King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 14 notes
1Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,
2I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man;
3And 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:
4That 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.
5Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet.
6Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace.
7But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother.
Matters of the heart ♥ weigh in heavily.
And now David charges his son to avenge him and do what he, David, couldn't do.
David had the upper hand in that, though he dies, he lives on in his son, who was younger and stronger 💪.
And his son would continue his works and bring justice to the kingdom.
This advantage David's enemies did not have.
8And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword.
Was it not just an empty curse 🤬?
David made light of it at the time, but it really got to him and pierced his heart.
Here we see how he still makes bitter reference to it.
He wanted that man dead.
9Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood.
10So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.
11And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.
12Then sat Solomon upon the throne of David his father; and his kingdom was established greatly.
13And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably.
14He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on.
15And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother’s: for it was his from the LORD.
16And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on.
17And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, ( for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife.
18And Bath-sheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
19Bath-sheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king’s mother; and she sat on his right hand.
20Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay.
Yet he said her nay.
When one swears or promises, it can be breached, and righteously so, if the terms are not met.
It is not wisdom to go ahead and honour a promise or vow just for honoring's sake when it will bring harm and danger to you and others.
We see many such breaches first with God and his covenants — when the terms are breached, he changes his mind, as we see with Saul, and even Israel.
We see the same with David's promise to Shimei — he did not hurt him in his time but trusted his son to do so.
Solomon promised his own mother but refused to carry it out because other factors had arisen that showed an ill 🤒 intent for asking the vow.
21And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife.
22And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
23Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life.
24Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day.
25And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.
26And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted.
Anathoth, there is something familiar about that name.
Oh, Solomon had been told stories, stories of heroism,
Stories of battles and the kingdom and friendships. So he knew who to save and who to kill.
Imagine he had not been told and went ahead to kill one who had played such a vital role in his father's kingdom.
Lord, help 😣 me make wise choices, and to build in wisdom and not tear down.
Help me, Lord, help 😣 me 😭.
27So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
It took close to 2 centuries thereabout for God's word to be fulfilled. It makes me wonder, how many curses and blessings are hanging on our 👪 families and heads and businesses, awaiting their final and/or complete manifestations?
Wow... Such a long time ago, but the word of the Lord will not fail... Until Shiloh comes... Until Shiloh comes 😭
In the eyes of everyone he was thrust out because of his insurrection, but in the eyes of providence it was long determined, and he was steered into his own exit from the priesthood because of the curse upon his fathers.
He was a good man, but the old order and curse still had to be fulfilled.
His goodness, however, spoke for him and spared his life.
I am sure he could have been spared from this and the curse passed on to his son, but this was the time set of the order of divine justice.
28Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.
29And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him.
30And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.
31And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.
Why do I feel sorry for Joab? He knew the Lord, though he did not love him unconditionally.
32And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah.
33Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD.
There are certain deeds that greatly weigh 🏋️ in and surpass others.
David had killed many wicked men for the Lord and for David's throne, but the lives of those two men could not be forgiven nor atoned for by the blood of the evil 😈 men he had slaughtered.
We ought to be careful, because not all actions carry the same weight.
34So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.
35And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.
36And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither.
37For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head.
38And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
39And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath.
Barely three years... This must have had the hand of the Lord in it.
Help me, Lord, to know who your anointed is, and to submit to your chosen one and authority.
40And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
41And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again.
Hmm, the spies of the king. Solomon had spies everywhere.
42And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good.
43Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with?
44The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head;
45And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever.
Solomon here blesses his throne and that of David his father... Reversing invariably the curse 🤬 of Shimei against David.
46So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
Ah, alas, all rebels dealt with and the wicked put to death. I find it interesting, though, that David forgave Shimei at the first, one that posed such a risk to the throne. But David had such a heart of Gold.
However, he was a wise man and knew Shimei had to die before he became trouble again, and for his grievous offense of cursing the king.