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!