Verses 1-12
1Ki 2:1 And the days of David drew near for him to die. And he commanded his son Solomon, saying,
1Ki 2:2 I am going in the way of all the earth. And you be strong, and be a man,
1Ki 2:3 and keep the charge of Jehovah your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commands, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may do wisely all that you do, and there wherever you may turn,
1Ki 2:4 so that Jehovah may establish His Word which He spoke to 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, saying, There shall not be a man to you cut off from the throne of Israel.
1Ki 2:5 And also, you know that which Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, that which he did to the two army commanders of Israel, to Abner the son of Ner, and to Amasa the son of Jether, that he murdered them, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war on his girdle, on his loins and in his sandals on his feet;
1Ki 2:6 and you shall do according to your wisdom, and shall not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace.
1Ki 2:7 You shall be merciful to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and they shall be among those eating at your table, for so they drew near to me when I fled from the face of your brother Absalom.
1Ki 2:8 And, behold, with you is Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjamite of Bahurim. And he cursed me with a grievous cursing in the day I went to Mahanaim. And he came down to meet me at the Jordan, and I swore to him by Jehovah, saying, I will not cause you to die by the sword.
1Ki 2:9 And now, do not acquit him, for you are a wise man, and you know that which you shall do to him and shall bring his old age down with blood to Sheol.
1Ki 2:10 And David lay with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
1Ki 2:11 And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron, and he reigned thirty three years in Jerusalem.
1Ki 2:12 And Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.
Summary: David is near death. He instructs Solomon. He also addresses Solomon as "wise." David convicts Joab and Shimei to death for their misdeeds. David endorses Barzillai for helping him in his time of need.
1. The judgement against Joab seems fairly cut and dry. Joab was rebellious and murderous. Why would David wait until now to pass this judgement? a. Joab was David's cousin (as was Amasa)! 2Chr 2:16-17. He was family, AND Joab was long with David fighting for him and with him. It was Joab's cruelty that was his own undoing. By passing on his judgement, justice is served, it is not at the hand of David directly, and it removes a possible 2nd treason by Joab (or his influence)
2. Recount Shimei's curses against David and subsequent repentance (what is Shimei's motivation?). 2Sam 16:5-14, 19:15-23. David swore not to kill Shimei. Is David breaking his promise? Is it ok to break promises on technicalities? Shimei is of the house of Saul and is apparently very bitter towards David. His actions are suicidal actually, but David spares him. Shimei's repentance is questionable in that he shows up with 1000 soldiers. David was done fighting and says "Should any man be put to death in Israel today?" (2Sam 19:22)
David's son was dead. There was great fighting and death already. At that point, he was done with it. If he had struck out against Shimei, there may have been another 1000 deaths. David just wanted to unify his country.
It is evident that David felt Shimei may have negative influence during Solomon's reign, and Shimei's sin had not been dealt with. He is king and judge, anointed by God. That day, he did not die, but because of his actions Solomon was to execution judgement on Shimei.
We may look at this as David breaking a promise or using a technical workaround. However his concern is justice and peace for Solomon.
3.Review The special relationship between David and Barzillai: 2Sam 19:31-39.
What event did all three of these men participate in to deserve David's judgements? What does that say about that event? Most of these activities revolve around Absalom's rebellion. It was an extremely low point in David's life. It was something that grieved him to the core.
Verses 13-25:
1Ki 2:13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came in to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. And she said, Do you come in peace? And he said, Peace.
1Ki 2:14 And he said, A word to you and to me? And she said, Speak.
1Ki 2:15 And he said, You know that the kingdom was mine, and all Israel had set their faces toward me to reign. Yet the kingdom has been turned around and is my brother's, because it was his from Jehovah.
1Ki 2:16 And now I am asking one petition of you. Do not turn away your face. And she said to him, Speak.
1Ki 2:17 And he said, Please speak to King Solomon, for he will not turn away your face, that he give to me Abishag the Shunammite for a wife.
1Ki 2:18 And Bathsheba said, Well! I will speak to the king for you.
1Ki 2:19 And Bathsheba came in to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed to her, and sat on his throne, and placed a throne for the king's mother. And she sat at his right hand.
1Ki 2:20 And she said, I ask one small petition of you. Do not turn away my face. And the king said to her, Ask, my mother, for I will not turn away your face.
1Ki 2:21 And she said, let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah for a wife.
1Ki 2:22 And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why are you asking Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Also ask the kingdom for him, for he is my older brother; yea, for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
1Ki 2:23 And King Solomon swore by Jehovah, saying, So shall God do to me, and so shall He do more, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his life.
1Ki 2:24 And now, as Jehovah lives, who has established me and caused me to sit on the throne of my father David, and who has made a house for me, as He spoke, surely today Adonijah shall be made to die.
1Ki 2:25 And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he fell on him, and he died.
Summary: Adonijah goes to Bathsheba and asks her to ask Solomon for Abishag as a wife. Bathsheba agrees and asks. Solomon becomes enraged and promises to kill Adonijah. He orders Benaiah to execute Adonijah.
Question 5 in the book asks: "Why was Solomon so upset about Adonijah requesting Abishag for a wife?" The action is reminiscent of Absalom's taking of David's concubines. To take the wife of a king was equal to taking his power. These were the perceptions of the day. The virility of a king was very important. The inability to stop such actions were reason enough to be removed from power.
What is going on with Bathsheba? Why is she complicit, or is she complicit, or....more? What is the significance of Solomon seating her on a "throne/seat?"
It's difficult to know Bathsheba's intent. She may have know what Solomon would do, or maybe she just wanted to get rid of Abishag. Solomon bows to his mother and gives her a place at his right hand. Obviously he loved and respected her. But putting her in that position elevated her status in the house.
Verses 26-35:
1Ki 2:26 And the king said to Abiathar the priest, Go to Anathoth, to your fields. For you are a man of death. But I will not at this time cause you to die, because you have borne the ark of the Lord Jehovah before my father David, and because you were afflicted in all the things with which my father was afflicted.
1Ki 2:27 And Solomon drove Abiathar from being priest to Jehovah, to fulfill the Word of Jehovah which He spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
1Ki 2:28 And the report came to Joab, for Joab had turned aside after Adonijah though he did not turn aside after Absalom. And Joab fled to the tabernacle of Jehovah, and lay hold on the horns of the altar.
1Ki 2:29 And it was told to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the tabernacle of Jehovah, and, behold, he was by the altar. And Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall on him.
1Ki 2:30 And Benaiah came into the tabernacle of Jehovah and said to him, So says the king, Come out. And he said, No, but I will die here. And Benaiah brought back word to the king, saying, So says Joab. Yea, so he answered me.
1Ki 2:31 And the king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall on him, and bury him, and turn aside the innocent blood which Joab shed, off of me and off of my father's house.
1Ki 2:32 And Jehovah shall turn back his blood on his own head, who has fallen on two men more righteous and better than he, and murdered them with the sword; and my father David not knowing: 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.
1Ki 2:33 Yea, He shall turn back their blood on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed forever. And as for David and for his seed, and for his house, and for his throne, there shall be peace forever from Jehovah.
1Ki 2:34 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up and fell on him, and caused him to die. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
1Ki 2:35 And 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.
Summary: Solomon fires Abiathar as priest and sends him away. He states he is worthy of death but will live since he carried the ark. Joab hears of this and fears for his life. He grabs the horns of the altar. Solomon hears of this and sends Benaiah to execute him. Benaiah calls out Joab, but he refuses to come out and says "No, but I will die here."
Benaiah reports this to Solomon and Solomon says, do it, so he does.
Question 6 of the book: What promise of the Lord is fulfilled in 2:27? Read -1Sam 2:27-34. Eli was cursed for not respecting God's sacrifices enough to remove his sons from priestly duty. The curse is pretty harsh: "Behold, days come when I shall cut off your arm, and the arm of your father's house, that no old man shall be in your house." This among other yucky stuff comes to pass.
7. Who were the two sons of Aaron through which the priests descended? Eleazar/Ithamar. Which one of the sons had the high priesthood gone through? Eleazar From which son had Abiathar descended? Ithamar Zadok? Eleazar 1Chron 24:3
Shows God's long standing will coming to pass. These events may seem small but together show God's providence and power...control.
It may seem disrespectful to execute someone at the altar. What was the altar for and what does Solomon say about this execution that removes its unseemliness? Solomon sees the value of removing the bloodguilt that Joab performed while in service to his dad. Remember that injustices cry out to God (Cain/Abel). Joab's nefarious dealings simply caught up to him and justice was finally served. His execution turns any suspicion away from David's house and places cause at Joab's feet. The altar saw sacrifices all the time because of sin for atonement. This was beyond that, it was because of sin for justice (judgment meted out, not atoned). Joab's death was merciless as was his actions towards others. In this case it was shameful as well.
Verses 36-46:
1Ki 2:36 And the king sent and called Shimei and said to him, Build a house for yourself in Jerusalem and live there, and do not go out from there anywhere.
1Ki 2:37 And it shall be, in the day you go out and cross the torrent Kidron, knowing you shall know that dying you shall die; your blood shall be on your head.
1Ki 2:38 And Shimei said to the king, The word is good. As my lord the king has spoken, so your servant shall do. And Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days.
1Ki 2:39 And it happened at the end of three years, two of Shimei's servants fled to Achish the son of Maachah, the king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, your servants are in Gath.
1Ki 2:40 And Shimei rose up and saddled his ass and went to Gath, to Achish, to seek his servants. And Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath.
1Ki 2:41 And it was told to Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and had returned.
1Ki 2:42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said to him, Did I not cause you to swear by Jehovah, and testify to you, saying, In the day you go out, and you have gone anywhere, knowing you shall know that dying you shall die. And you said to me, The word I have heard is good.
1Ki 2:43 And why have you not kept the oath of Jehovah, and the charge that I commanded you?
1Ki 2:44 And the king said to Shimei, You shall know all the evil that your heart has known, that which you did to my father David. Now Jehovah has turned back your evil on your head.
1Ki 2:45 And King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before Jehovah forever.
1Ki 2:46 And the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and fell on him, and he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
The two functions translate "executioner" and "messenger." Hmmm.
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