Today’s passage: 1 Kings 2:1-12
Helpful thoughts:
- Before David dies, he gives the new King Solomon a charge:
- To know the Word of God and follow the Lord. David’s charge was very similar to Moses’ charge given to Joshua (Joshua 1:7-9)
- David reiterates God’s promise for the throne in Israel. The book of 1 Kings will show how David’s descendants fail to live up to their part of the promise.
- David also encouraged Solomon to follow through on some promises and vows he had given.
- David ruled from 1011-971 B.C
- Verse 12 confirms that there were no other challenges to the throne at this time. Solomon had the Lord’s blessing to rule and the nation willingly followed.
Questions to consider:
- Was everything perfect and easy in Israel when their king was the “man after God’s own heart”? Why won’t we ever have a perfect and easy cultural environment in this world as things are?
- David’s descendants (and truly, David himself) failed to perfectly live up to the standards he passed down in this passage. How would God’s promise that a descendant of David would rule forever come to pass? Who truly walked in ALL of the Lord’s commandments and is worthy to reign forever?
- What kind of “prospering” would have been promised to Israel as their people walked according to the Lord’s commands? What kind of “prospering” could we see today as we follow Christ?