Category: - Bible Calendar

Timeline 1 Kings and 2 Kings

4/19/2012

         Click here to find a timeline for 1 and 2 Kings. The first document is one page and covers the whole book of 1 Kings. The second covers 2 Kings and is three pages long. They include:
         the name of each king,
         the year that he came to the throne,
         the number of years he reigned,
         a memorable detail about the reign of each one,
         references to his reign in 1 and 2 Kings and Chronicles and
         the names of the prophets who wrote and preached during his reign.
I hope you find this tool to be useful as you read through the maze of names in these four books!

1 Kings 18 - 19

4/17/2012

         I believe that these two chapters, especially 1 Kings 19, are some of the least understood chapters of all the historical books of the Old Testament. Today I hope to indicate a different and more accurate interpretation of these chapters than the one most commonly given.
         The main events in themselves are remarkable and not difficult to understand. They take place on two mountains (Carmel and Sinai); the first events are public and of great power (Yahweh conquers Baal decisively), and the following events are private and of great power (Yahweh sends Elijah to initiate a period of violent judgment in Israel). What happens between the main events of 1 Kings 18 – 19 is what opens the door to misinterpretation, especially when readers concentrate on Elijah’s apparent motives.
         Why does Elijah run so far from Jezebel? Many English translations explain along these lines: “Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life” (1 Kings
19:3). First, much more in line with the Hebrew Masoretic Text is the translation: “When he saw [the danger], he arose and fled for his life.” The element of fear is added to most English translations by a textual variant. (For those who are interested: the Spanish RV 1960 translates this verse in agreement with the Masoretic Text.) Therefore, many English Bible readers understand Elijah’s flight as motivated by fear of Jezebel as much as or more than preservation of life. Second, although the trip was motivated initially by preservation of life, this
motivation in itself is insufficient to explain the rest of the journey. If Elijah is running for fear of Jezebel or to preserve his life, then his journey to Sinai is excessive. If Yahweh has protected him to this point as Obadiah testified, “As the LORD your God lives, there is no nation or kingdom where my lord has not sent to seek you. And when they would say, ‘He is not here,’” (1 Kings 18:10), then certainly he would not need to take such a long trip through the desert to distance himself from Jezebel. But if Elijah went to Sinai for another reason, for example to file suit against Israel for its violation of the covenant sealed there (a motive which agrees with Romans 11:2), then his long trip makes sense. I believe this is the better option, and it leads us to translate the words of the angel of the LORD, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you” (1 Kings 19:7), not in reference to the journey completed but as a preparation for the much longer and God-ordained journey described in verse 8.
         Not only do many read here that Elijah is motivated by a fear of Jezebel, they combine it with Elijah’s supposed depression which they find in the verse: “And he asked that he might die, saying, ‘It is enough; now, O LORD, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers’” (1 Kings 19:4). Without a doubt he is profoundly discouraged. But don’t the events of 1 Kings 19:5-8 encourage him? First Kings 19:8 portrays a strengthened and determined man, not a depressed one. Could it be that 1 Kings 19:4 does not reveal a continuous psychological state but a prayer of desperation that Yahweh answers by grace in the following verses?
         For those who find Elijah motivated by fear and depression, he should be criticized roundly for whining and self-centeredness when he says, “I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life to take it away” (1 Kings 19:10, 14). But if we see according to 1 Kings 19:8 a decisive man encouraged by God’s grace, Elijah’s complaint has a lot in common with other emotionally-charged and doctrinally-approved complaints in the Psalms: “How long, O Lord, will you look on? Rescue me from their destruction, my precious life from the lions!”(Psalm 35:17) “I am feeble and crushed; I groan because of the tumult of my heart” (Psalm 38:8). “How long, O LORD? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will your wrath burn like fire? Remember how short my time is! For what vanity you have created all the children of man! (Psalm 89:46-47) If we do not criticize David for his complaint in another cave: “Look to the right and see: there is none who takes notice of me; no refuge remains in me; no one cares for my soul” (Psalm 142:4), why would we criticize Elijah for the same?
         In other words, if we think of 1 Kings 19 primarily as God’s criticism of Elijah, it may be that we have painted a distorted portrait in our minds of the prophets as people who are (or ought to be) primarily confident and secure rather than desperately dependent on Yahweh and His grace through prayer. It may be that we have so distorted the Biblical portrayal of a prophet that when we are confronted by verses describing their inability, we misunderstand this for weakness instead of their true strength. It could be that the common interpretation of 1 Kings 18 – 19 reveals just how far we are from understanding the true power of Yahweh’s prophets. It is interesting that the New Testament remembers Elijah’s weakness, not to chastise him but to set him up as an example: “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit” (James 5:17-18).
         But what convinces me the most that Yahweh approves of Elijah’s actions in 1 Kings 19 is that He decides in favor of his suit against Israel. He agrees with Elijah! “And the LORD said to him, ‘Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death” (1 Kings 19:15-17). Now that Israel has not turned to Yahweh after three and a half years of drought and a decisive miracle displayed before their eyes, she will enter a period of harsher judgment characterized by inescapable violence. The judgment of Israel has become much more severe. Therefore, the following words, “Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him” (1 Kings 19:18) are not a reproof of the prophet but evidence of Yahweh’s sovereignty and grace in preserving a faithful remnant, exactly as the
apostle Paul sees this verse in Romans 11:2-5.
         Therefore, if we have understood 1 Kings 18 – 19 correctly, we should not leave the reading meditating on the imagined faults of Elijah. We should see an impressive portrait of Yahweh’s persistence in calling His people to repentance, of His severe judgment against those who persist in sin and His secure grace through which He preserves a remnant from judgment.

1 Kings 11 - 14

4/14/2012

         In this reading and the following ones, notice how the following themes stand out:
         Foreign women: Solomon interacted correctly with the Queen of Sheba: through his wisdom and the glory of his righteous dominion, he directed her to Yahweh in praise to Him as we saw in the last reading. But in 1 Kings 11, instead of guiding foreign women, he is guided by them: “Now King Solomon loved many foreign women, along with the daughter of Pharaoh: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women, from the nations concerning which the LORD had said to the people of Israel, ‘You shall not enter into marriage with them, neither shall they with you, for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods.’ Solomon clung to these in love. He had 700 wives, princesses, and 300 concubines. And his wives turned away his heart” (1 Kings 11:1-3; see also Exodus 34:14-16; Deuteronomy 7:3-4 and the example of Baal-peor in Numbers 25:1-3). A central root of all the loss, separation, violence and insecurity that we are about to witness in Israel’s history is due to the wandering heart of King Solomon.
         He is not the only king who will turn away from Yahweh because of foreign women; soon we will read about King Ahab whose heart is turned away from Yahweh by Jezebel, the daughter of the king of the Sidonians (1 Kings 16:31). Her
influence over the king and over the entire nation of Israel will drag the royal house and the country under divine wrath. At the same time, the prophet Elijah will guide a Sidonian widow to faith in Yahweh in 1 Kings 17:8-24. As we will see, the relationship between a king or God’s prophet with foreign women will reflect Israel being seduced by the surrounding nations or guiding them as a lighthouse toward Yahweh.
         Yahweh’s faithfulness to His covenant with David: In His covenant with David, Yahweh said the following about His anointed one: “When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men” (2 Samuel 7:14). Because of his iniquity, Solomon must face three enemies: Hadad the Edomite (protected by
Pharaoh, Solomon’s own father-in-law!), Rezon the king of Damascus, and Jeroboam, the future king of ten tribes of Israel. But remember the next verse in the covenant: “But my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you” (2 Samuel 7:15). While the royal houses of Israel will be destroyed completely (Jeroboam’s house in 1 Kings 15:29-30, and Baasha’s house in 1 Kings 16:11-12, for example), David’s royal house continues. This evidence of grace in Yahweh’s covenant with David is constant even in the midst of punishment.
         Jeroboam’s fabricated religion: 1 Kings 12:26-33 explains the idolatry in which Jeroboam guided Yahweh’s people. To solidify the political devotion of the ten tribes, he put a religious center in the south of the country (why go to Jerusalem when Bethel is so much closer?) and another in the north (in Dan, where a false priesthood and services already exist as we saw in Judges 18:29-31). In part it seems like the true religion: it recognizes the exodus from Egypt (1 Kings
12:28); it celebrates a festival like the Feast of the Tabernacles, just in the incorrect month (1 Kings 12:32); it has priests from among the people (1 Kings 12:31). But it violates Yahweh’s law: “So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold.
And he said to the people… ‘Behold your gods, O Israel, who brought you out of the land of Egypt’” (1 Kings 12:28; an echo of the words of the people about the golden calf in Exodus 32:4). “[He] appointed priests from among all the people, who were not of the Levites” (1 Kings 12:31). “The high places that he had made” (1 Kings 12:32)… “In the month that he had devised from his own heart” (1 Kings 12:33)… all of these descriptions make us see that this approximation of the true religion is not only invalid but a stumbling block that will trip up Israel to its condemnation. It is a central part of its destruction.
         Yahweh’s zeal for obedience to His word: An unnamed prophet miraculously declares judgment against the new services in Bethel (1 Kings 13:1-6). But when he disobeys Yahweh’s word, even though it was through deceit, he
cannot escape divine judgment (1 Kings 13:21-26). As we saw so many times in Israel’s history in the desert, with Moses and Aaron when they did not sanctify Yahweh at the waters of Meribah and with King Saul when he did not destroy the Amalekites completely, Yahweh’s devastating holiness does not allow half-hearted obedience. Yahweh’s severity, His zeal for His holiness, will be demonstrated repeatedly in this unit of the Bible, even with kings who in our sight are good and whom we want to forgive easily.
         Yahweh’s clear prophetic voice: The unnamed prophet of 1 Kings 13 and the prophet Ahijah of 1 Kings 14 manifest another aspect of Yahweh’s grace: His clear announcement of prophecy to His people. He reproves and exhorts His people and will not allow false prophets, though they may be numerous, to drown out the clear sound of His voice.
         The impoverishment of Yahweh’s people: The wealth of Solomon’s time disappears; Yahweh’s people suffer the loss of their goods: “In the fifth year of King Rehoboam, Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem. He took away the treasures of the house of the LORD and the treasures of the king’s house. He took away everything. He also took away all the shields of gold that Solomon had made, and King Rehoboam made in their place shields of bronze” (1 Kings 14:25-27). It is difficult to impress with bronze shields after a reign in which silver was treated as common and bronze was not even weighed because it was so insignificant.
         As we go through the readings in this new unit, pay attention to the foreign women, to Jeroboam’s fabricated religion and the impoverishment of Yahweh’s people… and at the same time, notice how Yahweh maintains a zeal for His holiness, a zeal for the house of David and how He clearly announces His future judgment so that His people would repent.

1 Kings 11 - 2 Kings 25: The eighth unit of the Bible

4/14/2012

         The first ten chapters of 1 Kings describe the summit of the monarchy in Israel. But it also includes an urgent warning: “And as for you [Solomon], if you
will walk before me, as David your father walked, with integrity of heart and
uprightness, doing according to all that I have commanded you, and keeping my
statutes and my rules, then I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ But if you turn aside from following me, you or your children, and do not keep my commandments and my statutes that I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then I will cut off Israel from the land that I have given them, and the house that I have consecrated for my name I will cast out of my sight, and Israel will become a proverb and a byword among all peoples” (1
Kings 9:4-7).
         This warning will govern the events of the next unit of the Bible, the eighth, which extends from 1 Kings 11 through 2 Kings 25, from the end of Solomon’s reign to the tragic events of 586 BC. We cover this unit in the readings from April 15 through 25 this year. As you read, keep in mind the following observations:
         1) The main events of the unit: The division of the kingdom in two: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Both are seduced by the surrounding nations. Israel is defeated and exiled by the Assyrians in 722 BC and Judah by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
         2) Yahweh’s outstanding attributes: His justice, His severity, His longsuffering and His faithfulness
         3)    Yahweh’s main work: He reproves His adulterous people.
         4)    The main participants: The prophets Elijah and Elisha and many kings, among whom are Rehoboam and Jeroboam, Ahab, Jehu, Hezekiah, Manasseh and
Josiah
         5)    The main reference to Jesus Christ and the gospel: “And the LORD listened to the voice of Elijah. And the life of the child came into him again, and he revived. And Elijah took the child and brought him down from the upper chamber into the house and delivered him to his mother. And Elijah said, ‘See, your son lives.’ And the woman said to Elijah, ‘Now I know that you are a man of God, and that the word of the LORD in your mouth is truth’” (1 Kings 17:22-24).
         6)    Key observations: As we will see, the kingdom that was united under David and Solomon will be divided in two: Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Up to this point we could refer to all of the people of God as “Israelites” and all their land as “Israel”. Now we cannot. From now on, the word “Israel” only refers to the northern kingdom; the word “Israelites” refers only to the inhabitants there. “People of Judah” refers to those who live in the southern kingdom.
         It is very difficult to follow all the names of the kings. I recommend that you
find or make a list of all the kings of the two kingdoms and write some outstanding details about each one. I hope to upload my own list to the blog within the next few days. It helps not only in identifying the kings but also in holding a complete view of all the readings in this unit and the next.
         With this in mind, let’s continue our reading of 1 Kings.

1 Kings 9 - 10 and Psalm 122

4/13/2012

We continue our readings of the apex of Solomon’s glory and the fulfillment of Yahweh’s promises to Israel with the Queen of Sheba’s visit to Jerusalem. The Bible puts us at her side to marvel with her over Solomon’s wisdom, the organization of his household and officials and the temple service. It testifies, “There was no more breath in her” (1 Kings 10:5); in other words, she was speechless. That should be our reaction, too. Alongside her, we should recognize Israel blessing during this time: “Happy are your men! Happy are your servants, who continually stand before you and hear your wisdom!” (1 Kings 10:8) And like her, we should praise Yahweh as the fountain of all these blessings: “Blessed be the LORD your God, who has delighted in you and set you on the throne of Israel!
Because the LORD loved Israel forever, he has made you king, that you may
execute justice and righteousness” (1 Kings 10:9). Even more glorious than the material blessings and the justice that Israel enjoys in Solomon are the righteousness and lovingkindness of Yahweh.
And on this high note we end the seventh unit of the Bible, the readings on the establishment of the monarchy in Israel, that extend from Ruth 1 through 1 Kings 10. How different these are than the book of Judges! Yahweh redeemed Israel from the spiral of spiritual decline by establishing His anointed (David, and then Solomon) in His chosen city (Jerusalem), by joining him with a faithful priest (Zadok), by multiplying the Israelites in the Promised Land and by giving them peace and prosperity among all their neighbors. His people reflect His just dominion and enjoy the blessings of being His special treasure. May the name of Yahweh be exalted!

1 Kings 8 and Psalm 144

4/13/2012

         Today we attend the dedication of the temple in Jerusalem, one of the highest points in the entire history of the relationship between Yahweh and His people in the entire Old Testament.
         Notice that it takes place: “At the feast in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month” (1 Kings 8:2). From the month and the length of the celebration (seven days to which are added another seven out of joy for the dedication, 1 Kings 8:65), we understand this to be the Feast of the Tabernacles celebrated along with the dedication of the temple. Remember that regarding this feast, Yahweh commanded, “You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall
dwell in booths, that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel
dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:42-43). Just as we read the memorable announcement about the construction of the temple two chapters ago: “In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt… he began to build the house of the LORD” (1 Kings 6:1), now in chapter 8 we have another reminder of Yahweh’s faithfulness over the centuries, from the exodus until the present time, by the celebration of the Feast of the Tabernacles alongside the dedication of the temple.
This makes Solomon’s observation and blessing even more impactful: “Blessed be the LORD who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. Not one word has failed of all his good promise, which he spoke by Moses his servant” (1 Kings 8:56). We are in an unforgettable and climactic moment in the history of Yahweh’s faithfulness to His people.
         The ties with Yahweh’s faithfulness continue with His Presence in the temple.
The book of Exodus closed with the arrival of Yahweh’s Presence to dwell in the temple: “Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter the tent of meeting because the cloud settled on it, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle” (Exodus 40:34-35). Yahweh shepherded His people in all of their journeys: “Throughout all
their journeys, whenever the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the
people of Israel would set out. But if the cloud was not taken up, then they did not set out till the day that it was taken up” (Exodus 40:36-37). Now Yahweh confirms His Presence with Israel in the new temple by appearing in the same manner: “And when the priests came out of the Holy Place, a cloud filled the house of the LORD, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD” (1 Kings 8:10-11). And the arrival of His Presence to dwell in the temple, a fixed site, gives his people hope that the peace and rest they are enjoying now would be permanent: “I have indeed built you an exalted house, a place for you to dwell in forever” (1 Kings 8:13).
         Another association with the Exodus and Yahweh’s Presence comes from the Ark of the Covenant. It serves as an essential part of the temple just as it had in the tabernacle (1 Kings 8:6). Besides the importance of the ark is the importance of its contents: “There was nothing in the ark except the two tablets of stone that Moses put there at Horeb, where the LORD made a covenant with the people of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt” (1 Kings 8:9). Attention to the Ten Commandments will motivate Solomon’s petitions for forgiveness of sins. They awaken the recognition of sin.
         Note the centrality of prayer not only on the day of dedication but also in the entire temple service:“Have regard to the prayer of your servant and to his plea, O LORD my God, listening to the cry and to the prayer that your servant prays for you this day”(1 Kings 8:28). “Listen to the plea of your servant and of your people Israel, when they pray toward this place. And listen in heaven your dwelling place” (1 Kings 8:30). “Then hear in heaven and act” (1 Kings 8:32); “then hear in heaven” (1 Kings 8:34, 36, 39, 43, 45, 49). “Let your eyes be open to the plea of your servant and to the plea of your people Israel, giving ear to them whenever they call to you” (1 Kings 8:52). Of course this emphasis on prayer does not exclude the sacrifices that dominated the tabernacle service (see only 1 Kings 8:5, 63-64 for the continuing importance of the sacrifices). It simply makes the
importance of prayer stand out in the relationship between the people of Israel and their living God and the significance of the temple as the consecrated place to offer it.
         Notice also that Solomon’s petitions are directed by reflective thought on Yahweh’s revelation up to this time. They echo the lists of curses for disobedience to the covenant as found in Leviticus 26:14-45 and Deuteronomy 28:15-68. They celebrate Yahweh’s covenant with David, His anointed (1 Kings 8:15-21, 24-26).
They recognize Yahweh’s just dominion (1 Kings 8:31-32), His desire to bless the nations through Israel (1 Kings 8:41-43, 60) and His love for Israel as His treasured possession (1 Kings 8:53, in agreement with Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 7:6). Solomon’s prayer is the fruit of devotion to Yahweh and His word. As such, it is an exemplary prayer that rests in Yahweh’s faithfulness through His covenant and looks to the future for the continued fulfillment of His blessings.
         To summarize, this chapter directs us through the glory of Solomon and the temple to the glory of the exalted God, Yahweh, worthy of adoration and prayer: “O LORD, God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above or on earth beneath, keeping covenant and showing steadfast love to your servants who walk before you with all their heart” (1 Kings 8:23). “That all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other” (1 Kings 8:60).

1 Kings 6 - 7 and Psalm 48

4/12/2012

         Today we begin with an announcement that this reading will be monumental: “In the four hundred and eightieth year after the people of Israel came out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, he began to build the house of the LORD (1 Kings 6:1).
The building of the temple in Jerusalem is worthy of being compared to the exodus from Egypt, making them two outstanding fulfillments of Yahweh’s plan for His people.
         We also can see its importance in the size of the temple in comparison with the tabernacle. It is twice as long as the tabernacle, twice as wide and three times as tall (1 Kings 6:2 with Exodus 26:15-22, noting that the length of each frame (10 cubits) will be used for the height of the tabernacle structure, not its length). It is comparable in size with other large temples of that era in Syria (Alfred J. Hoerth, Archaeology and the Old Testament; Baker Books, 1998: pg. 281).
         There is not as much detail about the temple as there is about the tabernacle in the book of Exodus. The description of the temple in 1 Kings 6 concentrates on features which are different from the tabernacle like the use of windows, the construction of three stories of chambers around the temple and the use of cut stones and wooden doors. There also are many details about the interior of the temple, something that the vast majority of Israelites would never see. The emphasis on the gold, the cherubim and the interior designs serve alongside 1 Kings 4 – 5 to impress us with the glory, the grandeur and the organization with which Yahweh blessed His people through Solomon, His anointed one.
         We should read 1 Kings 7 with the same admiration. Some would like to
criticize Solomon because he spent more time on the construction of his palace
than on the temple, but there is no evidence of criticism for this in the text, nor is there any mention of many possible reasons why there may have been delays in construction. The narrator simply continues his explanation with admiration through the entire chapter, not only of the House of the Forest of Lebanon but again of the temple, this time to admire its bronze columns, the sea and the bronze stands for water, along with the other bronze utensils and gold furnishings.
         And good news arrives at the end of 1 Kings 7: “Thus all the work that King Solomon did on the house of the LORD was finished” (1 Kings 7:51). It echoes the announcement at the end of the construction of the tabernacle: “So Moses finished the work” (Exodus 40:33). The only part missing is, like in Exodus 40:33, the most important part: Yahweh’s Presence. He has promised already, “Concerning this house that you are building, if you will walk in my statutes and obey my rules and keep all my commandments and walk in them, then I will establish my word with you, which I spoke to David your father. And I will dwell among the children of
Israel and will not forsake my people Israel” (1 Kings 6:12-13). In tomorrow’s reading, we will see how Yahweh responds.

1 Kings 4 - 5 and Psalm 72

4/11/2012

         If we don’t pay attention among so many names and numbers in 1 Kings 4 – 5, we may overlook some of the most impactful fulfillments of Yahweh’s promises in the entire Bible up to this point.
         Remember what Yahweh said to Adam and Eve: “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth” (Genesis 1:28). Now in 1 Kings 4 – 5 it’s not by accident that we read about Israel’s multiplication (1 Kings 4:20), about the organization for the sustenance of the royal household, about the extension of Solomon’s wisdom as he speaks of trees, from the cedar in Lebanon to the hyssop that grows out of the wall (1 Kings 4:33) and about the agreements and organization of labor for the construction of the temple.
By Yahweh’s grace the Israelites have been fruitful and have multiplied; they have filled the Promised Land and subdued it, exercising dominion over this part of creation to preserve human life and to build a temple to Yahweh’s glory. By the wisdom that God has given Solomon, His just dominion over all creation is manifesting itself on the earth, exactly as He commanded in the beginning.
         More specifically, He is fulfilling the promises He gave centuries earlier to one man who walked in this same land as a foreigner. “I will make of you a great nation” (Genesis 12:2); “I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore” (Genesis 22:17). And now: “Judah and Israel were as many as the sand by the sea. They ate and drank and were happy” (1 Kings 4:20).
         “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates” (Genesis 15:18). “Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt… He had dominion over all the region west of the Euphrates from Tiphsah to Gaza, over all the kings west of the Euphrates. And he had peace on all sides around him” (1 Kings 4:21, 24).
         “In you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Genesis 12:3); “in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 22:18). “Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates to the land of the Philistines and to the border of Egypt. They brought tribute and served Solomon all the days of his life” (1 Kings 4:21). “Solomon’s wisdom surpassed the wisdom of all the people of the east and all the wisdom of Egypt… People of all nations came to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and from all the kingdoms of the earth, who had heard of his wisdom” (1 Kings 4:30, 34).
         All of these promises reach fulfillment through Yahweh’s anointed one who exercises dominion and diplomacy to fulfill one more promise given by the Lord of lords, a more recent one: “You know that David my father could not build a house for the name of the LORD his God because of the warfare with which his enemies surrounded him, until the LORD put them under the soles of his feet. But now the LORD my God has given me rest on every side. There is neither adversary nor misfortune. And so I intend to build a house for the name of the LORD my God, as the LORD said to David my father,‘Your son whom I will set on your throne in your
place, shall build the house for my name’” (1 Kings 5:3-5).
         And that is how we understand these chapters in 1 Kings through chapter 10, the remaining ones from the seventh unit of the Bible: Yahweh’s promises to Abraham are producing fruit. The house of Yahweh’s anointed has been established, and it is governing in justice and peace as was promised centuries earlier.

1 Kings 1 - 3 and Psalm 25

4/10/2012

         How should we react to the political machinations and the execution of Solomon’s enemies in today’s reading? First, let’s look at how the Author of the Bible portrays them, and second, as in other times, we will follow the guide given to us by the appearances of Yahweh’s name.
         First notice that the Bible clearly tells us, “Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying,‘I will be king’” (1 Kings 1:5). His actions come right from
the Absalom School of Leadership, not by Yahweh’s direction through His prophet:
“He prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him”
(1 Kings 1:5; see also 2 Samuel 15:1). His handsome looks echo the descriptions of Saul, Eliab and Absalom, leaders rejected by Yahweh. Like Absalom, Adonijah’s training came under a father who refused to discipline him (1 Kings 1:6). Seeing the weakness of his father, he decided to take advantage of the situation and declare himself king with the help of some of the more influential men in the kingdom and to the exclusion of Solomon and his followers (1 Kings 1:7-10). All of this suggests that we are about to enter into the chapters of Absalom’s rebellion one more time, but now with Solomon as the target.
         What prevents Adonijah from taking the throne, or Israel from falling into civil war? A promise made before Yahweh: “My Lord, you swore to your servant by the LORD your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’” (1 Kings 1:17). When David receives the testimony from two witnesses (Bathsheba and Nathan) about the urgency of Adonijah’s rebellion, he says, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day” (1 Kings 1:29-30). “And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, ‘Amen! May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, say so. As the LORD has been with my lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David’” (1 Kings 1:36-37). And divine approval stands out when Jonathan announces to Adonijah and his co-conspirators, “And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the LORD; the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it’” (1 Kings 1:48). Adonijah’s rebellion only served to identify the enemies of the LORD’s anointed.
         That is our background to understand 1 Kings 2 – 3. Solomon is commanded to follow Yahweh: “Keep the charge of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and
keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is
written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the LORD may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in
faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel’” (1 Kings 2:3-4). And so he does, at least in the early part of his reign: “Solomon loved the LORD, walking in the statutes of David his father” (1 Kings 3:3).
         But the enemies of Yahweh’s anointed demonstrate the rebellion in their hearts through 1 Kings 2. Just like in chapter 1, Adonijah trusts in political alliances more than in Yahweh’s anointing and dares to seek Bathsheba’s help to marry Abishag, a move that Solomon correctly sees as a step toward trying to take the throne (1 Kings 2:22). Bathsheba is very astute in saying that she will take his request to the king (1 Kings 2:18); I believe that she knows perfectly well that with this request, Adonijah has just signed his own death sentence, and she simply will communicate it to the king so that he can act for the protection of his reign and for her protection as well. “Now therefore as the LORD lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death today” (1 Kings 2:24). One of the
enemies of Yahweh’s anointed has been eliminated.
         The second enemy of the anointed one is forced into retirement: “And to Abiathar the priest the king said, ‘Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because you shared in all my father’s affliction.’ So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, thus fulfilling the word of the LORD that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh” (1 Kings 2:26-27). Remember that we read about the judgment of Eli’s house in 1 Samuel 2:27-36 and 3:11-14. Now we see the part of the prophecy fulfilled that said, “Then in distress you will look with envious eye on all the prosperity that shall be bestowed on Israel” (1 Samuel 2:32). Also in today’s
reading we see the fulfillment of the part of the prophecy that says, “And I will raise up for myself a faithful priest, who shall do what is in my heart and in my mind. And I will build him a sure house, and he shall go in and out before my anointed forever” (1 Samuel 2:35). This is fulfilled in Zadok, the priest who did not support Adonijah and who anointed Solomon as king over Israel (1 Reyes 1:8, 39; 2:35).
         The anointed one’s third enemy suspects that he will be eliminated like Adonijah even though there is no evidence that Solomon ordered his death at this time: “Joab fled to the tent of the LORD and caught hold of the horns of the altar” (1 Kings 2:28). His rebellion comes out in his direct disobedience of an order of the king: “So Benaiah came to the tent of the LORD and said to him, ‘The king
commands, “Come out.”’ But he said, ‘No, I will die here’” (1 Kings 2:30). His death sentence for the assassinations of Abner and Amasa are carried out (1 Kings
2:31-33).
         The anointed one’s fourth enemy also is executed for disobedience (1 Kings 2:36-46). Solomon eliminates the one who has the most influence to raise up Benjamite soldiers against Yahweh’s anointed and in favor of a possible candidate from Saul’s old royal house. Therefore Shimei’s death is significant enough for the statements: “But King Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD forever… So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon” (1 Kings 2:45, 46).
         After all these actions, we don’t see Yahweh’s reproof but rather approval: “At Gibeon the LORD appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask what I shall give you’” (1 Kings 3:5). If these actions had not received Yahweh’s approval, we would expect a prophetic message like the one given to Eli’s house or like Nathan’s message to David after his sin with Bathsheba. Instead we find Yahweh’s approval of His anointed one who through violence eliminated those who harbored an attitude of rebellion against him.
         And that should call us to attention regarding our relationship with Jesus Christ, the Anointed One above all. He does not tolerate rebellion, either. This is how the Bible describes the second coming of Jesus Christ: “When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on
those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord
Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed” (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10). The establishment of His reign will be more solid, more effective and with eternal consequences. Therefore, we must pay attention to the warning given in Psalm 2: “Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him" (Psalm 2:11-12).