise fulfilled at last.  He sent Zadok the priest with Nathan the prophet to blow the trumpet and anoint Solomon king over Israel who then came and sat on the throne In the place of power and authority.  This is a foreshadowing of the King of kings, the Anointed Christ-Messiah, who was proclaimed King to the world and ascended to sit on the right hand of the Father (John 3:13, Mark 16:19, Luke 22:69, Hebrews 12:2) on the heavenly throne above forever to reign in power and authority.  David praised and thanked the LORD God that he was able to see his son on the throne where the usurper attempted to sit, and we now can do so with even more rejoicing for the Son who sacrificed Himself in the pattern of Isaac in Jacob’s hand on the altar.  We have the Anointed King (1 Timothy 6:15, Revelation 17:14, 19:16) of all creation (Colossians 1:15-16, 17) who sits with His immortal Father on the eternal throne and rules over us.  No usurper can take His place (Isaiah 14:12, 13, 14-15, Matthew 4:8-9, 10) or rule over us (1 Corinthians 15:24-26) since the defeat and condemnation of the devil who would dare to claim the throne without the power of authority to do so, just as Adonijah attempted in futility for the throne promised to the one anointed by God to sit in David’s place.  Unlike the wayward king’s son, however, grabbing the horns of the altar cannot save the adversary from the lake of fire in everlasting condemnation and punishment (Matthew 25:41, 2 Peter 2:4, Jude 1:6, Revelation 12:9) for his rebellion and blasphemy against the Most High King of kings.  We are under the perfectly just and righteous rule of God Himself in the kingdom now and forever, a reason to rejoice in thanksgiving far more than those who saw Solomon ascend to the throne.  The Son of God and King of kings has ascended into heaven to rule over we the people of Jesus Christ by grace through faith in Him and His work of sacrifice on the cross as promised by His resurrection from death (John 5:24) to life to rule with Him (2 Timothy 2:11-12, Revelation 5:10) and before His throne (Revelation 22:3-4) forever! 

1 Kings 1:1-27 - Who Will Sit on the Throne?

1 Kings 1:1-27

Adonijah Presumes to Be King

1 Now King David was old, advanced in years; and they put covers on him, but he could not get warm. 2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for our lord the king, and let her stand before the king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm.” 3 So they sought for a lovely young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The young woman was very lovely; and she cared for the king, and served him; but the king did not know her.

5 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.) 7 Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.

9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by En Rogel; he also invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants. 10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or Solomon his brother.

11 So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 12 Come, please, let me now give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ 14 Then, while you are still talking there with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”

15 So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) 16 And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?”

17 Then she said to him, “My lord, you swore by the LORD your God to your maidservant, saying, ‘Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’ 18 So now, look! Adonijah has become king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know about it. 19 He has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army; but Solomon your servant he has not invited. 20 And as for you, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, that you should tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 21 Otherwise it will happen, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders.”

22 And just then, while she was still talking with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in. 23 So they told the king, saying, “Here is Nathan the prophet.” And when he came in before the king, he bowed down before the king with his face to the ground. 24 And Nathan said, “My lord, O king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? 25 For he has gone down today, and has sacrificed oxen and fattened cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king’s sons, and the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest; and look! They are eating and drinking before him; and they say, ’Long live King Adonijah!’ 26 But he has not invited me—me your servant—nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. 27 Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not told your servant who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”

Who will be king?  Adonijah the son of Haggith lifted himself up with self-importance in his pride and presumed to take over from ailing old king David, saying, “I will be king” as if just personal presumption and haughty hubris were enough to rule.  He took advantage of the fact that the king was so old that he needed to lie in bed with someone to keep him warm to concoct his coup.  This was the fourth son of David and Solomon's rival for the throne, just younger than Absalom and handsome as well, which helped win others over to support his rebellion.  Even his own father did not try to stop him and Joab joined with the priest Abiathar to support this takeover.  Only Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and other mighty men of the king did not support Adonijah.  Nathan therefore went straight to Bathsheba to warn David and remind him of his vow to set her son Solomon on the throne of Israel as his successor while this upstart attempted to overthrow this plan just as his older brother Absalom had after his vengeance for his sister and rebellion after his return from banishment.  These were all consequences and curses (2 Samuel 12:9, 10) for the house of David as Nathan proclaimed when he had killed Uriah and taken his wife Bathsheba after first desiring the married woman bathing and then getting her pregnant.  The sword continued to cut through David’s descendants until it would finally land on his Seed the Messiah Jesus and end the curse (Galatians 3:13, Romans 8:3, 4) once and for all because that righteous descendant was also the Son of God and able to end it forever.  God preserved the king then to usher in the King of kings generations later as promised as planned from the beginning.  Therefore, the LORD frustrated the plans of the rebellious Adonijah as He had with those of Absalom before him, and the events were set in motion to crown Solomon king before him as he was celebrating with sacrifices and feasting before he was actually on the throne, as his presumption overtook him but did not see him to obtain it before the one promised it by David.  Who will sit on the throne?  The one God chose.  Not the one presuming to take it, but the one given it by plan and promise of the LORD.  This is how and why the Son of God, Seed (John 7:42, Acts 13:23, 2 Timothy 2:8) of promise through David in the line of Abraham by faith (Acts 3:25, Romans 9:7, 8), stopped the usurpers and set Him forever on the eternal throne on the right hand of the Father in the power of the Almighty in the heavenly place where He always had the right to be.  These events of sinful David were a foreshadowing of the promise to and through him for this reign.  Jesus is the One who sits on the throne, the promised Seed of David! 

Samuel 24:18-25 - The Cost of Deliverance Must be Paid!

2 Samuel 24:18-25

The Altar on the Threshing Floor (1 Chronicles 21:18–27)

18 And Gad came that day to David and said to him, “Go up, erect an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 19 So David, according to the word of Gad, went up as the LORD commanded. 20 Now Araunah looked, and saw the king and his servants coming toward him. So Araunah went out and bowed before the king with his face to the ground.

21 Then Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?”

And David said, “To buy the threshing floor from you, to build an altar to the LORD, that the plague may be withdrawn from the people.”

22 Now Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take and offer up whatever seems good to him. Look, here are oxen for burnt sacrifice, and threshing implements and the yokes of the oxen for wood. 23 All these, O king, Araunah has given to the king.”

And Araunah said to the king, “May the LORD your God accept you.”

24 Then the king said to Araunah, “No, but I will surely buy it from you for a price; nor will I offer burnt offerings to the LORD my God with that which costs me nothing.” So David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for fifty shekels of silver. 25 And David built there an altar to the LORD, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the LORD heeded the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel.

This end of the book appropriately ends in worship on an altar the LORD commanded king David to erect on the threshing floor (1 Chronicles 21:15, 2 Samuel 24:16) where the angel had been stopped from further destruction as a consequence of the king’s sin for counting Israel instead of trusting the number God gave was sufficient in His power and calling.  David obediently listened to the prophet Gad and obeyed God to build d this altar for worship and atonement for his sin.  Araunah offered to gift the threshing floor to honor the LORD for stopping the plague he brought on them all, but the man was given fifty shekels of silver at the insistence of David.  The king confessed that he had to buy it at a price and would not offer sacrifices that cost him nothing after the great price he paid in loves for his sin.  He counted the cost of sin and paid for its atonement for redemption.  Only them did the LORD God hear his prayers to save the land by withdrawing the plague from further destruction of just punishment.  As Romans 6:23 tells us, we all pay the price of judgment and death for sin until we are forgiven by grace as we face and confess the sin, turn from it to the Lord through the Angel of the LORD, Jesus Christ, to receive His sacrifice by the faith of Abraham (Romans 4:3, 9, Hebrews 11:17, Galatians 3:9, James 2:21) who offered his only son on the altar he was commanded to erect and who was stopped from destruction of His son that the Son of God would be later provided on the cross as the perfect sacrifice to atone for all our sins that destroy us and others around us.  Do we see our sins in this light as David did and confess our sins to him as 1 John 1:9 tells us and assures us of forgiveness for ongoing reconciliation with our Lord?  Do we then worship Him then for His sacrifice on the heavenly altar for our deliverance from certain destruction and praise Him for our certain hope?  Our lives are now to be given to Him in return to live for Him as the price we offer, because we know our deliverance did not cost the Father nothing; He offered His only Son at such a high price to provide the heavenly threshing floor for us to approach in worship (Hebrews 4:16) and thanksgiving as He delivered us (Matthew 3:7, 1 Thessalonians 1:10) from the wrath to come.  The cost of deliverance must be paid, and He paid it for us.  Praise Him!

2 Samuel 24:1-17 - Responsibility, Consequences, and Grace

2 Samuel 24:1-17

David’s Census of Israel and Judah (1 Chronicles 21:1–6)

1 Again the anger of the LORD was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, “Go, number Israel and Judah.”

2 So the king said to Joab the commander of the army who was with him, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, and count the people, that I may know the number of the people.”

3 And Joab said to the king, “Now may the LORD your God add to the people a hundred times more than there are, and may the eyes of my lord the king see it. But why does my lord the king desire this thing?” 4 Nevertheless the king’s word prevailed against Joab and against the captains of the army. Therefore Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel.

5 And they crossed over the Jordan and camped in Aroer, on the right side of the town which is in the midst of the ravine of Gad, and toward Jazer. 6 Then they came to Gilead and to the land of Tahtim Hodshi; they came to Dan Jaan and around to Sidon; 7 and they came to the stronghold of Tyre and to all the cities of the Hivites and the Canaanites. Then they went out to South Judah as far as Beersheba. 8 So when they had gone through all the land, they came to Jerusalem at the end of nine months and twenty days. 9 Then Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king. And there were in Israel eight hundred thousand valiant men who drew the sword, and the men of Judah were five hundred thousand men.

The Judgment on David’s Sin (1 Chronicles 21:7–17)

10 And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people. So David said to the LORD, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O LORD, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly.”

11 Now when David arose in the morning, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Gad, David’s seer, saying, 12 “Go and tell David, ‘Thus says the LORD: “I offer you three things; choose one of them for yourself, that I may do it to you.”’” 13 So Gad came to David and told him; and he said to him, “Shall seven years of famine come to you in your land? Or shall you flee three months before your enemies, while they pursue you? Or shall there be three days’ plague in your land? Now consider and see what answer I should take back to Him who sent me.”

14 And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

15 So the LORD sent a plague upon Israel from the morning till the appointed time. From Dan to Beersheba seventy thousand men of the people died. 16 And when the angel stretched out His hand over Jerusalem to destroy it, the LORD relented from the destruction, and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “It is enough; now restrain your hand.” And the angel of the LORD was by the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

17 Then David spoke to the LORD when he saw the angel who was striking the people, and said, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house.”

David in his pride listened to the adversary (1 Chronicles 21:1) and demanded a census of the people that can be seen as a reason for him to depend on the size of his army and not on the arm of the Lord, and therefore a serious offense against the LORD for not trusting His sovereign power.  He made faith into trust in his own army, forgetting that Israel was the army of God and not any earthly king.  The consequences were immediate and severe.  The king was given three choices of the punishment, however.  David had confessed and repented of this sin, yet had to face the consequences of his actions and choose seven years of famine, running for three months from their enemies, or three days of a destructive plague that would decimate the nation under David’s rule whom he was responsible for.  His penitent response was immediate.  He asked the prophet Gad who brought the message from the LORD to tell God that he would rather submit under His sovereign hand of judgment than that of man.  He knew God was just yet still merciful; man was neither on a good day due to the corruption of sin (Jeremiah 17:9, Psalm 53:2-3, Matthew 15:19, Romans 3:10, 23) in our hearts.  Therefore, God sent a plague on them that caused the death of seventy thousand men of the people at the hand of an avenging angel.  God stopped the angel’s hand at that point in His mercy, having achieved the just punishment due on David as the responsible one accountable for the people.  David was broken, asking why the sheep had to be struck down for the sins of the shepherd.  He asked that the punishment be given to him and his house instead, a foreshadowing of his Seed who would take on not only the sins of Israel, but of the whole world (John 1:29, 1 John 2:2) on the cross of sin’s curse which we all are guilty of.  Therefore the curse of the plague of sin which is death has been atoned for in Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:56-57) and rescued the sheep of His pasture who have all done wickedly from birth due to the nature of sin that corrupts every heart as children of Adam who is responsible for us all.  Therefore second Adam, Jesus Christ, has taken the responsibility in our place and now releases us from the plague of sin’s eternal consequences.  This then is a picture of responsibility, consequences, and grace that is greater than all our sin.  Praise Him who has redeemed us (Galatians 3:13) from the curse we all have earned in rebellion against our Creator! 

2 Samuel 23:8-39 - Give Honor to Whom Honor is Due

2 Samuel 23:8-39

David’s Mighty Men (1 Chronicles 11:10–47)

8 These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-Basshebeth the Tachmonite, chief among the captains. He was called Adino the Eznite, because he had killed eight hundred men at one time. 9 And after him was Eleazar the son of Dodo, the Ahohite, one of the three mighty men with David when they defied the Philistines who were gathered there for battle, and the men of Israel had retreated. 10 He arose and attacked the Philistines until his hand was weary, and his hand stuck to the sword. The LORD brought about a great victory that day; and the people returned after him only to plunder. 11 And after him was Shammah the son of Agee the Hararite. The Philistines had gathered together into a troop where there was a piece of ground full of lentils. So the people fled from the Philistines. 12 But he stationed himself in the middle of the field, defended it, and killed the Philistines. So the LORD brought about a great victory.

13 Then three of the thirty chief men went down at harvest time and came to David at the cave of Adullam. And the troop of Philistines encamped in the Valley of Rephaim. 14 David was then in the stronghold, and the garrison of the Philistines was then in Bethlehem. 15 And David said with longing, “Oh, that someone would give me a drink of the water from the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” 16 So the three mighty men broke through the camp of the Philistines, drew water from the well of Bethlehem that was by the gate, and took it and brought it to David. Nevertheless he would not drink it, but poured it out to the LORD. 17 And he said, “Far be it from me, O LORD, that I should do this! Is this not the blood of the men who went in jeopardy of their lives?” Therefore he would not drink it.

These things were done by the three mighty men.

18 Now Abishai the brother of Joab, the son of Zeruiah, was chief of another three. He lifted his spear against three hundred men, killed them, and won a name among these three. 19 Was he not the most honored of three? Therefore he became their captain. However, he did not attain to the first three.

20 Benaiah was the son of Jehoiada, the son of a valiant man from Kabzeel, who had done many deeds. He had killed two lion-like heroes of Moab. He also had gone down and killed a lion in the midst of a pit on a snowy day. 21 And he killed an Egyptian, a spectacular man. The Egyptian had a spear in his hand; so he went down to him with a staff, wrested the spear out of the Egyptian’s hand, and killed him with his own spear. 22 These things Benaiah the son of Jehoiada did, and won a name among three mighty men. 23 He was more honored than the thirty, but he did not attain to the first three. And David appointed him over his guard.

24 Asahel the brother of Joab was one of the thirty; Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 25 Shammah the Harodite, Elika the Harodite, 26 Helez the Paltite, Ira the son of Ikkesh the Tekoite, 27 Abiezer the Anathothite, Mebunnai the Hushathite, 28 Zalmon the Ahohite, Maharai the Netophathite, 29 Heleb the son of Baanah (the Netophathite), Ittai the son of Ribai from Gibeah of the children of Benjamin, 30 Benaiah a Pirathonite, Hiddai from the brooks of Gaash, 31 Abi-Albon the Arbathite, Azmaveth the Barhumite, 32 Eliahba the Shaalbonite (of the sons of Jashen), Jonathan, 33 Shammah the Hararite, Ahiam the son of Sharar the Hararite, 34 Eliphelet the son of Ahasbai, the son of the Maachathite, Eliam the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite, 35 Hezrai the Carmelite, Paarai the Arbite, 36 Igal the son of Nathan of Zobah, Bani the Gadite, 37 Zelek the Ammonite, Naharai the Beerothite (armorbearer of Joab the son of Zeruiah), 38 Ira the Ithrite, Gareb the Ithrite, 39 and Uriah the Hittite: thirty-seven in all.

These mighty warriors of king David were honored in the scriptures of God’s word to remind us of their faithfulness and to follow their examples (2 Thessalonians 3:9, 1 Corinthians 4:16, Hebrews 6:12) when possible in standing firm (1 Corinthians 16:13, 1 Peter 5:9) and courageous in fighting (Psalm 27:14, 1 Corinthians 15:58, Ephesians 6:10) the good (1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 4:7) fight as we proclaim the good news of victory in Christ.  These men of David risked their lives (Acts 20:24, 21:13), not counting their own lives so dear as to hold back from seeing others hear that their own lives may be saved eternally through the preaching of the word of God.  Whether in a physical battle with clanging swords as these valiant men were or in the reasoning from scripture by those valiant for the truth over who the Lord is and what He has done to call people to repentance and faith, the call is the same - to fight well and honor (Romans 13:7, 1 Corinthians 12:23, 1 Timothy 5:17) those among us who do likewise, sometimes even to the point of death in their testimony as martyrs (the very definition of the word) to bring life (Romans 6:23) in Christ out of the death we are all born into through Adam’s inheritance (Romans 5:12, 14, 1 Corinthians 15:21) of sin within.  We therefore are reminded in this passage to give honor to whom it is due in the fight against heavenly forces (Ephesians 3:10, 6:12) set against the deliverance of men and women from sin as we ourselves remain valiant for the truth that sets us free (John 8:32, 36, 1 John 5:20) in knowing the only true God (John 17:3) and His Son whom He sent to set us free at last!  May we all be encouraged by this passage to fight the good fight for the souls of men and women bound in sin as we all enter this life that they may leave it with a certain hope of an eternal release from sin as the victory gained in the good fight of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Samuel 23:1-7 - Testimony of Salvation

2 Samuel 23:1-7

David’s Last Words

1 Now these are the last words of David.

Thus says David the son of Jesse;
Thus says the man raised up on high,
The anointed of the God of Jacob,
And the sweet psalmist of Israel:

2 “The Spirit of the LORD spoke by me,
And His word was on my tongue.

3 The God of Israel said,
The Rock of Israel spoke to me:
‘He who rules over men must be just,
Ruling in the fear of God.

4 And he shall be like the light of the morning when the sun rises,
A morning without clouds,
Like the tender grass springing out of the earth,
By clear shining after rain.’

5 “Although my house is not so with God,
Yet He has made with me an everlasting covenant,
Ordered in all things and secure.
For this is all my salvation and all my desire;
Will He not make it increase?

6 But the sons of rebellion shall all be as thorns thrust away,
Because they cannot be taken with hands.

7 But the man who touches them
Must be armed with iron and the shaft of a spear,
And they shall be utterly burned with fire in their place.”

These final words of king David are his testimony of God’s grace and providence in his life for us to witness and meditate over.  He identified who he was and where he came from, the son of Jesse.  Then he identified himself as anointed by the living God of Jacob-Israel Himself.  He also identified as the psalmist of Israel, the writer of many songs and hymns he gave them and us to extol and praise praise the LORD his and our God.  His testimony of grace then gave us the source of those psalms, inspired by the Holy Spirit of God who spoke His word to us down through the generations and recorded as God’s very words given as scripture to us; they were not his own words found on his tongue.  When God spoke to him, He gave him the solid foundation of Himself as the Rock and the words based on the same assurance of truth, namely that he was to rule as the anointed king with justice in the fear of God and therefore not in pride or disobedience as Saul before him.  This righteous loving would be as the clear dawn’s early light and as the fresh grass springing up after a satisfying rain that meets the sun rising throughout the day.  He confessed that he was far from perfect, yet chosen by the LORD by the unbreakable covenant promise given by God to him that was safe and secure (John 5:24, 10:28-29, Ephesians 1:13, 14) from all alarms to the contrary that doubts might throw at him.  This is the basis of our calling and election of grace to salvation we now experience in Jesus Christ, the Seed of David who is the Messiah, Anointed of the Father.  This deliverance from condemnation promised to us through the line of David now is set in order by His work of grace on the cross and out of the grave as promised to secure our eternal future.  God promised David that this desire for deliverance that filled his heart would be increased as it grew and not diminished or taken away (John 3:36, 6:40, 1 John 5:12-13) from him as it also grows in us as we are conformed (2 Corinthians 3:18) to the image of God in the face of Jesus the Anointed.  Only those not chosen and who reject this covenant of grace will perish as useless thorns thrown into the fire to be burned because they cannot be taken out due to their rebellion against the Most High in refusing Him.  Just as David warned others then not to battle against such without being equipped for war, knowing their fate, we also must don the entire armor of God by faith (Ephesians 6:10, 13, 15, 19) to bear witness as our testimony of saving grace who speaks to us still today through His Spirit inspired words written in the scriptures and upon our hearts by that same Spirit in this new everlasting covenant of our secure standing in Jesus Christ.  This is our own testimony of God’s salvation that leads us to praise our Lord in word, deed, and songs of praise.

2 Samuel 22:26-51 - Blessed be the Rock of my Salvation!

2 Samuel 22:26-51

26 “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful;
With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless;
27 With the pure You will show Yourself pure;
And with the devious You will show Yourself shrewd.

28 You will save the humble people;
But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.

29 “For You are my lamp, O LORD;
The LORD shall enlighten my darkness.
30 For by You I can run against a troop;
By my God I can leap over a wall.

31 As for God, His way is perfect;
The word of the LORD is proven;
He is a shield to all who trust in Him.

32 “For who is God, except the LORD?
And who is a rock, except our God?
33 God is my strength and power,
And He makes my way perfect.

34 He makes my feet like the feet of deer,
And sets me on my high places.
35 He teaches my hands to make war,
So that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.

36 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation;
Your gentleness has made me great.
37 You enlarged my path under me;
So my feet did not slip.

38 “I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them;
Neither did I turn back again till they were destroyed.
39 And I have destroyed them and wounded them,
So that they could not rise;
They have fallen under my feet.

40 For You have armed me with strength for the battle;
You have subdued under me those who rose against me.
41 You have also given me the necks of my enemies,
So that I destroyed those who hated me.

42 They looked, but there was none to save;
Even to the LORD, but He did not answer them.
43 Then I beat them as fine as the dust of the earth;
I trod them like dirt in the streets,
And I spread them out.

44 “You have also delivered me from the strivings of my people;
You have kept me as the head of the nations.
A people I have not known shall serve me.

45 The foreigners submit to me;
As soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 The foreigners fade away,
And come frightened from their hideouts.

47 “The LORD lives!
Blessed be my Rock!
Let God be exalted,
The Rock of my salvation!

48 It is God who avenges me,
And subdues the peoples under me;
49 He delivers me from my enemies.
You also lift me up above those who rise against me;
You have delivered me from the violent man.

50 Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles,
And sing praises to Your name.

51 ”He is the tower of salvation to His king,
And shows mercy to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forevermore.”

The second half of David’s son of praise to the LORD sums it all up with his declaration that the loving LORD is the blessed rock of his salvation and deserves to be exalted in word, song, and living.  He begins by praising God for giving the merciful, blameless, pure the same in return while contrasting these with the devious who exhibit none of these three attributes and receive their just recompense; He saves the humble, even though imperfect, and brings down the prideful who oppose all that is good in God’s eyes.  He praises God for illuminating and guiding his way through life’s darkness and for giving him strength to overcome and find victory over his enemies.  God’s way is utterly perfect, proven as good and true, and provides protection against evil to all who humbly trust and obey that word of truth and grace.  Standing on this solid foundation of the Rock of his salvation leads to spiritual maturity as if perfection grows ever nearer.  God gives agility in living and warfare as he and we are shielded by His deliverance and greatness found in Him alone as we all find our way revealed before us as we follow Him along life’s narrow way made clear and wider than we can imagine in that grace and goodness.  God keeps us from slipping and stumbling (Jude 1:24-25) as we follow into conflict against our adversary (Ephesians 6:13, 2 Corinthians 10:3-4, 5) and give us the final victory (1 Corinthians 15:57) against those who hate and relentlessly pursue us for the sake of the gospel of the kingdom of heaven now just as David was for the earthly kingdom then.  God gives the victory now as then, subduing the enemy and delivering us to serve our Lord forever and ever, amen!  Yes, we can praise our same Lord God as David did by singing put triumphantly and joyfully, “The LORD lives!  Blessed be my Rock!  Let God be exalted, the Rock of my salvation!”  God avenges us (Romans 12:19, Revelation 6:10, 11:18) and delivers us from the ungodly and the violent for His glory and honor and praise.  These things David sang of are for us as well to thank and praise our same God and Savior Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13, 2 Peter 1:1) for His mercy to all in the Seed of David who alone delivers us through repentance and faith from the wrath to come.  Blessed be the Rock (Matthew 7:24, 16:18) of our salvation promised (Ephesians 1:9-10, Galatians 4:4) long ago and now realized at last!