Reading: I Kings 2:26-4
And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. And the Lord shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the Lord (I Kings 2:31-33). So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon(I Kings 2:46).
Saul, the first king of Israel, spent his entire reign attempting to establish Israel’s place amongst the neighboring kingdoms. From the moment he took his place on the inaugural throne, his was a kingdom of perpetual war. Saul was a man with something to prove. In the end, he died as he had lived, embracing endless battle and relying solely on his own strength to carry him through. So Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together (I Sam. 31:6).
David’s tenure as king was no less violent than Saul’s, but it was much more productive. David’s battles were waged for the glory of God, and God’s might determined the outcome. David went into battle, not as king, but as God’s humble servant. Any nation foolish enough to rise up against the Lord was summarily put down, and one by one, God’s enemies learned to respect the borders of the land of Israel (II Sam. 8:1-14). And David reigned over all Israel; and David executed judgment and justice unto all his people (8:15).
Solomon ascended to the throne of a strong, secure world power. And Solomon reigned over all kingdoms from the river unto the land of the Philistines, and unto the border of Egypt: they brought presents, and served Solomon all the days of his life (I Kings 4:21). He had no reason to fear outside trouble, so guided and bolstered by David’s specific charge, And keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself (2:3), Solomon took stock of the inner workings of his nation. He identified the trouble spots and then quickly and efficiently eliminated them. Solomon earnestly desired to keep the charge of the Lord, and those who dealt in deceit, trickery, and betrayal had no part in that charge.
When we first enter into the body of Christ, we frequently come with worldly baggage in tow. Cutting ties to our old way of life can be difficult and (often) painful, but it is an essential step to establishing stability in our new life in Christ. By naming, facing, and ‘slaying’ (removing) our temptations, we clear our path to walk in His ways and keep His statutes, His commandments, His judgments, and His testimonies.
Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice(Eph. 4:21).
Thought for Today: In practice, the leadership of God’s community is no different from any other task He appoints us; to accomplish the task, we must keep all eyes firmly on the Lord.
Christ Portrayed:Through the wisdom which God gave Solomon (I Kings 3:12). That no flesh should glory in His presence. But of Him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord (I Cor. 1:29-31).
Word Studies:2:44 is privy to = knowingly did; 3:1 made affinity = made an alliance by marriage; 3:19 overlaid it = laid on him; 3:26 her bowels yearned = she had motherly compassion; 4:6 tribute = forced labor.
Pray For Staff:Gilbert Palafox • Country: Liberia (3,989,703) in West Africa • Major Languages: English and more than 20 local languages of the Niger-Congo language group • Religious Freedom • 85.6% Christian; 12.2% Muslim; 0.6% Traditional; 0.2% Other; 1.4% None • Prayer Suggestion: Be grateful for your inheritance as a child of the King (I Pet. 1:3-4).
Optional Reading Acts 23