11. BIBLICAL EPIC: 1 Kings Notes rown 1 Kings 1: David was very old. His son Adonijah exalted himself as king. When David heard he told Zadok and Nathan to anoint Solomon as king. 1-2 Kings, divided by convenience, describe the period of the monarchy after David in ancient Israel (970–586 BC). David’s parting speech to Solomon in ch. 2, drawing richly from Deuteronomy, sets the agenda. Beginning with Solomon, and then all the succeeding kings of Israel and Judah, the kings are weighed in relation to the Mosaic law code and found wanting. Israel’s sinfulness eventually leads to the exile to Babylon in 586 BC, but there remains hope because God’s chosen royal line has not come to an end (2 Kings 25:27-30), and God remains ready to forgive those who are repentant. The books are not merely a chronicle of events, but history from God’s perspective and how He is directing all history toward a goal. The Bible is a story about God and how His Kingdom will come. Every “son of David” that is found wanting adds to the yearning for a greater David who will sit on David’s throne forever. We could summarize the book in this way: “Ruling justly and wisely depends on obeying God’s word, and disobeying has serious consequences.” • 1:1-4. David in His Old Age. David’s waning life is seen in his inability to get warm. Ancient medical practice provided warmth for the sick by having a healthy person “lie beside” them. While this was the main purpose for bringing in Abishag the Shunammite (an Issacharite town), the context may also imply that the aged David was no longer able to be intimate with a woman. In the eyes of his detractors, this would be taken as proof that David lacked the fitness and strength to continue as king. Once known, this may have encouraged Adonijah’s attempt to seize the throne. • 1:5-10. Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King. Adonijah is David’s oldest surviving son (fourth overall), and he now exalts himself as king in his father’s place. In this, he behaves like his dead older brother, Absalom, both of whom are in part the product of parental negligence and indulgence; David never held him accountable for his actions. Some of David’s loyal followers, such as Joab and Abiathar, joined with Adonijah. His seizing the throne contrasts with David, who waited patiently for God to raise him to office, even refusing to take Saul’s life (1 Sam 16-31). God rejects those who appoint themselves as kings without His approval. Adonijah’s great feast in v. 9 amounted to an impromptu coronation, and for obvious reasons the guest list excludes the anti-Adonijah faction (vv. 7-8) and Solomon. • 1:11-28. Nathan and Bathsheba Before David. With Adonijah’s coup already in motion, someone with sufficient standing to be accepted by the people had to initiate a counter movement for Solomon or the throne would be lost. Nathan, the prophet, assumed this role. He warned Bathsheba that the penalty for inaction could be death for herself and Solomon. Bathsheba raised three issues to arouse David to action: (1) By God’s will David had promised the throne to Solomon. (2) Adonijah had proclaimed himself king without David’s public support or knowledge. (3) She pointed out that she and Solomon would be regarded as criminals if David did not act. Nathan then came and reinforced the points Bathsheba had made to the king. That Bathsheba is recalled indicates she had left previously. • 1:29-53. Solomon Anointed King. David responded with the orders that legitimized Solomon’s succession. Unlike Adonijah, Solomon does nothing to promote himself as king. The mule was the traditional mount of honor for kings at that time (a custom still remembered as late as Zech 9:9; cf. Jesus in Matt 21:1-11). To ride the king’s mule was to claim the throne. The proper religious personnel were present to anoint Solomon, which was done by the king’s command and in the presence of the king’s private army. These facts were sufficient for the people of Jerusalem to choose Solomon over Adonijah. David’s words in v. 49 allude to Nathan’s prophecy that David would found a lasting royal dynasty (2 Sam 7:12). In fear, Adonijah’s supporters scatter, while Adonijah clings to the altar (a holy place), hoping it will protect him from Solomon’s vengeance. Surprisingly, Adonijah was temporarily given pardon. 1 Kings 2: David charged Solomon to keep the law and to punish Joab and Shimei. Then David died. Solomon had Adonijah, Joab and Shimei executed. • 2:1-9. David’s Instructions to Solomon. Sensing his imminent death, David prepares Solomon to reign as king of Israel with words that echo not only God’s words to Joshua (Josh 1:6-9), but God’s vision of the ideal king given in Deuteronomy (Deut 17:14-20). Solomon is to exhibit faithful obedience to the law of Moses, and so reap the benefits of God’s promise in the Davidic covenant of a permanent dynasty. David also instructs him to deal with Joab and Shimei, lest leftover bloodguilt harm Solomon’s kingdom. Barzillai, meanwhile, is to be shown kindness. • 2:10-12. The Death of David. The metaphor of sleep hints at the expectation of awakening sometime in the future, and “with his fathers” hints that previous generations also join in this hope, and that David is somehow now with them. David reigned over Israel for forty years, and died in 970 BC. The story now transitions from David to Solomon. • 2:13-46. Solomon’s Reign Established. Solomon consolidates his hold on the kingdom by heading off threats from Adonijah, Adonijah’s supporters (Abiathar the priest, Joab), and Shimei. Though Adonijah was previously spared, his request for Abishag is perceived by Solomon as a conspiracy to the throne and he is executed. Bathsheba’s role seems either incredibly naïve or stunningly cunning. As for Abiathar, David’s faithful priest (cf. 1:19, 25), he receives exile rather than death for supporting Adonijah. As a descendant of Eli, this exile fulfills Samuel’s judgment on Eli the priest and his house (1 Sam 2:27-36; cf. 1 Kings 4:4). As for Joab, who had murdered two innocent men, Abner and Amasa, he is executed without a trial. Solomon moves next to eliminate Shimei, who had cursed David as he fled from Absalom. When Shimei ignores Solomon’s order not to go from Jerusalem to any other place (v. 36), Solomon orders his execution (v. 46). He thus proves himself to be a “wise” king (vv. 6, 9), but it is a dubious kind of wisdom. 1 Kings 3: Solomon married Pharaoh's daughter. He asked the LORD for discernment. Two women came before him and he judged between them wisely. • 3:1-15. Solomon’s Prayer for Wisdom. Although a kind of wisdom has already guided Solomon in his treatment of those who were a threat to him (2:6, 9), this chapter confirms that in fact he still lacks a truly “wise and discerning mind” (v. 12). Solomon’s marriage alliance with Pharaoh is yet another dubious act (violating Deut 17:17). Moses had warned that such intermarriage could lead the people to serve other gods. This becomes all too real for Solomon (1 Kings 11:3-4). Even though Solomon “loved the LORD” (v. 3), he is a king with a divided heart, failing to keep the Law of Moses wholeheartedly as David had instructed (2:1-4). Furthermore, the continuation and proliferation of “high places” of worship (as opposed to the one place of worship described in Deuteronomy 12) is one of the main concerns of the authors of 1-2 Kings. Apparently, a multiplicity of worship sites was thought normal prior to the building of the temple. Later, royal toleration of the high places became the basis for critiquing kings (11:7; 15:14; 22:43; 2 Kings 12:3; 15: 4; cf. Jer 19:5). Solomon begins by tolerating worship of the LORD at these places and ends up being drawn into full-blown apostasy (1 Kings 11:7-8), as also later do Israel and Judah (e.g., 12:28-31; 2 Kings 21:3-9). Against this historical backdrop comes God’s offer in v. 5 “Ask what I should give you.” In response, Solomon expresses inadequacy in view of the great task that confronts him. Although he has used wisdom before in dealing with affairs of state, now he confesses basic ignorance and asks for an “understanding mind.” God is pleased with Solomon and grants his request. Solomon’s wisdom is a supernatural gift from God. It is neither innate nor acquired by patient hard work, utilizing careful observation and self-discipline (as it is explicitly in much of Proverbs). In possession of such wisdom, Solomon was unparalleled in Israelite history. Since Solomon did not ask for long life or riches or the life of his enemies, God gave him what he did not ask for, “both riches and honor” (v. 13), and promised to lengthen his days. Solomon’s request marked a major cultural shift in Hebrew life, a shift to peaceful values involving wisdom and skill rather than military craft (like David, the “man of war,” 1 Chron 28:3). • 3:16-28. Solomon’s Wisdom is Confirmed and Seen.