How do you view authority?

Footnotes

[1] 2:4 Hebrew there shall not be cut off for you
[2] 2:5 Septuagint; Hebrew placing
[3] 2:5 Septuagint innocent blood
[4] 2:5 Septuagint my; twice in this verse
[5] 2:7 Or steadfast love
[6] 2:22 Septuagint, Syriac, Vulgate; Hebrew and for him and for Abiathar

Hugh Stephenson

Good morning LK. Love this from your devo, “Our Father in heaven, through His Word, imparts to us truth and the reminder of His promises fulfilled through His Son, so we may live wisely and further His kingdom on this earth.”. Q1. On my good days the reflection is good. I am thankful for a Godly wife and a great CG that are quick to lovingly call me out. Q2. His voice usually wins out but there is a lot of noise in there. Q3. My heart says yes to all the above. My flesh struggles. —————————————————————— There is an interesting poem called INVICTUS by William Ernest Henly that was popular in my youth- and may still be. https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/51642/invictus The tag line at the end is this- “I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my soul.” As a young man I really liked that. It reinforced the image that I wanted to have of myself. Well…it didn’t quite turn out like I thought it would. Here’s a much better approach from God’s idea of who holds my fate and is my master - "Indeed, this consideration makes a true king: to recognize himself a minister of God in governing his kingdom. Now, that king who in ruling over his realm does not serve God's glory exercises not kingly rule but brigandage. Furthermore, he is deceived who looks for enduring prosperity in his kingdom when it is not ruled by God's scepter, that is, His Holy Word; for the heavenly oracle that proclaims that 'where prophecy fails the people are scattered' [Prov. 29:18] cannot lie."[50]. (TC’s notes). With a better understanding built over the last 10+ years I have a much more joyous and peaceful experience of whatever “kingdom” that God has given me. This intro from the ESV SB is helpful in setting context- “1 Kings 1:1–2:46 Solomon Becomes King. The beginning of the Solomon story is also the end of the David story, specifically the section of David’s story that begins in 2 Samuel 7–12, where Nathan and Bathsheba, who play such important roles in 1 Kings 1–2, are first prominent. Nathan had promised David that God would raise up one of his sons and establish his kingdom forever (2 Sam. 7:12–13). How would this promise be fulfilled, in view of Nathan’s later word of judgment to David in 2 Samuel 12 and the awful story that follows in 2 Samuel 13–24? “ KEY POINT - “The first two chapters of Kings set out to resolve this question.” (ESV SB) “1 Kings 1:1–11:43 The Reign of King Solomon. The first 11 chapters of 1 Kings are an extensive description of the reign of David’s son Solomon, a king who was great when he obeyed God and depended on God for wisdom but whose reign ended in tragedy as he departed from God’s ways and worshiped other gods.” (ESV SB) The key question for me is, “Who has the king’s heart?”. Proverbs 21 has this to say “The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will. Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the heart.” Then this from Proverbs 4:23, “Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.” In reading this chapter it first looked like a sequence for “The Godfather” with Marlon Brando playing the part of King David. Take out all your political enemies and you eliminate all the threats. What I missed is that Solomon is simply exorcising those people that do not acknowledge and surrender to God’s anointed King therefore they’ve violated the Mosaic Law. A key piece that the notes cite is the use of the Hebrew word “kun” or “establish”. The writer has it in this passage three times. Repetition is very important. “kun” is used in verses 4, 12 and 46; beginning, middle and end. My question gets reframed; it’s not about who is the rightful king, but will he rightfully rule in line with the Law of Moses, especially as laid out in Deuteronomy. That is the yardstick. ———————————————————————

Hugh Stephenson

I am guessing Solomon does not think that he is the “master of [his] fate and the caption of [his] soul”. Oswald Chambers 9/22 devo has a fabulous and challenging devo that covers “master”; From John 13:13,16. https://utmost.org/the-missionary’s-master-and-teacher/ “To have a master and teacher is not the same thing as being mastered and taught. Having a master and teacher means that there is someone who knows me better than I know myself, who is closer than a friend, and who understands the remotest depths of my heart and is able to satisfy them fully. It means having someone who has made me secure in the knowledge that he has met and solved all the doubts, uncertainties, and problems in my mind. To have a master and teacher is this and nothing less— “...for One is your Teacher, the Christ...” (Matthew 23:8). The first line is what hit me right between the eyes. So the call becomes clear. God will choose who he chooses. How that person lives out God’s call to them is what makes the difference. —————————————————————— Here is a great piece from TC on the contrast between David and Solomon. "A marked contrast existed between the kingships of Solomon and David, a contrast caused by the diverse backgrounds of the two rulers. David had been raised in the open, watching sheep, and later had experienced the rigors of a fugitive life. Solomon, however, had known only the ease of the palace, with its attendant luxuries. Accordingly, David became a king of action, aggressive and efficient, who could personally lead armies to victory. Solomon became a king of peace, happy to stay at home and content merely to retain the land his father had gained. David's court never grew larger than the requirements of his government, but Solomon's became lavish to suit his tastes. As a result, Solomon needed greater revenue than David, and he raised taxes accordingly. He also engaged more in foreign trade, showing adeptness, indeed, and enjoying marked success. David was more a man of the people; Solomon was a man of the court. More significant, David maintained a vibrant faith in God as a 'man after God's own heart,' while Solomon, though beginning well in spiritual devotion, failed to hold this basic relationship before God, fell into sinful ways, and finally came under God's censure."

Michael Sisson

Re: 1Kgs 2:4 1Kgs 2:4 (NASB) so that the LORD may carry out His promise which He spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons are careful of their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, >>>you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’<<< See Jer 33:17 Re: 1Kgs 2:21 "Although Abishag had been only David's nurse, in the eyes of the people she passed as his concubine; and among the Israelites, just as with the ancient Persians (Herod. iii. 68), taking possession of the harem of a deceased king was equivalent to an establishment of the claim to the throne …"[65] — C. F. Keil, The Books of the Kings, p. 32 as quoted by T. Constable https://www.planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/html/ot/1kings/1kings.htm#_ftnref65

Greg Jones

1 Our Father in heaven, through His Word, imparts to us truth and the reminder of His promises fulfilled through His Son, so we may live wisely and further His kingdom on this earth. Kings chapter 2. What a tangled web. There is a version of this transition in Chronicles that’s very sweet. I would say say it’s the version you would tell when the kids are around. And then there’s the 1 King’s 2 version. The version that gets discussed after the kids have been put to bed. Parts of this chapter make me want to interrogate the scripture. David, why should Joab be killed? Is it because he’s supporting Adonijah? No. Is it because he killed Absolom? No. Is it because he knows a secret concerning Uriah? No. Well…why kill Joab? You know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. Oh…so years and years before any of that other stuff… How did Joab’s death go down? How I might explain it to the kids when they were a little older. Adonijah on his own goes to Bathsheba and ask for Abishag, David’s nurse basically, since David never “knew her”. She is not a wife who was taken like Bathsheba or a concubine taken like Absalom concerning his father, she is asked for through a proper channel. From that Solomon reacts. Speaking to his mother: “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died. When the news came to Joab—for Joab had supported Adonijah although he had not supported Absalom—Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and caught hold of the horns of the altar. There’s some back forth between Joab, Benaiah the hit man, and Solomon concerning Joab’s location and where he’s looking to die. The conversation between Solomon and Benaiah ends like this. The king replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood that Joab shed without cause. The LORD will bring back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and killed with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself. And if anybody ask why this happened so close to Adonijah’s death tell them it’s just a coincidence…Hey kids I made up that coincidence part but the way the story rolls it kinda makes me think. Anyway Benaiah replaces Joab as commander of the army. Shimei. I don’t understand what goes on with Shimei. I kind of see hear and feel his story like this. Concerning Shimei, David to Abishai “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the Lord has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to. It may be that the Lord will look on the wrong done to me,[a] and that the Lord will repay me with good for his cursing today.” 2 Samuel 16:9-12 Concerning Shimei, David to Solomon And there is also with you Shimei the son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim. But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, saying, ‘I will not put you to death with the sword.’ Now therefore do not hold him guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him, and you shall bring his gray head down with blood to Sheol.” How it went down. To myself, there’s kinda two versions or reasons why Shimei gets axed. 1. Shimei did a bad bad thing just to walk away reason—Did I not make you swear by the LORD and solemnly warn you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘What you say is good; I will obey.’ Why then have you not kept your oath to the LORD. The Chris Isaak slant reason. 2. Somebody done somebody wrong reason—The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the harm that you did to David my father. So the LORD will bring back your harm on your own head. But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever.” Then the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he died. The BJ Thomas slant reason.

Greg Jones

I really loved this from the deeper dive “Our Father in heaven, through His Word, imparts to us truth and the reminder of His promises fulfilled through His Son, so we may live wisely and further His kingdom on this earth.” Jesus has a more intimate relationship with these scriptures than I do. And I like to wonder how he was influenced by them as he taught those around him who were influenced by them. When Jesus expands on the murder law to include anyone who says “you fool” is he thinking of Solomon and dumb Shimei? Or how about Matthew 5:23-24, and Matthew 5:33-37 could a image or thought of this influenced his words? Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.” These scriptures, all scripture, and how they were understood influenced Jesus audience. And, at least I like to think, the fully man part of Jesus read them, envisioned them, and therefore taught from them, differently than they had been previously. When I interrogate David’s view of Joab I can’t identify with what he’s suggesting. I can identify with a notion of not being aware of a log in my eye while I tell you about the speck in someone else’s eye. When God’s writers put the stories of his people in the worse light possible we see what kind of people they are spiraling out of over time. Often I miss the opportunity to see misperceptions being revealed in the OT because I can’t relate to the acts that proceed from them.

Sue Bohlin

Hi LK!! Good to "see" you this morning! Like you, I zoom around church in my red mobility scooter (the envy of every little boy at CityBridge). David did not do well as a father, but he sure gave Solomon a good charge here. "Be strong and prove yourself a man" struck me in a new way--that being strong is a choice one makes. I love the encouragement I have been hearing in the last few years: "You were made to do hard things." That truth can help us steel ourselves to resolve to be strong, whether it's a young man ascending to the throne like Solomon or a woman facing childbirth. But how glorious that in the New Testament we get the additional perspective of Ephesians 6:10--"Be strong in the Lord and the power of His might." We don't have to depend on our OWN strength! David Guzik offers this wonderful commentary: "That the LORD may fulfill His word which He spoke concerning me": David had a general reason to exhort Solomon to obedience, but he also had a specific reason, a specific promise of God. God promised David that as long as his sons walked in obedience, they would keep the throne of Israel. This was an amazing promise. No matter what the Assyrians or the Egyptians or the Babylonians did, as long as David’s sons were obedient and followed God with their heart and with all their soul, God would establish their kingdom. He would take care of the rest. We may envy the sons of David because they had such a promise, but we have a similar promise from God. Jesus said in Matthew 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. God promises that if we put Him first, He will take care of the rest.

Amy Lowther

1. Yes, because I read the Bible and work to apply what I learn from the Bible in daily life. I also attend service on Sundays and work to apply what I learn from service on Sundays in daily life. 2. When the Lord’s voice seems distant, the voices of popular people on television, on the radio, and in activities seem to be closer. As this happens, it is important to remember the Lord is priority and He helps everything be best. The Lord loves each of us and supports each of us in understanding and using our strengths. The Lord comforts our nerves and helps organize our confidence for interactions and activities so we each do our best. Prayer: Lord, thank you working with everyone. Thank you for believing in each of us. Your example,, your consistency, and your values are glorious. Though we drift sometimes from being true to you, we thank you for being strong and for being encouraging that we return to you. Lord your way is supreme. May we prioritize your way everyday and in everything we do. Amen. 3. As a person, I give each day to God prioritizing His values in everything I do. As a professional, I work to do my best and to serve others prioritizing God’s Values. If I would spend my whole life wholly abandoned to Christ’s call, I would be happy.

Michael Scaman

How did David look forward to Solomon's reign? He looked past it and saw Jesus. David writes a song that's at the end of Psalms book 2 (Ps 42-72) where 'the prayers of David son of Jesus are ended' about Solomon ruling the whole world poetically and the world fruitful, so much so that wheat grows on tops of the mountains. It sounds idyllic but there is a greater purpose for it there. Book 2 is poeticaly Exodus. Exodus begins with laments and cries to God as does Book 2 of Psalms . Exodus ends with the tabernacle shining in the dessert with the glory of God. Book 2 of Psalms starts with laments and Book 2 of Psalms ends not with in a big area of the dessert but with God filling the world with everything growing abundantly, as if the curse on the earth is lifted and the greater Solomon Jesus is reigning. Psalm 72 in this case hyperbolic poetry about Solomon, more literally true about Jesus future kingdom. It's a messianic takeoff of Exodus there the tabernacles becomes the redemption and Edenization of the world. And the prayers of David, the son of Jesse are ended. As David sees Solomon and even sees past him to Jesus.