The Passion of Solomon (1 Kings 2)
1 Kings 2:1-4
Last week we started our study of 1 Kings with a usurper.
We saw Satan’s puppet, Adonijah, rise to the scene
And do everything he could to usurp the thrown away from Solomon.
But of course God reigned supreme and Adonijah’s attempt was foiled.
And so this morning we see God’s chosen King take the throne.
It is the man we call SOLOMON.
He was the son of Bathsheba.
After God took the child conceived in adultery by David and Bathsheba,
God granted favor to her and she bore David another son.
2 Samuel 12:24-25 “Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the LORD’S sake.”
David named him Solomon = “His Replacement” or “God is Peace”
Both of which were true for Solomon.
God named him Jedidiah which means “Beloved of the Lord”.
Which is also true for Solomon since God selected him,
Even though he was not the oldest of David’s children.
But none the less, here is the king we know as Solomon.
The kingdom was united under Solomon,
And was never bigger than when he and David sat upon the throne.
You and I know him as
The man who actually built the temple of God
The wisest man to ever lived.
1 Kings 4:31-34 “For he was wiser than all men, than Ethan the Ezrahite, Heman, Calcol and Darda, the sons of Mahol; and his fame was known in all the surrounding nations. He also spoke 3,000 proverbs, and his songs were 1,005. He spoke of trees, from the cedar that is in Lebanon even to the hyssop that grows on the wall; he spoke also of animals and birds and creeping things and fish. Men came from all peoples to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all the kings of the earth who had heard of his wisdom.”
We also know him as quite the ladies man.
1 Kings 11:3 “He had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines, and his wives turned his heart away.”
That verse also reminds us that Solomon was not perfect.
We will study him as “The King who got Distracted”
He started strong (as we will see today) and he finished poorly.
In fact, you can read the book of Ecclesiastes, written late in his life,
And read the regret that plagued Solomon at the end of his life.
At the end of his life, he had come to realize
That too many times he was intrigued by the things of this world,
And that all that glitters certainly was not gold.
And so we will have much to learn from this man about
• The importance of seeking God,
• Obeying His word,
• Maintaining your convictions.
This morning we see the beginning of Solomon’s reign,
And it is one that started extremely well.
There are two main points this morning,
And we will break each down a little further as we go along.
#1 THE SOURCE OF SOLOMON’S CONVICTION
1 Kings 2:1-9
Over the first 9 verses, we learn were Solomon got his conviction.
This is a vitally important section of Scripture.
For every person must have convictions to follow.
One of the undeniable facts of Scripture
Is that your actions will follow your beliefs.
And in our text, we see three places
Where Solomon drew his convictions from.
1) THE CHARGE OF HIS FATHER (1-2)
“As David’s time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son,”
This is the final wisdom from David to his son.
These are those infamous “last words” of David.
Of all the things he taught Solomon, THIS IS WHAT HE WANTED TO STICK
(2) “I am going the way of all the earth.”
In that, we are also reminded of a sobering truth,
And that is that great and small all alike die.
David was a giant slayer, and yet he died.
David was a powerful king, and yet he died.
David was a man after God’s own heart, and yet he died.
Death comes to everyone, and now it is coming to David.
“I am going the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.”
I do apologize if this sermon gets a little one sided,
But there are some things that just cannot be avoided.
One is that in Scripture the role of leadership
Almost always falls upon the man’s shoulder.
He is not better than woman, he was just created different than woman.
And as is seen in this text,
Not only is man to bear the burden of leadership,
But he must be a man if he is to handle it well.
That is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians.
1 Corinthians 16:13 “Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.”
It paints the persona of being bold, courageous, and uncompromising.
Earlier in life David had told Solomon
1 Chronicles 28:10 “Consider now, for the LORD has chosen you to build a house for the sanctuary; be courageous and act.”
What a charge!
This life is filled with obstacles and hardships.
And those obstacles are magnified if you step into leadership.
The Bible is clear that leaders are vitally important.
• They are meant to be visionaries, protectors, providers, and guides.
• They are problem solvers and examples that are worth following.
History almost always remembers the great ones in glorious fashion.
But that is history.
History loves them, but generally the present cannot stand them.
Most leaders are hated and opposed during their reign
And only achieve greatness after they are gone.
• They are the ones who must make the tough decision.
• They are the ones who must be willing to make somebody mad.
• They are the ones who risk the blame for something going wrong.
And often they are hated for it.
And so a leader must be a man who has conviction,
For most of the time he will stand alone.
David knew that, and here he prepares Solomon for it.
“Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.”
If Solomon was to be King, he would have to be tough.
In fact, look at VERSES 5-9
David gives Solomon three tasks.
In regard to Joab (6) “do not let his gray hair go down to Sheol in peace.”
Joab was the commander of the army, and if you will remember,
He wasn’t all that easy to get rid of.
David tried a couple of times and it never worked.
That is why Joab killed Abner and Amasa.
Both threatened to take his position.
And yet as David is dying, he gives Solomon the tough job
Of unseating Joab and punishing him for his heinous crimes.
There was no way he could handle Joab if he wasn’t willing to be tough.
In regard to Barzillai, – “show kindness…and let them eat at your table;”
And the reason for this kindness is given,
“they assisted me when I fled from Absalom your brother.”
It may not seem like much to reward someone, but be careful.
For as sure as you reward someone, OTHERS BECOME JEALOUS,
And it can easily become a difficulty.
In regard to Shimei of whom David said, “do not let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man; and you will know what you ought to do to him, and you will bring his gray hair down to Sheol with blood.”
Of course Shimei who cursed David and even threw stones at him,
And yet David did not retaliate.
But now, the duty of dealing with such mockery has fallen to Solomon.
And not only does Solomon require STRENGTH to bring him to justice,
But also WISDOM to know how to handle it.
No doubt this was a tough assignment.
And so you see what Solomon would have to be tough man.
“Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man.”
There was a second source of conviction that Solomon received
2) THE COMMANDS OF HIS GOD (3)
Now of course this is still a part of David’s charge,
But in it, David is telling Solomon where else to look.
I told you that the kings is really about the word of God,
And few verses illustrate that like this one.
Notice how many times David references God’s word in this verse.
“His way” “His statutes”
“His commandments” “His ordinances”
“His testimonies” “Law of Moses”
There was an obvious standard that Solomon was to follow.
And this is a very fitting next step to Solomon’s conviction.
David wanted him to be “a man”
BUT WHAT IS A MAN?
A hard worker? A fighter? A womanizer? A High pain tolerance?
David gives Solomon insight by telling how to be a man, and very simply,
You only become a man by becoming a man of God.
Lance Harris wears a shirt that says,
“To be a man, you’ve got to know the Man”
True manhood is found in the pages of the word of God.
WHY? Because that is the source of true conviction.
Any body can try to look tough
While conforming to the pattern of this world.
Only a real man can go against the flow,
Turn his back on the culture, and follow the precepts of God.
In short one could say, “You have to be a man of God before you can be man, and you have to be a man before you can be a man of God.”
Solomon was going to have to let the word of God shape his convictions.
He was going to have to let God’s word be his authority for all things.
And even though Solomon stumbled in life,
At the end, he was still holding on to this precious truth.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.”
And you can see why David pushed this so hard.
“that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,”
If you want to be successful in life, follow the blueprint in God’s word.
Adrian Rogers said, “Men are like rivers, they become crooked by following the path of least resistance.”
You will never find the success you are looking for,
Until you align your life with the word of God.
The Charge of his Father The Commands of his God
3) THE COVENANT FOR HIS FAMILY (4)
Here David gives another reason to rest your convictions in God’s word.
“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.”
David says, you have to be a man of God’s word,
“so that the Lord may carry out His promise.”
God has made a promise to our family,
But that promise hinges upon our faithfulness to His word.
And think about the motivation this must have supplied for Solomon.
Your conviction not only affects your kingdom in the present,
But will also affect those who come after you.
If Solomon didn’t get it right, it could ruin it for all of his ancestors
But think about that, in your areas of leadership.
Think about that in your family, or in this church.
If you tolerate certain sins, it will only make it
That much more difficult for your children to overcome them.
Exodus 20:4-6 “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.”
God was reminding Moses that what one generation
Does greatly affects those who come after him.
And as David is about to die,
He is most concerned that Solomon be a man,
And be a man of God, so God will be able to keep His promise.
Those three things are the source of Solomon’s conviction.
#2 THE SCOPE OF SOLOMON’S CONVICTION
1 Kings 1:10-46
Now let’s see what he does with his conviction.
VERSES 10-12
After 40 years of service, David’s torch officially went out.
But you will notice, this passage is not about the passing of David,
It is about the beginning of Solomon.
(12) “And Solomon sat on the throne of David hi father, and his kingdom was firmly established.”
That is a key phrase and I want you to remember that.
David left to Solomon a solid kingdom.
And then we begin to see what Solomon would do from here.
We see Solomon handling four incidents.
1) DECEPTION (13-25)
Of course we covered this last week,
So we won’t spend much time here this morning.
But Adonijah was the usurper. In chapter 1,
He tried to steal the throne from Solomon.
Of course the plan failed, and after asking Solomon for mercy,
He was allowed to go on his way.
However, Adonijah’s arrogance would not allow him to leave it alone.
He actually goes to Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother) and asks her
To ask Solomon if he can marry Abishag the Shunammite.
This was another attempt to steal the throne, and Solomon recognized it.
VERSES 23-25
And so we see that Solomon’s convictions are standing strong.
Here we had a deceiver, a usurper,
And one that threatened not only Solomon’s kingdom,
But also God’s chosen kingly line,
And Solomon had the conviction to deal with him.
2) DISOBEDIENCE (26-27)
Here you will remember that Abiathar was one of two high priests
And he had actually taken sides with Adonijah
In case you didn’t realize it, by aiding Adonijah,
Abiathar was actually committing an act of treason against David.
This was a clear act of disobedience and disloyalty,
And Solomon deals with it swiftly AND JUSTLY.
For he doesn’t kill Abiathar, “because [he] carried the ark of the Lord God before [Solomon’s] father David, and because [he was] afflicted in everything with which [David] was afflicted.”
Instead he banishes Abiathar.
And you will also notice that not only was Solomon dealing with a clear case of disobedience, BUT ALSO FULFILLING PROPHESY.
Solomon not only followed his convictions, but the word of God as well.
3) DEPRAVITY (28-35)
VERSES 28-29
Next came the villain.
Joab was a wicked man, who had clearly transgressed the Law of God
• By continually shedding innocent blood,
• And by flaunting it by not even changing his blood splattered clothes
He was a major inhibitor to God’s blessings on the nation.
Solomon minced no words, that Joab should die.
Solomon flees to the altar and eventually dies there.
VERSES 31-33
And there you learn that this was not an act of revenge,
But a conviction of Solomon that as long as Joab was unpunished, God was not able to send peace to Israel.
Solomon answered with enough conviction
To remove this depravity from his kingdom.
Deception, Disobedience, Depravity
4) DISRESPECT (36-46)
Solomon doesn’t immediately kill him, but rather gives him a test
To see if his mocking, disrespecting ways have changed.
VERSES 36-38
But if you read on, you will notice that one Shimei’s servants ran away,
And Shimei broke his word to go and find them.
Solomon confronted his rebellious spirit and then said:
VERSES 43-46
And so there Solomon dealt with disrespect.
Again this was not revenge, for Shimei had an opportunity,
But by mocking King David, he was mocking God’s anointed,
And by ignornig Solomon, he was disregarding God’s authority.
Such must be removed.
You see how Solomon started his kingdom on the right foot.
He removed Deception, Disobedience, Depravity, and Disrespect
He knew that those things would destroy his kingdom.
Those things had to be dealt with,
And he had to be man enough to deal with them.
Verse 46, “Thus the kingdom was established in the hands of Solomon.”
Now that is interesting.
I thought we already read that back in verse 12.
(12) “and his kingdom was firmly established.”
Verse 12 spoke of the kingdom David left to Solomon,
Verse 46 spoke of Solomon’s conviction to keep it that way.
It didn’t matter how secure the kingdom was,
Had Solomon not been a man of conviction, and let these matters slide,
His kingdom most certainly would have faltered.
Solomon understood the need for a man to take charge,
Deal with those things that threaten the purity of the kingdom,
And to establish the kingdom.
Certainly in life he reiterated that in his Proverbs.
Proverbs 25:26 “Like a trampled spring and a polluted well Is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.”
Proverbs 20:26 “A wise king winnows the wicked, And drives the threshing wheel over them.”
Proverbs 21:12 “The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Turning the wicked to ruin.”
Proverbs 22:10 “Drive out the scoffer, and contention will go out, Even strife and dishonor will cease.”
And this morning, we would all do good to learn the passion of Solomon, but I especially would challenge our men today.
• You are the leaders in our society…
• You are the leaders in our schools…
• You are the leaders in your household…
• You are the leaders in this church…
“Be strong, therefore, and show yourself a man. Keep the charge of 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, that you may succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn,”
We must be men
We must be men of God
There are some things that just cannot be tolerated.
There are some cancers that cannot be allowed to fester.
I’ve been guilty of letting some remain in our own Church at times.
I know it is not pleasant to have to deal with some tough issues,
But that is why you have to be a man to be a man of God.
God’s word is worth obeying.
God’s word is worth standing upon.
God’s word is worth enforcing.
Let God’s word be the source of your convictions,
And then let your obedience prove that it is so.
And may you “succeed in all that you do and wherever you turn”
It was the key to the establishment of Solomon’s kingdom,
And it is the key to God’s hand of blessing in your life.
Learn it, trust it, obey it, preach it, and watch it work.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
