By Mary Fairchild
1581 Bunting Clover Leaf Map; Israel in the center.
1 KINGS 1:1—2:11; 1 CHRONICLES 28-29
MEMORY VERSES: ROMANS 8:38, 39; PSALM 1:1-3
“For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”
An oriental belief stated that youth would give energy to the aged (?). So David had a “young” Shunammite woman care for him in his failing health. Sadly, Adonijah was not disciplined by his father David and was used to getting whatever he wanted—he usurps the throne! He convinces Joab and Abiathar to join him. But Zadok, the priest; Benaiah; and Nathan, the prophet, remained loyal to King David. Adonijah’s followers disappear upon hearing of that Solomon was anointed king by Zadok and Nathan. Solomon had Adonijah sent home after he admonished him to be worthy of life. David’s last words of counsel to his son Solomon:
To his personal counsel:
1) BE STRONG; SHOW THYSELF A MAN. Be decisive; stand for what is
right. Lead this nation (1 Kings 2:2).
2) TAKE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES FROM
THE LORD SERIOUSLY. Obey the Lord; then you will prosper in what you do (1 Kings
2:3).
3) KNOW THE LORD. You will know many people, but you must learn to
know the Lord better than anyone else. (1 Chron. 28:9).
4) SERVE THE LORD WITH A PERFECT HEART AND A WILLING MIND. The people see your actions, but the Lord sees your heart. (1 Chron. 28:9).
5) BUILD THE TEMPLE (1 Chron. 28:10).
To his administrative counsel:
1) Do not allow Joab to die in peace. He murdered two innocent men, Amasa and Abner.
2) Do not consider Shimei innocent.
3) Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai.
To the nation: David reminded the people that God had chosen him to be king, and now God had chosen his son Solomon. The building of the temple was reserved for Solomon, not David. The continuance and prosperity of the nation would depend on their obedience. David challenged them to obey. David prayed and praised and gave thanksgiving. He gave God the sovereignty, dignity, majesty, and power that are His. His prayer acknowledged God as the owner of all things. It reminded God that David and the people had been generous and implored Him to keep Israel, and particularly Solomon, true to Him.
Between 1015 and 975 B.C. the nation entered the era of the reign of Solomon, which would be one of the greatest kingdoms on the earth. Israel was reverent and dependant on God. David dies—he had reigned 40 years, 33 years in Jerusalem. Jerusalem was later to be known as the City of David.
Be thankful when your parents discipline you and don’t give you what you always want—you may end up like Adonijah.
Although Joab was loyal to David for a time, he was deceived by Adonijah. Be careful that the disobedience and disloyalty of your friends do not deceive you into following the wrong crowd—be loyal to those who are loyal to the Lord and to His Word.
David continually praised the Lord and gave thanksgiving—how about you?
David gave his material wealth to the Lord—do you give a part of your money to the Lord’s work?
David loved the Lord and longed to build a dwelling place for the presence of God; however when the Lord told him not to build the temple, David did not respond with resentment. Sometimes we need to allow others the privilege of accomplishing our desired tasks.
Originally 1 and 2 Kings in the Hebrew text were in one volume. In the third century before Christ in the Septuagint Version, they were subdivided into two separate books. 1 and 2 Kings were probably written about the sixth century B.C., most likely by the prophet Jeremiah or one of his contemporaries. 1 and 2 contain parallel information and were probably written after the return form Babylonian exile and my have been composed by Ezra the priest-scribe. The
main topic is the history of the Hebrews from the prosperous days of King David to the Babylonian captivity of the nation.
REVIEW OF DAVID’S LIFE: The Spirit of the Lord came upon David when he was young. The presence of the Holy Spirit in your life is the foundation for all godly character traits (Gal. 5:22). God will work his will in your life if you will yield to Him and submit to His leadership (often given through those in authority over you.). You cannot fake these qualities. Humbly ask the Lord to work in you. Be persistent and strict with yourself. Work as if these qualities depended on your efforts, but trust knowing it is the Lord who is working godly character qualities in your life. Diligently pray about the qualities that are lacking in your life and study the Scripture’s examples and instruction about them. The Lord does not
deal with us about all our weaknesses at once. Concentrate on the ones he is working on until He has given you the ability to reflect the right character quality at the point of your weakness or disobedience. Although David had many
admirable traits, one sinful quality was his passion for women. He continued to add wives and concubines in disobedience to Deuteronomy 17:17. His lack of self-discipline led to adultery and murder—actions he never condoned.
WORKS CITED
- Revelation and Church History
- Church Age
- Old Testament Study
- KING JAMES BIBLE
- MATTHEW HENRY COMMENTARY
- A Beka Book High School Bible Series “United Kingdom: Kings of Israel A;” 1995 Pensacola Christian College; www.abeka.com