Solomon’s Kingdom
First Kings 4: 1-28

Solomon’s kingdom DIG: What was Solomon’s Isra’el like economically? Militarily? Spiritually? What do these verses reveal about taxes? Who brought tribute? Why? What major project will Solomon use forced labor? How did the district governors supply the daily provisions for the royal court each month? What extra pressure might ben-Abinadab and Adoniram face under Solomon’s reign? What was the extent of Solomon’s kingdom?

REFLECT: Since the Israelites were once slaves themselves in Egypt, why would Solomon have forced labor? Wouldn’t you think he would have been extremely sensitive to that issue? Where is the forced labor where you live? Was Solomon indulgent? Since he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, is it any surprise that he was so privileged? What sacrifices can you make to help those who are less fortunate than you are? Who can you help this week?

The deep source of joy in Solomon’s kingdom was the faithful promises of God.

We find here an indication of the organizational development of the kingdom under Solomon. There had already been considerable changes made in Isra’el during the reigns of the previous two kings. Under Sha’ul the loose confederacy of twelve tribes began to be solidified into a kingdom, but his style of government seems to have been relatively modest and simple. There was no great central bureaucracy and no lavish court, and there is no record of any formal system of taxation. David developed a kingdom in a truer sense, and he had far greater and more lasting success in defeating Isra’el’s enemies. He captured Jerusalem from the Jebusites and made it a strong and permanent capitol. David seems to have had some system of internal taxation, and he certainly received tribute from his various vassal states. Solomon, therefore, inherited a stable kingdom. He did not expand the empire but did establish a well-organized and strong central government. He developed a system of taxation and forced labor to support his great building projects, the foremost being the Temple and the royal palace.⁹³

Solomon’s royal cabinet (4:1-6): The chapter begins with an orderly account of the members of the royal cabinet. Solomon’s wisdom is now shown in his administrative abilities, including the choice of cabinet members. Today this information might be presented in the form of an organizational flow chart, but the Bible simply lists the names of Solomon’s staff, with their official duties. The names of some of these men are familiar; we have met them before. The support of Nathan, Zadok, and Benaiah was critically important in Solomon’s rise to power. It is not therefore surprising to see these men and their sons offer prophetic, priestly, and military leadership for the kingdom. Solomon put the right men in charge – men who were loyal to his kingship and willing to do kingdom work.⁹⁴

So King Solomon ruled over all Isra’el. And this was his royal cabinet: Azariah, grandson of Zadok, was the high priest. He was the son of Ahimaaz the grandson of Zadok, the priest who had served David so faithfully. It appears that Ahimaaz had died and therefore his son was given the office (Second Samuel 15:27 and 36; First Chronicles 6:8-9).

While David had only one scribe, Solomon had two, Elihoreph and Ahijah, who were the sons of David’s scribe Shisha. He was also known as Seriah (Second Samuel 8:17), Sheva (Second Samuel 20:25), and Shavsha (First Chronicles 18:16). Solomon’s kingdom was much larger and more complex than that over which his father ruled, so keeping records would have been more demanding.

Jehoshaphat son of Ahilud had been a recorder during David’s reign (Second Samuel 8:16), and Benaiah son of Jehoiada had been appointed commander in chief of the army by Solomon (First King 2:35). He was born into a priestly family but chose military life instead.

Since both Zadok and Abiathar had served with David, hence they are found in this official roster. Zadok the priest had died and was replaced by his grandson Azariah (see above). It is somewhat surprising to see that despite his earlier opposition to Solomon (to see link click Ap – Putting the Kingdom First: Solomon banishes Abiathar), Abiathar was still a priest and was apparently restored to the royal court.

Azariah, son of Nathan, was in charge of the twelve district governors who supervised the twelve administrative districts that Solomon had created in Isra’el (see below). Wheather his father was Nathan the prophet (First Kings 1:11), Nathan the son of David (Second Samuel 5:14), or another man named Nathan is not explained. It was a popular name in Isra’el.

Zabud son of Nathan was a priest who served as a special adviser to the king, and Ahishar was Solomon’s palace administrator, handling the complex affairs of the king’s household once it was built.⁹⁵

Yet one thing in this list seems to strike a sour note, especially for a nation that had been enslaved in Egypt. Adoniram, son of Abda, was in charge of forced labor. This was something the prophet Samuel had warned about when the people of Isra’el first clamored for a king. Samuel told them to be careful what they wished for, because one day their king would take their children and force them to do his work (First Samuel 8:16-18). Putting someone in charge of forced labor was another warning sign that Solomon was not the ideal king, and that tragic flaws in his character would eventually lead to his spiritual downfall.⁹⁶

Solomon’s administrative districts (4:7-21): Solomon marked out twelve districts of various sizes and put a district governor over each one. The boundaries of the districts ignored the traditional boundaries of the tribes and even included territory that David had conquered in battle. Each district provided food for the king and the royal household each month. It is likely that the district governors also collected taxes, supervised the recruiting of soldiers, and laborers for the Temple and Solomon’s other building projects. By establishing new districts that crossed over old boundaries, Solomon may have hoped to minimize tribal loyalty and eliminate some tension between Judah and the other ten northern tribes. Instead, the plan only aggravated the tension, especially since Judah was not included in the redistricting program. Judah, being the royal tribe that contained the royal City, was administered separately and was unchanged and untaxed.

Any king with seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines, plus numerous officers and frequent guests, would have a large household to feed. The Queen of Sheva came (see Bu – Solomon and the Queen of Sheba) with a very large entourage that must have included several hundred people. According to 4:22-23 below the provisions needed to feed the royal court were enormous. Solomon also needed grain for his many horses, which may have been how the barley was used. The conquered nations may have looked upon those monthly “donations” as part of their tribute to King Solomon, but the Jewish tribes considered the whole system to be a humiliating form of extortion.⁹⁷ After Solomon’s death, it was no wonder that the ten northern tribes rose up in revolt against his son Rehoboam when he said: My father made your yoke heavy, but I will add to your yoke! My father controlled you with whips, but I will control you with scorpions (1 Kgs 12:14).

These were their names:

Ben (Hebrew: meaning son of)-Hur – in the hill country of Ephraim, a fertile district between the land of Benjamin in the south and the plain of Jezreel in the north.

Ben-Deker – in Makaz, Shaalbim, Beth Shemesh on the Jerusalem-Jaffa road and Elon Bethhanan, in the territory of Dan on the west side of the Judean hills.

Ben-Hesed – in Arubboth on the coastal plain between the southern part of the hills of Judah and the Mediterranean Sea (Sokoh and all the land of king Hepher were his).

Ben-Abinadab was Solomon’s first cousin and son-in-law because he was married to Taphath daughter of Solomon (First Samuel 16:8 and 17:13) – the area of Dor on the sea-coast in the rich plain of Sharon between Mount Carmel and the Mediterranean.

Baana son of Ahilud, brother of Jehoshaphat – in Taanach and Megiddo, and in all of Beth Shan next to Zarethan below Jezreel. His area also ran south from Beth Shan down the Jordan River west bank to Abel Meholah across to Jokmeam.

Ben-Geber – was in the mountainous country of the Transjordan around Ramoth Gilead (the settlements of Jair son of Manasseh in Gilead were his, as well as the region of Argob in Bashan. It’s area was fertile and occupied by sixty large walled cities with bronze gate bars). It was the most northerly of the three districts on that side of the Jordan River.

Ahinadab son of Iddo – included south Gilead and the Gad tribal lands between Mo’av and Ammon on the south and Bashan on the north. Mahanaim was the capital under Ishbaal (Second Samuel 2:8) and Absalom (Second Samuel 17:24).

Ahimaaz – in Naphtali and upper Galilee as far as Hazor on the west side of the Jordan. He was the son of Zadok (Second Samuel 15:27). Having followed and served David in adversity, he was sure of Solomon’s friendship which may have secured for him the hand of Basemath, the king’s daughter.

Baana son of Hushai – in Asher and in Aloth between Naphtali and the Mediterranean Sea, including west Galilee (thus fulfilling Genesis 49:13).

Jehoshaphat son of Paruah – in Issachar (Joshua 19:17-23) which ran around Mount Gilboa and the Valley of Jezreel between Zebulun on the north and Manasseh on the south.

Shimei son of Ela – in Benjamin, north of Jerusalem and west of Jordan, comprising the southern central Ephriam highlands.

Geber son of Uri – in Gilead (traditionally the country of Sihon king of the Amorites and the country of Og king of Bashan). He was the only governor over the district. His area covered the Transjordan south and part of Gilead.⁹⁸

However famous they were in their own day, these men in charge of their districts are no longer household names. It is easy for us to overlook people like this in the Bible, with all their unfamiliar and unpronounceable names. But the lives of these men mattered to them and to God, which reminds us that we matter also. In the Kingdom of God, every person matters. Most of the people in the world have no idea who we are, and our names may sound as strange to them as names like Ben-Deker and Ahinadab sound to us. But every one of us has a name that is only known by God (see the commentary on Revelation Bb – The Church at Pergamum), as well as a spiritual gift or gifts to serve in His Kingdom. We should not be discouraged, therefore, if our service to Messiah seems insignificant or sometimes gets overlooked by others. God knows the people that belong to Him and remembers the work we do for His glory.⁹⁹

The same gift that these men had is available to us today, by the work of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. The B’rit Chadashah has a name for this gift: it is called administration (Romans 12:8; First Corinthians 12:8). Most people probably think administration as one of the less important spiritual gifts. Some people may even think that getting the congregations of God better organized will only set up a spiritual bureaucracy. But anyone who has ever been involved with something that was poorly planned and poorly executed knows how important this gift is.

The joy of Solomon’s kingdom had a deeper source than simply the king’s ability to get things organized. By itself, good organization is not able to bring true spiritual joy. It is a necessary, but not a sufficient condition for a joyful kingdom. The deep source of joy in the kingdom of Solomon was the faithful promises of God. We see the promises kept in the happy summary that follows the list of Solomon’s district governors.  

The vocabulary here in First Kings 4:20-21, with all its talk of sand on the seashore and kingdoms from the Euphrates River to Egypt, refers directly to the covenant promises that YHVH made to Abraham. The people of Judah and Isra’el were as numerous as the sand on the seashore (Gen 22:17); they were eating, drinking, and rejoicing. And Solomon ruled over all the kingdoms from the Euphrates River to the land of the Philistines, as far as the border of Egypt (Gen 15:18; Ex 23:31; Josh 1:4). This did not fulfill the boundaries of the Land Covenant (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Fp – Restoration After Repentance) because all those kingdoms were put under tribute and were not considered part of Isra’el. Now those promises of the Abrahamic covenant were coming true, to the joy of God’s people. Those nations brought tribute and were Solomon’s subjects all his life (Gen 12:2-3; 15:1, 18:18 and 22:17).  Now the wealth of the nations was flowing to Solomon, just as God had promised. Kings were coming to bring tribute to his royal treasury, swearing loyalty to the house of David, and promising loyal service to Solomon as Isra’el’s mighty king. Through the reign of Solomon’s kingdom, the blessing of Abraham was coming to the nations.¹⁰⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for Your faithfulness to keep every promise You make! How awesome are Your promises to those who love You, “For God Himself has said, ‘I will never leave you or forsake you’ (Hebrews 13:5).” How special it is to have the God of the universe always near to me. Not only are you always near to me, You are also Almighty Sovereign God who controls all! ADONAI appeared to Abram, and He said to him, “I am El Shaddai (Genesis 17:1b-c). Nothing is too hard for You. Life and death are in Your power. You are more powerful than a huge army with many soldiers (Revelation 19:11-21). You are our powerful, immovable Rock! (Psalms 18:2, 31, 19:14, 31:3, 94:22). How wonderful Your promise to go ahead of me to guide all that happens to me for my good. Now we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to His purpose (Romans 9:28). You are Wonderful! It is with unspeakable depth of great love that I bow before You in humble adoration. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Solomon’s daily provisions (4:22-28): Such an impressive government required vast resources to continue operations. Estimates of the number of persons Solomon sustained vary from fourteen thousand to thirty-two thousand. These figures are not unusual given what other contemporaries of Solomon employed. Coupled with the military expenditures related to the horses mentioned, the money earmarked for the central government appears to be great. Still, the money may have been well spent, since the Land was at peace.¹⁰¹

Solomon’s daily provisions (literally bread, however, it embraces all kinds of food) were thirty cors (That is, probably about 5.5 tons or about 5 metric tons) of the finest flour and sixty cors (That is, probably about 11 tons or about 10 metric tons) of meal, ten head of stall-fed cattle, twenty of pasture-fed cattle and a hundred sheep and goats, as well as deer, gazelles, roebucks and choice fowl. For he ruled over all the kingdoms west of the Euphrates River, from Tiphsah to Gaza, and had peace on all sides. During Solomon’s lifetime the people of Judah and Isra’el, from Dan to Beersheba, from the northernmost to the southernmost part of the Land, lived in safety. So that was the extent of his reign, north, south, east, and west. The statement that everyone sat under their own vine and under their own fig tree (First Kings 4:22-25) speaks of undisturbed prosperity, and this became a favorite catch phrase used by the prophets to point to the ideal conditions prevailing during the Messianic Kingdom (Micah 4:4; Zechariah 3:10). The fact that a man could enjoy the fruit of the vine and the fig tree meant that the people were able to develop their land without the disruption of war. In addition, the crop yields were abundant because of the blessing of God.¹⁰²

But contrary to the teachings of the Torah, Solomon multiplied horses in the Land (Deuteronomy 17:16), and built special cities for housing them. Solomon had forty thousand stalls for chariot horses, and twelve thousand horses for his charioteers (First Kings 4:26 and 10:26-29; Second Chronicles 1:14-17, 9:25 and 28). Because First Kings was written before Second Corinthians, the seeming contradiction in Second Chronicles 9:25, reading four thousand, was probably a copyist error.

The district governors, each in his month, supplied provisions for King Solomon and all who came to the king’s table. They saw to it that nothing was lacking. They also brought to the proper place their quotas of barley and straw for the chariot horses and the other horses (First Kings 4:27-28). It is interesting to realize that at this point in the story the author expresses neither approval or disapproval of Solomon’s activities. Certainly, the author presents Solomon as a man made wise by ADONAI. Of course, the people seem happy now. Yet, the warnings of Moshe, especially the one about collecting great numbers of horses, and Samuel’s cautions about royal excess (First Samuel 8:10-18) linger in our minds. What long-term good can come from such disobedience to God’s Word?¹⁰³

Everything good in Solomon’s kingdom is greatly surpassed in the Kingdom of Yeshua Messiah, which is superior in every way. His Kingdom is better organized. This is the work of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, whom Yeshua has sent to bring order to your home, your place of worship, to order your life and relationships. This order is not imposed on us from the outside, but comes from the inside out, as the Spirit works within us to produce patience, forgiveness, gentleness, self-control, and the rest of the spiritual gifts (see the commentary on First Corinthians Ct – The Priority of Love Over Spiritual Gifts).

Messiah’s Kingdom is bigger than Solomon’s kingdom, with more people in it, coming from more nations. Yeshua said that when He was lifted up, He would draw all people to Himself (John 12:32). On the cross He took the guilt of our sins upon Himself, dying in our place, offering His blood to atone for our sin. But Messiah also announced His intention to save people from every nation. In being lifted up, He would draw the nations to Himself. And that is exactly what happened. Down through history, untold millions of people have joined the Kingdom of God: saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Messiah alone. And it is happening right now, as believers share the Gospel with their friends and families, as missionaries go into the whole world with the Good News. The promise made to Abraham, which was only partially fulfilled in the days of King Solomon, is coming true today.

How happy we are to belong to this great Kingdom! As the people of God, we find our true joy in the prosperity of the King. The more He is worshiped, the more we rejoice. This is why we love to see spiritual order come to broken lives and damaged relationships. It is why we take such an active interest in the Kingdom work that ADONAI is doing in our own community and around the world. The work of God’s Kingdom is the most important work in the world, and our joy is to see it grow.

As we minister in our giftedness, we do not depend on our own abilities, least of all in the area of administration. Rather, we depend on the Kingdom promise that Yeshua will be with us as we do His Gospel work in the power of the Ruach. Our desire is for Yeshua Messiah to receive as much honor as possible, from as many people as possible, in as many places as possible, for He alone deserves all the glory.¹⁰⁴

A Wise Ruling
First Kings 3: 16-28

A wise ruling DIG: Why should the new king worry about a dispute among prostitutes? What does Solomon know about mothers and babies? What kind of court system did Isra’el have (Second Samuel 12:1-6 and 14:4)? How would this case have been settled in a modern court? What do you believe about the power of the government? For what quality was Solomon testing the women? Why not test them for honesty? Why do you think Isra’el was so impressed?

REFLECT: Do you pursue wisdom (James 1:5)? How? In what ways did you pursue wisdom this week? What has been your toughest decision this year? What prevailed? Your feelings? Other’s advice? Circumstances? Are you considered compassionate? What brings that quality out of you? What closes your heart towards others? Have you ever had the attitude, “If I can’t have it (him or her), then nobody can!” What is your story behind that attitude?

Yeshua is the King, and He will see that justice will be done.

Divine inspiration is on the lips of the king, Proverbs 16:10 tells us, so his mouth must be faithful when he judges. Quite so. For the king is the hub around which the whole legal process revolved. He heard the toughest cases. He was the highest court of appeal and the foundation of all administration and justice. To invent a proverb: If the core is rotten, then there is no hope for the apple. We now see how the new divine wisdom Solomon had just received from ADONAI made all the difference in his ability to discern between good and evil (First Kings 3:9) and to administer justice (1 Kings 3:11). In this passage Solomon is much more of a wise king than he was before: winnowing out all evil with his eyes (Proverbs 20:8 and 26) and searching out things that were concealed (Proverbs 25:2). He was, in fact, the model king, whose wisdom is talked about so many times in the Bible.⁸⁹

A difficult dilemma (3:16-22): The context of this difficult dilemma and its simple solution is the extraordinary gift that ADONAI had given to Solomon – the gift of wisdom. Solomon knew that he was not up to the task of governing the treasured and numerous people of God. So, when he asked God for wisdom, He was pleased with Solomon’s request and promised to give him exactly what he asked for: A wise and discerning mind (First Kings 3:12).

Dear Heavenly Father, tough decisions. How to best solve the problem? What is the heart motivation? Praise You that You are Almighty, all-wise Eternal Father. Nothing is too hard for You to figure out because You know the heart of everyone and You know every detail of each situation. It is such a comfort to me that I can trust in Your strong arm to protect and to guide me. Be still before ADONAI and wait patiently for Him. Do not fret over one prospering in his way, over one carrying out wicked schemes (Psalms 37:7).

While the wicked may seem to get what they want and it appears that they are happy and content – yet in the end they will have nothing! For the arms of the wicked will be broken, while ADONAI upholds the righteous. ADONAI knows the days of the blameless – their inheritance endures forever. . . For the wicked will perish, and the enemies of ADONAI will be like the beauty of the fields – they will vanish – vanish like smoke (Psalms 37:17-18,20). Praise Your awesome promise to always be there for me! No matter where I am, no matter the time of day or what else is happening, You dear Loving and all-wise Father are right by my side to help and to guide me. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,” so that with confidence we say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What will man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:5c-6). What a joy to remember You on my bed, I meditate on You through the night watches. For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy (Psalms 63:7-8). In Yeshua’s Holy name and Power of His resurrection. Amen

As Philip Ryken relates in his commentary, soon the wisdom of Solomon was put to the test, in the form of a legal dispute over the custody of a baby. Like most other matters that made it all the way to the king, this famous judicial case was as difficult as they come. No one else in the entire kingdom could decide what to do. There were no lawyers involved in this case, or other legal representatives – just one woman against another: two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him (First Kings 3:16a). The Bible lets the women tell their own story, in their own words. The first woman was the plaintiff, and here is the testimony she gave: My lord, I and this woman live in the same house; and when she was in the house, I gave birth to a baby. Three days after I gave birth, this woman also gave birth. We were there together; there was no one else with us in the house except the two of us. During the night this woman’s child died, because she rolled over on top of it. So, she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from next to me, while your servant was sleeping, and put it in her arms; and she laid her dead child in my arms. When I awoke in the morning to feed my child from my breast, there it was, dead. But when I took a closer look later in the morning, why, it wasn’t my son at all – not the one I gave birth to (First Kings 3:17-21)!

Once heard, this story cannot be forgotten. The first woman describes a scene of sinful and pitiful squalor. In lurid detail, her testimony takes us inside a whorehouse somewhere in the red-light district around Jerusalem. There were no clients that night, she said, just two lonely hookers and their newborn sons. The following morning, she received the horrible shock: the baby at her breast was dead. But a mother always knows her own child, and on closer inspection in the morning light, she discovered that it was not her baby.

Then the woman realized the awful truth. Even though she was not awake at the time, it was obvious what had happened. Sometime during the night, the other woman had carelessly rolled over on top of her own baby – an awful case of accidental death. Then, with bitter and desperate envy, the grieving woman had switched the babies in the dark, taking the living baby to her own breast and handing the other woman a corpse.

At that point the second woman interrupted. She wanted to tell her side of the story. She didn’t dispute the first woman’s account of events, but stubbornly insisted that she had the right baby. “No! The living one is my son, and the dead one is your son!” Then the trial degenerated into a shouting match. The first one said, “No! The dead one is your son and the living one is my son!” Thus, they spoke before the king (1 Kgs 3:22).

The whole situation was pitiful, in the sense that everyone in the story deserves our pity. Surely, we pity the woman whose son was stolen in the middle of the night and who was then desperate to get him back. In her desperation, we see every mother’s longing for a lost child. Yet, we can also commiserate with the woman accused of the heinous crime of child-snatching. What a horror it must have been to wake up in the middle of the night, only to realize that she had smothered her son.

Then there was King Solomon, and he too deserves our sympathy. Ordinarily, the testimony or an additional witness would have been required to reach a verdict. According to the Torah One witness alone will not be sufficient to convict a person of any offense or sin of any kind; the matter will be established only if there are two or three witnesses testifying against him (Deuteronomy 19:15). But in this particular case, there was no other witness. The two women had been alone that night, so it was one woman’s word against the other. It was a “she said, she said.”

Anyone who has ever tried to resolve a dispute without any witnesses knows how hard it can be to determine exactly what happened. Parents often face this difficulty when trying to figure out an argument between two siblings. Teachers have this trouble in school when two students get into a fight. Employers sometimes struggle to resolve a dispute in the workplace. Counselors find it hard to discern the truth about a family conflict or some other broken relationship. There are times when it seems like the only Person who really knows the truth is ADONAI Himself.⁹⁰

Solomon’s simple solution (3:23-28): In this case, Solomon didn’t know that truth yet either. But the king listened carefully to their testimony; therefore, he was able to give an accurate summary of the facts of the case: This woman says, “The living one is my son; your son is the dead one,” while the other says, “No, the dead one is your son, and the living one is my son” (3:23). Which woman was telling the truth? This was a serious test of the gift that God had promised. Did Solomon have enough wisdom to discern between good and evil in this case? Could he determine the truth and render a just verdict?

No sooner had the king summarized this royal dilemma than he began to put his simple solution into action. First, he said: Bring me a sword. We can only imagine how startled the two women must have been by his command. They brought a sword to the king. Then Solomon gave his deadly command: Cut the living child in two; give half to the one and half to the other (First Kings 3:24-25).

There was a kind of equality in that legal compromise, but also a horrible cruelty. It was a brutal decree. Those present must have looked at Solomon with absolute astonishment. They must have thought, “This isn’t wisdom. It was foolishness!” Yet, there was a method to the king’s apparent madness. For Solomon never intended his command to be carried out. Rather, he was staging a trial by ordeal that would reveal each woman’s heart.

Immediately, Solomon’s dreadful decree had its desired effect. The first woman responded with all the passion and compassion of a mother’s heart. At this, the woman to whom the living child belonged addressed the king, because she felt so strongly toward her son, “Oh, my lord, give her the living child. You mustn’t kill it” (First Kings 3:26a)! As soon as the true mother heard what Solomon intended to do with his sword, her maternal instincts took over. She had bonded with her newborn son, and she would do anything . . . anything . . . to save him. She would even give him up to her enemy, if that would save his life. Tear out her own heart, if you must, but she would save her son. So she cried out for the king to spare her child’s life.

The first mother made the kind of loving sacrifice that some women make when they put their child up for adoption. Unable to care for children very well themselves, they are willing to suffer the loss of a son or daughter to give the child a better chance in life. Good fathers and mothers make similar sacrifices every day: instead of doing what they want for themselves, they do what is best for their children.

But the other woman had a very different response to the threat of Solomon’s sword. Callously and heartlessly, she said: It will be neither yours nor mine. Divide it (First Kings 3:26b)! In the bitterness of her grief, she could only look at the other mother with hate and envy. If she couldn’t have her own son, well, then, no one else would have a son either. With the horrible cruelty of heedless rage, she told the king to go ahead and use his sword. She was willing to take her half of the child.

At that point, the hearts of both women had been revealed, and Solomon knew everything he needed to know to resolve the dilemma, with or without witnesses. He could tell which woman was the true mother by her maternal compassion. So he calmly answered both women’s pleas for life and death by saying: Give the living child to the first woman, don’t kill it, because she is its mother (3:27).  

It was a simple solution to a difficult dilemma. With gifted insight and wise discernment, Solomon had devised the test that would reveal each woman’s heart. As they witnessed the king’s wise resolution to this case, the people in the royal throne room must have been astonished. The looks on their faces must have turned from horror to wonder as they watched the rightful mother reunited with her beloved son. Justice had been done; the king had reached the right verdict. Of course he had! It seemed so simple now: the true mother was the one who would do absolutely anything to save her child. In that way, Solomon had spared the child’s life and put him back into the arms of his mother. Brilliant.

Word of what the king had done spread like wildfire. People were amazed by the wise and simple way he had solved that difficult dilemma. The story was repeated over and over again all over the City and throughout the surrounding countryside. And all Isra’el heard of the decision the king had made and held the king in awe, for they saw that God’s wisdom was in him, enabling him to render justice properly (First Kings 3:28). If Solomon could settle that case, then he had the wisdom for anything that might come up. This proved that his prayers had been answered. The king had been given an understanding mind to govern the people, just as he had prayed for (to see link click As – Solomon’s Wish). The people recognized his wisdom as nothing less than divine. So they honored their king for having the wisdom of God.⁹¹

Wise justice: Solomon’s verdict was a remarkable confirmation that he had received the gift of divine wisdom. It also proved that he was the right man to rule over Isra’el. However, there is a question we still need to ask. What does this story have to do with us and our need for the Gospel of Messiah? All Scripture is God-breathed and is valuable for teaching the truth . . . and training for righteousness (Second Timothy 3:16). Furthermore, everything in the Bible points to Yeshua Messiah (Luke 24:26-27). So how do we make those life and Gospel connections? How does life and the Bible meet here in these scriptures?

Whenever we consider King Solomon, we need to remember that Yeshua described Himself as someone greater than Solomon (Matthew 12:42). Thus, the kingdom of Solomon always points us to the greater Kingdom of Messiah. What is greater about Yeshua in this case is His superior wisdom for doing justice. In First Kings 3:38 we read that God’s wisdom was in him, enabling him to render justice properly. We can apply this statement directly to the person and ministry of Yeshua because God’s wisdom was in him, enabling him to render justice properly.

Messiah has promised us justice, and we long for justice to be done. This is a fallen world, where we see so much injustice that sometimes we wonder when, or even if, everything will be made right. Wrongs go unpunished, including wrongs done to babies. People seemingly get away with dark deeds in the middle of the night. It is hard to know what the truth is. One person says one thing, another person says another. But who is telling the truth? When someone comes with the sword to do justice, he proposes a compromise; the baby gets cut in half and still justice is not done.

In a world of injustice, we may pray the way that Solomon prayed: God, give the king your fairness in judgment, endow this son of kings with Your righteousness (Ps 72:1). This prayer is for the wise justice of the Lion of the Tribe of Judah (Rev 5:5). We pray for Him to discover what evil has been done and to put things right. We want the sinner who has lied, stolen, and advocated murder to be found out and brought to justice. We want the innocent child to end up in the arms of the right mother. We want Yeshua to do what is just.

Sometimes we see justice done in this life but most of the time we don’t, but justice will be done in the end. The wisdom of God is in Yeshua to do justice, and one day He will make everything right. The Bible describes that day of judgment as a day when God will pass judgment on people’s most innermost secrets (Rom 2:16). At the final judgment, what happened to the second woman will happen to all the enemies of God (see the commentary on Revelation Fo – The Great White Throne Judgment). But for believers we will never be judged for there is no longer any condemnation awaiting for those who are in union with Yeshua (Rom 8:1).

People sometimes wonder whether justice will be done. In our frustration and anger, sometimes people blame God for what is wrong with the world, especially all the terrible evils that seem to go unpunished – the genocides and murders of a fallen race. But Satan is ultimately the one to blame, not ADONAI, who is never on the side of injustice. He will make this abundantly clear at the Great White Throne, when every wrong will be righted, every evil deed will be punished, and every unrighteous sinner will be brought to justice. Yeshua is the King, and He will see that justice will be done.

This will all be to the praise of God and the glory of Yeshua Messiah. If people held Solomon in awe for reaching the right verdict in the one difficult dilemma, imagine how much honor and glory Yeshua will receive for righting every wrong in the history of the world! And at the Great White Throne, when we see the wise justice of God in Messiah, we will stand in awe of our King. The book of Revelation declares that when the LORD executes His final and terrible judgment against sin, His people will cry out: Halleluyah! For the victory, the glory, and the power of our God! For His judgments are true and just (Revelation 19:1-2a).⁹²

Solomon’s Wish
First Kings 3:1-15 and
Second Chronicles 1:1-13

Solomon’s wish DIG: What was wrong with Solomon marrying Pharaoh’s daughter? What was wrong with the Israelites and Solomon himself worshiping on the high places? Why were they worshiping there instead of the Temple? What was the extent of Solomon’s love for ADONAI? What was the result of Solomon delaying building the Temple? Why didn’t he just worship at Gibeon all the time? Why did God use dreams to communicate? What was Solomon’s agenda as king? Whose interests did he have at heart and why? What else did God promise Solomon? Why? Why did Solomon worship and throw a party?

REFLECT: What can Solomon teach us about joining spiritual forces with worldly people who are working against the Kingdom of God? Have you ever sensed God’s will in a dream? How does ADONAI’s word come to you? Do you need a special “appearance” from Him? Can you rely solely on His Word? Whose interests are close to your heart? How can you minister to them this week? What will it take? Do your own needs weigh heavily? Or are you concerned about everyone else so that you don’t take care of yourself? Who has your interests at heart? How can you identify with your spirit being willing but your flesh being weak?

With great privilege comes great responsibility.

If you could wish for anything in the world, what would it be? Some people wish they had different abilities – more brains, better looks, or stronger skills. Others wish for a change in their life circumstances. There is something they have that they wish they didn’t have, or something they don’t have that they wish they had. What would you wish be? Better yet, what if your biggest wish really would come true? And what if that person asking you what you wanted had infinite resources? That was the opportunity that ADONAI Elohim gave to King Solomon: Tell me! What I should give you?⁷⁵

Wisdom had already played an important role in the narrative, guiding Solomon in his treatment of those who were a threat to him (to see the link click Ap – Putting the Kingdom First). It will now play an even greater role here. It is important to understand that Solomon’s reign has so often been divided into two fairly equal parts; an earlier period, in which he was obedient to YHVH and was consequently (along with Isra’el) blessed; and a later period, in which he was disobedient to Ha’Shem and was consequently (with Isra’el) judged by Him and the Kingdom was torn away (First Kings 11:11). This is undoubtedly very tidy, but it represents a massive over-simplification. There were signs of trouble right from the start.⁷⁶

Solomon married Pharaoh’s daughter: Before we get to the wisdom of Solomon, we must first read First Kings 1:1-3. Solomon’s very first royal act was to marry the daughter of Pharaoh. This union was problematic. Since we have no reason to think that Pharaoh’s daughter had faith in the God of Isra’el, we can only conclude that Solomon was unequally yoked (see the commentary on Second Corinthians Bi – Do Not be Unequally Yoked with Unbelievers). Solomon formed an alliance with Pharaoh king of Egypt by marrying Pharaoh’s daughter (First Kings 3:1a). He was seduced by power as well as sex. Taken alone, this might be considered as nothing more than a historical note. But given its placement in the text, we may appropriately suggest that its function is more than informative. The note about the marriage is surely designed as a foreshadowing of Solomon’s future apostasy (see Bx – Solomon’s Wives). On two counts, Pharaoh must be considered a threat and a contrast to everything Israelite. First of all, Pharaoh embodied a concentration of imperial wealth and power, a center of commerce whereby the security of the state consists in trade and military power. As such, Egypt was a powerful contrast to the simple, covenantal faith Israelite.⁷⁷

Dear Almighty Heavenly Father, So, I looked for You in the Sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory. Since Your loving kindness is better than life, my lips will praise You. So I will bless You as long as I live. In Your name I lift up my hands. My soul is satisfied as with fat and oil, so my mouth praises You with joyful lips (Psalms 63:3-6). How wonderful it is to trust and to follow Your steadfast love! Life on this earth is short. Earthly pleasures are really only momentary. Living with our eyes focused on Your great love for all eternity is so very important.

How important it is to make a daily habit of turning our thoughts back to you all thru out the day. It is such a bonus to have Your Word which we can read before sleep and then meditate on your power and glory. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You through the night watches. For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy.  My soul clings to You – Your right hand upholds me (Psalms 63:7-9). Often, more than once daily, we feed our bodies. To keep our spiritual life healthy we need to also feed it more than weekly, more than once a day. Meditation on Your power and love is a special weapon which brings victory to our heart, no matter what the circumstances are. Drifting away can happen slowly and without notice. For this reason it is necessary for us to pay especially close attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. (Hebrews 2:1). Being intentional about giving You our thoughts and time as first in our lives is so wise and brings peace and joy. Remembering Your love, our wise and powerful Heavenly Father, is truly a great gift and joy! You are Awesome! In your Holy Son’s name and power of resurrection. Amen

Secondly, Egypt is, of course, a name that resonates throughout the TaNaKh with negative connotations: oppressor, arch-enemy of old, and a source of temptation (Exodus Chapters 1-15). Deuteronomy, in particular, had warned against a return to Egypt (Deuteronomy 17:16) in terms of relations that were too close, and had explicitly forbidden intermarriage with foreigners, lest the Israelites be led into apostasy (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Ca – Warning Against Idolatry). Thus, as much as Solomon loved ADONAI, there were some ominous warning signs that his love was not wholehearted and the seeds of his downfall were already sown. This too is a warning for us – a warning not to try to advance our position by joining spiritual forces with worldly people who are working against the Kingdom of God.⁷⁸

The author uses the queen’s arrival in Jerusalem as an opportunity to make a point about Solomon’s priorities. He brought her into the City of David, [where she lived] until he had finished building his own palace, the House of ADONAI (the Temple) and the wall around Yerushalayim (First Kings 3:1b). We find later in the book something that helps us understand what is written here. For in First Kings 6:38-7:1 we learn that Solomon spent almost twice as much time building his palace as he did building the Temple. This prepares us for later parts of the story. Indeed, we cannot but ask whether the author does not intend for us to see the influence of his foreign wife in this. For the question of divided loyalties has already been raised above, and this particular foreign wife, living in temporary accommodations while her new palace was being built, had a particular vested interest in the process of the building program.⁷⁹

Misplaced worship: However, the people were still sacrificing on the high places (First Kings 3:2a). The word however, is intended to stop us in our tracks. Although conditions were outwardly good, there was something rotting beneath the surface. The people were still sacrificing on the high places. They were a constant sore point in Isra’el, and the prophets of God frequently spoke out against them. There were two basic problems: First, they detracted from the principle of a central Sanctuary, and secondly, since the worship at high places was a Canaanite custom, therefore syncretism (combining different beliefs) was not only a real danger, but an all-too-common occurrence. Even though the Temple had not yet been built, the LORD clearly instructed the Israelites that those cultic worship centers were to be destroyed when they entered the Promised Land (Numbers 33:52). Then they were to worship at a Sanctuary in the place appointed by Him (see Deuteronomy Ct – The Place to Worship ADONAI). There is, of course, nothing here to suggest that the people had already succumbed to temptation. The implication is that they do worship the Name, even if it was not in the ideal place. But the potential for disaster is clear enough, and in First Kings 11:33 we will learn of a people who eventually followed Solomon into sin (see Ca – A House Divided).⁸⁰

The history of the Tabernacle: The latter part of the verse gives us the reason for the use of various high places for worship. Because no House (Temple) had yet been built for the name of ADONAI (First Kings 3:2b). Before Eli’s time, the Tabernacle had been as Shiloh; but with the Philistines’ capture of the ark, Shiloh lost its significance as the place of God’s presence among His people. Even after the ark was returned by the Philistines, it remained for years in the house of Abinadab (1 Sam 7:1), until David moved it to Jerusalem (see the commentary on the Life of David Cr – The Ark Brought to Zion) to a tent he had prepared for it. The Tabernacle next appeared at Nov (see the Life of David Av – David at Nov), where it remained until Sha’ul massacred the priests there (see the Life of David Bd – Sha’ul Kills the Priests of Nov). At some point after this event, it was moved to Gibeon, where it is mentioned in connection with Zadok’s high priestly ministry (First Chronicles 16:39-40). There were then, in effect, two Tabernacles during David’s reign. The one in Gibeon was without the ark; the one in Jerusalem had the ark but no trappings of the Tabernacle (Second Corinthians 1:3-5). This state of affairs matched that of the double priesthood of Zadok and Abithar.⁸¹

A man after David’s heart: Solomon loved ADONAI, living according to the regulations set forth by David his father (First Kings 3:3a). This is virtually the highest praise that any person could ever receive. In fact, Solomon is the only person in the entire Bible who is said to have loved ADONAI, in so many words. His heart was full of holy affections for the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He adored YHVH and responded to Him emotionally. He felt a deep spiritual longing in his soul, a passionate yearning for a closer relationship with Him. But as much as he loved the LORD, it seems that Solomon’s love was not wholehearted. He married an Egyptian; he did not keep the Torah. Then we are bound to ask: what kind of “love” was this?

Except that he offered sacrifices and burned incense on the high places (First Kings 3:3). It seems that his loyalties were divided. And in a way the choice of the word love itself reflects that – at least within the context of the book of Kings. It is certainly a word that has been chosen carefully. And it is difficult to avoid the impression that its use here has quite a bit to do with the fact that it reappears twice in First Kings 11:1-2 in relation to Solomon’s other great “loves” – the foreign women, of whom Pharaoh’s daughter was one. The question here in First Kings 3:1-15 about the completeness of his love is compounded if we are aware of the end of his story and how fragile this “love” did indeed turn out to be. The lack of his wholeheartedness would become painfully obvious later in his life. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:40-43). This would eventually lead not only to his own apostasy, but also to the apostasy of the nation itself (see Cz – The Divided Kingdom: The Rise of Idolatry).⁸²

So while it is true that Solomon was a king after David’s own heart, a man who loved ADONAI, it is also true that he had a wandering heart that loved money, sex, and power – the very temptations that led to the downfall of Adonijah, Joab, and Shim’i (see Ap – Putting the Kingdom First). The warning signs of Solomon’s tragic downfall were present from the very beginning of his story, which is not just black and white, but colored by shades of gray.

In other words, Solomon was a lot like us. He loved the LORD, as every believer does. But he also had some other “loves” in his life – sinful passions that had the power to destroy his spiritual leadership. He did not love ADONAI his God with all his heart and soul and strength (Deuteronomy 6:4). While there is some truth to the view that Solomon’s life started out more positive spiritually, before ending up more negative, the deeper truth is that like every other believer, he was always just as much a sinner as he was a saint.⁸³

ADONAI appears to Solomon: This is the first of two personal appearances of God to Solomon (for the other see Br – Solomon’s Choice). Here, Ha’Shem approves of Solomon’s attitude as expressed in the king’s prayer; in the latter passage YHVH approves of the Temple Solomon had built, but also warns him to continue to remain true to the LORD. That God had in such a remarkable way declared Himself willing to pour out His blessing on Solomon and his work made the king all the more responsible for his later apostasy. With great privilege comes great responsibility.⁸⁴

Solomon’s prayer for wisdom: We are now in a better position to approach the story of Solomon’s request for wisdom. For it is the Solomon we have just met – a divided, conflicted, sinful Solomon, with only a very practical grasp of God’s dealings – who now comes to worship. One time the king went to Gibeon (five miles north of Jerusalem) to sacrifice because the tent that housed the Tabernacle was located there. Then Solomon spoke to all Isra’el – to the captains of thousands and of hundreds, to the judges and to every leader in all Isra’el, the heads of clans. Solomon and the whole community with him went to the high place at Gibeon, because in that place was God’s tent of meeting, which Moshe the servant of ADONAI had made in the desert. And the bronze altar crafted by Bezalel (see the commentary on Exodus Ew – The Appointment of Bezalel and Ohaliab) was in Gibeon in front of the Tabernacle. So Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings on the altar and the whole leadership of Isra’el inquired of the LORD there. The assembly lasted all day and the people remained at Gibeon for the night, including Solomon. That night, ADONAI appeared to Solomon in a dream (First Kings 3:4-5a; Second Chronicles 1:2-3 and 5-6).

The dream consisted of three parts.

First, God appeared to Solomon and said to him, “Ask me! What I should give you” (First Kings 3:5b; Second Chronicles 1:7)? The LORD did not put any conditions on the king’s request, but simply invited him to ask for whatever he wished. This was an amazing offer of generosity in which YHVH was immediately and generously available to the king.

The second part of the dream was Solomon’s well-crafted response. Notice where Solomon began. He didn’t start with his request; he began with the past, with what YHVH had done. Solomon said to God, “You showed your servant David my father great kindness (see the commentary on Ruth Af – The Concept of Chesed), as he lived before you honestly and righteously, having an upright heart with you. You have continued this great kindness (Hebrew: chesed) to him by giving him a son to sit on his throne, and have made me king in his place (First Kings 3:6; Second Chronicles 1:8).

And now, turns from the past to the present circumstance, ADONAI my God, you have been faithful to your promise to David my father. For you have made me king over a people as numerous as the grains of dust on the earth (Genesis 13:16); but I am a mere child – I don’t know how to lead (First Kings 3:7; Second Chronicles 1:9). Solomon’s wise request was based on a proper knowledge of his own limitations. Like Moshe before him (Exodus 4:10) and Jeremiah after him (Jeremiah 1:6), Solomon was somewhat doubtful of his own abilities. When he called himself a mere child, he meant that he was inexperienced and thus dependent on YHVH to give him the help he needed.

Moreover your servant is among your people, whom you chose, a great people so numerous that they cannot be counted. He had used wisdom before in dealing with affairs of state, seemingly with great competence, yet now, he confessed that he didn’t know how to lead and the task seemed overwhelming. He knew how limited he was, but he also knew how unlimited God was, and so he prayed for divine wisdom. Therefore, give your servant a discerning heart (literally meaning “a listening heart” or “an obedient heart”), wisdom and knowledge, so that I will be able to lead Your people, and discern between good and evil – for who is equal to leading this great people of yours” (1 Kings 3:8-9; 2 Chron 1:10)? The fear of ADONAI is the beginning of wisdom (Job 28:28; Ps 111:10; Prov 15:33). Solomon apparently only just learned this. Because he has learned it, however, and has now placed himself in a humble and submissive position in relation to God, seeking the common good rather than simply his own, the blessings of God are now to follow.⁸⁵

Solomon’s situation was unique: he alone inherited David’s throne, so only he could pray exactly this prayer. But this wise request is still an excellent example for us to follow. Unlike Solomon, “I am not the king,” writes one commentator, “but shouldn’t I pray like one?” Yes, we should pray like Solomon. With all due reverence, we should acknowledge our own limitations, openly admitting how weak we are in honoring our parents, serving our spouse, raising a child, loving a neighbor, leading a ministry, sharing the Gospel, or anything else that God calls us to do. Then, with confident faith, we should ask God for the wisdom we need to serve Him well in whatever He has called us to do. In ourselves, we are unequal to any of the tasks God has given us, but we can ask Him to give us a listening and obedient heart. We should not ask this for ourselves, primarily, but for the good of God’s people and the sake of His Kingdom.⁸⁶

The third element was ADONAI’s answer. What Solomon had said in making this request pleased ADONAI. God said to him, “Because you have set your heart on this instead of asking long life, riches for yourself, or the death of those who hate you, but rather you asked for wisdom and knowledge for yourself, so that you would be able to administer justice over whom I made you king – I am doing what you requested. I am giving you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has never been anyone like you, nor will there ever again be anyone like you” (First Kings 3:10-12; Second Chronicles 1:11). He was so pleased with what Solomon asked that He granted his request. The king became what God promised: the wisest man who ever lived. This gift went beyond Solomon’s natural intellectual ability (which must have been exceptional), to give him the kind of spiritual insight that can only come from the LORD (Proverbs 2:6). To this day we can learn from the king’s wisdom by reading his wise sayings in the book of Proverbs, studying his wise philosophy of life in Ecclesiastes, and hearing his wisdom about love and romance from the Song of Solomon.

But I am also giving you what you didn’t ask for, riches and honor greater than that of any other king throughout your life. Thus, Solomon received the very gifts he had bypassed in his request for wisdom. In His sermon on the mount (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Cz – Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount) Yeshua echoed those same thoughts for us today: But first seek the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33). More than that, if you will live according to my ways, obeying my statutes (Hebrew: hachukkim, meaning to write into law permanently) and ordinances (Hebrew: hammishpatim, meaning a judgment of the court) like your father David, I will give you a long life, riches, wealth and honor such as no king before you has ever had; and no king after you will have as much” (First Kings 3:13-14; First Chronicles 1:12-13). ADONAI was careful to remind Solomon that his obedience to God’s covenant and his devotion to YHVH were the keys to his future blessings. It was not good enough that Solomon be obedient at the outset. He needed to make good choices along the way, the choice of listening and obeying, for it was in choosing obediently that Isra’el and its king would choose life (see the commentary on Deuteronomy Fq – Choose Life).

The way for us to follow Solomon’s wise counsel is to study the Scriptures, which are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Yeshua Messiah (Second Timothy 3:15), and to seek the wisdom of God in the Person of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh. For as wise as Solomon was, the Bible says that ADONAI is wiser still. This explains why, when Matthew speaks of the world-famous wisdom of Solomon, it goes without saying that something greater than Solomon is here (Matthew 12:42). And that something greater is Yeshua Messiah, the divine Son of God and the wisdom of God (First Corinthians 1:24).⁸⁷

Then Solomon awoke – and he realized it had all been a dream. He came away from the high place at Gibeon, from in front of the Tabernacle and returned to Yerushalayim (see the history of the Tabernacle above). For David had brought up the ark of God from Kiriath -Jearim to the place he had prepared for it because he had pitched a tent for it in Jerusalem (Second Chronicles 1:4). There, Solomon sacrificed burnt offerings (see the commentary on Leviticus Ai – The Burnt Offering) and fellowship offerings (see the commentary on Leviticus Ak – Peace Offerings). He also made a feast for all his officials so that they might also rejoice in thanksgiving at the renewed manifestation of God’s grace toward Isra’el and the house of David (First Kings 3:15; Second Chronicles 1:13a).

Summary statement: Because Solomon’s reign is presented as an ideal for the post-exilic community, special note is taken of the times of joy and celebration in his kingdom. Every phrase here illustrates that David’s blessings continued under his son. Solomon the son of David grew stronger and he reigned over Isra’el; ADONAI his God was with him, making him greater and greater (Second Chronicles 1:1 and 13b).

The wisest thing we could ever do is to give our lives to Yeshua Messiah. The supreme wisdom of the Lord is available to us for the asking, wisdom for even the little things of everyday life. It may seem tempting to envy Solomon for the invitation he was given to ask for anything he wanted from ADONAI. But God is ready to grant us Solomon’s wish and give us a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12). Yeshua told us to simply ask and it would be given; everyone who asks will receive (Matthew 7:7-8). Do you need wisdom for work, for the future, for a broken relationship, for an obstacle in ministry, or for problems in your family? The Bible gives this promise to anyone who asks in faith: If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you (James 1:5 NIV).⁸⁸

Historical Details Related to
First Kings 3:1 to 4:34

This section is lengthy and describes the first years of Solomon’s rule and the fame he gained during that time. Foreign and domestic political situations are mentioned as are religious, literary and commercial issues. Since First Kings Chapters 1-2 establishes Solomon as the successor of David, then First Kings Chapters 3-4 indicates how Solomon began to fill the rather large void left by his father.

Most of the events of Chapters 3-4 occur during the first three years of Solomon’s rule (970-966 BC). At least they are told before construction on the Temple began in the fourth year of Solomon’s rule (First Kings 6:1). Three historical details deserve mention: Solomon’s relationship to Egypt, Solomon’s organization of Isra’el into twelve districts, and the extent of the cost of Solomon’s kingdom. These details are interspersed between the chapters’ most important ideas, which are the origin, emergence, and fruit of Solomon’s wisdom.

As has been stated, David left a significant kingdom to his son. He had built a nation largely through conquest. Philistia, Mo’ab, Ammon, Edom, and Syrian had all fallen to his armies. Those nations continued to be under Isra’el’s authority during the first decades of Solomon’s rule, which presented the new king with an administrative problem, not a military one. Since he controlled virtually all the land between Egypt and the Hittite kingdom, Solomon was a major player in international affairs.

Egypt’s pharaoh, most probably Siamun (978-959 BC),⁷¹ recognized Solomon’s significance and made an alliance with him by marrying one of his daughters to Isra’el’s king (First Kings 3:1). Perhaps Egypt was weak and needed Solomon’s support at that time, or maybe Egypt thought it would be easier to gain access to Isra’el’s trade routes through negotiation rather than through war. But whatever the reasons, peaceful relations existed with Egypt and Isra’el for some twenty years – until the twenty-first dynasty was superseded by Shishak in 945 BC.⁷² Having Egypt as an ally enhanced Solomon’s status even more. When this alliance ceased, however, Egypt actually helped support Jeroboam who eventually split Isra’el into two rival nations (to see link click Dc – A House Divided).

Before Solomon, Isra’el’s government was fairly informal. Sha’ul and David’s kingdoms were not disorganized, but they were forced to focus on waging war rather than managing a peaceful empire. Solomon, on the other hand, was determined to accomplish normal peacetime goals, such as trading and building. Therefore, he divided Isra’el into twelve districts, each of which was ruled by a governor, who was in charge of providing food and supplies for the king and his household; each one was in charge of provisions for one month out of the year (First Kings 4:7). In other words, the governors collected the taxes in their districts that went to support the central government. These districts roughly corresponded with the old tribal areas, but tribal boundaries were often disregarded. Resentment over this redistricting undoubtedly arose, then grew as certain districts struggled to pay their portion.

In any event this was a radical and decisive step, because it imposed upon the people an unprecedented burden. It meant that the fading old tribal system was virtually abolished as far as its political functioning was concerned. In place of the twelve tribes caring in turn for the Temple and the priesthood, there were twelve districts taxed for the support of Solomon’s court.⁷³

Without question, Solomon’s court needed vast sums of money to support its many interests. Besides the king, his harem, and his officials, there were chariot horses and regular army horses to feed (First Kings 4:26). In addition, the nation’s population grew (First Kings 4:20), which required further administrative costs. Since funds could not be gained through warfare, taxes and trade had to provide all the government’s income. Only an extremely wise king would fund all those various interests. But even that type of ruler could not do so for an indefinite period of time.⁷⁴

Solomon Asks for Wisdom
First Kings 3: 1-28

Wisdom (Hebrew: hokma) has already played an important role in the narrative, guiding Solomon in his treatment of those who were a threat to him (to see link click Ap – Putting the Kingdom First). And it will play an even greater central role now in this chapter. The king had a dream where he confessed his lack of discernment before ADONAI and was promised (among other things) a wise and discerning heart (see At – Solomon’s Wish). He then handed down a legal judgment where we can see the result of that wisdom (see Au – The Wisdom of Solomon). The major question is how does Solomon use his new gift from this point onward.⁷⁰

Putting the Kingdom First
First Kings 2: 13-46

Putting the Kingdom first DIG: Why does Adonijah want Abishag as his wife? What did sleeping with the king’s concubines symbolize? Why did he make the request through Bathsheba? What did Solomon see behind his brother’s request? Why did Solomon banish Abiathar and execute Joab immediately after Adonijah’s request? Why did Abiathar deserve to die? Why did Joab flee to the Tabernacle? What justification did Solomon offer for Joab’s execution? Did Solomon act righteously or was he simply eliminating a political threat? Why did Solomon merely sentence Shim’i to house arrest? How did Solomon ultimately justify Shim’i’s execution? How and when will Yeshua Messiah eliminate His enemies?

REFLECT: Solomon seemed to be acting with traditional wisdom of state, “Do unto others before they do unto you.” What do you think of this popular motto? Is it unreasonable to protect yourself? In your requests to ADONAI, can you ever ask too much of Him? What guidelines keep your requests in check? Many modern governments still use the tactics of assassination and sentencing without trial. This is not an ideal state of affairs, nor does it support the notion that modern society has improved. Are we making any progress in human rights today? In what ways are we no further advanced than the ancient Israelites? Are you too soft on those who wrong you? In what ways are you putting the Kingdom of God first?

What is the one thing that is keeping me from giving everything to the Kingdom of God?

During Adonijah’s attempt to preempt the throne, Solomon himself did not indulge in plotting to make certain that he would be the next king. In fact, he exercised remarkable restraint. But once he was formally declared king, he acted firmly with decisiveness and speed.⁵⁸ Many commentators are critical of the king moving down this hit list. Maybe there is some truth in that criticism, and First and Second Kings is mainly about power politics. However, we need to remember that Solomon was ADONAI’s anointed king. He had been properly crowned, according to the promise of God. Therefore, it was necessary for Solomon’s kingdom to be established. This was necessary, in fact, for the salvation of the whole world, because YHVH had promised that our Messiah would come through the line of David and Solomon. Furthermore, everyone in Isra’el owed their full allegiance to Solomon the rightful king. This was not merely a matter of politics, but a question of obedient submission to the Kingdom of God. If the Kingdom was to be secure, the threats against it had to be neutralized. And since those men were Solomon’s rivals, they were also the enemies of the crown that Ha’Shem had placed on Solomon’s head.

Thus, Adonijah and his henchmen were guilty of the sin of high treason, which has always been rightly regarded as a capital offense. We are not talking about men who merely disagreed with Solomon’s policies, but about men who wanted to take his very crown. The correct and proper way for a king to punish such mortal enemies is not by giving them liberty, but by giving them death, or at least exile. The security of the kingdom requires the elimination of its enemies (see the commentary on Revelation, to see link click Ex – The Eight Stage Campaign of Armageddon). The kingdom must come first, by preserving it from those trying to undermine and destroy it. To disagree with this form of justice is to misunderstand what it means for a king to be a king. As different situations arose, Solomon needed to heed the counsel of his father David and establish his kingdom by eliminating his enemies.

Solomon had four enemies to eliminate: Adonijah, Abiathar, Joab, and Shim’i. It is important to recognize that each of these men put their own desire for money, sex, or power ahead of loving obedience to the Kingdom of God. Thus, the accounts of these men give us test cases for temptation in our own lives. The first man Solomon had to deal with was Adonijah, who wanted sex and power more than he wanted God’s Kingdom.⁵⁹

Adonijah’s foolish request and execution (First Kings 2:13-25): In contrast to Solomon’s wisdom, Adonijah made a foolish request. After David’s death, Adonijah came to Bathsheba and made an enormous miscalculation. He wanted to be given Abishag, the Shunamite who had last ministered to the king (First Kings 1:1-2). Later Adonijah son of Haggith came to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Is your coming in shalom, in good faith, not to make trouble?” she asked. “It is in shalom,” he said deceitfully. Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” “Speak!” she said (First Kings 2:13-14).

With at least a trace of bitterness, he reminded the queen mother, using a bit of exaggeration: You know that the kingdom was mine and that all Isra’el looked to me to be the king. However, in a massive understatement he observed, “But things have changed and the kingship has gone to my brother – for it was his from ADONAI. So now one petition I ask of you; do not deny me. “Speak!” she said to him. Then he said: Please, speak to King Solomon – for he won’t turn you down – to give me Abishag the Shunammite as wife. This seemed like such a small request. “Very well,” said Bathsheba, “I will speak to the king for you” (First Kings 2:15-18). There is no indication that Bathsheba would speak on his behalf and be willing to support the request. She would speak about him, but not for him.

How easy it is for us to take the same attitude when the disappointments of life get in the way of our plans for our own kingdoms! We suffer a financial setback, a medical hardship, or a failed relationship. Then, rather than believing that the mercy of Yeshua is enough for us, and trusting our King to know what He is doing, we demand something to make up for what we have lost. “I deserve this,” we say, and then we take something for ourselves that God does not want us to have – some sinful pleasure, perhaps, or some shiny new toy. Rather than letting go of what we want so that we can have what ADONAI wants to give us, we find a way to take what we want for ourselves.⁶⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, What a great and wonderful father You are! It is a comfort to know that in Your love and power You always give me exactly what I need. The Lord is my helper; I will not fear (Hebrews 13:5c-6a). ADONAI gives grace and glory. No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalms 84:11b-c). Sometimes the need is for strength, sometimes financial, sometimes wisdom, but whatever I need, You are always right there to help guide and to provide. For God Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you,”  so that with confidence we say, “The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What will man do to me” (Hebrews 13:5b-6)?

Praise You that I can trust You completely to guide me in situations and to give me what I really need. I find great peace that when I rest in the knowledge that though situations in my life do not look as I want them to look, as I surrender my all to You, You will work to guide all details of my life to Your glory! Praise You that in Your perfect knowledge You know when to say “Yes”, “No” and “Wait.” You carefully consider my every request. Praise Your Almighty power and Your compassionate love. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

What Adonijah wanted to take was Abishag. The problem with his request was that she had the status of a concubine, which was part of the king’s harem, and as Absalom found out – anyone claiming a woman in the king’s harem, claimed to be the king (Second Samuel 16:20-23)! He made his pitiful request to the queen mother by reminding her that he was “supposed” to be the king, and receiving Abishag would be a nice little consolation prize. In making his request, however, Adonijah foolishly signed his own death warrant.

Unfortunately for Adonijah, the queen mother did what she promised. Bathsheba dutifully relayed the request to Solomon, perhaps with rolling eyes. She seemed to be an indifferent messenger. But surely, she understood, as Adonijah apparently did not, the inevitable outcome of the request. The king rose up to greet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat down on his throne and had a throne set up for the king’s mother, and she sat at his right hand. Using almost the same words as Adonijah, she said: I ask one small petition of you; do not deny. “Ask, my mother,” the king said to her, “for I will not turn you down.” So she said: Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as wife (First Kings 2:19-21).

Solomon’s response was swift and clear. Ask for Abishag? Why not ask for the entire kingdom as well?! Adonijah had not only threatened Solomon, but he had failed to accept the will of God. Then King Solomon swore by ADONAI saying: May God do so to me and even more, if Adonijah does not pay with his own life for this request! Now therefore, as ADONAI lives who has established me and set me on the throne of my father David, and who has made me a house as He promised, surely Adonijah shall be put to death this day. Then Benaiah, the hatchet man of the new regime, was dispatched by king Solomon and the rebellious Adonijah was executed (First Kings 2:22-25). The force of Solomon’s response likely indicates his awareness that he was still more than a little vulnerable. After all, not only Adonijah, but Joab and Abiathar were still alive. It seemed that the party of Adonijah was still alive as well.⁶¹ So Adonijah came to a bad end. His sinful request proved that he was not a worthy man. He knew that Solomon was supposed to be the king, but he refused to submit to his kingship. He would not put the Kingdom of God first, so he perished in his sins.

Bathsheba never appears in the book again, so it is appropriate to assess her actions concerning Adonijah here. It is unmistakably clear that the queen mother was a most formidable presence in the ancient world of royal intrigue, and Bathsheba was no novice. She lived in the palace and was a major player in her son’s rise to power (Al – A Royal Conspiracy). In addition, she fully understood the intricacies of harem politics more than anyone because she was in charge of the royal harem! She would have hardly aided her son’s chief rival. Therefore, we must conclude that Bathsheba understood the nature of Adonijah’s request and prudently warned her son of his rival’s inept power play.⁶²

Solomon banishes Abiathar (First Kings 2:26-27): Abiathar had to be dealt with for his support of Adonijah (see Ak – King Me!). In Solomon’s mind, Abiathar remained a pro-Adonijah threat to his newly established kingship. So the king said to Abiathar, “Go to Anathoth,” which was about three-and-a-half miles north of Jerusalem. It was a Levitical city for the tribe of Benjamin where priests lived when not in active service (Joshua 21:1-3 and 18; Jeremiah 1:1). Abiathar deserved to die because he opposed not only David’s will but also the will of ADONAI in the matter of succession. But Solomon mercifully added: I will not put you to death at this time, because you carried the ark of ADONAI Elohim before my father David, and because you were afflicted in everything with which my father was afflicted (see the commentary on the Life of David Dp – David Flees from Absalom). Notice the words: I will not put you to death now. The reprieve from execution was seemingly dependent on Abiathar’s continued good behavior. So Solomon dismissed Abiathar from being the high priest to ADONAI – so fulfilling the word of ADONAI that He spoke at Shiloh about the house of Eli (First Samuel 2:30-36).⁶³

Solomon had Joab executed (First Kings 2:28-34): Having heard of Solomon’s actions with regard to Adonijah and Abiathar, Joab knew that his judgment would not be long in coming. When the news came to Joab, he fled to the Tabernacle and grasped the horns of the bronze altar – for Joab had defected to Adonijah, though he had not defected to Absalom. It was reported to King Solomon that Joab had fled to the Tabernacle, and was by the bronze altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, saying: Go, strike him down (First Kings 2:28-29)!

So Benaiah came to the Tabernacle and said to him, “Thus says the king: Come out!” But he replied: No, for I will die here. Joab’s refusal created a serious dilemma for Benaiah, who did not want to carry out the execution in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. So he reported back to the king saying: Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me (First Kings 2:30). In response, the king repeated his orders and made it very clear why Joab deserved to die.

Then the king commanded him, saying: Do as he has said – strike him down. Then bury him. So you will remove the blood that Joab shed without cause from me and from my father’s house. Thus, ADONAI will return his blood on his own head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he – Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Isra’el (see the Life of David Ck – Joab Murders Abner), and Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah (see the Life of David Ee – Sheba Rebels Against David: The Murder of Amasa) – and killed them with the sword, without my father David’s knowledge. May the guilt of their blood return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his offspring forever, but to David and his descendants and his house, and his throne, may there be shalom forever from ADONAI.” Then Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck him down and killed him, and he was buried in his own house in Bethlehem (2 Sam 2:32). This was an act of honor for old general for his previous loyalty (1 Kings 2:31-33).

ADONAI abhors wrongful violence, and Joab was a violent man. He was guilty of shedding innocent blood, and his bloodguilt for that sin had not yet been paid. The Torah declares that whoever sheds the blood of a man, by man shall his blood be shed (Genesis 9:6). If Solomon did not deal justly with Joab by giving him the punishment that his sins deserved, then the king would become guilty himself, for it was his responsibility to see that justice was done. Only then could Solomon’s kingdom be established in shalom.

Then Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up, struck him down and killed him, and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness (First Kings 2:34). The Bible seems to imply that Benaiah killed Joab right in the courtyard of the Tabernacle. However, he may have done what the Torah required in that situation, which was to drag the criminal away from the bronze altar and put him to death outside the Tabernacle (Exodus 21:14). The bronze altar of God was never meant to protect someone who was guilty of premeditated murder.

In the end, Joab got what he deserved. His unhappy demise reminds us never to excuse our own love for violence. To batter one’s spouse, to strike someone in anger, to use hateful and threatening words, even to think murderous thoughts – these are sins against the peace of humanity and the holiness of God. If we do not repent of our violent hearts, but insist on abusing power to get what we want from other people, we will suffer the consequences in this life (see the commentary on Hebrews Cz – God Disciplines His Children). Going to church will not save us, any more than going to the Tabernacle saved Joab. The only thing that can save us is a blood offering to atone for our guilty souls. Praise God, this is exactly the offering that Yeshua made when He was crucified; a blood atonement for all our sins. It is simply not enough to be desperate for mercy, as Joab was; we must also come to ADONAI in true repentance for our sins and genuine faith in Yeshua Messiah.⁶⁴

The promotion of Benaiah and Zadok (First Kings 2:35): Solomon wasted little time to fortify his regime. Then the king appointed Benaiah son of Jehoiada in his place over the army, and Zadok the king appointed in Abiathar’s place as high priest (First Kings 2:35). A quick review of those who supported Adonijah’s attempted coup makes it clear that the old guard had been eliminated and new appointees were made. However, Benaiah was ruthless for Solomon as Joab had been for David. And he was duly rewarded for his brutality with a promotion.⁶⁵ The descendents of Zadok retained the priesthood until 171 BC, when Antiochus conferred it to Menelaus. The Essenes at Qumran were at odds with the priests of the day and awaited the restoration of the Zadokites, whom they looked upon as the only legitimate priestly family. We don’t see the sons of Zadok again until they are ministering in the Messianic Temple (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gs – God Shows a Vision of the Millennial Temple).⁶⁶ The elimination of Adonijah, Abiathar, and Joab made the new regime secure. But there was one more score to be settled from David’s list (see Ao – David’s Last Words: Unfinished Business).

Shim’i’s disobedience and execution (First Kings 2:36-36): The last man to suffer Solomon’s wrath was Shim’i, who was condemned for putting money ahead of the Kingdom of God. We have heard part of his story before, Shim’i was the man who threw stones at King David, cursing him and wrongly accusing him of murder (see the Life of David Ds – Shim’i Curses David). David vowed not to kill Shim’i, but Solomon was not bound by his father’s oath. So in his last words David advised Solomon to bring his gray head down to the grave in blood (First Kings 2:8-9).⁶⁷

Mercifully, what Solomon decided to do instead was to place Shim’i under a general house arrest, ordering him not to leave Jerusalem. Then the king sent and summoned Shim’i, and commanded him: “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, and depart not from there anywhere else. For on the day, you go out and cross over the Kidron valley, know for certain that you shall surely die – your blood shall be on your own head.” By forbidding Shim’i to leave Jerusalem, Solomon kept him isolated from his kinsmen of Benjamin who had taken the lead in the revolt against David under Sheba (see the Life of David Ee – Sheba Rebels Against David). Shim’i was forbidden to go anywhere outside Jerusalem, but the Kidron valley received special mention for it is on the direct route toward Bahurim, Shim’i’s hometown.⁶⁸ Shim’i agreed to Solomon’s gracious terms, posturing himself as a faithful servant of the king, saying: What you say is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your servant do. So Shimei lived in Jerusalem many days (First Kings 2:36-38). Having given his word, all he had to do was stay put in Jerusalem.

However, Shim’i would not sit still, and he eventually violated the terms of his parole: But it came about at the end of three years that two of Shim’i’s servants ran away to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath, located twenty-five miles from Jerusalem. So they told Shim’i, saying: Behold, your servants are in Gath. So Shim’i arose, saddled his donkey and went to Gath to Achish, to look for his servants; then Shim’i went and brought his servants back from Gath (First Kings 2:39-40). Had he taken the conditions of his confinement seriously and been an honest man, he would have gone to Solomon and requested either that the king would fetch his slaves for him or else allow him to make the trip himself. Now Shim’i didn’t actually cross the Kidron valley to chase his servants, maybe he thought that he didn’t violate the spirit of Solomon’s ban. If so, he made a colossal mistake. The king obviously interpreted the travel ban to be on going “anywhere else” rather than on a literal crossing of the Kidron valley. By breaking his oath to God and to Solomon, the one who had cursed David had ironically cursed himself!

The root of Shim’i’s crime was his refusal to put the Kingdom first. His own financial gain was more important to him than obedience to the Kingdom of God. He was like the rich young ruler that Yeshua commanded to sell everything he had and then give the money to the poor (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Il – The Rich Young Ruler). He sadly refused because he loved his money more than he loved the Kingdom of God. Shim’i made the same ungodly decision. He wanted to keep all of his property for himself. He couldn’t bear to let any of it go, even when that meant disobeying the king and breaking his promise to God.

But it was reported to Solomon that Shim’i had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and back. So the king sent someone and summoned Shim’i. The king said to him, “Didn’t I make you swear by ADONAI and forewarned you, saying: Know for certain that on the day you depart and go anywhere else, you shall surely die? You even said to me: “The saying is good; I have heard it.” Why then haven’t you kept the oath of ADONAI and the commandment that I charged you with” (First Kings 2:41-43)? But Shim’i had nothing to say in his defense. He had foolishly disregarded the direct command of his sovereign king, who he had promised to obey with a solemn oath taken in the presence of YHVH.

Then the king proceeded to pronounce Shim’i’s doom: You know all the evil, which your heart should acknowledge, that you did to my father David. Therefore, ADONAI will return your evil on your own head. But I shall be blessed and the throne of David established before ADONAI forever.” Solomon rehearsed Shim’i’s crimes, both past and present. Then the sentence was quickly executed: So the king commanded Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, so that he died. Then all the rebellious supporters of Adonijah had been crushed. David’s instructions had been carried out, and Solomon had proved himself to be a wise king. Thus, the kingdom was secured in his hands (First Kings 2:44-46). With the death of Shim’i there would be no more challenges from the house of Sha’ul.

Each of these men that Solomon executed had one thing that they refused to give up for the Kingdom of God. Adonijah had to have Abishag, Joab would not give up his desire for revenge for the death of his brother, and Shim’i would not let go of his servants.

We face similar temptations. Some of us are like Shim’i: our temptation is what money can buy. So we are unwilling to walk away from a lucrative business deal that is not entirely honest. Or we build our careers at the expense of our families. Or we shortchange God by skimping on our tithes and offerings. Other people are like Adonijah: we pursue sexual gratification ahead of our commitment to the Kingdom. Or, like Joab, we are guilty of angry violence.

The question for each of us is this: What is the one thing that is keeping me from giving everything to the Kingdom of God? It’s like all or nothing with ADONAI, as it is for every self-respecting king. It is the character of a king to demand total allegiance. If we follow God only when He gives us what we want, then we are not treating Him like a King, but only as a servant. To put God first, He has to be first in every aspect of our lives, including the one thing we really don’t want to give up for His Kingdom, whatever that one thing may be.⁶⁹

David’s Last Words
First Kings 2:1-12 and
First Chronicles 29:26-30

David’s last words DIG: What kind of king does David want Solomon to be? What does this say about David? What divisions always plagued him (see Second Samuel 2:4, 10-17, 5:3-5, 15:13-14)? Why did Joab kill Abner (Second Samuel 17:24-26, 19:10-13)? Is David really against vengeance? Why did Shim’i curse David (Second Samuel 16:5-8)? How will David set aside his oath? How many years did David rule in Hebron over Judah? How many years did he rule all together? Who succeeded him? Was there an official ceremony? Why not? In what sense was David a man after God’s own heart?

REFLECT: When facing tough situations in your life, where do you turn? Do you find it hard to “forgive and forget?” Do you hold grudges? How does the desire for vengeance, even if justified, affect your life? If you’ve lived long enough, there are important people in your life that have passed away: I am sure David was looking forward to seeing his God, the son that he lost after his sin with Bathsheba, and his friend Y’honatan. Who do you look forward to seeing, and why? What are the most important things you have learned from your study of the Life of David? What will you do in response to what you’ve learned?

Observe the charge of ADONAI your God to go in His ways and keep His regulations, mitzvot, rulings and instructions in accordance with what is written in the Torah of Moshe.

The old king was on his deathbed. In fact, he had been in bed since the opening verse of First Kings, when, despite the best efforts of his servants, he simply could not stay warm. Although he had managed to rouse himself long enough to appoint Solomon as his successor, David was still dying. This was the end of an era. Scripture says that David served God’s purpose in his own generation (Acts 13:36). By the grace of God, he established a capital City that would stand at the center of history and started a dynasty that would save the world. But even King David had to go the way of all flesh, and as he lay dying there were some things he wanted to say before he could die in peace. Then he proceeded to give his last will and testament.

David was fortunate. Some people die so suddenly that they never get the chance to say their good-bye’s. But most people have some things they want to say before they die. What would you say if you had the chance? We all have to die sometime (unless the Lord comes back first, of course), and one good way to get ready to die is to think ahead to our dying words. What would you say if you knew that you were about to die? What testimony would you give your family and friends? What spiritual legacy would you want to leave for your children and grandchildren?⁴⁹

David’s last, private, instructions to Solomon came in two parts. The first had to do with Solomon’s spiritual life in verses 2-4, where the king summarized the message of Deuteronomy and reminded his son of God’s promise and exhortation: When your days come to an end and you sleep with your ancestors, I will establish one of your descendants to succeed you, one of your own flesh and blood; and I will set up his rulership. He will build a house for My name, and I will establish his royal throne forever. I will be a father for him, and he will be a son for Me. If he gets punished: nevertheless, my grace will not leave him, as I took it away from Sha’ul, whom I removed before you. (Second Samuel 7:12-16 CJB). The second gives instruction concerning the nature of unfinished business pertaining to Joab, to Shim’i, and to the sons of Barzillai in verses 5-9.⁵⁰

Solomon’s spiritual life (2:1-4): When the time drew near for David to die, he gave his last charge to Solomon, his son (First Kings 2:1). The TaNaKh records the last words of Jacob (Genesis 49); Moses (Deuteronomy 33); Joshua (Joshua 23:1-24:27) and David. The old king was on his deathbed, and he knew it, saying: I am about to go the way of all the earth. Then he proceeded to give his last will and testament. Solomon was a young man who had lived a sheltered life and David knew he needed this instruction, so he said: Be strong, and act like a godly man. Observe the charge of ADONAI your God to go in His ways and keep His regulations, mitzvot, rulings and instructions in accordance with what is written in the Torah of Moshe (First Kings 2:2-3a CJB). In his famous last words, David used seven different terms to describe the Word of God (charge, ways, regulations, mitzvot, rulings, instructions, and the Torah). Each of these terms comes from the Word of God itself (Deuteronomy 4:29, 6:1-2 and 5, 8:6 and 11, 9:5, 10:12 and 23, 11:1 and 22, 29:8). Each term has a slightly different emphasis, but David’s main point in using all these different words is that his son should live by every word that comes from the mouth of ADONAI.

There was not one situation Solomon would face in his life as a man or the ruler of his kingdom that the Bible would not address in some practical way. The same is true for us. God’s Word teaches us how to think, how to speak, and how to live. It tells us what to love and what to hate. It shows us how to glorify God forever. When we use the Bible as our “owner’s manual,” it will help make us the godly men and godly women we were created to be.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You that in Your great wisdom You gave me what I need to know how to live a joyful and content life. How helpful is your Ruach Ha’Kodesh living within me to guide and help me, tremendous! Yeshua answered and said to him: If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him (John 14:23). Your Word is living (Hebrews 4:12) and as I read and meditate on Your Word, the Spirit of God uses it to show me the right path to take and to bring comfort and encouragement. Where would I be without You. You are wonderful. I love You so much! In Yeshua’s Holy name I give you thanks. Amen

If Solomon kept God’s charge, ways, regulations, mitzvot, rulings, instructions and Torah, God promised that he would succeed spiritually in all he did, wherever he went. David knew what he was talking about. If we want to have God’s blessing, we must walk in God’s ways. This principle holds true for us, especially if we define success in biblical terms. This doesn’t mean that we won’t ever suffer, or that every difficulty we face in life is the direct result of our own personal sin. But it does mean that obedience has God’s blessing. We may experience this blessing in our relationships, as the Word of God teaches us how to love. We may experience this blessing in our homes as the Word of God teaches us how to take care of our family. We may experience His blessing in our daily lives, as the Word of God teaches us how to work hard and pursue excellence. But whether we have success in the workplace or not, we will certainly be successful spiritually. Obeying the Word of God will keep us close to the Ruach Ha’Kodesh; it will help us bring more people to Messiah, and it will show us more of the glory of God.⁵¹

David also reminded his son of the special covenant Ha’Shem had made with his family (see the commentary on the Life of David, to see link click Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). ADONAI would fulfill what He promised to David when He said: If your children pay attention to how they live (wow did David ever learn that lesson the hard way), conducting themselves before me honestly with all their heart and being, you will never lack a man on the throne of Isra’el (First Kings 2:3b-4 CJB). The covenant was unconditional with respect to its ultimate goal of bringing the Messiah from the line of David, but each individual king needed to live in obedience to God’s Word in order to experience the blessing of ADONAI.⁵² In other words, the king would be disciplined if he lived in disobedience to the Torah, but would always be loved. The subsequent history of the nation then seems to confirm the promise. By the end of Kings the monarchy is no more, and both the northern kingdom of Isra’el and the southern kingdom of Judah were in exile (as Deuteronomy 4:25-28 had foretold), but they were still God’s chosen people, the apple of his eye (Deut 32:10; Zech 2:8).

So, what kind of promise did Ha’Shem really give to David? Was it conditional or unconditional? Did the establishment of David’s throne depend on Solomon’s keeping the covenant or not? These questions are answered for us in the Gospel of Yeshua Messiah, who is the final Son (descendant) of David. The sad truth about Solomon is that like his father David, he did not obey God’s Word. Solomon started well, but he declined into idolatry, greed and immorality. And to one degree or another, the same was true of every last king in Isra’el. They all failed to walk in God’s ways and to keep God’s Torah.

Unfinished Business (2:5-8): David knew that there was danger lurking in the shadows of the kingdom, and he warned Solomon to act immediately and deal with two dangerous men. Men like Joab and Shim’i would continue to be a menace to the young king and to the peace of the nation. Joab, the commander of David’s army was the first to be named. Now you yourself know what Joab did to me (see the commentary on the Life of David Dz – Joab Kills Absalom), and what he did to the two commanders of Isra’el’s armies, Abner (see the Life of David Ck – Joab Murders Abner) and Amasa (see the Life of David Ee – Sheba Rebels Against David: The Murder of Amasa). He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. The murders were committed when peace reigned in the Land; or by treachery under the mask of friendship. And all that might have been forgiven, but when Joab supported Adonijah in his quest for the throne (see Ak – King Me!), that could not be forgiven. David knew that Joab would be a threat to Solomon. Therefore, he advised: Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sh’ol in peace, or die a natural death (First Kings 2:5-6).

The second dangerous man was Shim’i. He was a Benjamite, a relative of Sha’ul who wanted Sha’ul’s line restored to the throne. And remember Shim’i who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim (see the Life of David Ds – Shim’i Curses David). Later, when David returned to power, Shim’i humbled himself before the king and David forgave him. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the LORD, “I will not put you to death by the sword.” The threat of Shim’i to Solomon was twofold. First, David doubtless made this promise in a moment of profound relief that the kingdom had been restored to him. But must have later realized that Shim’i’s “repentance” was not sincere and that he could be a potential threat to the young king. But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. But more importantly, Shim’i embodied the continuing threat of Benjamin and the ten northern tribes of Isra’el that David was never quite sure where their loyalty lay. The point is that he was pro-Sha’ul and anti-David. Therefore, David counseled his son, “Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood” (First Kings 2:8-9).⁵³

David not only remembered dangerous men like Joab and Shim’i, but he also remembered faithful men like Barzillai. He was a wealthy landowner, who stood by David when he fled from Absalom (see the Life of David Ed – David Returns to Yerushalayim: Barzillai the Gileadite). Solomon felt obligated to continue to pay what the royal family owed this man who intervened on David’s behalf at a poignant and dangerous moment. David had wanted to reward Barzillai with a place at his table, something like a pension, but the old man preferred to die in his own hometown. Therefore, Barzillai asked David to give the honor to his son Khimham, so now David instructed Solomon to care for Khimham’s sons. But show kindness to the grandchildren of Barzillai and let them be among those who eat at your table (First Kings 2:7).

David’s death and summary of his reign (2:10-11): Then David, son of Jesse, who was king over all Isra’el, rested with his ancestors and was buried in Jerusalem, the City of David, named after him by right of conquest. The normal custom was to be buried outside the City, so it was a mark of high honor that the remains of the departed king were buried within Jerusalem (Acts 2:29). He had made extensive preparations for a successful reign for his son, particularly with regard to the plans and materials for the Temple. Now, having reigned forty years over Isra’el – seven years in Hebron over Judah alone – and thirty-three in Jerusalem, David died at a good old age, knowing that the kingdom was in good hands, having enjoyed a long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king. Just how long the coregency lasted cannot be stated with any certainty . Estimates range from two or three months to several years (First Kings 2:10-12; First Chronicles 29:26-28).⁵⁴ Shavu’ot is the traditional date on which King David died, a point to be remembered when reading Acts 2:25-32 (see the commentary on Acts An – Peter Speaks to the Shavu’ot Crowd).

Finally, the Chronicler noted several sources he used for the history of David beside the canonical book of Samuel. As for the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, they are written in the records of Samuel the seer (not to be confused with the canonical book of Samuel), plus the records of Nathan the prophet and the records of Gad the seer. These prophetic books no longer exist, but they contained many details of his reign and power, and the circumstances that surrounded him and Isra’el and the kingdoms of all the other lands he had conquered (First Chronicles 29:29-30).⁵⁵

The Bible paints a grand picture of David. He was an outstanding person, courageous, generous, warm-hearted, outgoing and appreciative of others. He was a warrior, poet, musician, military genius, and administrator. He was, moreover, a man who inspired loyalty, and with the help of his supporters, accomplished much: the establishment of Jerusalem as Isra’el’s capital, and the uniting of the twelve tribes into a nation that could hold its own in the international scene. Isra’el’s cities had their defenses strengthened, and by the end of David’s reign preparations were in hand for the building of the Temple in Tziyon. All this accounts, in part, for David’s greatness.

In what sense, however, was he a man after God’s own heart (First Samuel 13:14)? He is depicted in the Bible as entirely human, hampered by weaknesses that were the counterpart of his strengths. He had a problem with lust (see the Life of David Cp – Children Born to David in Yerushalayim) and he was indulgent towards his sons, both of those issues caused him enormous problems. But unlike Sha’ul, when David received a rebuke, he humbly admitted his faults; when Nathan or Gad delivered a message of judgment, the prophet’s condemnation was accepted as the word of God. In other words, ADONAI was King; David was merely His proxy, exercising delegated power.

David’s successors, who for the most part failed to conform to this role, were pointed back to him, for whose sake the dynasty was permitted to continue until the kingdom was swept away by the Babylonians (see the commentary on Jeremiah Gu – Seventy Years of Imperial Babylonian Rule). Even then, hopes were kept alive by the promise of Nathan to David, “Your house (dynasty) and your Kingdom will endure forever before Me; your throne will be established forever” (First Samuel 7:16). The B’rit Chadashah takes up the theme when Yeshua is introduced as a descendant of David; indeed, the very first verse of Mattityahu’s Gospel makes the point: This is the genealogy of Yeshua the Messiah, son of David, son of Abraham (Mattityahu 1:1 CJB).⁵⁶

The sad truth about Solomon is that, like his father David, he did not give full obedience to the Word of God. Solomon started well, but as we read his tragic account, we will trace his sad decline into idolatry, greed, and immorality. To one degree or another, the same is true of every last king in Isra’el; they all failed to walk in God’s ways and keep His mitzvot.

All except Yeshua, that is. Yeshua of Nazareth was the only Son (descendant) of David who was faithful to God’s covenant, keeping all 613 of His charges, ways, regulations, mitzvot, rulings, instructions and Torah (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Dg – The Completion of the Torah). This is why God’s promises to David were both conditional and unconditional. They were conditional because the king was required to be obedient to God’s Word; but they were unconditional because YHVH knew that one day a King would come and fulfill His rulings perfectly. The dynasty would be established on the basis of the full and perfect obedience of Yeshua, and thus God’s absolute promise would not fail.

At the end of His perfect, promise-fulfilling life, Yeshua had some famous last words of His own – words that offered forgiveness to His enemies and promised paradise to anyone who trusted in Him. Then Messiah finished His saving work by dying on the cross, suffering the violence and death that we deserve for our sins. This was not the end, however, because Yeshua rose from the dead to take His eternal throne.⁵⁷

Solomon’s Consolidation of Power
First Kings 2: 1-46

This extended chapter marks the transition of power from father David to son Solomon, reporting David’s death and Solomon’s ruthless consolidation of power. The chapter divides into David’s advice to his son (to see link click Ao – David’s Last Words) and Solomon’s actions that only partly correspond to his father’s counsel (see Ap – Putting the Kingdom First). In First Kings 2:12 we read that Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established because the books of Kings give us the human perspective focusing on the Davidic dynasty. And in First Chronicles 29:23 it is called the throne of ADONAI because the books of the Chronicles gives us the Godly perspective. The end of the verse says: He prospered and all Isra’el obeyed him. This helps us to understand David’s last words to Solomon. He was concerned with the sins of Joab and Shim’i that might bring bloodguilt upon the kingdom and thus endanger it from the Divine side; and concerned for Solomon’s security because Joab had long been a problem as was Adonijah, and Shim’i was a member of the house of Sha’ul the Benjamite and thus they might endanger the kingdom from the human side.⁴⁸

The Party’s Over
First Kings 1:32-53
and First Chronicles 29:21-25

The party’s over DIG: What ceremonies are involved in the coronation of Solomon? What significance do they have? What did Jesus mean by these very same symbols (Mt 21:1-5). Who are Benaiah, the Kerethites and the Pelethites? What is significant about the timing of Solomon’s inauguration? How do the various people respond to the news of Solomon’s coronation? Why did Adonijah take hold of the horns of the altar? Why does ADONAI seem to be silent in the midst of this story? What is He doing behind the scenes?

REFLECT: In what different ways does a real leader and a mere opportunist face crises differently? What opportunity do you have in your life to choose between these two options? When you see a schemer at work, do you step in and get involved? Or keep quiet and mind your own business? Are there any worries, rumors, political talk, which are causing you concern? In your family, are you the eldest child, the youngest or in any other way “favored” by your parents? How did your parents’ fairness (or lack of it) affect you?

The King is dead; long live the King!

According to ancient custom, the death of a ruler is greeted with the words, “The king is dead; long live the king!” This may seem like a contradiction. If the king is dead, then what use is there in wishing him long life? But the point is that the kingdom would endure. Even though one king had died, another king lived to take his place. Because the kingship would survive, the people who hoped for the continuity of the monarchy would say, “the king is dead, long live the king,” and that is why Bathsheba said: May my lord King David live forever (First Kings 1:31)! ADONAI had promised David eternal life and an eternal throne, so the queen’s hopes for David’s everlasting throne were not misplaced. The king still lives and so does his dynasty, to the everlasting joy of all the people of God.⁴⁰

Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful to know that You, our father, are the King of kings who never gets old! You are always watching over and reigning wisely over me! What joy it brings to know that no matter what is happening in the world, no matter how strong the enemy – You are wiser and more powerful! Be still before ADONAI and wait patiently for Him . . . Do not fret over one prospering in his way, over one carrying out wicked schemes. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for ADONAI – they will inherit the land. Yet a little while, and the wicked will be no more. Yes, you will look at his place, but he will not be there (Psalms 37:7 and 9-10). Ha’Shem, even when wars and problems come, You are in the midst of accomplishing Your plans. You remain holy and in control. You are aware. You are active. All praise to You! in Yeshua’s holy Name and power of His resurrection. Amen

Scene five: David may have been dying, but he was not dead yet. As soon as he finished his audience with Bathsheba (to see the link click Al – A Royal Conspiracy), he started giving out orders. There was not a moment to lose! In trying to usurp the throne, Adonijah had already announced that he would be king. David knew it was now or never; if he didn’t act immediately and decisively to put his rightful son on the throne, Solomon would never be king and God’s promise would fail. So, the king resumed command of the situation, saying: Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah (First Kings 1:32a). This was a shrewd and godly maneuver. David was calling together the prophet, the priest, and the representative of the king. Adonijah had not consulted any of those men. But David did, and in doing so he united his kingdom under the rule of God, who had appointed them to serve as rulers of Isra’el.

When they came before the king, he gave orders for Solomon’s coronation: Take the Kerethites and the Pelethites (foreign mercenaries and David’s loyal bodyguard) commanded by Benaiah, those loyal to me, with you and set Solomon my son on my own personal mule and take him down to the spring of Gihon (First Kings 1:32b-33). The fact that Solomon was mounted on David’s royal mule demonstrated to the people that the anointing had David’s blessing. By comparison, seeing Solomon riding on King David’s mule would be like seeing the queen of England in her royal carriage, or watching Air Force One take off with the President of the United States on board.⁴¹ Not only that, the presence of Zadok and Nathan indicated Divine approval, and that of Benaiah military approval.

The spring of Gihon, the site of Solomon’s anointing, was just outside the City in the Kidron Valley, on the east bank of the Ophel. It was Jerusalem’s major source of natural flowing water and was therefore a natural gathering place of the people.⁴² However, En Rogel, where Adonijah was feasting, was a half mile further north of the City; therefore, Solomon, could be crowned as king and march into the open arms of the Israelites ahead of his challenger.

Then Benaiah (see the commentary on the Life of David Ej – David’s Mighty Warriors), who was ready to replace Joab as the top military man, declared: Amen! This word is much stronger in Hebrew than the English might imply. It is an acclamation of commitment and expresses absolute reliance on the person he is speaking about; to trust in that persons faithfulness as was the case here.⁴³ Benaiah was a man of prayer, for this is what he was really doing: praying for Solomon’s kingdom. By saying: May the LORD, the God of my lord the king, so declare it, he was asking God to be with Solomon the way he had been with David. As ADONAI was with my lord the king, so may He also be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David, meaning David’s glory would live on in Solomon’s glory (First Kings 1:36-37).

Thus, Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the military man, along with the Kerethites and the Pelethites, Philistines, who made up David’s private body guard (see the commentary on the Life of David Cy – David’s Officials), went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule. Then they escorted him to Gihon. There, Zadok the priest took the horn of oil preserved for such an occasion (see my commentary on Exodus Fp – The Altar of Incense in the Sanctuary: Christ, Our Advocate with the Father) from the tent that David had constructed for the Ark of the Covenant (Second Samuel 6:17) and anointed Solomon as king over Isra’el (First Kings 1:34a and 38-39). This was Solomon’s first, private, coronation with those mentioned above. This was an emergency measure, hastily assembled to forestall Adonijah’s attempted coup.

The next day, however, was the public coronation, where the priests made sacrifices to ADONAI and offered burnt offerings of a thousand bulls, a thousand rams, and a thousand male lambs, along with their drink offerings and other sacrifices in abundance for all Isra’el. The extravagant number of offerings is a concrete expression of the grandeur of the event. Then they ate and drank with great joy in the presence of ADONAI that day. Then they acknowledged Solomon the son of David as king a second time, anointing him before ADONAI as ruler and Zadok to be the high priest (Second Chronicles 29:21-22).

So like Sha’ul and David, Solomon had a double coronation. Sha’ul first, private, coronation was in First Samuel 10:1 where Samuel took a flask of oil and poured it on Sha’ul’s head and kissed him saying, “Has not ADONAI anointed you leaver over His inheritance?” His second, public, coronation was in First Samuel 11:15 where Samuel said to all the people, “Come, let us go to Gilgal and there reaffirm the kingship.” So all the people went to Gilgal and confirmed Sha’ul as king in the presence of ADONAI. There they sacrificed fellowship offerings before the LORD, and Sha’ul and all the Israelites held a great celebration. Likewise, David had a double coronation. His first, private, coronation was when Samuel anointed David at Bethlehem when ADONAI spoke to His prophet saying: The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the heart. When David arrived from tending his sheep, ADONAI said: Rise and anoint him. He is the one. So Samuel took the horn of oil and anointed David in the presence of his brothers (First Samuel 16:7b and 12-13a). David’s second, public coronation, was in Second Samuel 5:3-5 when all the elders of Isra’el had come to David at Hebron . . . and they anointed him king over Isra’el. David was thirty years old when he became king, and he reigned forty years. In Hebron he reigned over Judah for about seven years and in Jerusalem he reigned over all Isra’el and Judah thirty-three years.

Therefore, after acknowledging Solomon as king a second time, the shofar sounded and all the people of Jerusalem shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” The public celebration was enormous. It was the proper way for King David to announce his immediate successor and for the people of Isra’el to make Solomon their king. He did it by his royal authority as God’s representative and he did it in broad daylight. Unlike Adonijah, who hosted his own coronation party, Solomon would be paraded through the city streets and crowned at the royal palace – not by his own will, but by godly men operating under the will of ADONAI.⁴⁴ So, with Solomon then taking the lead, all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly. Grown men were cheering and shouting. Women were singing and dancing in the streets. Children were jumping up and down, so excited they hardly knew what to do. The sound of their celebration was so loud that the ground shook with the sound; a sound that would easily reach En Rogel a half mile away where the supporters of Adonijah were partying (First Kings 1:34b and 40).

Scene six: Adonijah’s supporters feasted away until they were completely stuffed. But as the noise died down, they heard a sound that caught them all off guard. All the guests heard the shouting of Solomon’s celebration at En Rogel as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the shofar, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in Tziyon.” Little did they know that the party was over in every sense of the term. Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest (Second Samuel 17:17-22) arrived. Adonijah thought he was bringing good news and said: Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news. “Not at all,” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, and Zadok and Nathan have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the City resounds with it! That’s the noise that you hear. Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne (First Kings 1:41-46).

At the same time, the royal officials came to congratulate King David, saying: May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours! And King David bowed in worship on his bed, accepting the praise of Solomon, and said: Praise be to ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today (First Kings 1:47-48). David had always called Solomon his beloved son; now he was the first to proclaim him as king. Because this had transpired in David’s bedroom, either Nathan or Zadok (or both) must have quoted David’s words to the people. But however he learned of the news Jonathan made it clear from his eyewitness report that at that very moment, Solomon was the king of Isra’el.

At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and disappeared like rats off a ship going down. The party was over. Nobody wanted to be seen with Adonijah. Earlier it had been acknowledged that if Adonijah had won, Solomon and his mother would be marked for death. Now the shoe was on the other foot. So Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, ran to the courtyard of the Tabernacle and took hold of the horns of the bronze altar where sacrifices were made for sin (First Kings 1:49-50). This method of seeking sanctuary for criminals deserving of death was a time-honored custom. In Isra’el the grasping of the horns of the altar didn’t provide sanctuary for every criminal – only those guilty of the unintentional slaying of another. The horns were the projections at the corners of the bronze altar on which the blood of sacrifice was smeared. To grasp the horns was to claim the protection of God until the case was judged.⁴⁵ The symbolism of taking hold of the horns of the bronze altar seems to have meant that since YHVH had been gracious to man, as seen in accepting man’s offerings to atone for his sins, so one man should be gracious to another man who had offended him.⁴⁶ It appears that Adonijah believed that the corners of the bronze altar was a holy place and would provide him with some protection from Solomon’s vengeance.

But when Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of you and is clinging to the horns of the altar, saying: Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death by the sword.” Solomon replied: If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die. Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to Solomon and the king said, “Go to your home” (1 Kgs 1:52-53). How the mighty had fallen! The man who had tried to elevate himself was brought low. The man who wanted to be king had to bow before his younger brother. The man who tried to give orders was told to go home. From that point forward Adonijah was on probation. A bargain seemed to be struck, a promise of good behavior in exchange for clemency. But Adonijah didn’t live up to his end of the bargain and his dark heart would soon be discovered.

So, Solomon sat on the throne of ADONAI as king in place of his father David. These words express the climax of Solomon’s rise to power (see Aj – Solomon’s Rise to Power). He prospered and all Isra’el obeyed him. All the officers and mighty men, as well as all of King David’s sons, pledged their submission to King Solomon. ADONAI highly exalted Solomon in the sight of all Isra’el and bestowed on him royal splendor such as no king over Isra’el ever had before (First Chronicles 29:23-25). The remarks on Solomon’s accession and reign are necessary to the complete conclusion of a history of David’s reign, for they show how David’s wishes for his son, Solomon, whom YHVH chose to be his successor, were fulfilled.

For now, we are left to put ourselves in the story and consider our own relationship to God’s anointed and eternal King Yesnua Messiah. The Bible says that Yeshua is superior to Solomon (Matthew 12:42). As much as we admire Solomon for giving Adonijah another chance, we should praise Yeshua for giving us more grace. Solomon said Adonijah’s life would be spared if he proved himself worthy, which was certainly fair enough. But Yeshua says that He will accept us even when we are unworthy, as we all are (see the commentary on Romans Bj – The Restoration of Justification). Solomon said that if Adonijah sinned he would die. But Yeshua, seeing that we had sinned, climbed up onto the bronze altar of sacrifice and died in our place. Now, there’s a King for you – a ruler who offers His life for your salvation!

Our King still lives. Eventually David died, and so did Solomon. But Yeshua rose from the dead to give everlasting life to David, to Solomon, and to all His royal sons and daughters. There will never be an interruption, an interregnum, or another royal succession in the Kingdom of God, because Yeshua Messiah is the immortal King of all ages: To to the King – eternal, imperishable and invisible, the only God there is – let there be honor and glory for ever and ever! Amen (First Timothy 1:17).

Now everyone who belongs to the kingdom of David by choosing for Messiah can say, “The King is dead; long live the King!” Long live the King who welcomes the unworthy! Long live the King who died for sinners! Long live the King who rose from the grave! Long live the King who is coming again! ADONAI has given us this promise: Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His Kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of ADONAI-Tzva’ot will accomplish this (Isaiah 9:7). Long live the King, and all the loyal subjects of His royal Kingdom, who are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Messiah alone!⁴⁷

A Royal Conspiracy
First Kings 1: 11-31

A royal conspiracy DIG: Why did Nathan oppose Adonijah and his plan? How was Bathsheba’s influence seen in the palace at this time? What’s the risk of getting involved? What were Nathan and Bathsheba concerned about? What might happen to them if Adonijah came to power? How is Nathan’s plan supposed to sway the king? How did Nathan’s speech compare with Bathsheba’s? How as Bathsheba’s influence seen in the place at that time?

REFLECT: Where do you see this kind of jockeying for position today? Do you have a brother or sister who can’t stand you? What happened? Is reconciliation possible? Desirable? In what ways do you need to “set your eyes upon your King” for direction at this point in your life? When you see a schemer at work, do you keep quiet and mind your own business or do you step in and try to make things right? What are you doing for the coming generation?

The right to rule as king has been the occasion of many bitter conflicts. Often brother has fought against brother to wear the crown, forcing members of the royal family and citizens of the realm to choose sides.

During the Third Crusade, King Richard I (also known as the Lion-hearted) waged war against the Muslim armies under the command of Saladin. But while Richard was fighting to regain Zion, his brother Prince John was busy trying to crown himself the king of England. Richard hurriedly made a treaty with Saladin and raced home to protect his royal rights. But as he made his way across Europe, the king was captured by Leopold V of Austria and held for a ransom equal to two or three times the amount of his kingdom’s annual income.

Everyone in England was forced to choose sides. John offered Leopold half as much to keep Richard in prison for another couple of years, so he would have time to consolidate his power. Meanwhile, Richard’s mother – Eleanor of Aquitaine – tried (and eventually succeeded) to raise enough money to have her son rescued and restored to his rightful throne. It was a conflict for the kingdom, which Richard finally won. But while the throne was still in dispute, people had to decide which man they wanted to be king, and how much they would give to support his cause.

We face a similar choice when it comes to the Kingdom of God. Will we honor God’s true and rightful King, or will we try to seize the crown for ourselves? Which Kingdom will we choose?
And how much will we sacrifice to see it established?

The people of God faced the same choice during the last days of David, when the king was on his deathbed and two of his sons were contesting for the crown. With the question of royal succession on everyone’s mind, David’s oldest living son, Adonijah, decided to take the throne, declaring: I will be king (to see the clink Ak – King Me!).³³ When Nathan became aware of the plot, he acted immediately. He was tactful and thoughtful, just as he had when he reprimanded David for his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah (Second Samuel 12:1-14). The prophet probably sought a secret meeting with Bathsheba somewhere in the palace. Though we haven’t heard about Bathsheba since the birth of Solomon, it would be a mistake to think she was just a pretty face. Like Esther before her, this courageous woman saved Isra’el from disaster at a critical hour.

Nathan also knew what would happen if Adonijah proved to be successful: Bathsheba and Solomon would both be killed, for in ancient times it was customary for a king to put his rivals to death. The whole situation was a royal crisis. By trying to usurp the throne, Adonijah was threatening the royal succession, and with it all the promises that ADONAI had made to the house of David (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). This was more than a power struggle; it was a life-and-death conflict for the Kingdom of God. Everyone had to make that destiny-deciding choice. Which king will I serve?

What Adonijah did not do – as the Bible is careful to show – was to let God decide what he was called to do, when and where he was called to do it. This is why Adonijah didn’t consult with the prophet (Nathan), or the priest (Zadol) that ADONAI had anointed over Isra’el (First Kings 1:8), and why he very conspicuously left his brother Solomon off the guest list for his coronation party (First Kings 1:10). It also explains why he never asked what his father David wanted him to do, even though his father was the true king of Isra’el.³⁴

Scene one: Adonijah’s coup party was in full swing when Nathan decided to take action. He asked Bathsheba, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? The fact that David didn’t know anything about it showed that it was a well-designed conspiracy. After sounding the alarm about Adonijah, Nathan then gave Bathsheba her lines to speak to the king, “Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.” Nathan sent Bathsheba in to see the king first. Her status as favored wife would ensure a quick hearing, and immediate action was indeed necessary: Go in to King David and say: My lord the king, did you not swear an oath to me your servant, “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne?” This oath is mentioned here for the first time. David probably took it after the promise God made to him that Solomon would succeed him as king. The mention of an oath is ironic because Bathsheba means the daughter of an oath. Furthermore, Nathan advised her to ask: When then has Adonijah become king? Then Nathan explained the timing of their plan. While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm my word to what you have said (First Kings 1:11-14). That would make two witnesses, one of whom was King David’s wife, and the other his prophet. Together they would act decisively for the Kingdom of God.

The plan was set.

Scene two: So, because he was old and feeble, Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his royal bedroom where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. Bathsheba approached David with deference and humility bowing down, prostrating herself to give him honor. These actions showed that she was asking for an audience with the king to make a request. “What is it that you want (only two words in Hebrew)?” the king asked (First Kings 1:15-16).

Bathsheba got to the point, telling him bluntly what he needed to hear. But she made five changes in what Nathan told her. My lord, you yourself swore an oath to me your servant by ADONAI your God, “Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.”

First, she made David’s “swear” into “You swore by ADONAI your God,” which would make David’s promise more binding.

Second, she changed Nathan’s rhetorical question, “Did you not swear,” into a fact, “My lord, you yourself swore.” The question had become a fact.

Third, she changed Nathan’s question, “Have you not heard that Adonijah has become king,” into “But now Adonijah has actually proclaimed himself king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it” (First Kings 1:17-18). Nor did he know who was and who wasn’t, on Adonijah’s “guest list.”

Fourthly, on her own, she mentioned Adonijah’s coronation banquet: He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep.

Fifthly, she mentioned that the only one left off of the guest list was Solomon. And Adonijah has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant (First Kings 1:19). This shows that Adonijah already knew that Solomon was David’s choice to succeed him. The validity of Solomon’s claim to the throne was not in question here. Both Nathan and Bathsheba knew David’s feelings in the matter. The danger was that Adonijah would succeed to the throne through David’s inaction.

So sixthly, the queen challenged David to take action: My lord the king, the eyes of all Isra’el are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals (First Kings 1:20-21). Bathsheba’s warning reflected reality. The omission of Solomon from the “guest list” was a sure sign that she and her son would be marked for death if Adonijah succeeded.³⁵

The speech of the queen was a daring and imaginative one, creating a political crisis from which David could only extricate himself in only one way, for he dared not go back on the oath he had made to her! Like Eleanor of Aquitane, Bathsheba was doing what she could to secure her son’s claim to the royal throne.

Scene three: On cue, while she was speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived at the palace. And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Like Bathsheba, Nathan entered David’s presence with all due respect: So, he went before the king in bed and bowed with his face to the ground (First Kings 1:22-23). At that point Bathsheba apparently left the bedroom and was not present when Nathan spoke to the king.

With the king’s permission, Nathan confirmed everything that Bathsheba had been saying: Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? Today he has gone down from Jerusalem to En Rogel and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now, they are eating and drinking with him saying, “Long live King Adonijah!” But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him (First Kings 1:24-27)?

Frankly, the prophet wanted to know whether any of this had been done under David’s royal authority. If so, then why hadn’t his prophet been informed? If not, when what was David going to do about it? Nathan was challenging David to disavow what Adonijah had done, knowing the proper succession to the throne could come about only with the king’s royal consent. Whereas Bathsheba appealed to David’s pity as a husband and father, Nathan appealed to his authority as king.

It’s very likely that Nathan’s recitation of these facts brought David’s memory back to the terrible days of Absalom’s rebellion, but he didn’t want the nation to experience another civil war. Solomon was a man of peace (1 Chron 22:9). Reared in the palace, he had no experience of war as did his father; and if there was another civil war, how could he build the Temple?³⁶ If only one person had come to warn him, perhaps David would have doubted the accuracy of the report he was given. But Bathsheba and Nathan came one right after the other, and with two witnesses – the biblical number for establishing any criminal matter in a court of law (Deut 19:15) – the king was fully persuaded. Now that he knew the truth, he needed to act like a king.³⁷

Scene four: After listening to Nathan and Bathsheba, David’s blood began to rise. He understood that Adonijah was trying to seize the throne from God’s chosen successor and what his wayward son had done was a direct challenge to his kingly authority. Therefore, he rose to the challenge, making one last decision for the glory of the Kingdom of God.

Up to this point, the king had barely spoken two words in this chapter (First Kings 1:16). But rising from his bed, King David summoned Bathsheba back into his royal chamber. She had evidently left the bedroom when Nathan’s presence was announced. Similarly, in keeping with Near Eastern custom, Nathan left the room when the queen was recalled. It was part of their plan to appear independent of one another and to avoid the appearance of collusion. So, she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. The two were alone. Then David took an oath, strongly reaffirming the previous one, declaring: As surely as ADONAI lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, “Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place” (First Kings 1:28-30). By making Solomon his co-regent immediately, David stayed in command and Solomon would do his bidding. Solomon was no longer merely the prince or even his heir apparent. He was then co-regent with his father and the king of Isra’el.³⁸ Nathan’s and Bathsheba’s double strategy had worked. David was still the key player, still master of his own house, still capable of an act of great authority. Then she bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the dying king, said: May my lord King David (the house of David) live forever (First Kings 1:31)!

What will you do for the Kingdom of God? Which side will you take when people exalt themselves and try to tear down His Kingdom? Do you see how your own eternal destiny is bound up with what God is doing in the world today? What will you do to make a Kingdom difference for the coming generation?

Since Messiah is the King, then we should do whatever we can for His Kingdom. After all, Yeshua Himself has done everything that He could do for the Kingdom. He has even done what no other king would dare to do: He has offered His own blood to save His people. Given what He has done for us, it is only right for us to do whatever we can for Him and for His Kingdom. As Matthew Henry (famous for his six-volume Exposition of the Old and New Testaments in 1708-1710) said, “Whatever power, interest, or influence, people have – they ought to improve it to the utmost for the preservation and advancing of the Kingdom of Messiah.” We should do this not only for our own people, in our own place, at our own time, but also for the coming generation.³⁹

Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful Your gracious love and yet how sad that so many seek to take selfish advantage of Your love by living for themselves – yet thinking that since God loves all, everyone ends up in heaven! Not so! You are so gracious to make the path to heaven to be thru the blood of Messiah who adopts us into His family. He predestined us for adoption as sons through Messiah Yeshua, in keeping with the good pleasure of His will – to the glorious praise of His grace, with which He favored us through the One He loves! In Him we have redemption through His blood – the removal of trespasses – in keeping with the richness of His grace (Ephesians 1:5-7). Each of us has a choice as to who will be the king in their life. For the child of God that choice was made when he chose to follow Messiah as his Lord and Savior. For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Thank You that Your Spirit lives inside of each one who loves You (John 14:23) to help, comfort and guide. In Yeshua’s Holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen

King Me!
First Kings 1: 1-10

King me DIG: What is David’s condition? To what is an aging king vulnerable? Who arranges for Abishag to wait on David? Why does the writer view Adonijah in a negative light? Is he a champion schemer or an anxious heir apparent? Why did Adonijah invite Joab and Abiathar to his party? Why didn’t he invite Solomon and Nathan to his coronation ceremony?

REFLECT: In what ways do you feel more vulnerable now than ten years ago? What bothers you about aging? How competitive are you? Would you run over people in order to win? Walk over them? Ask them to step aside? What ambitions have you yet to fulfill? Do you try to control things directly or indirectly? How are you tempted to take what you want?

Have you ever felt the temptation to take what you wanted, when you wanted it,
instead of waiting for what God would give?

In every simple game of checkers there is a thrilling moment when one of the ordinary playing pieces suddenly becomes royalty. Having moved and jumped all the way to the far side of the board, a checker becomes a king. “King me!” commands one of the players. A second checker is carefully placed on top of the first checker, and from then on the new king has the power to move all over the board.

Many people want the game of checkers to become their way of life. Not content to be ordinary, they want to be the royal center of attention. “King me!” they say, wanting enough power and money to get the control and buy the pleasure they want out of life. “King me!” is what the single man is saying when he uses other women. “King me!” (or “Queen me!” to use a chess term) is what the overbearing mother says when she makes her own desires the rule of the household). And “King me!” is what I am saying whenever my own desires become the most important thing in life, even at the expense of others. The problem with building our own little kingdoms is that we never find our rightful place in the true kingdom of God. This is the central issue in our walk with the Lord, and it is the issue as we open the book of First Kings. Who will be king? Will we accept the Kingship that ADONAI has established? Or will we always insist on having our own way in this life?

The question of kingship arises right from the beginning of First Kings. The books of Samuel were dominated by the kingship of David. But First Kings opens by telling us that when King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. For anyone who admires King David, this scene is full of sadness. He was among the greatest of earthly kings – maybe the greatest. From boyhood he performed many heroic feats in battle. He killed lions and bears to defend his father’s flocks and herds. He slew giants. He conquered kingdoms. He established a fortress for his people in Jerusalem. He sired a royal dynasty, fathering many sons to be the princes of Isra’el. But now, the famous king was old and gray, and for all his greatness, he was on his deathbed.

David’s feeble decline is a sad reminder of our own frailty. The king was about seventy years old when this event took place (Second Samuel 5:4). What happened to him will happen to all of us: our hearing will fail; our eyesight will grow dim; and our limbs will get weak and brittle. Eventually we will be confined to bed, and maybe will find it hard to stay warm. How important it is, therefore, to pay attention to this counsel from Scripture: Remember your Creator while you are young, before the evil days come, and the years approach when you will say: They no longer give me pleasure (Ecclesiastes 12:1). If, like David, we give our hearts to God when we are young, we will still remember Him when we are old, and He will remember us.²⁶

Dear Heavenly Father, Praise You for being so wonderful! You are the absolute best Father, wisest King, Strongest and Most Almighty General, Perfect Lover, Gracious and always near friend. It is such a blessing that You welcome into Your family all who love You (John 1:12) and receive You as their Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9-10). What a joy to trust You as a child and to have You always near to help and to guide.

What a joy to make time to meditate on Your power and glory because I looked for You . . . to see Your power and Your glory (Palm 63:3). When we remember how great and Awesome You are, we delight in praising You! Since Your lovingkindness is better than life, my lips will praise You (Psalms 63:4). Meditating on You is a sure way to bring joy to my heart! When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You through the night watches. For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You – Your right hand upholds me (Psalms 63:7-9). May we bless You with praises. You are a wonderful God and Father and I seek to bless You in all I do, say and think! In Holy Yeshua’s name and power of His resurrection. Amen

So, his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.” Then they searched throughout Isra’el for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. Abishag’s employment as a kind of human hot water bottle raises more questions than it answers. Were David’s servants simply trying to keep him warm? If so, then why did they conduct a Miss Isra’el pageant to find the prettiest young thing in the Land. Though the situation seems charged with sexuality, we also sense that the king was diminished. This was hardly the David who knew Bathsheba – a David who fathered so many other sons and daughters. Not even a stunning young virgin could stir his blood. On the contrary, his sexual incapacity showed that he suffered from a loss of vitality and virility. The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her (First Kings 1:1-4). The woman chosen to minister to David had the status of a concubine, though in fact she served David as a nurse and nothing more.

Soon old David would be dead and buried, which showed one of the inherent limitations of kingship in ancient Isra’el. All the kings died, throwing the kingship into question for each new generation of the people of God. David was the best of Isra’el’s kings, yet even he went down to the grave, where his body remains to this day. His very mortality meant that he could never be the ultimate King for God’s people.

This shows, by way of contrast, the superior Kingship that we have in Yeshua Messiah, who is the true Son of David and the only divine Son of God. Yeshua also died, suffering crucifixion for our sins. But on the third day He was raised again to reign forever in kingly majesty. Messiah is the immortal King of all ages (First Timothy 1:16). This is the Kingdom we need, ruled by a King who will never die again, but will always live to rule us and defend us. Our Lord will never shiver in the cold chill of old age, but will remain at the full glow of His divine powers for all eternity – our once-and-forever King!²⁷

As David’s kingship came to an end, his royal court was full of intrigue. The advisers were whispering in the hallways, “Who will be the next king?” That question had been on people’s minds for years, much the way that people have long speculated about who would succeed England’s Queen Elizabeth II. In fact, there had already been at least two attempts to take the throne away from David: the rebellion of Absalom, which led to civil war (Second Samuel 14-18), and the uprising of Sheba the Benjamite (Second Samuel 20). David was able to quell both rebellions, but as he grew older he also grew weaker. Now he was not even able to get warm in bed, and his shivering impotence was creating a power vacuum.

As far as ADONAI was concerned, David’s rightful heir was supposed to be Solomon. Although he was not the oldest son – he was actually tenth in line – Solomon was the chosen son. God did not always choose the oldest son as David’s own coronation illustrated (First Samuel 16:10-13). We know from First Chronicles 22:9-10 that the word of the LORD had announced to David that Solomon would be the next king: But you will have a son who will be a man of rest. I will give him rest from all his enemies that surround him; for his name is to be Solomon, and during his reign I will give peace and quiet to Isra’el. It is he who will build a house for My name. He will be my son and I will be his father, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom over Isra’el forever. By divine calling, Solomon would be Isra’el’s king.

Yet, there was another contender for the crown, an alternative candidate to sit on Isra’el’s throne. Most people saw him as the heir apparent. His name was Adonijah, and he seemed to be everything that David used to be but was no more. The Bible describes him as a very handsome man (First Kings 1:6b). Humanly speaking, Adonijah had everything going for him. He had all the qualifications that people usually look for. Like his older brother Absalom, he was easy on the eyes, which counts for a lot in life – more than we sometimes would like to admit. So, as far as kingship was concerned, Adonijah looked the part (at least to people who look at the outward appearance, which God doesn’t).

So, the young man decided to seize his chance, declaring his intention to be the king after his father. Because David’s reign was scarred by violence, it isn’t a surprise that this chapter about his demise and succession is permeated with an undercurrent of violence.²⁸ Now Adonijah, David’s fourth son, whose mother was Haggith, cherished the thought of his right to succeed David as king and put himself forward, brazenly declaring, as if thumping his chest: I will be king (First Kings 1:5). This gives us a window into his soul. The form of the verb may indicate continuous action, as if to show that Adonijah’s self-exaltation was not simply a one-time thing; his whole life was all about putting himself forward to be the king. But he seems to have learned nothing from his failed brother Absalom, for like him, he asserted himself without reckoning with the still formidable power of David to make or break his ambitious sons.

From a merely human perspective, Adonijah’s ambition is thoroughly understandable. After all, who wouldn’t want to be the king? Besides, isn’t it the natural order of things for a king to show some initiative and seize his crown? But this was no ordinary kingdom. The royal house of David was part of God’s plan for salvation of the world. David had received a divine and covenant promise that his dynasty would last forever, that his throne would be established eternally. This was the will of YHVH. It would be the work of God, which meant that rather than making its own choice for a king, Isra’el was supposed to trust ADONAI to provide the man of His choice. God would announce His own king in His own good time (Deut 17:15). The problem was that men like Adjonijah (and Absalom) would not accept God’s choice, but kept exalting themselves. They would not even wait for their father to die (Luke 15:12), but tried to take by force something that was only God’s to give.

Have you ever felt the same temptation – the temptation to take what you wanted when you wanted it instead of waiting for what God would give? Children are tempted to do it by saying, “That’s mine!” and grabbing whatever they can get. Bigger kids are tempted to do it by getting angry when they don’t get their own way. Some adults are tempted to do it by taking the pleasures of sex without the gift of marriage. Others are tempted to climb over other people to get the next promotion, or to put themselves forward for ministry without any calling from the congregation, or to gain ungodly control over their spouses by force.

In one way or another, we are all tempted to exalt ourselves. All too often we are like Diotrephes, whom the B’rit Chadashah describes as someone who likes to put himself first (Third John 9). But when we put ourselves on the throne, ADONAI is no longer the God of our lives; He is only another one of our servants. Rather than seeking His Kingdom, we expect Him to advance ours. Sooner or later, we will get upset with Him for not doing whatever it is that we expect Him to do for us. Typically, we get angry when we don’t get what we want, which makes anger one of the best clues to our own private idolatries. When we get angry at the world or angry with God, it is almost always because we have the wrong person on the throne.²⁹

Consider the various ways that Adonijah acted for his own honor. First, like Absalom, he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. If you want people to know how important you are, it helps to have your own entourage! So Adonijah gathered his posse, so to speak, an honor guard of palace chariots, and footmen to run ahead and announce his coming. When it comes to being important, image is everything. If you’re going to be the king, you need to act like the king, which includes having people around you treat you like the king. You need to have some followers – people to tell you how great you are. And so, like his brother Absalom before him (another ominous connection), Adonijah grandly employed an entourage of horses, chariots and foot servants (Second Samuel 15:1).

As a side note, David, had never disciplined him as a boy by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” Adonijah was merely allowed to do whatever he wanted to do, so he assumed himself to be his father’s favorite and presumptive heir (First Kings 1:6). An excessively indulgent father had produced a self-exalted son. Good looks and a favored status, coupled with parental indulgence, rarely build strong character. Neither do they install wisdom. Adonijah may well have enjoyed a happy childhood, but his father’s lack of discipline eventually led the young man into treason.³⁰

Adonijah was cunning enough to get the support of both the army and the priesthood by enlisting Joab the general and Abiathar the priest (First Kings 7:1). Though their careers ended in disgrace, both of those men were key leaders. Joab was the commander of Isra’el’s army. For many years he had served as David’s right-hand-man. Joab was a general who helped the king conquer Jerusalem, who suppressed rebellion against his throne, and who protected his life by assassinating his enemies (Second Samuel 2:13ff; First Chronicles 11:4-6). Unfortunately, Joab had also disobeyed David’s order when he killed his son Absalom, which put him out of royal favor and diminished his political influence. Yet perhaps aligning himself with Adonijah, he could regain his powerful position in the kingdom. Thus, Joab was decisive, powerful, and politically dangerous to Solomon.

Abiathar the priest was also making a power grab. Like Joab, he was one of the king’s old associates, a man who had been with David almost from the beginning (see the commentary on the Life of David, to see link click Bd – Sha’ul Kills the Priests of Nov). Abiathar was not the high priest, but maybe he wanted to be. In any case, he decided that he would follow Adonijah in his rise to power. Both gave him their full support (First Kings 1:7b). Adonijah was falling headlong into rebellion against his father and his God. What made that especially ironic was that his very name meant “ADONAI is Master.” Yet, Adonijah wanted to be his own master, and thus he never submitted to the desires of YHVH.

To be more specific, he never submitted to the authority of the prophet, the priest, or the king that God had established in Isra’el. But he never consulted with the three men who had true, God-given spiritual authority: Nathan, Isra’el’s true prophet; Zadok, the first High Priest of Isra’el (First Chronicles 6:49-53); or Solomon, whom God had chosen to be the next king – representing the rightful kingship of David. Other mighty men – like Benaiah who was captain of the king’s bodyguard (see the commentary on the Life of David Ej – David’s Mighty Warriors) – did not join Adonijah (First Kings 1:8). Adonijah did not consult with them because he knew they would not support him. He had made up his mind to be king, for his own glory and his own pleasure without ever submitting to the will of Ha’Shem.

Now David had already publicly proclaimed the selection of Solomon to the throne when he announced the building of the Temple (First Chronicles 22 and 28). Nevertheless, Adonijah had arranged a coronation feast on the eve of his planned proclamation as David’s successor. He sacrificed (Hebrew: zaback, used to indicate the solemnity of the occasion) sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near the spring of En Rogel (First Kings 1:9a), which is located slightly southwest of Jerusalem, where the Hinnom and Kidron valleys intersect. It was evidently important that the coronation take place near a water source (this will come up later with Solomon). In addition, this stone may have been a sacrificial stone, and therefore a sacred place. It was somewhat secluded and thus ideally suited for Adonijah’s secret gathering of forces before taking public action.³¹

The participation of Joab and Abiathar in the ritual sacrifice and coronation lent an aura of legitimacy to the occasion (Absalom had begun his coup in a similar fashion). Adonijah invited all his brothers, the king’s sons (who evidently did not contest Adonijah’s claim to the throne) and all the royal officials of Judah. Maybe all his guests thought that David had actually laid his hands on Adonijah and named him king. But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon (who would have been killed at Adonijah’s ascension to the throne), so it was pretty obvious that Adonijah had named himself king without any authority from either David or YHVH (First Kings 1:9b-10).

This gives us a practical principle for our own decision making, which is always to submit to the will of God. Am I doing what I am doing because it is what I want to do or because it is what ADONAI wants me to do? Happily, in the goodness of the Lord many things that He calls us to do are the things that we want to do. But whenever there’s a conflict, we need to submit to God’s authority.

It is characteristic of godly decisions that they are made out in the open with the help of godly counsel, including from people who are willing to tell us some things that we don’t want to hear Submitting to God’s will always starts with knowing the Scriptures, which rule some things in and some things out. It also includes listening to the people God has provided for our spiritual guidance: parents, perhaps, or spouses, or teachers, or bosses, or Messianic rabbis, or pastors and elders in the congregations of God, depending on your situation in life.

Do not seek your own pleasure and glory, but submit to God’s will for your life. For Adonijah, that meant consulting with Nathan, Zadok, and David. For us it means submitting to Yeshua Messiah, who is the true Prophet, the faithful Priest, and the rightful King for the people of God. The prophets, priests, and kings in the TaNaKh all point to the Person and work of the Master. Yeshua is the Prophet who speaks the Word of God; listen to what He says. Messiah is the Priest who offered Himself as a sacrifice; trust in Him for the forgiveness of sins. The Lord is the King who rules us and defends us; ask for His protection.

As we consider Messiah as King, we can hardly help but notice that His Kingdom is the antithesis of everything we see in Adonijah, who announced his own kingship, for his own glory and his own pleasure. But Yeshua did the exact opposite. Unlike the proud Adonijah, He did not ride palace chariots or hire footmen to announce His royal majesty. Instead, He rode a lowly donkey, and whatever attendants He had followed Him of their own free devotion. Messiah did not come down to do His own will, but the will of the Father who sent Him, even when it meant going to the cross for our sins. Setting aside His own pleasure, He endured the agony of the cross. Then, rather than exalting Himself, He waited for God the Father to raise Him from the dead and lift him to heaven’s throne (Philippians 2:6-11).

This is the King we serve: not a king who is in it for himself, but who rules for the good of His people and the glory of God. Now we are called to live the same way: not “kinging” ourselves, but crowning Messiah as King, and serving others for Yeshua’s sake.³²

The Bible says that Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures (First Corinthians 15:3b-4). If you believe that and have never asked Yeshua to be your Lord and Savior would you pray this simple prayer today: God, I admit that I have sinned. I believe Yeshua Messiah died for my sins, and I want to trust Him to save me right now. Now you need to find a good messianic synagogue or church that teaches the Word of God faithfully so you can grow in your faith and have fellowship with other believers.

Solomon’s Rise to Power
First Kings 1: 1-53

The narrative that begins First Kings is really not a beginning at all, but the last chapter of the larger story of David found in the books of Samuel. First Kings 1:1 begins with the Hebrew word and, indicating that the verse is not the beginning of a new historical work, but a continuation of the narrative of the Second Samuel. It is there that Bathsheba, who plays such a prominent role in the beginning of Kings first appears, possessed by David at the cost of her husband’s life (see the Life of David, to see link click Dc – David and Bathsheba). Later, the lives of David’s various sons are recounted (Second Samuel 12-18). The end of Second Samuel is a sorry tale of wickedness and weakness, which raises an important question in the reader’s mind. The prophet Nathan, himself a major player in the beginning of First Kings (see Al – A Royal Conspiracy), had promised David that his dynasty would last forever. David’s kingship would not be like Sha’ul’s, which all but died with him. Instead, ADONAI would raise up one of David’s sons and establish an eternal kingdom (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). How was this promise to be fulfilled? Where is a surviving son to be found to sit on David’s throne? This is the question that the first chapter of the book of Kings will resolve.²⁵

King Solomon: Money, Sex, and Power
First Kings 1:1 to 11:43

When Solomon ascended to the throne, the people of Isra’el soon learned that he was not another David. He was a scholar, not a soldier, a man more interested in erecting buildings than fighting battles. David enjoyed a simple life of a shepherd, but Solomon chose to live in luxury. Both David and Solomon wrote songs, but Solomon is better known for his proverbs. We have many of David’s songs in the book of Psalms, but except for Psalm 72 and 127, and the Song of Solomon, we have none of Solomon’s three thousand songs.

David was a shepherd who loved and served God’s flock, while Solomon became a celebrity who used the people to help support his extravagant lifestyle. When David died, the people mourned; when Solomon died, the people begged his successor, King Rehoboam, to lighten the heavy financial yoke his father had put on their necks. David was a warrior who put his trust in ADONAI; Solomon was a politician who put his trust money, sex, and power. In some respects, Solomon was among the wisest fools who ever wore a crown.

Solomon is mentioned nearly three hundred times in the TaNaKh and a dozen times in the B’rit Chadashah. He’s listed in the genealogy of Yeshua Messiah (Mt 1:6-7) and is cited as an example of splendor (Mt 6:29; Lk 12:27) and wisdom (Mt 12:42; Lk 11:31). He is identified as the builder of the Temple (Acts 7:47). One of the colonnades in the Temple was named after him (Jn 10:23; Acts 3:11 and 5:12). His father, David, was recognized as the ideal leader, and his record became the standard by which every succeeding king of Judah was measured. However, no one pointed to Solomon as a good example of godly leadership.²⁴

The Message of Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes is not primarily meant to be a series of sermons, but rather a book that calls on you to engage with the Teacher (to see link click Ac – The Life of Solomon from a Messianic Jewish Perspective: Ecclesiastes – Author) and his journey and to enter into the dialogue he arouses within you. Thus, any attempt to summarize his message is in real danger of the “heresy of the paraphrase.” Solomon’s message unfolds, and needs to unfold, as the journey develops. As a result, the readers of this commentary are encouraged to work closely with the text of Ecclesiastes, to feel the agony of the Teacher’s journey, and to return to this book again at the end of the journey with him. The Teacher articulates his quest in terms of the meaningfulness of labor (1:3a); so that in one sense, Ecclesiastes is a book about work. However, this question backs him into the deeper question of the meaning of life under the sun (1:3b). As his journey unfolds, the still deeper question surfaces of how to explore such a question wisely.

There have been many proposals for the to translation of the Hebrew word hevel, ranging from absurd, meaningless, useless, and vanity. But for this commentary I will be using the word pointless because all of our labor under the sun (1:3) is pointless. We can find no meaning or satisfaction in earthly things. Money, sex, power, achievement – none of these things satisfy – only God does. This does not mean that if we believe in God, we stop feeling the frustrations of life under the sun. We do feel it. But Ecclesiastes shows our need for an “above the sun” perspective that brings joy and meaning to life. Thankfully there is a God who lives above the sun. As a result, we are not limited to the terrestrial; we can also get outside our own solar system and see things from a celestial perspective.²⁰

Ecclesiastes thus encourages those of us struggling with the nature of life’s meaning and God’s purposes to pursue genuine wisdom by allowing our thinking to be shaped by a recognition that ADONAI is the Creator so we can enjoy His good gifts amid the paradox of His purposes for us. Because of God’s sovereignty over our lives and the events in which we live, despite that sometimes the purpose of our lives seems to us to be bewildering as a result of frequent the many troubles and tragedies we encounter, ADONAI does have a purpose for us beyond any immediate and apparent futility. Thus, Ecclesiastes is an encouragement for us to be truly wise in difficult and confusing situations.²¹

The seventeenth-century poet and preacher John Donne discovered that Ecclesiastes spoke to him as a sinful man living in the world. This was partly because Solomon didn’t hide any of his sins and poured out his own soul for everyone to see. By being honest about life’s troubles, Ecclesiastes touches the hearts of people who are struggling. It also has a way of speaking to the issues of the day . . . any day.

As much as anything else, Ecclesiastes is for the person who has their doubts about God but can’t stop thinking about Him. Maybe this is why Herman Melville – the famous author of Moby Dick – returned to Ecclesiastes again and again. One literary critic compared Melville to “the last guest who cannot leave the party because he was always returning to see if he had left his hat and gloves.” Solomon had his doubts also, and they enabled him to speak to skeptics as well as believers down through the centuries.

One thing Ecclesiastes doesn’t try to do is give all the answers. Some authors admit their limitations. Back in the eighteenth century, Dr Samuel Johnson wrote a monumental dictionary. When he was finished with his lexical masterpiece, the prodigious Dr Johnson had a definition for nearly every word in the English language. However, not for a moment did he think that he knew all the answers. In the preface to his dictionary, he echoed Ecclesiastes, “I saw that one question only gave rise to another, Ecclesiastes revealed the fact that to search is not always to find, and to find is not always to be informed; and that therefore, to pursue perfection was . . . like chasing after the wind (1:14).

Solomon found that looking for the meaning of life was like chasing the wind. This desperate image helps us understand Ecclesiasties. It is not the kind of book that we keep reading until we get to the end and find the answer. It continues to be mysterious. It’s a book in which we keep struggling with the problems of life and, as we struggle, we learn to trust God with the with the questions, even when we don’t have all the answers.²²

But if some believe that everything is dying, that there is no meaning to anything and nothing matters under the sun, for God will bring to judgment everything we do, including every secret, whether good or bad (Eccs 12:14). He was not talking about eternal judgment because life after death was as mysterious to him (11:8) as the unequal distribution distribution of justice. His emphasis was on this life under the sun, and its opportunities for service (9:10 and 12:17) and enjoyment (2:24-26, 3:12 and 22, 5:18-20, 8:15, 9:7-9). He thought life after death offered no such opportunities. Therefore, he didn’t comment on any differences after death between the righteous of the TaNaKh and the wicked, the wise and the foolish, man or beast.²³

What is the Difference
between Kings and Chronicles?

It is clear to even the casual reader that the books of First and Second Kings share a great deal of similarities with the books of First and Second Chronicles. So much so, in fact, that some wonder why it is that we have both of these accounts of Isra’el’s history in our Bibles.

Second Chronicles “overlaps” the books of Kings in many places. But the one thing that almost everyone agrees on is that the two sets of books were written at different times by different people. According to Jewish tradition, Ezra wrote Chronicles and Jeremiah wrote Kings. This tradition certainly reflects the truth of what I would wish to point out as the main area of difference between these two sets of books: Kings was written before the Babylonian captivity (before 586 BC), while Chronicles was written afterwards (before 516 BC). Additionally, Kings gives a detailed account of Jewish history from the death of David to the fall of Jerusalem, whereas Chronicles spreads a wider net covering, essentially, all Jewish history (dealt with through genealogy before David), ending at approximately the same time, though with the last part of Chapter 36 recounting Cyrus the Great’s decree for Jerusalem to be rebuilt.

Both Kings and Chronicles are inspired by the Spirit of God, but their purposes are slightly different. Just as in the case of the Gospels where we frequently find several different versions of the same story or incident, each giving unique details which are important for us to have and which serve the particular purpose of each inspired writer, so with Kings and Chronicles, the differences are to be attributed to the different emphases and particular purpose the Spirit has in mind in guiding the individual writers. In general terms, I think it is clear that Kings is more clearly a comprehensive divine history of the two kingdoms, summing up that history at its conclusion. Chronicles, on the other hand, is more of a selective and synoptic picture of the history of Isra’el at one glance, summing things up as a prelude to the future at the time of the reestablishment of the Jewish state.

As such, it is not surprising that certain things would be left out of Chronicles (having a tighter scope), or that the Ruach would lead the writer to include certain things of an explanatory and interpretive nature in those incidents which come in for detailed treatment. This is similar to the Gospel of John, for example, which contains much more detailed information on Yeshua’s discourses prior to His crucifixion than is to be found in the other Gospels, but less of the comprehensive detail of His earlier ministry, and for a similar reason. Readers of John had read and had available the other Gospels, which were produced some years before. Likewise, readers of Chronicles had read and had available the books of Kings, “Are [these things] not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? [in other words, the books of First and Second Kings]” (2 Chronicles 25:26). And so just as John must include some of the same information for the purpose of having the narrative really “work” or flow and to link things together properly, but not all of the same detail (which would be otherwise available), so the writer of Chronicles leaves some things out, includes enough to make the narrative understandable, and is free (led, of course, by the Spirit) to put in additional details which expand on the story or incident in question from the standpoint of His own divine purpose and perspective.

Chronicles is concerned with restoration (being written, as mentioned, at the point when the Jewish state was being reestablished) and so these two chapters which you ask about make an excellent point for this comparison. In the first part of the account of Josiah’s reign, Second Kings gives a more detailed coverage of Josiah’s purging of the land from idolatry (cf.23:4-20: a key issue in the destruction of the kingdom, a focus of the writer of Kings – Jeremiah, traditionally held to be the writer of Kings, was, of course, a witness to all those tragic events and explaining this destruction is a key theme). On the other hand, in the second half of the Josiah account, Second Chronicles gives a more detailed treatment of Josiah’s reinstitution of the Passover (cf. 35:1-9: a key issue and element in the reestablishment of the Jewish state during that writer’s time – Ezra, traditionally held to be the writer of Chronicles, was instrumental in reestablishing the worship of ADONAI in the process of rebuilding the Temple). There are, of course, other differences between the narratives as well (for example Chronicles gives a more detailed treatment of the death of Josiah), which further supports the explanation given above. But my commentary on the Life of Solomon will be a harmony of First Kings and Second Chronicles to give a more complete picture.

The essential point that I would wish to leave you with from all this is that everything in the Bible is important and that it is all the Word of God, included for a definite purpose, even in those cases where we might not at first see or understand that purpose (Romans 15:4). Like all things in the Bible, the more we study, the clearer and the more blessed they become. Which is why we should all do exactly what you are now doing, read and reread the scriptures, pray and seek instruction, ever trusting God that He will make clear for us everything we need to know in His own good time and manner for our spiritual edification and growth (2 Peter 3:18).¹⁸

Lastly, let me make five observations:

1. Kings begins with the death of David, Chronicles begins with the historical record from Adam to Abraham.

2. Kings gives equal focus to both the kings of Isra’el and Judah, while Chronicles is primarily interested in the kings of Judah and the Davidic Covenant.

3. Kings emphasizes the human perspective, while Chronicles emphasizes the Godly perspective.

4. Kings evaluates the kings by the standard of the Torah, while Chronicles evaluates the kings by the standard of King David and the worship of ADONAI.

5. Kings emphasizes wars, while Chronicles emphasizes the Temple.¹⁹

The Political Situation
in First and Second Kings

Domestic and foreign politics play a significant role in the events recounted in First and Second Kings. Regional conflicts, superpower expansionism, and petty internal squabbles all affect how Isra’el’s history unfolds. To read First and Second Kings intelligently, then, it is necessary to note some key nations and events that impact the book’s telling of the story. Though these nations and events take place in a “secular” context, the author constantly reminds readers that ADONAI determines who rules at what point in history.¹⁵

The United Kingdom: Except for a description of David’s last days, Isra’el only existed as a unified, twelve-tribe nation during Solomon’s reign (970-930 BC) in First and Second Kings. Unity had been difficult for David to achieve after King Sha’ul’s death (Second Samuel 2-4), and tribal tensions never completely died. As a result, Solomon’s ability to govern all twelve tribes for forty years was in itself a major achievement. Of course, the absence of wars and the emergence of economic prosperity probably helped people accept his leadership more readily.

Solomon’s foreign policy was also effective. He made peace with Egypt, the main threat from the south, through a marriage alliance (First Kings 3:1). Though that practice came to haunt him, marriage alliances were keys to peace with other neighboring countries as well (First Kings 11:1). Solomon also continued David’s vital relationship with Tyre (First Kings 5:1-7). Tyre helped Solomon with his building projects, and he, in turn, paid them in wages and with a few small cities (First Kings 5:6 and 9:10-14). The Bible indicates few external problems in the first decades of Solomon’s reign.

In his old age, however, Solomon encountered several difficulties, which the author attributes to Solomon’s idolatry (to see link click Bx – Solomon’s Wives). ADONAI decided to punish Solomon but left David’s descendants a portion of Isra’el to govern (First Kings 11:9-13). As a domestic punishment God allowed Jeroboam to emerge as a rebel leader (see Bz – The Prophecy of Ahijah). More will be heard from him later. As a further punishment the LORD raised up Edomite foes to the southeast and Aramean enemies in the north (see By – The Fall of the House of David). Worse than that, Solomon’s allies in Egypt were overthrown by Pharaoh Shishak, who supported Solomon’s domestic and foreign enemies (First Kings 11:14-40). Clearly, Solomon’s death found Isra’el in a weakened position both at home and abroad.

The Divided Kingdom: Immediately after Solomon’s death the nation was split into two parts. Jeroboam managed to take ten northern tribes, while Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, retained Judah and Benjamin – two southern tribes (see Dc – A House Divided). Tensions had always existed in the northern tribes, yet the author states that the division occurred as a direct result of Solomon’s sin of spiritual adultery and according to God’s word through the prophet Ahijah (First Kings 11:29-39). Once again YHVH directed human events. After the split “Isra’el” became two different nations, with two names, with two capitals, in two separate locations (see Cz – The Divided Kingdom: The Rise of Idolatry).

The northern kingdom of Isra’el and the southern kingdom of Judah warred periodically until Isra’el was destroyed by Assyria in 722 BC. Jeroboam and Rehoboam fought one another (First Kings 15:6), as did Asa and Baasha (First Kings 15:16-17) and Jehoash and Amaziah (Second Kings 14:8-14). Yet, at times the two nations fought together against common foes (for example: First Kings 22:1-40; Second Kings 3:1-27 and 8:28-29). Obviously, then, Isra’el and Judah were both friends and enemies through the centuries. The greatest threat to the two countries, however, came from other powers.¹⁶

Egypt: Isra’el’s history was impacted by Egypt most during the years after Solomon’s reign and during the decades just before the great destruction of Jerusalem. Pharaoh Shishak invaded Jerusalem and stripped the Temple of its gold (First Kings 14:25-27). Shishak’s invasion left Judah too weak to attack Isra’el, which helped keep the two nations apart. In 609 BC Pharaoh Neco marched north to aid Assyria’s efforts against Babylon (Second Kings 23:29). For reasons not stated in the Bible, Josiah, Judah’s last righteous king, confronted Neco and was killed (Second Kings 23:29-30). Egypt could not overcome Babylon at that time but was able to dominate Judah’s political scene until 605 BC. Thus, just as Pharaoh Shishak’s invasion partially contributed to the nation’s division, so Neco’s killing of Josiah effectively removed Judah’s last godly king and paved the way for her final destruction.

Aram (Syria): Syria posed a great threat to the Northern Kingdom’s security during the ninth century BC. Two powerful kings, Ben-Hadad I (around 880-840 BC) and Hazael (around 840-805), led Syria to become perhaps the chief power in northeast Judea. Ben-Hadad first enters the biblical story when he breaks an alliance with Isra’el’s King Baasha to ally himself with King Asa (see Dd – Asa King of Judah). Ben-Hadad’s friendship, however, was costly since Asa was forced to strip his palace and the Temple of its gold and silver to purchase the Syrian’s “loyalty.” With Judah’s money in hand, Ben-Hadad gladly annexed several of Isra’el’s cities (First Kings 20:1-12). Omri (see Ds – Omri King of Isra’el) tooks steps to ward off the Syrian threat, including marrying his son Ahab to Tyre’s princess Jezebel, thus linking Isra’el with another anti-Syrian country (First Kings 16:31). Indeed, the Syrian problem remained so serious that Isra’el and Judah joined forces to fight Syria during the days of Ahab and Jehoshaphat (First Kings 22:1-4), and Ahab died fighting his longtime foe (First Kings 22:29-40; Second Chronicles 18:28-34).

Syria continued its domination under Hazael. Though annoyed for a time by Assyria, Syria ravaged Isra’el during Jehu’s reign (Second Kings 10:32-33), captured Gath of Philistia (Second Kings 12:17), and only spared Jerusalem because Josiah paid him a large sum of money (Second Kings 12:18). Syrian’s power was finally broken after Hazael’s death, when Assyria laid siege to Damascus and forced the king to pay tribute money. Assyria did not threaten Isra’el or Judah at that time, however, so they enjoyed a half-century of peace and prosperity.

Assyria: Assyria was the fiercest, most cruel, and most oppressive foreign power ever to threaten Isra’el and Judah. That ambitious, seemingly relentless nation terrorized Palestine from the mid-eighth century BC to the late seventh century BC. Assyrian’s power was especially devastating to the northern kingdom of Isr’ael, since Assyria conquered and destroyed the entire nation in 722 BC. Judah also felt the sting of Assyrian oppression in 701 BC when they nearly captured Jerusalem under King Hezekiah. Only a miracle of God saved the City (see below).

Three Assyrian kings figured prominently in Isra’el and Judah’s history during the period from 750 to 700 BC. First, Tiglath-Pileser III (745-727 BC) began a new foreign policy. His campaigns differed from those of his predecessors in that they were not tribute-gathering expeditions, but permanent conquests. That new policy made the Assyrians more dangerous than other invading armies. Syria, Isra’el, Philistia, and a few other smaller nations opposed Tiglath-Pileser, but Judah’s King Ahaz adopted a pro-Assyrian foreign policy (Second Kings 16:7-9). The Assyrian king invaded the area from 734 to 732 BC and punished the coalition by defeating Gaza and Damascus (Second Kings 16:9), and by annexing parts of northern Isra’el (Second Kings 15:29). Judah’s pact with Assyria saved her, but the Northern Kingdom was then in serious trouble.

Shalmaneser V (727-722 BC) finished what Tiglath-Pileser began in Isra’el. After Tiglath’s death King Hosea sought to free the Northern Kingdom from Assyrian domination. In a colossal miscalculation, he withheld tribute money from Shalmaneser (Second Kings 17:3-4), who depended on Egypt for help (Isaiah Chapters 30 and 31). Egypt, always a poor ally to Isra’el, failed to respond, and Assyria laid siege to Samaria. After three years the city surrendered (Second Kings 17:5-6). Then, it was burned to the ground; and the state of Isra’el was abolished and absorbed into the Assyrian Empire. No less than 27,290 of its inhabitants were reportedly taken off to Assyria and Media. Tiny Judah was all that remained of the covenant nation.

Sennacherib (704-681 BC) nearly obliterated Judah in 701 BC. Judah’s King Hezekiah decided to break with Assyria when the old oppressor had difficulties with Babylon. Nevertheless, Sennacherib invaded Judah (see the commentary on Isaiah Gp – The Timeline of Sennacherib’s Invasion of Judah) and laid siege to Jerusalem. The prophet Isaiah counseled Hezekiah to resist, trusting only in God’s power (see Isaiah Gv – I Will Save This City for My Sake and for the Sake of David My Servant). Because Hezekiah obeyed, Ha’Shem obliterated the Assryian army in a single night (see the commentary on Isaish Gw – Then the Angel of the LORD Put To Death a Hundred and Eighty Five Thousand Men in the Assyrian Camp), then removed Sennacherib from power (Second Kings 19:35-37). After Hezekiah’s death, however, his son Manasseh reverted to appeasing Assyria and not trusting in the LORD (Second Kings 21:1-18).

Babylon: Like Assyria, Babylon exerted her power and influence intermittently over several centuries. It was from 605 to 539 BC, however, that this nation impacted Judah the most. In 612 BC, Babylon conquered Nineveh, Assyria’s capital, thus becoming the dominant force in the ancient world. It took the Babylonians until 610 BC to eliminate Assyrian opposition and until 605 BC to place Judah under servitude, but once in control they didn’t relinquish power for nearly seven decades.

When Nebuchadnezzar subdued Egypt at Carchemish in 605 BC (see the commentary on Jeremiah Dh – A Message Concerning Egypt), thus establishing Babylon’s dominance in the region (Second Kings 24:7), he found Jehoiakim, hand picked by Egypt (see Jeremiah Ca – Jehoiakim Ruled For 11 Years from 609/608 to 598 BC), on Judah’s throne. At that time Babylon started the first of three deportations (see Jeremiah Gt – In the Thirty-Seventh Year of the Exile Jehoiachin was Released from Prison), taking Dani’el and his friends (Dani’el 1:1-2). Jehoiakim served Babylon for three years, then rebelled (Second Kings 24:1). Though according to Second Kings 24:2-4 God sent various raiders from neighboring lands to harass Jehoiakim, Babylon itself did not move to punish his rebellion until 598 BC, the year Jehoiachin succeeded his father (see Jeremiah Du – Jehoiachin Ruled For 3 Months in 598 BC). Nebuchadnezzar removed Jehoiachin from power after only three months, deported Ezeki’el and other Isreaelites, stripped the Temple of its wealth, and placed Zedekiah on the throne (Second Kings 24:10-17; Jeremiah 24-29). Therefore, Babylon gave Judah one more chance to be a loyal vassal.

Zedekiah governed Judah during the last decade of her existence (see Jeremiah Dz – Zedekiah Ruled For 11 Years from 598/597 to 586 BC). The only notice Second Kings offers about why Babylon finally decided to destroy Jerusalem is the brief comment: Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon (Second Kings 24:20). Perhaps nationalistic fervor had risen, but no clear reason for this rebellion can be determined. Regardless of the reasons for Zedekiah’s actions, his decision caused Nebuchadnezzar to eliminate his troublesome vassal. He captured the City (see Jeremiah Ga – The Fall of Jerusalem), burned its walls and important buildings (to see link to video click here , including the Temple (see Jeremiah Gb – The Destruction of Solomon’s Temple on Tisha B’Av in 586 BC), and appointed his own governor (see Jeremiah Gc – Gedaliah Ruled For 3 Months in 586 BC). Zedekiah was blinded, but only after seeing each of his sons killed (Second Kings 25:6-7). No part of Isra’el or Judah was left free. All twelve tribes were then in exile or enslaved in their own land. However, hope for the future remained (see Jeremiah Eo – I Will Make a New Covenant with the People of Isra’el), but that was blunted by the present reality that God had thrust them from His presence (Second Kings 24:20). ¹⁷

The Chronology of First and Second Kings

Even a casual reading of First and Second Kings produces some apparent chronological questions. For example, the author lists how long the kings of Isra’el and Judah reigned and synchronized the monarchs with one another. Oddly, however, when those numbers are added up, one kingdom seems to have more years than the other. Just as strangely, Second Kings 9:29 says Ahaziah became king of Judah during Joram’s eleventh year as king of Isra’el, while Second Kings 8:25 places Ahaziah’s reign in Joram’s twelfth year. Similar statements are made about Ahab’s son Joram in Second Kings 1:17, 3:1 and 8:16. The length of Omri’s reign does not seem to coincide with the author’s synchronization of Omri with Asa (First Kings 16:28-29), nor does the biblical account of Hezekiah’s deeds match Assyrian records at first glance. These and other difficulties have led some scholars to take a dim view of the book’s accuracy, which sheds doubt on the inerrancy of the Scriptures.

Fortunately, these difficulties can be explained by consulting other ancient chronologies and by examining how Judah and Isra’el counted the length of a monarch’s reign. Assyrian records set the date for the battle of Qarqar at 853 BC, which is the same year King Ahab died. This fixed date has helped scholars figure the years before and after 853 BC. In fact, other Assyrian texts preserve the names of three kings of Isra’el: Menahen, Pekah, Hoshea, and one of king of Judah: Ahaz. They also add that Assyrian inscriptions and Babylonian documents clarify events surrounding the last years of both Isra’el and Judah and help set dates for the destruction of Samaria and Jerusalem. Studies like these have the dual effect of establishing the basic veracity of the biblical texts and of identifying fixed dates that help synchronize the biblical data.

Perhaps the most significant analysis of the chronological methodology employed in First and Second Kings is E. R. Thiele’s Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings, Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 1983. Certainly, other studies have made significant contributions to this issue, but Thiele’s work examines the most problems, deals with the issues fairly, and presents answers with great clarity. He claimed most of the problems with synchronization can be solved when readers realize that Judah and Isra’el counted the beginning of reigns differently. Normally, Judah used the accession-year system, which began counting a king’s first year at the first of the calendar year. Isra’el, on the other hand, began counting the regnal years from when the reign began. Thus, a year’s difference could exist even when the two kings began to rule on the same day. During one period both nations used the same system. Further, the nations began their calendar year six months apart, which also would affect the counting of years. Finally, kings acted as co-regents with their fathers before the older man’s death. Again, this factor, if unknown to the reader, would seemingly make some synchronisms impossible to accept.

Because of the information offered by the Assyrian and Babylonian records and by studies like Thiele’s, it is possible to affirm the historical reliability of the chronologies of First and Second Kings. It has also become possible for scholars to present an accurate table of when kings ruled. Minor disagreements remain, but usually do not entail a significant number of years for any important date.¹⁴

Glossary

Abba: An Aramaic word used as an affectionate term of address to someone’s father. Yeshua used it to refer to God as His Father, and believers in Jesus also use it today to address God as Father. In modern Hebrew, this common name means Dad, Daddy, or Papa (also see Mark 14:36 and Romans 8:15).

Adar: the twelfth month of the Jewish biblical calendar.

Adonai: literally, my Lord, a word the TaNaKh uses to refer to God.

ADONAI: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. ADONAI, however, is more of an affectionate name like daddy (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

ADONAI Elohei-Tzva’ot: the LORD God of heaven’s angelic armies.

ADONAI Elohim: This is the Hebrew word for LORD God. This title links Isra’el’s God, the God of the Covenant, with God as Creator of the universe (also see Genesis 2:4; Isaiah 48:16; Psalm 72:18; Luke 1:32; Revelation 1:8).

ADONAI Nissi: the LORD my Banner (see Exodus 17:15; Psalm 20:1).

ADONAI Shalom: the LORD of Peace.

ADONAI Tzidkenu: the LORD our Righteousness.

ADONAI-Tzva’ot: The LORD of heaven’s angelic armies (see Joshua 5:13-15; Second Kings 19:31; Psalm 24:10; Second Corinthians 6:18).

Adversary, the: Satan, the devil, the prince of the power of the air, and the old dragon.

Afikomen: Literally, “That which comes after.” Piece of matzah that is hidden during the Seder, to be found and eaten after the third cup of redemption.

Amen: At the end of a prayer, this word means, “It is true,” or “Let it be so,” or “May it become true,” indicating that the readers or listeners agree with what has just been said. Although everything Yeshua said was true, “amen” adds special emphasis (also see Deuteronomy 27:25; Jeremiah 28:6; Psalm 41:14; Nehemiah 8:6; Matthew 5:26; Mark 10:15; Luke 23:43; John 10:1).

Anti-missionaries: Today they are Orthodox Jews who champion Jews for Judaism. They do not limit their mischief to harassing missionaries; any Jewish believer is a target. It is unfortunate that so many of these anti-missionaries feel their ends justify certain unethical means. In order to “protect” Judaism, they do or encourage others to do what Judaism condemns. In Paul’s day, they were the Judaizers who wanted Gentile believers to add obedience to the 613 commandments of Moshe, circumcision, and eating kosher to Paul’s salvation equals faith-plus-nothing gospel.

Ariel: lion of God, fireplace on God’s altar.

Aviv: the first month of the biblical year, corresponding to the modern Jewish month of Nisan.

Avraham: Abraham

Azazel: a scapegoat or goat demon sent out in the wilderness on Yom Kippur.

Ba’al: the chief male god of the Phoenicians and Canaanites. The word means lord or master.

Bar Mitzvah: Hebrew for “Son of the Commandment.” Although not specifically mentioned in the Bible, it is a Jewish coming of age ritual in which a young man, or Bat Mitzvah for a young woman, chooses to follow the commandments of their forefathers and takes responsibility for their own relationship with the God of Isra’el. This ceremony normally takes place at age 13 for boys or age 12 for girls. Afterwards, he/she is theoretically considered to be an adult, but in modern Judaism this is mostly symbolic, and a twelve-year-old is not treated like an adult.

Beit-Lechem: Bethlehem, the birthplace of David and Yeshua, meaning house of bread.

Bnei-Yisrael: The children of Isra’el.

B’rit Chadashah: Hebrew for the New Covenant. Gentiles commonly call it the New Testament.

Chesed: “mercy,” “lovingkindness,” and/or “covenant-loyalty.” It is a complex word that summarizes God’s complex and overwhelming love for His people, going beyond the concepts of love, mercy or kindness all together (also see Isaiah 63:7; Zechariah 7:1; Psalm 13:1; Psalm 86:1; Psalm 107:1; Psalm 118:1; Psalm 136:1).

Chupah: In traditional Jewish weddings, it is a canopy under which the wedding takes place.

Cohen of Ha’Elyon: Priest of the God Most High.

Cohen Rosh Gadol: The Great High Priest who served as the head religious official, the only one to enter the Most Holy Place. Aaron, the brother of Moses, was the first man appointed as the Cohen Gadol. In later times, the Cohen Gadol was in charge of the Temple and its administration. The Cohen Gadol Caiaphas, played a key role in questioning Yeshua at His trial. The writer of Hebrews describes Messiah as our great Cohen Gadol, who gives us access to God’s throne in the heavenly sanctuary (also see Leviticus 21:10; Haggai 1:14; Nehemiah 3:1; Matthew 26:57ff; Mark 14:61ff; John 18:19ff; Hebrews 4:14ff and 10:19-22).

Cohen: A priest, a man who offered sacrifices and performed other religious rituals at the Temple in Jerusalem.

Cohanim: Plural, the Cohanim were descended from Aaron, the brother of Moses. The Sadducees were from the priestly sect of Judaism.

Covenant: Theologically, it speaks of the contractual relationship between God and His people. The Hebrew term is b’rit. Also see B’rit Chadashah, Hebrew for New Covenant (see Genesis 6:18 and 17:2; Jeremiah 31:30; Nehemiah 9:32; Matthew 26:28; Mark 14:24; Luke 1:72).

Diaspora, the Dispersion: the scattering of the Jewish people in exile throughout the world. Today almost 7 million Jews live in Isra’el, and over 8 million more Jews live in the Diaspora (also see Isaiah 11:10; John 7:35).

Drash: A drash is a long d’var.

D’var: Is a short talk on topics relating to a parashah, the weekly Torah portion.

Echad: The Hebrew word for “one” or “unity.” Echad is used in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4).

Elyon: A title for God, meaning the Most High God (see Luke 1:35 and 76; Acts 7:48). A longer form is El Elyon, God Most High (also see Deuteronomy 32:8; Isaiah 14:14; Psalm 91:1; Acts 16:17).

Elohim: “God” in general terms, or as Creator. Compared with ADONAI, God’s “covenant name” used especially in His relationship to the Jewish people. Elohim is the plural form of El, also found in the Bible occasionally with the same meaning. Yeshua is sometimes called Ben-Elohim, the Son of God (also see Genesis 2:19; Isaiah 61:11; Matthew 4:3; Mark 1:1; Luke 1:35; John 11:4).

El Shaddai: God Almighty

Emissaries: Apostles

God-fearers: These were Gentiles who became convinced that ADONAI was the only true God, they abandoned their paganism and idolatry, but they did not choose to become a proselyte in any form, and hence there was no adoption of Jewish customs or practices (see the commentary on Acts, to see link click Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah).

Goyim: Nations, non-Jews, or Gentiles

Gehenna: The word for “hell,” the place of perpetual misery and suffering after this life. It comes from the Greek word Genna and the Hebrew word Gei-Hinnom, which means the valley of Hinnom. There was actually such a valley by that name south of the Temple in Jerusalem. It was used as a garbage dump, and fires were always burning there, making it a suitable picture of life in hell. In Jewish sources, the term is used as the opposite of Gan-Eden, or the Garden of Eden or Paradise (Matthew 23:33; Mark 9:43).

Gentiles: A term for individuals or groups who are not Jewish. In Hebrew a common word for Gentile is goy or goyim is the plural form (see Isaiah 8:23; Matthew 10:18; Mark 10:33).

Go’el: Literally, a redeemer, used both for God and of people. In the book of Ruth, go’el means the kinsman-redeemer, a close relative obligated to defend and protect his kin. The go’el could buy back (redeem) land or someone who sold himself into slavery, and could marry a widow in the family in order to protect her future. The human go’el is a picture of God the greater Go’el who protects and redeems us, the members of His family (see Ruth 3:9-12).

Grace: Receiving what we don’t deserve.

Hag ha’Matzah: The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Halakhah: are rules governing Jewish life and comes from the Hebrew root to walk. The rabbis used the term to refer to the legal way to walk out the commandments of the Torah. It can also refer to the Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law). A (one) halakhah is a specific ruling given regarding a particular issue, “the halakhah” being the ruling accepted and observed by the Jewish community.

Hametz or Chametz: The Hebrew word for leaven, or yeast, which makes bread rise. God commanded Isra’el not to eat hametz during Passover, Yeshua teaches that both good and evil spread, the same way hametz leavens the whole batch of dough (Also see 16:6-12; Mark 8:15; Luke 12:1 Exodus 12:20; Leviticus 7:13; Amos 4:5; Matthew 13:33 and 13:21).

Hanukkah: Meaning dedication, the feast commemorating the victory of the Maccabees over the armies of Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC and the rebuilding and dedication of the Temple after its desecration by Syrian invaders.

Ha’Shem: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH. Since its pronunciation is not known, and also out of respect for God’s name, Jews traditionally substitute the words ADONAI and Ha’Shem. While ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir (also see Exodus 3:15; Jeremiah 1:9; Psalm 1:2, Matthew 1:22; Mark 5:19; Luke 1:5; John 1:23).

Hellenist: In the B’rit Chadashah, it refers to Jews who lived in the Diaspora, or had moved to Isra’el from the Diaspora, spoke Greek, and were more Greek in their culture, than traditional Jewish people brought up in Isra’el (Acts 6:1, 9:29, 11:20).

Immerse: To dip the whole body under water as an act of dedication to the LORD, or as a profession of faith in Yeshua. The word is often seen in other translations as “baptize.” The ceremony of dipping is called “immersion” or “baptism.” Yeshua’s cousin was known as John the Immerser (Matthew 3:1; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20).

Imputation: To reckon or charge to one’s account. When the Spirit gives life (John 6:63a), that means that all the righteousness of Christ is transferred to your spiritual account at the moment of faith. What is true of Messiah is true of you, minus His deity.

Incarnation: The divine revelation (Hebrews 1:1-2) of YHVH becoming one with humanity as an ordinary human being in the person of Yeshua Messiah. He was one-hundred percent man and one-hundred present God. The Triune God knew that the Second Person would come to earth to be subject to numerous evils: hunger, ridicule, rejection, and death. He did this in order to negate sin, and therefore, its evil effects.

Judaizers: Jewish false teachers, who taught that obedience to the 613 commandments of the Torah were necessary to have a relationship with God, and opposed Paul at every turn. Everywhere Paul went, the Judaizers were sure to follow. Once Paul established a church in Galatia, as soon as he left, they would come in and distort the gospel of Messiah (see the commentary on Galatians Ag – Who Were the Judaizers).

Justification: The act of God whereby, negatively, He forgives the sins of believers and, positively, He declares them righteous by imputing the obedience and righteousness of Messiah to them through faith (Luke 18:9-14). It is not a reward for anything good we have done. It is not something we cooperate with God in (in other words, it is not sanctification). It is an utterly undeserved free gift of the mercy of ADONAI (Romans 3:24; Titus 3:7). It is entirely accomplished by God, once and for all, at the moment of salvation. It results in good deeds (James 2:14-26) and sanctification over our lifetime.

Kadosh: The Hebrew word for ‘holy.” This term describes the people set apart for God. ADONAI Himself is kodosh (Leviticus 19:1-2). Many letters to Christ’s newly formed communities (churches) address Yeshua’s followers as the Kedoshim (also see Jeremiah 2:3; Nehemiah 8:10; First Corinthians 1:2; Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2).

Kedoshim: The holy ones

Ketubah: In traditional Jewish weddings it is the legally binding marriage contract or covenant.

Korban: A sacrifice or offering dedicated to God, especially to fulfill a vow. If something was to be dedicated to God, it generally could not be used for other purposes. Some Pharisees and teachers of the law wrongly used this as an excuse not to provide for their parents in their old age, even though Jewish teaching insisted that the commandment to honor one’s father and mother extended to providing for their physical needs (see Mark 7:11).

Kosher: Kosher foods are those that conform to the Jewish dietary regulations of kashrut, primarily derived from Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Food that may be consumed according to halakha is termed kosher in English, from the Ashkenazi pronunciation of the Hebrew term kashér, meaning “fit”.

Levite: Descendants of the tribe of Levi, who served in the Tabernacle and Temple as gatekeepers, musicians, teachers, and assistants to the priests. The scribes, or Torah-teachers, originally came only from among the Levites and were the forerunners of the Pharisees. The Pharisees later expanded to include members who were from all tribes, with no affiliation with Levi required. (Also see Exodus 4:14; Ezeki’el 48:12; Ezra 1:5; John 1:19).

LORD: When the translators of the King James Bible in the 1600’s came to the Hebrew word YHVH, they needed to distinguish it from the word Lord, meaning master. So, they capitalized it. Therefore, LORD is actually the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of YHVH.

LXX (Septuagint): The “official” Greek translation of the TaNaKh, dating from the third century BC through the fourth century AD. The original translation was of the Torah (the five books of Moshe), which the Letter of Aristeas records was allegedly made by seventy Jewish scholars in Alexandria (Egypt) from which it gained its name (Septuaginta). It is commonly referred to by the abbreviation, LXX (70).

Malki-Tzedek: Melchizedek.

Mashiach (Hebrew): Messiah, the Anointed One (Matthew 26:63; Mark 1:1; John 20:31).

Matzah (singular) or Matzot (plural): Unleavened bread, which is made without yeast, eaten especially during the feast of Passover. Also see hametz (also see Exodus 13:6; Leviticus 2:5; Ezeki’el 45:21; Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:22; Luke 22:19; John 13:26).

Masoretic Text: The official text of the TaNaKh edited by the Massoretes, or Jewish grammarians, during the sixth to tenth centuries AD. This text is “pointed” with various vowel signs and accents which were lacking in the previous texts.

M’chitzah, the: The middle wall of separation (see the commentary on Acts Cn – Paul’s Advice from Jacob and the Elders at Jerusalem).

Megillah (singular) or Megillot (plural): The five books in the Writings used for special readings during the holidays: Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther.

Menorah (singular) or Menorot (plural): The seven branched lampstand(s) designed and commanded by God for service in the Tabernacle/Temple (Exodus 25:32; First Kings 7:49; Zechariah 4:2).

Mercy: Not getting what we deserve.

Messiah (Greek): Christ, the Anointed One, often used in speaking of a Redeemer sent from God to free His people from exile and oppression (also see Matthew 1:16; Mark 8:29; Luke 2:11 and John 1:41).

Midrash (singular) or Midrashim (plural): allegorical interpretation or application of a text. The listener is expected to understand that the writer of the midrash is not expounding the plain meaning of the text, but introducing his own ideas.

Mikveh: a bath or pool with a flow of fresh water; used in Orthodox Judaism to this day for ritual purification or ceremonial cleansing, performed at various times in a person’s life (see Matthew 3:13 and Titus 3:5).

Mitzvah (singular) or mitzvot (plural): A commandment from God. Another, more modern, meaning is “a good deed,” more broadly, a general principle for living (Deuteronomy 11:22; Second Kings 17:37; Proverbs 6:20; Matthew 26:10; Mark 14:6).

Moshe: Moses.

Olam haba: “The age to come,” or “the world to come.” It describes a time after the world is perfected under the rulership of Messiah. This term also refers to the afterlife, where the soul passes after death. It can be contrasted with olam ha-zeh, “this world” (Matthew 12:32; Mark 10:30; Luke 18:30 and 20:35; Ephesians 1:21; Hebrews 6:5; Revelation 20-21).

Omer: Meaning “sheaf,” the bundle of barley used in the Firstfruits offering. After the Temple period it came to be identified with Sefirat ha’Omer, or the counting of the omer, the counting of the days from Firstfruits to Shavu’ot.

Pesach: Passover. The Jewish festival commemorating deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In Biblical times Jews used to journey to the Temple, sacrifice lambs there, and eat a special meal commemorating the departure of the Jews from slavery in Egypt. It was one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. Today, Passover is celebrated at home with a special meal called a seder. Yeshua celebrated Passover with His apostles (Matthew 26:18; Mark 14:12; Luke 22:7; John 13:1).

Pharisees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. The Pharisees had their own views of how exactly to keep Torah. They were especially concerned with ritual impurity and (unlike the Sadducees) they believed in the resurrection of the dead. While the Sadducees were more involved with the Temple, the Pharisees were concerned more with home and synagogue life.

Propitiation: The averting of God’s wrath by means of the substitutionary and efficacious (producing the desired effect) sacrifice (death) of Yeshua Messiah (the atonement). It is the work of Messiah that satisfies every claim of God’s holiness and justice so that Ha’Shem is free to act on behalf of sinners.

Proselytes at the Gate: There were three levels of Gentile relationship to Judaism. After God-fearers and proselytes of the Gate were the second level. The Gate was the middle wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14) in the Temple compound that Gentiles were not allowed to go beyond under penalty of death (see the commentary on Acts Bb – An Ethiopian Asks about Isaiah 53). These were Gentiles who adopted many Jewish practices like celebrating Shabbat and the feast of Isra’el, but did not become a full proselyte. Most of these were men because it didn’t require circumcision.

Proselytes of the Covenant: In the third level of Gentile relationship to Judaism (see above), there were proselytes of the Covenant. They entered into the Covenant of Sinai as a full Jew, so to speak. Most of these were women because this level required circumcision.

Purim: Meaning “lots,” is the holiday based on the story of Esther.

Qumran: The documents which were discovered at Khirbet Qumran on the Dead Sea and frequently known as the Dead Sea Scrolls. These texts include partial copies and fragments of most of the biblical books (the only whole copy is Isaiah), apocryphal writings such as Enoch, and texts produced by the community itself (the manual of Discipline and the Thanksgiving Hymns). The texts are referred to according to the number of the cave in which they were discovered (for example, 1Qs [Community Rule], 11Q Temp [Temple Scroll]).

Rasheet: One of several names for the Festival of First Fruits.

Redeemed: Setting free from slavery, buying back something lost, for a price.

Righteous of the TaNaKh: Old Testament believers.

Rosh Ha’Shanah: Hebrew for “Head of the Year.” Known as the Jewish New Year, or the Feast of Trumpets.

Ruach: The Hebrew word for “spirit,” “breath,” or “wind.” Yeshua explains wind and Spirit to Nicodemus in John 3:5-8. Scripture frequently refers to the Ruach ha’Kodesh, the Holy Spirit (Exodus 35:31; Numbers 11:25; Malachi 2:15; Acts 2:2 and 10:44; Romans 8:4-17).

Ruach Ha’Kodesh: The Hebrew name for the Spirit of God, or the Holy Spirit (Isaiah 63:11; Psalm 51:13; Matthew 1:20; Mark 1:8; Luke 1:16; John 14:26).

Sadducees: One of the sects of Judaism in the first century. From the Sadducees came the leading priests who managed the affairs of the Temple. In contrast to the Pharisees, they did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 16:12; Mark 12:18; Luke 20:27).

Sanhedrin: Literally, the gathering of the seated, like being a judge seated on a bench – a legal term for an officiating judge. This was the Supreme Court of ancient Isra’el. It exercised legislative and judicial authority (Matthew 26:59; Mark 15:1; Luke 22:66; John 11:47).

Sanctification: To be set apart, specifically, to the holy use and purposes of God. It is a process that takes a whole lifetime. It is the work of God in which you cooperate (Romans 12:1-2; First Corinthians 10:13; Hebrews 12:3-4; First Peter 5:8-9); and is a process Ephesians 4:11-16), trusting in God, apart from whom we can do nothing (John 15:5; Ephesians 3:16; Colossians 1:11; Hebrews 2:18 and 4:14). He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus (Phil 1:6).

Septuagint: The Septuagint is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures and was presumable made for the Jewish community in Egypt when Greek was the common language throughout the region. It is also called the translation of the Seventy because tradition states that the Septuagint was translated by seventy rabbis. In academia, the Septuagint is often abbreviated as LXX (the Roman numeral for seventy) in honor os this translation.

Shabbat: The Sabbath Day, the seventh day of the week, when work ceases. On this day God’s people are beckoned to rest and renew our relationship with our Creator, who also rested on the seventh day. Shabbat begins on Friday evening at sundown and ends Saturday evening after three stars appear (Exodus 20:10; Nehemiah 9:14; Matthew 12:10; Mark 1:21; Luke 23:56; John 9:14).

Shaddai: A common name for God in the TaNaKh, usually translated as Almighty. The name is often used in a combination such as El Shaddai, or God Almighty (Genesis 17:1; Ezeki’el 1:24; Job 11:7).

Shalom: Shalom speaks of the practical result of God’s grace in our lives. Peace is the usual Hebrew greeting. But the Hebrew shalom means more than “peace” does in English. It doesn’t necessarily mean the absence of strife, but the presence of positive blessings. It implies the prosperity of the whole person, especially his spiritual prosperity. Shalom transcends our circumstances and is anchored in our intimate relationship with ADONAI. That is God’s shalom, which passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7a). It is also a greeting used when meeting or departing (Genesis 26:31; First Samuel 16:4; Second Chronicles 18:16; Matthew 10:13; Mark 9:50; Luke 1:28; John 14:27).

Sh’khinah: The visual manifestation of the glory of God.

Shavu’ot: the festival of Weeks (Hebrew) or Pentecost (Greek), since it comes seven weeks after Pesach; also called Pentecost, from the Greek word for fifty because one counts fifty days after Passover. It is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim. It originally celebrated the harvest, but later commemorated the day God gave the Torah to Isra’el. After Yeshua’s resurrection, the disciples waited for God’s gift of the Ruach Ha’Kodesh, which also came on Shavu’ot (Exodus 34:22; Second Chronicles 8:13; Acts 2:1 and 20:16; First Corinthians 16:8).

Sh’ol: The Hebrew equivalent of the Greek “Hades,” the place where the dead exist. It had two compartments, a place of torment and paradise, separated by a great divide (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Hx – The Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus). Paradise was emptied after Messiah preached to the tormented lost sometime during the three days that His body lay in the tomb, and then He led the righteous of the TaNaKh to heaven.

Shofar: A ram’s horn, used in the Bible for summoning armies, calling to repentance, and in other situations. Blasts of various lengths and numbers signified different instructions. Metal trumpets were also used for similar purposes, but exclusively by the cohanim. Today, the shofar is used on Rosh ha’Shanah of Yom Kippur, the Jewish High Holy Days. The shofar also ushers in the Year of Jubilee (Leviticus 25:9-10; Zechariah 9:14; Matthew 24:31; First Corinthians 15:52; First Thessalonians 4:16-17).

Sinai: the mountain in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el.

Shuwb: turn, turning, and the big idea of Jeremiah.

Son of Man: A name that Yeshua commonly used to refer to Himself. It comes from Dani’el 7:13-14, in which the Son of Man is given all authority. This name sometimes emphasizes Yeshua’s humanity and sometimes His deity (Matthew 9:6; Mark 9:31; Luke 21:36; John 6:27).

Sukkot: the festival of Booths or Tabernacles, celebrating the forty years when the people of Isra’el lived in booths, tents, shacks, in the desert between Egypt and the land of Isra’el. The Hebrew word sukkah means booth and sukkot is the plural and means booths. Sukkot is one of the three “pilgrimage festivals” that all able-bodied Jews were expected to celebrate before YHVH in Yerushalayim (Leviticus 23:34; Zechariah 14:16; Second Chronicles 8:13; Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33).

Synagogue: A place of assembly for Jews for hearing the Torah, praying and worshipping God. There were many synagogues throughout Isra’el and the Greco-Roman world (Matthew 4:23; Mark 5:22; Luke 4:16; John 9:22).

Tabernacle, the: A temporary dwelling, such as the booths constructed during Sukkot. It is also used in the TaNaKh of the tent in which God dwelt among the Jewish people, both in the wilderness and in the land of Isra’el. When the word is used as a verb, it refers to Yeshua coming to dwell among His people (John 1:14), reminding us of the wilderness Tabernacle and also of the Feast of Tabernacles (Exodus 25:9; First Chronicles 6:17; John 1:14 and 7:2).

Talmid (singular) or Talmudin (plural): Student or students.

Talmud: The codified body of Jewish Oral Law (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Ei – The Oral Law); includes literary creations, legends, scriptural interpretations, comprised of the Mishnah and the Gemara.

TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T for “Torah”, N for “Nevi’im” (Prophets), and K for “Ketuv’im” (Sacred Writings). It is a collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. This term is used instead of the phrase, “the Old Testament,” which sounds “old” and outdated.

Torah: Literally, this Hebrew word means teaching or instruction (Exodus 13:9; Isaiah 2:3; Psalm 1:2; Matthew 5:17; Mark 1:22; Luke 24:44; John 7:19; Romans 7:1ff; First Corinthians 9:20-21; Galatians 3:21). It can be used for the five books of Moshe, or more generally to God’s commandments, or the whole TaNaKh (John 10:34). Uncapitalized, torah can be understood generally as a law or principle (Romans 7:21-8:2).

Torah-Teacher: A Torah scribe engaged in interpreting and transmitting the Torah. They wrote Torah scrolls, bills of divorce, and other legal documents. The Hebrew term is sofer.

Tree of Life: The tree at the center of the garden of Eden (Genesis 2:9, 3:24), the source of eternal life. Scripture points to a future in the B’rit Chadashah, with access to the Tree of Life. In the meantime, the Torah is like the Tree of Life to those who embrace her, and blessed will be all who hold firmly to her (Proverbs 3:18 also see Revelation 2:7, 22:2 and 14).

Tzitzit: A fringe that was put on a garment in accordance with Numbers 15:37-41.

Tziyon: Zion, Mount Zion, was originally the City of David, south of the modern Old City of Yerushalayim. Later the name Tziyon came to refer metaphorically to the Temple Mount, Jerusalem, or the people of Isra’el. The hill now called Mount Tziyon was given its name in the fourth century AD (Isaiah 1:27; Psalm 65:2; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

Yeshua: The Hebrew name for our Messiah, known in English as Jesus, and is a masculine form, and a word play on yeshu’ah (salvation) (Matthew 1:21; Mark 6:14; Luke 2:21; John 19:19).

Yerushalayim: Jerusalem.

Y’hudah: Judah.

YHVH: The Tetragrammaton, meaning the Name, the four-letter name of God. Therefore, God does not have many names, He has only one name – YHVH (Yud Hay Vav Hay). All the other names in the Bible describe His characteristics and His attributes.

Yisra’el: Isra’el.

Yochanan: John.

Yom ha’Bikkurim: One of several names for The Feast of Firstfruits.

Yom Kippur: The Day of Atonement, the close of the High Holy Days, and considered the holiest day of the year in traditional Judaism.

The Life of Solomon
from a Messianic Jewish Perspective

To Rabbi Barney Kasdan of Kehilat Ariel Messianic Synagogue in San Diego, California. Faithful shepherd of his flock and great teacher of the Word. He makes the Scriptures come alive and has the true heart of a servant.

As an ancient document, the Old Testament often seems something quite foreign to the men and women of today. Opening its pages may feel, to the modern reader, like traveling a kind of literary time warp into a whole other world. In that world, sisters and brothers marry, long hair mysteriously makes men superhuman, the Temple altars daily smell of savory burning flesh and sweet incense. There, desert bushes burn but leave no ashes, water gushes from rocks, and cities fall because people march around them. A different world indeed!

Even God, the main character in the Old Testament, seems a stranger compared to His more familiar New Testament counterpart. Sometimes the divine is portrayed as a loving father and faithful friend, someone who rescues people from their greatest dangers or generously rewards them for heroic deeds. At other times, however, God resembles more of a cruel despot, one furious at human failures, raving against enemies and bloodthirsty for revenge. Thus, skittish about the Old Testament’s diverse portrayal of God, some readers carefully select which portions of the Bible to study, or they just avoid the Old Testament altogether.¹

Even some preachers find it difficult to construct sermons from Old Testament texts. Misconceptions about Old Testament history, such as its supposedly boring, non-theological nature, cause Gentile believers to question the book’s value for devotional reading. Not only that, believers from all walks of life doubt the practicality of studying events that occurred three thousand years ago. Even diligent Bible students may get discouraged trying to fit the kings, foreign enemies, and relevant dates into a coherent whole.

But these barriers can be overcome. Pastors can, and should, prepare doctrinally sound, relevant messages from Kings, Ecclesiastes, and Chronicles. They should teach and preach through books of the Old Testament. Believers can, and should, glean important insights for daily living and dealing with the stresses of this world. Historical situations such as war, poverty, political corruption, and oppression are just as relevant today as they were in ancient times. Likewise, faithfulness, loyalty, and obedience remain marks of God’s people. Also, crucial Biblical doctrines like God’s sovereignty, redemption, wrath and love permeate these books.² My hope is that your walk with God will be just as blessed by reading this commentary as mine has been in writing it.

First Kings:

Author: Though it is obvious that the author utilized various source materials in writing First and Second Kings, the book bears the marks of single rather than multiple authors. Some of the indicators are the choice of materials recorded (for example, the records of the deeds and evaluations of the kings, and the ministries of several prophets), the emphases which run throughout the books (for example, the ministries of the prophets and the evaluation of the kings in relation to the Torah, and the primacy of the Davidic dynasty), the method of expressing the beginnings and endings of the kings’ reigns (for example, First Kings 14:31, 15:1-3 and 23-26), and phrases and terms that reappear from beginning to end (for example, now the rest of the act are . . . are they not written . . . evil in the sight of ADONAI . . . he reigned . . . years and his mother’s name was . . . as surely as ADONAI lives).³

The identity of the author is unknown. But according to the Talmud (B. Bat. 15a), he was the prophet Jeremiah. This is not accepted by modern scholars who contend that events which took place in Babylon after Jeremiah’s death are recorded in the books of Kings. But what can be safely said is that the majority of the book bears the markings of one author, who, as an eyewitness of the Jewish nation’s final demise, was concerned to show the divine reasons for that fall. In doing so, he utilized many sources, weaving the details together to graphically show Isra’el’s failure to keep the covenant.⁴

Date: The book of Kings was originally written on one scroll. Today’s division into First and Second Kings is merely an arbitrary point marking the middle of the narrative. First Kings begins at the end of David’s reign, which would be in 970 BC. And the last event mentioned in Second Kings is the release of Jehoicachin (or Jeconiah) from a Babylonian prison in the thirty-seventh year of his exile, which would make it 562 BC or 561 BC. There is no mention of a return to the Land in 536 BC (as is the case with the books of the Chronicles), so it would have to have been written sometime between the year 562/561 BC and 536 BC, with the date of 550 BC probably the best guess.

Character and aim: The books of Kings continue the history of the monarchy, begun in the books of Samuel, down to the Babylonian captivity. They tell how God’s promise to David of a continuous succession was fulfilled in the life of his son Solomon and his successors. It persists through the books to their end where there is a record of the surviving prine of the Davidic line, though a captive in Babylon.

The books of First and Second Kings dwell on three institutions which symbolize the Presence of God among His people: the Temple, prophecy, and the Davidic dynasty. The omission of any one of them would negate the promise of ADONAI to David, thus endangering the peace and existence of the nation. The dominant purpose of the narratives is religious instruction. The historical records are but the vehicle of the moral and spiritual truths which are conveyed to the reader.

The account of the rise and fall of Solomon drives home in an impressive manner, the lesson that so long as we walk the path of righteousness all is well; but no sooner do we yield to the flesh and go our own way that we become subject to God’s discipline. This is true of the king as well as his subjects. The sinfulness of idolatry in all its forms, the duty of wholehearted devotion to ADONAI are fully illustrated, and, as with the individual, a people’s obedience to God is rewarded by national security and prosperity, while disobedience is punished by national calamity.⁵

Ecclesiastes:

Author: Our guide on this journey in Ecclesiastes is called Qoheleth, or as we know him in English, the Teacher. Before we go any further it is important to clarify this man’s identity. The Hebrew root of the word qoheleth literally means to gather or assemble. Some take this as a reference to the way the author collected wise sayings. But in the TaNaKh the verbal form of this word typically refers to gathering a community of people, especially for the worship of ADONAI. So think of Qoheleth as a teacher speaking wisdom to the people of God.

The Church has long identified Solomon as the Teacher of Ecclesiates. According to this point of view, the old king looked back over his life, particularly the period after his apostasy from ADONAI (to see link click Bx – Solomon’s Wives), repented of his wicked ways and turned back to YHVH. A surface reading of the text supports this identification: The words of Qoheleth, son of David, king in Jerusalem (Ecclesiastes 1:1). These words seem most naturally to point to Solomon, the biological son of King David, who was a king living in Jerusalem, and who ruled the kingdom after his father. Ecclesiastes, then, is his memoir, or last testament, in which he tells us what he learned form his hopeless attempt to live without God.⁶

In the autobiographical section (see Cd – The Search for Satisfaction) he said he was wiser than anyone who had ruled over Jerusalem before him (Ecclesiastes 1:16), that he was the builder of great projects (2:4-6), and that he possessed numerous slaves (2:7), incomparable herds of sheep and cattle (2:7), great wealth (2:8), and a large harem (2:8). In short, he claimed to be greater than anyone who lived in Jerusalem before him (2:9). Given that understanding, only Solomon could have been the author of Ecclesiastes, even though his name is never explicitly used in the book.⁷

As the Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the TaNaKh (published in 1861) says: The epilogue (see Cy – The Conclusion of the Matter), written from the same hand as the book, seals its truth: Ecclesiastes is written as from the very soul of Solomon. The Midrash regards it as written by Solomon in the evening of his days; while the Song of Solomon was written in his youth, and Proverbs when he was of middle age. And the Soncino Commentary on Ecclesiastes (1947) also assumes the author is Solomon. Bloch, in his work on the origin and era of Ecclesiastes (1872), is right in saying that all objections to the canonicity of the book leave the Solomonic authorship without doubt.⁸ Therefore, both historically and currently, Jews believe that Solomon was the author of Ecclesiastes.

A common mistake interpreters make is to take Solomon’s comments as incorrect conclusions about life made by a man who was out of fellowship with God. On the contrary, the teachings of Ecclesiastes are not of an unscriptural nature, but rather insights and counsel from a man who observed some of the frustrating characteristics of life in this world. Even though believers began enjoying the indwelling of the Spirit of God after Shavu’ot, that reality does not remove the fact that many of life’s experiences remain a mystery and many people experience frustrations similar to Solomon’s.⁹

Title: Ecclesiastes comes from Greek, not Hebrew. It is a form of the word ekklesia, which is the common word in the B’rit Chadashah for “church.” Taken most literally, Ecclesiastes means one who speaks to the congregation – in a word the Teacher.

Date: Life in this world does not fundamentally change, and we do not need a date for Ecclesiastes in order to receive its message. It is part of the genius of the Teacher’s thought that it stands on its own feet at any time or at any place. The book, in fact, provides few clues to its date, language, or possible dependence on foreign thought.¹⁰

Why Ecclesiastes: There are several good reasons to study Ecclesiastes. This book helps us ask the biggest and hardest questions that people still have today – questions that lie in a fallen world: What is the meaning of life? Why is there so much suffering and injustice? Does God even care? Is life really worth living? The writer asks the tough intellectual and practical questions that people always have, and he is not satisfied with the easy answers that children usually get. In fact, part of his spiritual struggle is with the answers he has always been given. If you are the kind of person who always says, “Yes, but . . .”, then this book is for you.

Here is another reason to study Ecclesiastes: it helps us worship the one true God. For all its doubts and dissatisfaction, this book teaches many great truths about ADONAI. It presents Him as the Mighty Creator and Sovereign LORD, the all-powerful Ruler of the universe, the only wise God. So reading this book will help you get to know Him better.

Ecclesiastes will also help you live with God and not only ourselves. Solomon had more money, enjoyed more pleasure, and possessed more wisdom than anyone else in the world, yet it all ended in tears. The same thing could happen to us, but it doesn’t have to. “Why make your own mistakes,” Solomon is constantly saying to us, “when you can learn from an expert like me instead?” Then he helps us with everyday issues such as money, sex, power and death, which may be the most practical issue of all. Solomon had it all, but discovering that “having it all” nearly destroyed him. Fortunately for us, when he “climbs the golden ladder of ultimate success and looks over the brink, he actually has the good sense to step back down, and tell the rest of us, “There’s nothing up there!”

Finally, Ecclesiastes also helps us to be honest about the troubles of life. Perhaps this explains why some call it “the truest of all books.” More than anything else in the Bible, it captures the futility and frustration of a fallen world: the drudgery of work, the emptiness of foolish pleasure and the mind-numbing tedium of everyday life. Reading it helps us to be honest with God about our problems – even those of us who trust in the goodness of ADONAI. It is a “kind of back door” that allows believers to have the sad and skeptical thoughts that they would never allow to enter the front door of their faith.”¹¹

Chronicles:

Date and Author: The books of Chronicles, which are actually a single work only artificially divided in two, are of unknown authorship. Early Jewish traditions designated Ezra as the author of Chronicles. But we will refer to the author as “the Chronicler” in this devotional commentary. The date is generally, but not precisely, known. The final two verses of Second Chronicles show that the perspective of the whole work is that of a time later than the Babylonian Exile, in other words, after 539 BC. This means that it probably belongs in the period between that year and 331 BC during which the Persian Empire exercised sovereignty over what was then the rather small and politically weakened province of Judah, the sole remnant of Isra’el with its once mighty royal house. This places Chronicles somewhere in the fourth century BC. It’s position roughly in the middle of the English Old Testament disguises that fact. The TaNaKh, however, places it last.¹²

A sermon: What seems at first glance to be a casual re-telling of Samuel/Kings turns out to be something quite different. Indeed, there are considerable differences between the two histories. Under the inspiration of the Ruach, the Chronicler writes history of an unprecedented sweep, going back to the very beginning of mankind; and where he does cover the same ground as Samuel/Kings, he uses those books as a source, but with great freedom, adding quite as much as he omits. So although he may seem in some ways an unattractive writer, with a number of bees in his bonnet, eccentric ideas as to what is important and interesting, and a tendency to exaggerate, he can at any rate be seen as a helpful provider of extra information about the history of God’s people.

But this neglected book deserves a better rehabilitation than that. It is more than merely an alternative history. It is a sermon. Its object is the fostering of a right relationship between God and His people. It sees in the records of Isra’el the great overall pattern of failure and judgment, then grace and restoration, with a perceptive eye to those events in the nation’s history which highlight that pattern.

The last book of the TaNaKh: A reader new to Chronicles might see it wrongly as a valley of dry bones, as alternative history, as popular morality, or as inventive story-telling. It is unlikely that he would see it as the last book of the TaNaKh! Unless, that is, he was reading in Hebrew – for then he would find it right at the end – it closes the canon of the Hebrew scriptures. There is no agreement as to why it stands in that position; but it seems a fitting one. The Chronicler’s selectivity is not unlike that of the writer of the last book of the Gospels, reflecting on innumerable memories of the earthly life of Messiah, and making a new selection from them to teach in a new way, old fundamental truths. Similarly, the way the Chronicler summarizes such truths, teaching nothing which could not be found elsewhere in Scripture, yet teaching with a sense of vividness, contrast and drama which are all his own, must bring to our memory the last book of the B’rit Chadashsh. Like John and Revelation, Chronicles rounds off an entire major section of Scripture. The countless people that our writer has named and chronicled for us are not dry bones; they are part of the army of the living God. They were real, and they make real for us truth by which God’s people in every generation are to live.¹³

The Use of the Complete Jewish Bible: Because I am writing this commentary on the book of Second Corinthians from a Jewish perspective, I will be using the Complete Jewish Bible unless otherwise indicated.

The use of ADONAI: Long before Yeshua’s day, the word ADONAI had, out of respect, been substituted in speaking and in reading aloud for God’s personal name, the four Hebrew letters yod-heh-vav-heh, variously written in English as YHVH. The Talmud (Pesachim 50a) made it a requirement not to pronounce the Tetragrammaton, meaning the four-letter name of the LORD, and this remains the rule in most modern Jewish settings. In deference to this tradition, which is unnecessary but harmless, I will be using ADONAI where YHVH is meant. In ancient times when the scribes were translating the Hebrew Scriptures, they revered the name of YHVH so much that they would use a quill to make one stroke of the name and then throw it away. Then they would make another stroke and throw that quill away until the name was completed. His name became so sacred to them that they started to substitute the phrase the Name, instead of writing or pronouncing His Name. Over centuries of doing this, the actual letters and pronunciation of His Name were lost. The closest we can come is YHVH, with no syllables. The pronunciation has been totally lost. Therefore, the name Yahweh is only a guess of what the original name sounded like. Both ADONAI and Ha’Shem are substitute names for YHVH. ADONAI is more of an affectionate name like daddy, while Ha’Shem is a more formal name like sir.

The use of TaNaKh: The Hebrew word TaNaKh is an acronym, based on the letters T (for “Torah”), N (for “Nevi’im,” the Prophets), and K (for “Ketuvim,” the Sacred Writings). It is the collection of the teachings of God to human beings in document form. The term “Old Covenant” implies that it is no longer valid, or at the very least outdated. Something old, to be either ignored or discarded. But Jesus Himself said: Don’t think I have come to abolish the Torah and the Prophets, I have not come to abolish but to complete (Matthew 5:17 CJB). I will be using the Hebrew acronym TaNaKh instead of the phrase the Old Testament, throughout this devotional commentary.

The Use of the phrase, “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than using Old Testament saints: Messianic synagogues, and the Jewish messianic community in general, never use the phrase Old Testament saints. From a Jewish perspective, they prefer to use the phrase, “righteous of the TaNaKh.” Therefore, I will be using “the righteous of the TaNaKh,” rather than Old Testament saints throughout this devotional commentary.

The Outline for the Life of Solomon

The Life of Solomon from a Messianic Jewish Perspective (Ac)

Glossary (Ad)

The Chronology of First and Second Kings (Ae)

The Political Situation in First and Second Kings (Af)

What is the Difference between Kings and Chronicles? (Ag)

The Message of Ecclesiastes (Ah)

I. King Solomon: Money, Sex, and Power – First Kings 1:1 to 11:43 (Ai)

A. Solomon’s Rise to Power – First Kings 1:1-53 (Aj)

1. King Me – First Kings 1:1-10 (Ak)

2. A Royal Conspiracy – First Kings 1:11-31 (Al)

3. The Party’s Over – First Kings 1:32-53; First Chronicles 29:21-25 (Am)

B. Solomon’s Consolidation of Power – First Kings 2:1-46 (An)

1. David’s Last Words – First Kings 2:1-11; First Chronicles 29:26-30 (Ao)

2. Putting the Kingdom First – First Kings 2:12-46 (Ap)

C. Solomon Asks for Wisdom – First Kings 3:1-28 (Aq)

1. Historical Issues Related to First Kings 3:1 to 4:34 (Ar)

2. Solomon’s Wish – First Kings 3:1-15; 2 Chronicles 1:1-13 (As)

3. A Wise Ruling – First Kings 3:16-28 (At)

D. Solomon’s Kingdom – First Kings 4:1-28 (Au)

E. Solomon’s Wisdom – First Kings 4:29-34 (Av)

F. Practical Applications from First Kings 3:1 to 4:34 (Aw)

G. Solomon’s Temple – First Kings 5:1 to 7:51 and Second Chronicles 2:1-18 (Ax)

1. Historical Events Related to First Kings 5:1 to 9:9 (Ay)

2. Materials and Labor for the Temple – First Kings 5:1-18; 2 Chronicles 2:1-18 (Az)

3. This New House – First Kings 6:1-14; Second Chronicles 3:1-17 (Ba)

4. Inside Solomon’s Temple – First Kings 6:15-38 (Bb)

5. God’s House – First Kings 7:13-51; Second Chronicles 4:1 to 5:1 (Bc)

a. Hiram, a Master Craftsman – First Kings 7:13-14; Second Chronicles 4:1 (Bd)

b. Two Bronze Pillars – First Kings 7:15-22 (Be)

c. The Bronze Sea – First Kings 7:23-26 and Second Chronicles 4:2-5 (Bf)

d. Ten Mobile Bronze Wash-Carts – First Kings 7:27-39; 2 Chronicles 4:6 (Bg)

e. The Summary of Hiram’s Work – First Kings 7:40-47; Second Chron 4:11-18 (Bh)

f. The Gold Furniture in the Temple– First Kings 7:48-51; 2 Chronicles 4:7-10 (Bi)

H. The Ark Brought to the Temple – First Kings 8:1-11 and Second Chron 5:2-14 (Bj)

I. Solomon’s Prayer – First Kings 8:12-66 and Second Chronicles 6:1 to 7:10 (Bk)

1. Solomon’s Blessing – First Kings 8:12-21 and Second Chronicles 6:1-11 (Bl)

2. Solomon’s Prayer of Dedication – First Kings 8:22-30; 2 Chronicles 6:12-21 (Bm)

3. Solomon’s Prayer of Intercession – 1 Kings 8:31-53; Second Chronicles 6:22-42 (Bn)

4. Fire from Heaven – First Kings 8:54-66 and Second Chronicles 7:1-10 (Bo)

6. His Love Endures Forever – Psalm 136:1-26 (Bp)

J. Solomon Builds His Palace – First Kings 7:1-12 (Bq)

K. Solomon’s Choice – First Kings 9:1-28 and Second Chronicles 7:11-22, 8:1-18 (Br)

L. Historical Details Related to First Kings 9:10 to 11:43 (Bs)

M. Practical Application from First Kings 9:10 to 11:43 (Bt)

N. Solomon and the Queen of Sheba – First Kings 10:1-13; Second Chronicles 9:1-12 (Bu)

O. Solomon’s Treasure – First Kings 10:14-29; Second Chronicles 1:14-17 and 9:13-28 (Bv)

P. Solomon’s Decline – First Kings 11:1-42 (Bw)

1. Solomon’s Wives – First Kings 11:1-13 (Bx)

2. The Fall of the House of David – First Kings 11:14-25 (By)

3. The First Prophecy of Ahijah – First Kings 11:26-40 (Bz)

4. Solomon’s Death – First Kings 11:41-43 and Second Chronicles 9:29-31 (Ca)

II. Ecclesiastes: Finding Joy within the Frustrations of Life – 1:1 to 12:14 (Cb)

A. The Failure of Earthly Things – Ecclesiastes 1:1-11 (Cc)

B. The Search for Satisfaction – Ecclesiastes 1:12 to 2:26 (Cd)

1. Wisdom is Pointless – Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 (Ce)

2. Pleasure is Pointless – Ecclesiastes 2:1-11 (Cf)

3. Death Renders Wisdom and Folly Pointless – Ecclesiastes 2:12-17 (Cg)

4. Work is Pointless – Ecclesiastes 2:18-23(Ch)

5. The Life of Faith – Ecclesiastes 2:24-26 (Ci)

C. All in Good Time – Ecclesiastes – 3:1-15 (Cj)

D. Death and Injustice – Ecclesiastes – 3:16 to 4:3 (Ck)

E. The Rat Race – Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 (Cl)

F. The First Summary: A Backward Glance Over Ecclesiastes 1:1 to 4:8 (Cm)

G. Interlude: Some Reflections, Maxims and Home Truths – Ecclesiastes 4:9 to 5:12 (Cn)

H. The Bitterness of Disappointment – Ecclesiastes 5:13 to 6:12 (Co)

I. A Second Summary: A Backward Glance Over Ecclesiastes 4:9 to 6:12 (Cp)

J. Interlude: More Reflections, Maxims and Home Truths – Ecclesiastes 7:1-12 (Cq)

K. The Crook in the Lot – Ecclesiastes 7:13-22 (Cr)

L. The Search Goes On – Ecclesiastes 7:23-29 (Cs)

M. Frustration – Ecclesiastes 8:1-17 (Ct)

N. Love or Hate? – Ecclesiastes 9:1-18 (Cu)

O. A Third Summary: A Backward Glance Over Ecclesiastes 7:1 to 9:18 (Cv)

P. Interlude: Be Sensible – Ecclesiastes 10:1-20 (Cw)

Q. Work Diligently, Live Joyfully and Responsibly – Ecclesiastes 11:1 to 12:8 (Cx)

R. The Conclusion of the Matter – Ecclesiastes 12:9-14 (Cy)

III. The Divided Kingdom: The Rise of Idolatry – 1 Kgs 12:1 to 16:34; 2 Chron 10:1 to 17:1 (Cz)

A. Historical Details Related to First Kings 12:1 to 16:34 (Da)

B. The Personal Implications of 1 Kings 12:1 to 16:34 and 2 Chronicles 10:1 to 17:1 (Db)

C. A House Divided – First Kings 12:1-24 and Second Chronicles 10:1 to 11:4 (Dc)

D. Golden Calves at Dan and Bethel – First Kings 12:25-33 (Dd)

E. Rehoboam Fortifies Judah – Second Chronicles 11:5-23 (De)

E. A Tale of Two Prophets – First Kings 13:1-34 (Df)

F. The Second Prophecy of Ahijah – First Kings 14:1-20 (Dg)

G. The Kings of Judah – First Kings 14:21 to 15:29; Second Chronicles 12:1 to 17:1 (Dh)

1. Rehoboam King of Judah – First Kings 14:21-31 and Second Chronicles 12:1-16 (Di)

2. Abijah King of Judah – First Kings 15:1-8 and Second Chronicles 13:1 to 14:1 (Dj)

3. Asa’s Reforms – Second Chronicles 15:9-19 and 2 Chronicles 14:2-15 (Dk)

4. Asa’s Spiritual Compromise – Second Chronicles 15:16 to 16:14 (Dl)

5. Jehoshaphat King of Judah – First Kings 22:41-50; Second Chronicles 17:1-19 (Dm)

H. The Kings of Isra’el – First Kings 15:25 to 16:34 (Dn)

1. Nadab King of Isra’el – First Kings 15:25-33 (Do)

2. Baasha King of Isra’el – First Kings 15:33 to 16:7 (Dp)

3. Elah King of Isra’el – First Kings 16:8-10 (Dq)

4. Zimri King of Isra’el – First Kings 16:11-20 (Dr)

5. Omri King of Isra’el – First Kings 16:21-28 (Ds)

6. Ahab King of Isra’el – First Kings 16:29-34, 22:1-28; Second Chronicles 18:1-34 (Dt)

End Notes (Du)

Bibliography (Dv)