Lesson 1 - 1 Kings 2:10-12; 3:3-14 - DAVID'S COMMAND TO SOLOMON
INTRODUCTION: This morning we begin a new quarter in the Books of 1 and 2 Kings. The story of 1 Kings begins with David's death and Solomon's rise to power but ends in a nation divided into two kingdoms, known as Judah (in the south) and Israel (in the north). The Book begins with the story of Solomon and his rule over a United Kingdom and ends with the prophet Elijah in a divided kingdom. The Book of 2 Kings describes the downfall of the divided kingdoms. Prophets continue to warn the leaders and the people that the judgment of God is close at hand, but they harden their hearts and refuse to repent. The northern kingdom of Israel is repeatedly ruled by succession of wicked kings; some of Judah's rulers are godly men, but despite their efforts, the nation continues to fall into spiritual decline. The northern kingdom will be conquered by the Assyrian Empire in 722 B.C., and its people will be moved out and dispersed throughout the empire. Judah will fall to the Babylonian Empire with the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 B.C., with its inhabitants taken into exile. 2 Kings will also introduce the prophet Elisha as Elijah's successor.
Today, in 1 Kings 2:10-12 and 3:3-14, we'll cover David's final instructions to his son Solomon and Solomon's initial rise to power over the United Kingdom. Chapter 1, which we skip, opens with the words, "Now King David was old, advanced in years" (1:1) and reports the efforts of Adonijah, David's fourth son by Haggith and Absalom' s brother, who was making active moves to inherit his father's throne (1:5-14). In response to this, Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, went to David to protest this claim and to remind him of his promise that Solomon would inherit his throne (1:15-21). After this, David called Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, one of his mighty men, and had them proclaim that Solomon would succeed him as king. The first nine verses of Chapter 2 report, as David neared death, he commanded Solomon as follows: "Be strong, and prove yourself a man. Do your duty to the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, His commandments, His ordinances, and His testimonies, according to what is written in the Law of Moses, so that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn, so that the LORD may fulfill His promise which He spoke regarding me, saying, 'If your sons are careful about their way, to walk before Me in truth with all their heart and all their soul, you shall not be deprived of a man to occupy the throne of Israel."
Read 1 Kings 2:10-12 - SOLOMON SAT ON THE THRONE OF DAVID HIS FATHER
10 Then David lay down with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David. 11 Now the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: in Hebron he reigned for seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years. 12 Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established.
v. 10: "Then David lay down with his fathers, and he was buried in the city of David." -The phrase, "lay down with his fathers," was a standard formula that announced the death of king David in 1 and 2 Kings. David was buried in Jerusalem, which became known as the 'City of David' after he captured it from the Jebusites in 2 Sam. 5:17. It became the burial place of kings. And in his Pentecost sermon, Peter mentioned that David's "tomb is with us to this day" (Acts. 2:29).
v. 11: "Now the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: in Hebron he reigned for seven years, and in Jerusalem he reigned for thirty-three years." -These periods of time are also recorded in 1 Chron. 3:4; 29:7. David was estimated to have been about 70 years old at his death.
v. 12: "Then Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his kingdom was firmly established." -In this verse, that narrator goes to great steps to reaffirm the rightness of Solomon's succession to the throne and that it was uncontested. And the statement that "his kingdom was firmly established" implies that Solomon's rise to the throne was approved and established by God.
Summary of 1 Kings 2:13-3:2: These verses tell of how Solomon consolidated his rule by having Adonijah killed, banishing the High Priest Abiathar, and having Joab killed (who disobeyed David and killed Absalom) and Shimei killed (a traitor whom David commanded Solomon to kill on his deathbed [1 Kings 2:36-46]). All of these actions by Solomon are portrayed by the narrator in positive terms-i.e., as prudent and wise moves on his part.
Read 1 Kings 3:-4 - SOLOMON LOVED THE LORD
3 Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David, except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. 4 The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place; Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. 5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish Me to give you."
Note-3:1-2 (skipped) report that: "Solomon formed a marriage alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt and took Pharaoh's daughter and brought her to the city of David until he had finished building his own house and the house of the LORD and the wall around Jerusalem. The people were still sacrificing on the high places, because there was no house built for the name of the LORD until those days."
v. 3a: "Now Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of his father David," - In this context, 'love' has to do with obedience, loyalty, and devotion. While we are assured of Solomon's love for the LORD God, the next part of the verse alludes to Solomon's love for foreign women and making sacrifices in 'high places.' Thus, Solomon surely loves the LORD, but he has conflicting loves as well.
v. 3b: "except he sacrificed and burned incense on the high places. - In this context, this refers to sacrifices made to the LORD God, inasmuch as there was no Temple at that time. God accepted these sacrifices, but He did not approve of worship in "high places" after the fashion of pagans. Over time, the term 'high place' will be associated with pagan worship and unfaithfulness to the LORD God.
v. 4a: "The king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place;" - "Gibeon" was located 6 miles northwest of Jerusalem. It was one of four Canaanite cities in which Joshua arranged a truce and spared the inhabitants (Josh. 9). At this particular time, Gibeon was where Moses' Tabernacle and the Bronze Altar were located (1 Chron. 16:39; 21:29).
v. 4b: "Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on that altar." - Solomon was generous in his giving to the LORD. Given the magnitude of slaughtering and sacrificing a thousand animals, scholars suggest that this was a huge, week-long event-like a festival-which drew thousands of people from all over the kingdom who came to celebrate the inauguration of Solomon as their new king.
Read 1 Kings 3:5-9 - GIVE YOUR SERVANT AN UNDERSTANDING HEART
5 In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night; and God said, "Ask what you wish Me to give you". 6 Then Solomon said, "You have shown great loving kindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David, yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in. 8 Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted. 9 So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" -
v. 5a: "In Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream at night;" -Accounts of people receiving divine revelation by dreams and visions are common in both testaments (Gen. 20:3. 6; Judg. 7:13; Dan. 2:4; 7:1; Matt. 1:20; 2:12-19; 27:19). Scholars estimate that Solomon was about 20 years old at the time this event took place.
v. 5b: "and God said, 'Ask what you wish Me to give you.'" - This is the kind proposition that people dream about-an open-ended offer of assistance by the One True and Almighty God. At the same time, it's the type of offer that reveals the true heart of the recipient. One might ask for great wealth, perfect health, beautiful women (or men), or a plague on one's enemies. Our choices will reveal our true character. God implies that He will give Solomon whatever he wants, but this is not explicit: It seems likely that God would deny his requests if Solomon fails to ask well.
v. 6: Then Solomon said, "You have shown great lovingkindness to Your servant David my father, according as he walked before You in truth and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward You; and You have reserved for him this great lovingkindness, that You have given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day." -In response to the LORD's generous offer, Solomon begins well by recounting God's unfailing love for his father, David, and for God's gracious generosity for allowing him to sit on his father's throne. We should remember that unlike Adonijah, Solomon himself never sought to be king: The LORD chose Solomon to be king, and Solomon accepted that call. We should note that the term "lovingkindness" (Heb. He·sed), refers to the covenantal, loyal love between God and His chosen people (Isa. 63:7; Lam. 3:22-23).
v. 7a: "Now, O LORD my God, You have made Your servant king in place of my father David," - Solomon continues to answer well by humbling himself before God and admitting that he is a "servant king," who understands that he is but a servant of the true king, the LORD God, and he places his faith in God alone, not himself. He's fully aware that without God's help, he's incapable of ruling this people.
v. 7b: "yet I am but a little child; I do not know how to go out or come in." -Solomon is not only humbled but is in awe of his new responsibilities. He's inherited the mantel of leadership from David, Israel's greatest king. He's assuming the leadership role formerly occupied by Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and Samuel. At this point He's taken aback by the realities of assuming his father's throne.
v. 8: "Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people who are too many to be numbered or counted." - Solomon further acknowledges the sheer magnitude of this job-providing leadership to a people so numerous that they can't "be numbered or counted". At this time in history, Israel's population was estimated to be over 4 million people. And Solomon is well aware that they aren't just any "people," these are God's chosen People, which meant that every decision made on their behalf must be pleasing to the LORD first.
v. 9: "So give Your servant an understanding heart to judge Your people to discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of Yours?" - When Solomon asks God to give him an "understanding heart," he doesn't indicate whether He expects to listen to the LORD or to the people; however, a good ruler needs to do both, and in that order: the LORD first and the people second. We should remember that biblical wisdom is more practical than philosophical-the Bible provides a great "how-to" manual that covers every aspect of human life. In Solomon's context, the request for an understanding heart was an appeal to understand God's will as well as the practical matters of political leadership. Solomon wants to be a good king and fully accepts the fact that he will need God's help in order to accomplish it.
Read 1 Kings 3:10-14 - GOD WAS PLEASED THAT SOLOMON ASKED THIS THING.
10 It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice, 12 behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you. 13 I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days. 14 If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days."
v. 10: "It was pleasing in the sight of the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing." - Solomon could have disappointed the LORD God by making selfish, self-serving requests, but instead he shows a genuine concern for the task to which God has appointed him and also for the people whom God has entrusted to his care; and not surprisingly, the LORD God is pleased by it.
v. 11: "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked for yourself long life, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have you asked for the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself discernment to understand justice," - The LORD lists some of the things that Solomon might have asked for: Long life, riches, death to his enemies. But instead, he asks for "discernment (judgment) "to understand Justice". The change of words from Solomon's request in v. 9 reflect God's interpretation of what the king asked for. To "discern Justice" is to ability to differentiate between good and evil-right and wrong, and with such discernment, the ability to make righteous decisions.
v. 12: "behold, I have done according to your words. Behold, I have given you a wise and discerning heart, so that there has been no one like you before you, nor shall one like you arise after you." - God further revises Solomon's request by granting him wisdom-a "wise and discerning heart". Thus, Solomon's wisdom came to him as a gift from God rather than something he acquired through education, training, innate abilities, or experience. There's been "no one like" him either before this time or since, because Solomon is to this day considered to have been the wisest man who ever lived.
v. 13: "I have also given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there will not be any among the kings like you all your days." - Because Solomon made no selfish requests, God not only promises to grant him riches that he didn't request, but also promises to grant him an exalted status among his fellow kings. Honor is something you can't demand or buy. It's a gift.
v. 14: If you walk in My ways, keeping My statutes and commandments, as your father David walked, then I will prolong your days." - The Lord now adds a conditional element to the unconditional offer He made in v. 5b: If Solomon is to enjoy the promises of vv. 12 and 13, he must "walk" in God's "ways" and "obey" His "statutes and commandments"-the Torah. As we continue in 1 Kings, we will see that too often Solomon will fail to use the wisdom that God granted him. He will give-in to his love and lust for foreign wives and will sin by worshiping foreign (pagan) Gods.
POSTSCRIPT-3:16-28: These verses confirm a famous example of Solomon's wisdom. They tell the story of two women who gave birth at about the same time. One baby died and the other lived. Both women claim the live baby as their own and ask Solomon to resolve their dispute. In this situation there is no way for Solomon to determine with certainty which woman is the true mother of the living child, so he proposes using a sword to split the child in two so that both mothers can have half. One woman accepts that solution, but the other one agrees to surrender possession of the child so that the child might live. Solomon identifies the woman who is willing to surrender possession as the real mother and gives the child to her.
APPLICATION-Seeking God's Wisdom First
1. God is ready to grant us His wisdom to us when we ask Him for it. Solomon was a young (est. age 20) and very inexperienced man when he suddenly found himself tasked with the responsibility of ruling a nation totaling over 5 million people. He's not only following in the footsteps of Israel's greatest king, David, but assuming the leadership role formerly occupied by Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and Samuel. At this point He's overwhelmed by the realities of assuming his father's throne. From the very start, Solomon humbled himself before God and admitted that he was incapable of ruling the kingdom he inherited without God's help. This is a model for all of us.
2. God is pleased when we ask Him to help us do things His way. When God told Solomon to ask "what you wish Me to give you" (v. 5b), he could have disappointed the LORD God by making selfish, self-serving requests, but instead he asked only for "an understanding heart...to discern between good and evil." By asking only for this, he demonstrated an honest concern for the task to which God has appointed him and also for the people whom God has entrusted to his care; and not surprisingly, the LORD God was pleased by it. When we come to God with this frame of mind-that 'You can' and 'I can't'-He's likely to give us more than we ask for, as He did for Solomon.
3. Knowledge is simply the accumulation of basic facts, but wisdom is the ability to see people, events, and situations as God sees them. The concepts of "knowledge and "wisdom" are closely related. "Knowledge" tends to focus on a correct understanding of the world and ourselves in it-that's the purpose of education-while "wisdom" is the acquired skill of applying that knowledge rightly, and applying knowledge righty is what Solomon refers to as skill in the art of godly living. The reason that the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom is that the skills of godly living begin with an attitude of humility and reverence before God, as our Maker and our Redeemer.
