1 Kings 2:26-4
What I Noticed Today (1 Kings 2:26-4)
1 Kings 2:26
Solomon continued to solidify his position as king.
In verses 26-27, Solomon ordered Abiathar the priest to return to Anathoth. Although he deserved to die for aligning himself with Adonijah (1 Kings 1:7), he had carried the Ark of God and suffered through the wars with his father, David. Because of this, he was allowed to live.
Note: Abiathar’s banishment and removal from priesthood fulfilled the prophecy of 1 Samuel 2:30-36.
In verses 28-25, Joab heard the news of what had happened to Adonijah and Abiathar. Joab realized he also was in trouble for having supported Adonijah (1 Kings 1:7), and for having killed Abner (2 Samuel 3:26-27) and Amasa (2 Samuel 20:8-10). He also sought the sanctuary of the altar of God.
- Solomon ordered Benaiah to take Joab away and kill him because he had murdered Abner and Amasa.
- Benaiah killed Joab, and he was buried in the wilderness.
- Then Solomon appointed Benaiah as commander of the army in place of Joab. He also appointed Zadok priest in place of Abiathar.
In verses 36-46, Solomon summoned Shimei and ordered him to build a house in Jerusalem and never leave the city. If he left the city, he would be killed as punishment for his rebellion against David (2 Samuel 16:5-13).
- Shimei agreed and said the judgment was fair.
- After three years, two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to Gath. Shimei went after them, found his slaves in Gath, and returned to Jerusalem.
- Solomon ordered Shimei to be brought before him and reminded him of his oath to remain in Jerusalem and the consequences of disobeying.
- Solomon then ordered Benaiah to kill Shimei.
Note: Solomon had effectively dealt with the troublemakers and insurrectionists that had caused problems for his father, and might have continued to cause him problems as the nation’s leader.
1 Kings 3
In verse 1, Solomon made an alliance with Egypt by marrying one of the pharaoh’s daughters.
Note: This was a political alliance that secured peace with Egypt, but as we shall see, it came with its own set of problems (see 1 Kings 11:1-8).
In verses 2-15, Solomon and the people were sacrificing to the Lord at the high places (altars) because the temple to the Lord had not yet been built.
- Solomon went to Gibeon to sacrifice to the Lord and made 1,000 burnt offerings at the altar.
Note: The large quantity of offerings indicates that Solomon didn’t offer these sacrifices by himself.
- The Lord appeared to Solomon and asked, “What should I give you?”
- Solomon asked for nothing for himself, only wisdom to lead the people. God gave him wisdom and promised him worldly riches as well.
- Solomon went to the Ark of the Lord in Jerusalem and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings.
In verses 16-28, an example of Solomon’s wisdom is detailed:
- Two harlots appeared before Solomon, both claiming they had given birth. One woman woke up to find her baby dead but realized the other woman had switched her dead baby with the live one.
- Solomon proposed the baby be cut in half with half given to each mother.
- The true mother said no, spare the child, give her to the other woman. The other woman said, no, cut the child in half.
- Solomon, realizing the true mother had wanted to spare her child, gave the child to her.
1 Kings 4
1 Kings 4 provides the structure of Solomon’s government.
In verses 1-6, Solomon lists the high officials in his court: Azariah as high priest, Elihoreph and Ahijah as secretaries, Jehoshaphat as a historian, Benaiah as commander of the army, Zadok and Abiathar as priests, Azariah in charge of the deputies (officers), Zabud a priest and advisor to Solomon, Ahishar in charge of the palace, and Adoniram in charge of forced labor.
Note: This represents a dramatic shift away from the tribal leader structure to a centralized government structure for the nation Israel.
In verses 7-19, Solomon established 12 districts throughout the land, and each district was responsible for supplying the king’s needs for one month.
In verses 20-28, the monthly provision for Solomon’s court is detailed.
Note: Scholars estimate the amounts listed in 1 Kings 4:22-26 was enough to feed 20,000 people.
Note: 1 Kings 4:26 mentions the horses and chariots Solomon had acquired. David had not used chariots, and because they were expensive and took significant training, it is quite possible that they were not Israelite charioteers. As for the horses, Deuteronomy 17:16 prohibits explicitly the king from accumulating herds of horses or from going to Egypt to procure them.
In verses 29-34, Solomon’s wisdom is proclaimed a second time. His wisdom was greater than all the people of the east, and his reputation extended to all the surrounding nations.
- Solomon wrote 3,000 proverbs and 1,500 songs (psalms).
- People came from all over to hear his wisdom.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- The people were enjoying peace and prosperity under Solomon (v. 4:20: “they were eating, drinking, and rejoicing”). No doubt, this was a welcome change from the years of wars and famine that they had endured during Saul and David’s reign.
- Solomon’s government represented a significant shift in structure. The people went from tribal alliances under Saul and David, doing battle with each other almost as often as they battled outsiders, to a more centralized, unified structured government under Solomon.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.