Today’s passage: 1 Kings 2:13-46
Helpful thoughts:
- Abishag the Shunammite had been added to David’s harem in chapter 1. Adonijah’s request to marry her would have been another act or attempt to take the throne. So, Solomon fulfilled his promise from 1:52.
- Joab wasn’t safe at the altar because he was truly guilty of murder. The altar was only a place of safety in cases of accidental death.
- With these exiles and executions, Solomon removed all who had threatened this transition of power. These verses were an account of how verse 12 came to be. The throne of Solomon was now “firmly established.”
Questions to consider:
- How will the end of verse 33 be fulfilled? What part would Solomon have seen himself fulfilling? How will Christ ultimately bring it about?
- How would the events of this passage correlate with Romans 13:1-5? Where does authority come from? How must we interact with those who rule over us today?
- If we are truly guilty, what would be the right response? How would we show true repentance in relation to our governing authorities? How would our consequences with the government be different than our consequences with God? (Romans 8:1)