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Believers Should Stand Firm

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Believers Should Stand Firm

Introduction

Encouragement and assurance for believers.

Hopefully, you will be encouraged by this morning’s Bible study.

What Paul says to the Thessalonians, Scripture says to us.

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 NLT
¹³As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord. We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth. ¹⁴He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News; now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.
¹⁵With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.
¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, ¹⁷comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Examine the Scriptures:

2 Thessalonians 2:13-17 NLT

Believers Should Stand Firm

¹³As for us, we can’t help but thank God for you, dear brothers and sisters loved by the Lord.

Paul reassures the Thessalonians that they are loved by the Lord.

The Thessalonians were a source of joy to the apostles.

Believers are loved by the Lord.

Colossians 3:12 NIV
¹²Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

We are always thankful that God chose you to be among the first to experience salvation

Believers are chosen by God.

1 Thessalonians 1:4 NLT
⁴We know, dear brothers and sisters, that God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people.

—a salvation that came through the Spirit who makes you holy and through your belief in the truth.

Believers are made holy by the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit transforms believers.

The only work we do is:

John 6:29 NLT
²⁹Jesus told them, “This is the only work God wants from you: Believe in the one he has sent.”

John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

Believers are saved through belief in the truth of the scriptures.

All we need to do is believe in Christ and accept the gift that is being offered to us.

Christians are God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved.

Additional scripture:

Ephesians 1:4-5 NLT
⁴Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.
⁵God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure.

Romans 9:15-16 NLT
¹⁵For God said to Moses,
“I will show mercy to anyone I choose,
and I will show compassion to anyone I choose.”
¹⁶So it is God who decides to show mercy. We can neither choose it nor work for it.

Colossians 1:11-14 NLT
¹¹We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, ¹²always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. ¹³For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, ¹⁴who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.

¹⁴He called you to salvation when we told you the Good News;

God calls people through the gospel message.

The initiative in salvation comes from God, not man.

God called the Thessalonians to salvation by using the Gospel spoken by Paul and his companions and the power of the Holy Spirit.

The apostles were the human instruments delivering that message.

Think about this. God uses people, scripture, and the Holy Spirit.

God uses you to deliver the Gospel message.

now you can share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

2 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NLT
⁹For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.

Romans 5:2 NLT
²Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.

Romans 8:17-18 NLT
¹⁷And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory.

Colossians 1:27 NLT
²⁷For God wanted them to know that the riches and glory of Christ are for you Gentiles, too. And this is the secret: Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT
¹²We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.

Believers will share in the glory of Jesus Christ.
Christ lives in you. This gives you assurance of sharing his glory.

¹⁵With all these things in mind, dear brothers and sisters, stand firm and keep a strong grip on the teaching we passed on to you both in person and by letter.

Believers need to stand firm.

Encourage each other with these words:

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT
¹³Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

Philippians 4:1 NLT
^4:1 Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stay true to the Lord.

Ephesians 6:13-14 NLT
¹³Therefore, put on every piece of God’s armor so you will be able to resist the enemy in the time of evil. Then after the battle you will still be standing firm. ¹⁴Stand your ground, putting on the belt of truth and the body armor of God’s righteousness.

1 Peter 5:8-9 NLT
⁸Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. ⁹Stand firm against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your family of believers all over the world is going through the same kind of suffering you are.

Keep a strong grip on the teaching you received.

Remain faithful to Christ

Hold to sound doctrine

Resist sin and temptation.

Endure suffering without abandoning faith.

Trust God rather than fearing circumstances.

***Don’t believe the false teachers who are telling you that you missed the rapture.

¹⁶Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope,

¹⁷comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say.

Psalm 28:7 NLT
⁷The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust him with all my heart.
He helps me, and my heart is filled with joy.
I burst out in songs of thanksgiving.

Isaiah 41:10 NLT
¹⁰Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.

Philippians 4:13 NLT
¹³For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.

Psalm 118:14 NLT
¹⁴The Lord is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.

Solomon Establishes His Rule (continued)

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Solomon Establishes His Rule (continued)

Introduction:

Solomon is now king. He has some more housekeeping issues to deal with in order to secure his throne. In our previous lesson Solomon dealt with Adonijah by having him executed. In this lesson, two major figures from King David’s reign—Abiathar the priest and Joab the military commander—are judged for their past actions and their support of Adonijah’s attempt to take over the throne.

1 Kings 2:26-35 NLT
Solomon Establishes His Rule (continued)
²⁶Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign Lord for David my father and you shared all his hardships.” ²⁷So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the Lord had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli.
²⁸Joab had not joined Absalom’s earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah’s rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah’s death, he ran to the sacred tent of the Lord and grabbed on to the horns of the altar. ²⁹When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him.
³⁰Benaiah went to the sacred tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king orders you to come out!”
But Joab answered, “No, I will die here.”
So Benaiah returned to the king and told him what Joab had said.
³¹“Do as he said,” the king replied. “Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab’s senseless murders from me and from my father’s family. ³²The Lord will repay him for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. ³³May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the Lord grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne.”
³⁴So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness. ³⁵Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.

Examine the Scriptures

Review:

King David has died and Solomon is now king. He has some housekeeping issues to deal with in order to secure the throne.

Adonijah was the fourth son of David, and had previously declared himself king without David’s knowledge.

1 Kings 1:7-8 NLT
⁷Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king.

1 Kings 2:17 NLT (Adonijah, speaking to Bathsheba.)
¹⁷He replied, “Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”

Adonijah was still attempting to take over the kingdom.

Adonijah’s marriage to Abishag could have launched a claim to the throne, whether or not she was officially in David’s harem.

There is no evidence that Abiathar and Joab had anything to do with Adonijah’s request regarding Abishag, but both are pronounced guilty by association. (1 Kings 1:7-8)

Adonijah is executed by Solomon.

Joab and Abiathar had agreed to help Adonijah become king.

Abiathar and Joab are guilty by association with Adonijah and they had to be dealt with.

Previously:

In addition:

1 Kings 2:5-6 NLT
⁵“And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me (King David) when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood. ⁶Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace.

Joab was a murderer, and these murders needed to be dealt with.

1 Kings 2:26-35 NLT

Solomon Establishes His Rule (continued)

²⁶Then the king said to Abiathar the priest, “Go back to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die,

Because of their support of Adonijah, both Abiathar and Joab had put their lives in jeopardy.

Both Abiathar and Joab were guilty of conspiracy to commit treason.

but I will not kill you now, because you carried the Ark of the Sovereign Lord for David my father and you shared all his hardships.”

Solomon tells Abiathar the priest that he deserves death because he supported Adonijah’s rebellion. However, because Abiathar served as a high priest and had faithfully shared all of David’s hardships Solomon merely removed him from his office and restricted him to his home town of Anathoth located three miles northeast of Jerusalem.

Solomon sends Abiathar into exile to his hometown of Anathoth and removes him from the priesthood.

Solomon punishes wrongdoing but remembers past faithfulness.

²⁷So Solomon deposed Abiathar from his position as priest of the Lord, thereby fulfilling the prophecy the Lord had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants of Eli.

The book of Kings notes that this act of Solomon fulfilled God’s prophecy that Eli’s line of priests, of which Abiathar was a member, would be cut off (1 Samuel 2:30-35, part of the story of Eli’s wicked sons).

1 Samuel 2:30-31 NLT
³⁰“Therefore, the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I promised that your branch of the tribe of Levi (speaking to Eli) would always be my priests. But I will honor those who honor me, and I will despise those who think lightly of me. ³¹The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. …

Solomon Establishes His Rule

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Solomon Establishes His Rule

Introduction:

King David has died, and Solomon is now king. He has some housekeeping issues to deal with in order to secure the throne.

1 Kings 2:12-25 NLT
Solomon Establishes His Rule
¹²Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.
¹³One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you come with peaceful intentions?” she asked him.
“Yes,” he said, “I come in peace. ¹⁴In fact, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What is it?” she asked.
¹⁵He replied, “As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine; all Israel wanted me to be the next king. But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the Lord wanted it. ¹⁶So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don’t turn me down.”
“What is it?” she asked.
¹⁷He replied, “Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”
¹⁸“All right,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”
¹⁹So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah’s behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.
²⁰“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “I hope you won’t turn me down.”
“What is it, my mother?” he asked. “You know I won’t refuse you.”
²¹“Then let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem,” she replied.
²²“How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?” King Solomon demanded. “You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.”
²³Then King Solomon made a vow before the Lord: “May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request. ²⁴The Lord has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely as the Lord lives, Adonijah will die this very day!” ²⁵So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 2:12-25 NLT

Solomon Establishes His Rule

¹²Solomon became king and sat on the throne of David his father, and his kingdom was firmly established.

Read the first half of 1 Kings 2:24 (part of today’s lesson)

²⁴The Lord has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised.

1 Chronicles 22:9-10 NLT
⁹But you will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. ¹⁰He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

Solomon’s kingdom is firmly established.

Firmly established implies:

Divine approval

Political stability

Daniel 2:21 NLT
²¹He (God) controls the course of world events;
he removes kings and sets up other kings.

To establish a firm foundation for his reign Solomon had to deal with his and his father’s enemies.

These actions were considered essential for stabilizing the new regime and ensuring that past injustices were settled.

Solomon had some “political” housekeeping issues to deal with in order to secure the throne.

¹³One day Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith,

Haggith was one of David’s wives.

Adonijah was the fourth son of David, and had previously declared himself king without David’s knowledge.

came to see Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. “Have you come with peaceful intentions?” she asked him.

“Have you come with peaceful intentions?”

Bathsheba had good reasons to ask this question.

1 Kings 1:5 NLT
Adonijah Claims the Throne
⁵About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him.

Bathsheba would have known about this.

1 Kings 1:11 NLT
¹¹Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, and asked her, “Haven’t you heard that Haggith’s son, Adonijah, has made himself king, and our lord David doesn’t even know about it?

“Yes,” he said, “I come in peace. ¹⁴In fact, I have a favor to ask of you.”
“What is it?” she asked.

Adonijah wants Bathsheba to do a favor for him.

¹⁵He replied, “As you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine;

Adonijah contradicted his supposed peaceful intentions when he declared that the kingdom was rightfully his.

As the oldest living son, some may have thought Adonijah had a legitimate claim to the throne.

all Israel wanted me to be the next king.

A gross exaggeration.

1 Kings 1:7-8 NLT
⁷Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. ⁸But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah.

But the tables were turned, and the kingdom went to my brother instead; for that is the way the Lord wanted it.

Adonijah knew that it was God’s will for Solomon to become the king of Israel.

¹⁶So now I have just one favor to ask of you. Please don’t turn me down.”

“What is it?” she asked.
¹⁷He replied, “Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request.

Adonijah knows Solomon might refuse him directly, so he tries to make his request through Solomon’s mother.

Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”

Background:

Abishag functioned as a nurse and attendant for David in his dying days.

Abishag was considered part of the royal household (like a concubine).

Even though there were no sexual relations, she was:

Assigned exclusively to the king.

Living in the king’s quarters.

Functionally part of his royal court and household.

In ancient Near Eastern culture, this gave her the legal and political status similar to a concubine, regardless of whether the relationship was consummated.

Although Abishag was a virgin, she would have been regarded by the people as belonging to David’s harem.

In the ancient Near East, taking a former king’s concubine or wife was a claim to the throne.

Marriage to Abishag would have greatly strengthened Adonijah’s claim to the throne.

Adonijah’s request was not romantic—it was political.

It was a subtle attempt to revive his claim to kingship.

¹⁸“All right,” Bathsheba replied. “I will speak to the king for you.”

Bathsheba initially expressed caution. However, Adonijah convinced Bathsheba that his intensions were peaceful. He persuaded Bathsheba to speak to King Solomon on his behalf.

“Speak to King Solomon on my behalf, for I know he will do anything you request. Ask him to let me marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem.”

Adonijah persuaded Bathsheba to speak to King Solomon on his behalf.

¹⁹So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak on Adonijah’s behalf. The king rose from his throne to meet her, and he bowed down before her. When he sat down on his throne again, the king ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and she sat at his right hand.

The position of honor.

Psalm 110:1 NLT
A psalm of David.
¹The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit in the place of honor at my right hand
until I humble your enemies,
making them a footstool under your feet.”

Solomon honors his mother:

He rises to meet her

Bows to her

Seats her at his right hand

This shows:

Respect for the queen mother

Her influential role in the royal court

²⁰“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “I hope you won’t turn me down.”

“What is it, my mother?” he asked. “You know I won’t refuse you.”

“You know I won’t refuse you.”

Solomon would not be able to live up to his initial response to Bathsheba’s “one small request”.

²¹“Then let your brother Adonijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunem,” she replied.

It appears that Bathsheba does not understand the significance of Adonijah’s request.

²²“How can you possibly ask me to give Abishag to Adonijah?” King Solomon demanded. “You might as well ask me to give him the kingdom! You know that he is my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah on his side.”

Solomon understood the intentions behind Adonijah’s request.

This request had far reaching consequences that would threaten Solomon’s throne.

Adonijah’s marriage to Abishag could have launched a claim to the throne, whether or not she was officially in David’s harem.

This request reveals lingering ambition.

Solomon sees Adonijah’s request for what it really is, treason.

²³Then King Solomon made a vow before the Lord: “May God strike me and even kill me if Adonijah has not sealed his fate with this request.

Adonijah has violated his terms of submission to David.

1 Kings 1:52 NLT
⁵²Solomon replied, “If he (Adonijah) proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.”

²⁴The Lord has confirmed me and placed me on the throne of my father, David; he has established my dynasty as he promised.

1 Chronicles 22:9-10 NLT (Repeated)
⁹But you (David) will have a son who will be a man of peace. I will give him peace with his enemies in all the surrounding lands. His name will be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel during his reign. ¹⁰He is the one who will build a Temple to honor my name. He will be my son, and I will be his father. And I will secure the throne of his kingdom over Israel forever.’

Solomon acknowledges:

God established him

God fulfilled His promise to David

His kingship is divinely ordained

This is crucial. Solomon is not acting out of personal insecurity but in defense of God’s established order.

1 Kings 11:42 NLT
⁴²Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years.

1 Kings 14:21 NLT
²¹Meanwhile, Rehoboam son of Solomon was king in Judah. He was forty-one years old when he became king, and he reigned seventeen years in Jerusalem, the city the Lord had chosen from among all the tribes of Israel as the place to honor his name. Rehoboam’s mother was Naamah, an Ammonite woman.

So as surely as the Lord lives, Adonijah will die this very day!” ²⁵So King Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him, and Adonijah was put to death.

2 Samuel 20:23 NLT
²³Now Joab was the commander of the army of Israel. Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s (David’s) bodyguard.

2 Samuel 23:20 NLT
²⁰There was also Benaiah son of Jehoiada, a valiant warrior from Kabzeel. He did many heroic deeds, which included killing two champions of Moab. Another time, on a snowy day, he chased a lion down into a pit and killed it.

Adonijah is executed

God establishes His chosen king, and rebellion against His authority ultimately leads to judgment.

Solomon fulfilled one of David’s requests.

1 Kings 2:9 NLT
⁹But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.”

Prophecy Regarding the Day of the Lord

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Introduction

Several verses from our previous lesson.

2 Thessalonians 2:2-4 NLT
²Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. ³Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. ⁴He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 NLT
Prophecy Regarding the Day of the Lord
⁶And you know what is holding him back, for he can be revealed only when his time comes. ⁷For this lawlessness is already at work secretly, and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way. ⁸Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.
⁹This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles. ¹⁰He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction, because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them. ¹¹So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies. ¹²Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

Examine the Scriptures:

2 Thessalonians 2:6-12 NLT

Prophecy Regarding the Day of the Lord

⁶And you know what is holding him (the man of lawlessness) back,

The day of the Lord.

³Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.

The man of lawlessness:

An individual characterized by complete opposition to God.

An individual who is often identified as the Antichrist.

An individual who is later called “the son of destruction.”

An individual who represents the climax of human rebellion.

There is currently a restraining force preventing the full revelation of the “man of lawlessness.”

Paul does not explicitly identify the present restraint of the man of lawlessness.

for he can be revealed only when his time comes.

The “man of lawlessness” cannot appear until God permits it.

⁷For this lawlessness is already at work secretly,

Lawlessness is already at work in ways that are hidden from us.

The antichrist could be someone we already know.

1 John 2:18 NLT
Warning about Antichrists
¹⁸Dear children, the last hour is here. You have heard that the Antichrist is coming, and already many such antichrists have appeared. From this we know that the last hour has come.

“The last hour,” as used here refers to the time between Christ’s first coming and His return.

1 John 4:3 NLT
³But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.

1 John 3:4 NLT
⁴Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.

2 Thessalonians 2:2 (repeated)
²Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those (false teachers) who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.

Ephesians 2:2 NLT
²You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God.

1 Peter 5:8 NLT
⁸Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.

Lions quietly stalk their prey, often at night, dusk, or dawn when visibility is low.
They use tall grass, bushes, and terrain as cover to avoid being seen.

The spirit behind the future Antichrist is already influencing the world.

and it will remain secret until the one who is holding it back steps out of the way.

This lawlessness will exist in ways that we are not aware of.

⁸Then the man of lawlessness will be revealed, but the Lord Jesus will slay him with the breath of his mouth and destroy him by the splendor of his coming.

The man of lawlessness will be revealed.

The man of lawlessness will exercise great authority, temporarily.

Despite his impressiveness, the man of lawlessness will be destroyed by Christ.

The power of Christ’s presence when he comes to earth will immobilize the antichrist’s program.

Christ will destroy the man of lawlessness:

with the breath of his mouth,

and the splendor of his coming.

⁹This man will come to do the work of Satan with counterfeit power and signs and miracles.

The man of lawlessness is deceptive and will operate with power and signs and miracles.

Don’t underestimate the power of the antichrist.

The man of lawlessness is empowered by Satan.

Evil can be made to look good.

People will stand in awe of him.

Matthew 24:24 NLT
²⁴For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

¹⁰He will use every kind of evil deception to fool those on their way to destruction,

It will appear to unbelievers at that time that he is indeed God.

He will be able to pass himself off as God and will receive worship as God.

because they refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them.

Deliberate rejection of the truth.

The truth:

John 14:6 NLT
⁶Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.

Ephesians 1:13 NLT
¹³And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago.

Notice the progression:

Truth is available

They reject it

They become vulnerable to deception (next verse)

They perish

¹¹So God will cause them to be greatly deceived, and they will believe these lies.

Because of their deliberate rejection of the truth:

Therefore God sends them a strong delusion, so that they may believe what is false… (ESV)

For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie (NIV)

God will cause those who refuse to love and accept the truth that would save them to be greatly deceived.

They will believe: (verse 4)

⁴He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

Romans 1:18-29 NLT
God’s Anger at Sin
¹⁸But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness. ¹⁹They know the truth about God because he has made it obvious to them. ²⁰For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.
²¹Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused. ²²Claiming to be wise, they instead became utter fools. ²³And instead of worshiping the glorious, ever-living God, they worshiped idols made to look like mere people and birds and animals and reptiles.
²⁴So God abandoned them to do whatever shameful things their hearts desired. As a result, they did vile and degrading things with each other’s bodies. ²⁵They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. ²⁶That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. …
²⁸Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, he abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. ²⁹Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.

¹²Then they will be condemned for enjoying evil rather than believing the truth.

John 3:18-19 NLT
¹⁸“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. 20 All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed.

Romans 10:9-10 NLT
⁹If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Those who reject the truth and enjoy evil are judged by being left to the consequences of their sin.

David’s Final Instructions to Solomon

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David’s Final Instructions to Solomon

Introduction:

David gives his final charge to Solomon.

This is the “passing of the torch” from King David to his son, Solomon.

Advice for spiritual living. (Verses 2-4)

Instructions about some people David had dealt with. (Verses 5-9)

1 Kings 2:1-11 NLT
David’s Final Instructions to Solomon
^2:1 As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon:
²“I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. ³Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go. ⁴If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’
⁵“And there is something else. You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood. ⁶Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace.
⁷“Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table, for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
⁸“And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the Lord that I would not kill him. ⁹But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.”
¹⁰Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. ¹¹David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 2:1-11 NLT

David’s Final Instructions to Solomon

^2:1 As the time of King David’s death approached, he gave this charge to his son Solomon:²“I am going where everyone on earth must someday go.

Hebrews 9:27 NLT
²⁷And just as each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment …

Ecclesiastes 3:2 NLT
²A time to be born and a time to die.

Genesis 3:19 NLT
¹⁹By the sweat of your brow
will you have food to eat
until you return to the ground
from which you were made.
For you were made from dust,
and to dust you will return.”

Psalm 89:48 NLT
⁴⁸No one can live forever; all will die.
No one can escape the power of the grave.

David faces the reality of death.

David faces death with clarity, dignity, and intentionality.

David’s focus is not on himself, but on preparing Solomon to rule well.

Take courage and be a man.

Words Moses spoke to Joshua when he became the leader of Israel.

Deuteronomy 31:6-7 NLT
⁶So be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic before them. For the Lord your God will personally go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
⁷Then Moses called for Joshua, and as all Israel watched, he said to him, “Be strong and courageous! For you will lead these people into the land that the Lord swore to their ancestors he would give them. You are the one who will divide it among them as their grants of land.

Words God spoke to Joshua when he became the leader of Israel.

Joshua 1:6-9 NLT
⁶“Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. ⁷Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. ⁸Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. ⁹This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”

Paul’s instructions to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 16:13 NLT
¹³Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong.

A psalm of David

Psalm 27:13-14 NLT
¹³Yet I am confident I will see the Lord’s goodness
while I am here in the land of the living.
¹⁴Wait patiently for the Lord.
Be brave and courageous.
Yes, wait patiently for the Lord.

Psalm 31:23-24 NLT
²³Love the Lord, all you godly ones!
For the Lord protects those who are loyal to him,
but he harshly punishes the arrogant.
²⁴So be strong and courageous,
all you who put your hope in the Lord!

³Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.

Solomon’s call was to be a strong and courageous spiritual leader.

David had already fought the major wars and subdued Israel’s enemies.

1 Kings 4:25 NLT
²⁵During the lifetime of Solomon, all of Judah and Israel lived in peace and safety. …

Being strong includes:

Obeying God’s Word

Walking in His ways

Keeping His statutes and commandments

David challenges Solomon to be spiritually strong and courageous.

Be spiritually strong and courageous.

David connects Solomon’s success to his obedience to God’s covenant.

A bit of trivia.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20

Instructions for Israel’s future kings.

Deuteronomy 17:18-20 NLT
¹⁸“When he sits on the throne as king, he must copy for himself this body of instruction (the Mosaic Law) on a scroll in the presence of the Levitical priests. ¹⁹He must always keep that copy with him and read it daily as long as he lives. That way he will learn to fear the Lord his God by obeying all the terms of these instructions and decrees. ²⁰This regular reading will prevent him from becoming proud and acting as if he is above his fellow citizens. It will also prevent him from turning away from these commands in the smallest way. And it will ensure that he and his descendants will reign for many generations in Israel.

Obedience brings blessing; disobedience brings discipline.

⁴If you do this, then the Lord will keep the promise he made to me. He told me, ‘If your descendants live as they should and follow me faithfully with all their heart and soul, one of them will always sit on the throne of Israel.’

This conditional covenant promised:

Stability

Success

God’s favor

Enduring kingdom

The Lord’s covenant with David.

2 Samuel 7:11-16 NLT
¹¹… “‘Furthermore, the Lord declares that he will make a house for you—a dynasty of kings! ¹²For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ¹³He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. ¹⁴I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. ¹⁵But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. ¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

“If you do this” does not appear in 2 Samuel 7:11-16 (no conditions attached to the promise in 2 Samuel.)

The covenant promise to David was unconditional, however blessings to individuals was conditional.

Solomon and his descendants fell short of their covenant obligations.

God’s promise lives on through Solomon—and ultimately through Christ.

⁵“And there is something else.

Solomon had some “political” housekeeping issues to deal with in order to secure the throne

These actions were considered essential for stabilizing the new regime and ensuring that past injustices were settled.

You know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me when he murdered my two army commanders, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He pretended that it was an act of war, but it was done in a time of peace, staining his belt and sandals with innocent blood.

Joab had murdered two innocent commanders, Abner and Amasa.

Abner

Reference: 2 Samuel 3:26–30

Abner was the commander of Saul’s army.

Joab killed him at Hebron by stabbing him in the stomach.

Joab claimed revenge because Abner had killed Joab’s brother Asahel in battle (2 Samuel 2:23).

However, Abner had come in peace, so this act was considered murder, not justified warfare.

Amasa

Reference: 2 Samuel 20:8–10

Amasa had been appointed by David to replace Joab as commander.

Joab greeted him as a friend, took his beard as if to kiss him, and stabbed him in the stomach.

This was a deliberate act of treachery.

Joab had murdered Abner and Amasa during a time of peace.
These deaths were unlawful assassinations.

Joab murdered Abner and Amasa to eliminate threats to his position.

These murders served Joab’s own self interest.

Joab also killed Absalom.

Reference: 2 Samuel 18:14–15

Absalom was King David’s son who led a rebellion against him.

During battle, Absalom was caught hanging in a tree by his hair.

David had specifically commanded his commanders to spare Absalom (2 Samuel 18:5).

Joab ignored David’s order and thrust three spears into Absalom’s heart.

This was both disobedience to David and the killing of the king’s son.

Joab deserved to die.

Joab deserved to die, however David let him live. Why???

⁶Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace.

“Don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace”.

Don’t allow him to die a peaceful death. (CEB)

Joab had become very powerful,

2 Samuel 20:23 NLT
²³Now Joab was the commander of the army of Israel.

Joab’s backing of Adonijah posed a serious threat to Solomon.

Unchecked injustice corrupts a kingdom.

Solomon was instructed to prevent Joab from growing old and going to his grave in peace.

⁷“Be kind to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead. Make them permanent guests at your table,

Be kind to the sons of Barzillai.

Give them a position of honor.

for they took care of me when I fled from your brother Absalom.

Barzillai had shown kindness to David when he fled from Absalom.

Barzillai had supported David …

2 Samuel 19:32 NLT
³²He (Barzillai) was very old—eighty years of age—and very wealthy. He was the one who had provided food for the king during his stay in Mahanaim.

Barzillai’s kindness was not forgotten. David honored his loyalty.

David wanted to provide for Barzillai and his family.

⁸“And remember Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin. He cursed me with a terrible curse as I was fleeing to Mahanaim.

Remember Shimei.

Mahanaim was David’s refuge during Absalom’s rebellion.

2 Samuel 16:5-8 NLT
Shimei Curses David
⁵As King David came to Bahurim, a man came out of the village cursing them. It was Shimei son of Gera, from the same clan as Saul’s family. ⁶He threw stones at the king and the king’s officers and all the mighty warriors who surrounded him. ⁷“Get out of here, you murderer, you scoundrel!” he shouted at David. ⁸“The Lord is paying you back for all the bloodshed in Saul’s clan. You stole his throne, and now the Lord has given it to your son Absalom. At last you will taste some of your own medicine, for you are a murderer!”

2 Samuel 16:11 NLT
¹¹Then David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “My own son is trying to kill me. Doesn’t this relative of Saul have even more reason to do so? Leave him alone and let him curse, for the Lord has told him to do it.

Shimei had cursed David during Absalom’s rebellion.

When he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, I swore by the Lord that I would not kill him. ⁹But that oath does not make him innocent.

Exodus 22:28 NLT
²⁸“You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers.

You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.”

Solomon was instructed to arrange a bloody death for Shimei.

¹⁰Then David died and was buried with his ancestors in the City of David. ¹¹David had reigned over Israel for forty years, seven of them in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem.

David died in 970 B.C.

David, the greatest king of Israel, dies like all men.

Yet God’s kingdom continues.

The kingdom is now fully transferred to Solomon under God’s covenant authority.

Events Prior to the Lord’s Second Coming

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Events Prior to the Lord’s Second Coming

Introduction

Paul wants to clarify some things about the coming of Jesus Christ.

Focus on what you understand. Don’t let your primary focus be on what you do not understand.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 NLT
^2:1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him. ²Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun. Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us. ³Don’t be fooled by what they say. For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction. ⁴He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.
⁵Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?

Examine the Scriptures:

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5 NLT

Events prior to the Lord’s Second Coming

^2:1 Now, dear brothers and sisters, let us clarify some things about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and how we will be gathered to meet him.

Paul wants to clarify some things about the coming of Jesus Christ.

Review:

1 Thessalonians 4:15-18 NLT
¹⁵We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. ¹⁶For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. ¹⁷Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever. ¹⁸So encourage each other with these words.

Christ’s return will be a powerful, public, unmistakable, transforming, and triumphant event.

All believers — resurrected and transformed — are united.

All Christians will be with the Lord forever.

Christians face a bright future:

1 Thessalonians 1:10 NLT
¹⁰And they (people talking about the church in Thessalonica) speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God’s Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment.

1 Thessalonians 5:9 NLT
⁹For God chose to save us through our Lord Jesus Christ, not to pour out his anger on us.

John 14:1-3 NLT
^14:1 “Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me. ²There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you? ³When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am.

Jesus will rescue (has already rescued) believers from the terrors of the coming judgment.

Non-believers will face the terrors of the coming judgment.

Pictured in Isaiah.

Isaiah 13:6-9 NLT
⁶Scream in terror, for the day of the Lord has arrived—
the time for the Almighty to destroy.
⁷Every arm is paralyzed with fear.
Every heart melts,
⁸ and people are terrified.
Pangs of anguish grip them,
like those of a woman in labor.
They look helplessly at one another,
their faces aflame with fear.
⁹For see, the day of the Lord is coming—
the terrible day of his fury and fierce anger.
The land will be made desolate,
and all the sinners destroyed with it.

Isaiah 13 announces judgment against Babylon, and verses 6–9 describe that judgment using the prophetic phrase “the day of the LORD.” This expression carries both an immediate historical fulfillment and a future prophetic fulfillment.

The ultimate “day of the LORD” will occur when Christ returns to judge the world.

This future day will involve:

Judgment of the wicked

Destruction of evil powers

Establishment of Christ’s kingdom

Deliverance of God’s people

Babylon’s fall was a historical example pointing toward this final, universal judgment.

²Don’t be so easily shaken or alarmed by those who say that the day of the Lord has already begun.

The Thessalonians were alarmed by the false claim that the day of the Lord had already begun.

Believers were troubled, thinking they were already in the time of divine judgment.

The Thessalonians may have believed that they had been “left behind” or missed the resurrection.

Don’t believe them, even if they claim to have had a spiritual vision, a revelation, or a letter supposedly from us.

Matthew 7:15 NLT
¹⁵“Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves.

Matthew 24:11
Jesus Speaks about the Future
¹¹And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people.

Matthew 24:24 NLT
Jesus Speaks about the Future
²⁴For false messiahs and false prophets will rise up and perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive, if possible, even God’s chosen ones.

2 Peter 2:1 NLT
^2:1 But there were also false prophets in Israel, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will cleverly teach destructive heresies and even deny the Master who bought them. In this way, they will bring sudden destruction on themselves.

1 John 4:1 NLT
^4:1 Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.

Acts 17:11 NLT
¹¹And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, and they listened eagerly to Paul’s message. They searched the Scriptures day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth.

Don’t be fooled by false teachers.

False teaching often produces fear, confusion, and instability.

False teaching is part of the last-days environment.

³Don’t be fooled by what they say.

For that day will not come until there is a great rebellion against God and the man of lawlessness is revealed—the one who brings destruction.

Two events will occur before the day of the Lord. Neither has happened yet.

- - There is a great rebellion against God.

- - The man of lawlessness is revealed.

there is a great rebellion against God

Matthew 24:11-14 NLT
¹¹And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. ¹²Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold. ¹³But the one who endures to the end will be saved. ¹⁴And the Good News about the Kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, so that all nations will hear it; and then the end will come.

1 Timothy 4:1 NLT
Warnings against False Teachers
^4:1 Now the Holy Spirit tells us clearly that in the last times some will turn away from the true faith; they will follow deceptive spirits and teachings that come from demons.

A large-scale falling away from the truth.

A widespread rejection of God and His authority.

the man of lawlessness is revealed

A future individual characterized by complete opposition to God.

The appearance of a specific individual often identified as the Antichrist.

Later called “the son of destruction.”

He represents the climax of human rebellion.

⁴He will exalt himself and defy everything that people call god and every object of worship. He will even sit in the temple of God, claiming that he himself is God.

This person will:

Oppose all true worship.

Exalt himself above God.

Claim divine authority.

Seek worship for himself.

Daniel 11:36-37 NLT
³⁶“The king will do as he pleases, exalting himself and claiming to be greater than every god, even blaspheming the God of gods. He will succeed, but only until the time of wrath is completed. For what has been determined will surely take place. ³⁷He will have no respect for the gods of his ancestors, or for the god loved by women, or for any other god, for he will boast that he is greater than them all.

Daniel 11:31-32
³¹“His army will take over the Temple fortress, pollute the sanctuary, put a stop to the daily sacrifices, and set up the sacrilegious object that causes desecration. ³²He will flatter and win over those who have violated the covenant. But the people who know their God will be strong and will resist him.

Matthew 24:15 NLT also in Mark 13:14
¹⁵“The day is coming when you will see what Daniel the prophet spoke about—the sacrilegious object that causes desecration standing in the Holy Place.” (Reader, pay attention!)

***More about the man of lawlessness in our next lesson.

⁵Don’t you remember that I told you about all this when I was with you?

This teaching was not new to the Thessalonians. Paul had already taught them about the day of the Lord when he was with them in Thessalonica.

Their confusion resulted from forgetting or being misled.

This teaching was not new to the Thessalonians.

Application for believers today:

Do not be shaken by false teachers.

Measure all teaching against Scripture.

Remember that Christ’s return is a hope, not a threat, to believers.

Remain faithful even in times of increasing deception.

Message for us. Get ready now

Matthew 24:40-42 NLT
⁴⁰“Two men will be working together in the field; one will be taken, the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding flour at the mill; one will be taken, the other left.
⁴²“So you, too, must keep watch! For you don’t know what day your Lord is coming.

Prayer for the Thessalonians

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Prayer for the Thessalonians

Introduction

Live your life in a way consistent with your calling.

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12 NLT
Prayer for the Thessalonians
¹¹So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. ¹²Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

Examine the Scriptures:

2 Thessalonians 1:11-12

Prayer for the Thessalonians

¹¹So

To this end (ESV)

With this in mind (NIV)

Paul had assured the Thessalonian believers of God’s promised justice for both them and their persecutors. (1:5-10)

⁶In his justice he (God) will pay back those who persecute you.

⁷And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted.

Simply put this means heaven for the believer and hell for the unbeliever.

“With this in mind”

After reminding you of all that Christ has done, is doing, and will do for you…

Remember all that Christ has done, is doing, and will do for you.

We keep on praying for you,

Keep on praying

1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
¹⁷Never stop praying.

Luke 18:1 NLT
¹ One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

Romans 12:12 NLT
¹²Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying.

Colossians 4:2 NLT
²Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart.

Philippians 4:6 NLT
⁶Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.

Keep on praying for each other.

asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call.

This is a powerful prayer we can pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Reflect on:

Romans 8:30 NLT
³⁰And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory.

Keep on praying for others, asking God to enable them to live a life worthy of his call.

1 Thessalonians 2:12 NLT
¹²We pleaded with you, encouraged you, and urged you to live your lives in a way that God would consider worthy. For he called you to share in his Kingdom and glory.

Ephesians 4:1 NLT
¹Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God.

Philippians 1:27 NLT
²⁷Above all, you must live as citizens of heaven, conducting yourselves in a manner worthy of the Good News about Christ. Then, whether I come and see you again or only hear about you, I will know that you are standing together with one spirit and one purpose, fighting together for the faith, which is the Good News.

Colossians 1:10
¹⁰Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.

1 Thessalonians 4:7 NLT
⁷God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.

Live in a manner that is consistent with your calling.

“If you call yourself a Christian, live like a Christian.”

May he give you the power

Keep on praying

Worthiness is not self-produced. Paul prays that God would make the Thessalonians worthy of their calling.

Pray that God would give you the power to live and work in a manner pleasing to God.

Christian growth, from start to finish, is God-enabled, not self-produced.

Keep on praying for others, asking God to enable them to live a life worthy of his call. Pray that God would give them the power to live and work in a manner pleasing to Him.

Philippians 2:13 NLT
¹³For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do.

Question: What does your faith prompt you to do?

We must have a “desire for goodness.”

Have an active faith.

Reflect the character of Christ.

Persevere faithfully.

Perseverance in obedience despite opposition.

Good intentions alone are not enough; God’s power must bring them to fulfillment.

Intensions become actions.

Faith does not remain merely internal but becomes visible.

True Christian works flow from faith. Faith is the root; works are the fruit.

Faith expressed through action.

James 2:17 NLT
¹⁷So you see, faith by itself isn’t enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless.

¹²Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored (glorified) because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him.

Christ is glorified in believers now.

Believers will be glorified in Christ fully at His return (v. 10).

Jesus is honored when the endurance, faith, and obedience of believers visibly reflect who He is.

Believers perseverance under persecution becomes living evidence that Christ is powerful, faithful, and worth trusting.

Jesus in You:

When you live a life transformed by grace, people see the “character” of Jesus in you.

You in Him:

By glorifying Christ, the believer is elevated into His glory. It’s a reciprocal relationship where God’s grace is the beginning and the end.

How should we live?

Practice Biblical principles.

Sample verses:

1 Corinthians 10:31 NLT
³¹So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Matthew 5:16 NLT
¹⁶In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.

Romans 12:1-2 NLT
¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. ²Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

Our ultimate goal should be Christ’s glory, not personal comfort.

This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and Lord, Jesus Christ.

All of this flows from God’s grace, not human merit.

Adonijah Bows before Solomon

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Adonijah Bows before Solomon

Introduction:

We are currently at a point in Israel’s history where two groups of people are each attempting to determine Israel’s next king.

The city is buzzing, ram’s horns are blowing, and the political showdown is coming to a climax.

Reflect on the following verses:

Daniel 2:20-21 NLT
²⁰He (Daniel) said,
“Praise the name of God forever and ever,
for he has all wisdom and power.
²¹He controls the course of world events;
he removes kings and sets up other kings.

Romans 13:1 NLT
¹ Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God.

1 Kings 1:41-53 NLT
Adonijah Bows before Solomon
⁴¹Adonijah and his guests heard the celebrating and shouting just as they were finishing their banquet. When Joab heard the sound of the ram’s horn, he asked, “What’s going on? Why is the city in such an uproar?”
⁴²And while he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. “Come in,” Adonijah said to him, “for you are a good man. You must have good news.”
⁴³“Not at all!” Jonathan replied. “Our lord King David has just declared Solomon king! ⁴⁴The king sent him down to Gihon Spring with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, protected by the king’s bodyguard. They had him ride on the king’s own mule, ⁴⁵and Zadok and Nathan have anointed him at Gihon Spring as the new king. They have just returned, and the whole city is celebrating and rejoicing. That’s what all the noise is about. ⁴⁶What’s more, Solomon is now sitting on the royal throne as king. ⁴⁷And all the royal officials have gone to King David and congratulated him, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s fame even greater than your own, and may Solomon’s reign be even greater than yours!’ Then the king bowed his head in worship as he lay in his bed, ⁴⁸and he said, ‘Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who today has chosen a successor to sit on my throne while I am still alive to see it.’”
⁴⁹Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered. ⁵⁰Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar. ⁵¹Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, “Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!”
⁵²Solomon replied, “If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.” ⁵³So King Solomon summoned Adonijah, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed respectfully before King Solomon, who dismissed him, saying, “Go on home.”

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 1:41-53 NLT

Adonijah Bows before Solomon

⁴¹Adonijah and his guests

According to 1 Kings 1:7–9, those with Adonijah there included:

Joab son of Zeruiah – David’s long-time military commander.

Abiathar the priest – one of David’s priests, formerly loyal but now siding with Adonijah.

Adonijah’s brothers, the king’s sons (except Solomon).

All the royal officials of Judah whom he invited to the feast.

heard the celebrating and shouting just as they were finishing their banquet.

The celebration of Solomon’s anointing was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound. (v. 40)

Some commentators suggest a distance of ½ mile or less between Gihon spring and En Rogel spring.

Those attending Adonijah’s banquet at En-rogel could not see the celebration, but it was so noisy that they could hear it.

Apparently this location was not be visible to Adonijah’s supporters at En-rogel due to the terrain.

When Joab heard the sound of the ram’s horn, he asked, “What’s going on? Why is the city in such an uproar?”

The blowing of the ram’s horn, a signal that an official function was taking place, got Joab’s attention.

It’s fitting that Joab, the seasoned general, is the first to recognize the sound of the trumpet.

In Old Testament history, ram’s horns were blown to:

Announce God’s presence

Call people to repentance

Proclaim kingship

Signal war or victory

Mark holy days

⁴²And while he was still speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived.

Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest, arrived with news for Adonijah.

Previous to this time Jonathan was serving King David.

2 Samuel 15:36 NLT
³⁶and they will send their sons Ahimaaz and Jonathan to tell me what is going on.”

2 Samuel 17:17 NLT
¹⁷Jonathan and Ahimaaz had been staying at En-rogel so as not to be seen entering and leaving the city. Arrangements had been made for a servant girl to bring them the message they were to take to King David.

“Come in,” Adonijah said to him, “for you are a good man. You must have good news.”

Apparently Adonijah was unaware of the event taking place at Gihon Spring.

⁴³“Not at all!” Jonathan replied. “Our lord King David has just declared Solomon king! ⁴⁴The king sent him down to Gihon Spring with Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, protected by the king’s bodyguard. They had him ride on the king’s own mule, ⁴⁵and Zadok and Nathan have anointed him at Gihon Spring as the new king. They have just returned, and the whole city is celebrating and rejoicing. That’s what all the noise is about. ⁴⁶What’s more, Solomon is now sitting on the royal throne as king.

Jonathan shares details of how Solomon ended up seated on the royal throne and, crucially, David’s blessing of the succession.

The news that Jonathan was delivering was disastrous news for Adonijah.

⁴⁷And all the royal officials have gone to King David and congratulated him, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s fame even greater than your own, and may Solomon’s reign be even greater than yours!’

This is an expression of total loyalty to David and Solomon, it is in no way a negative statement of David’s reign. (verse 37 – previous lesson)

Royal officials now bless David, praising God for establishing Solomon’s reign.

God’s will for Israel is now being publicly affirmed.

Notice the constant shift in loyalties.

Then the king bowed his head in worship as he lay in his bed, ⁴⁸and he said, ‘Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who today has chosen a successor to sit on my throne while I am still alive to see it.’”

David sees the fulfillment of a previous promise.

2 Samuel 7:12-16 NLT
¹²For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. ….¹⁶Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.’”

David worships God from his bed, acknowledging God’s faithfulness.

David explicitly credits God, not human strategy, for Solomon’s rise.

⁴⁹Then all of Adonijah’s guests jumped up in panic from the banquet table and quickly scattered.

Adonijah and his followers panicked and fled, aborting the attempted coup.

No one wanted to be identified with Adonijah’s abortive coup now that it appeared certain to fail.

Knowing that siding with Adonijah could mean being considered rebels.

More shifts in loyalty.

⁵⁰Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.

Adonijah runs to the horns of the altar, seeking asylum.

Adonijah believes that the altar, as a holy place, would protect him from Solomon’s revenge.

By grasping the horns, Adonijah sought to place himself under the protection of God.

Many ancient Near Eastern cultures allowed people to seek asylum at shrines.

Apparently this was a common practice in Israel.

However, Adonijah misinterprets:

Exodus 21:13-14 NLT
¹²“Anyone who assaults and kills another person must be put to death. ¹³But if it was simply an accident permitted by God, I will appoint a place of refuge where the slayer can run for safety. ¹⁴However, if someone deliberately kills another person, then the slayer must be dragged even from my altar and be put to death.

The Bible does not present the temple as a general place of refuge for criminals. However, it does record instances where people sought protection by going to the altar in the sanctuary. The protection was limited and conditional.

Protection at the altar was only for unintentional homicide, so Adonijah’s treason could only be forgiven by the king.

How does the following passage apply?

Psalm 91:2 NLT
²This I declare about the Lord:
He alone is my refuge, my place of safety;
he is my God, and I trust him.

⁵¹Word soon reached Solomon that Adonijah had seized the horns of the altar in fear, and that he was pleading, “Let King Solomon swear today that he will not kill me!”

Solomon could have had Adonijah removed from the tabernacle and executed.

Adonijah could have been charged with:

Treason.

Conspiracy against the established king.

⁵²Solomon replied, “If he proves himself to be loyal, not a hair on his head will be touched. But if he makes trouble, he will die.”

Solomon simply asked for a promise from his half-brother that he would not rebel again, but would show himself to be a loyal subject.

Solomon spares Adonijah conditionally: “If he proves himself to be loyal …”

Solomon begins his reign with wisdom and restraint, not bloodshed.

Solomon shows:

Mercy

Authority, but not cruelty

⁵³So King Solomon summoned Adonijah, and they brought him down from the altar. He came and bowed respectfully before King Solomon, who dismissed him, saying, “Go on home.”

Solomon treated Adonijah graciously on the condition that he remain loyal.

Adonijah’s life was spared at this point in time. Circumstances will change in the near future.

This passage of scripture shows that God’s chosen king does not need to grasp power—God places it in his hands.

Human ambition crumbles quickly when confronted with divine purpose.

Encouragement during Persecution (continued)

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Encouragement during Persecution (continued)

Introduction

Good news and bad news!

Good news:

In this passage, Paul is encouraging believers who are suffering persecution. He reassures them that God’s justice has not failed and that their present suffering will be addressed by God.

Bad news for the unrepentant sinner:

The justice of God brings punishment on unrepentant sinners.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 NLT
Encouragement during Persecution (continued)
⁷And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, ⁸in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. ⁹They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. ¹⁰When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

Examine the Scriptures:

Encouragement during Persecution (continued)

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10 NLT

Review 2 Thessalonians 1:6

⁶In his justice he will pay back those who persecute you.

God is just.

Galatians 6:7 NLT
⁷Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

God’s judgment flows from His holiness.

God will not allow evil to go unjudged.

When God repays and how God repays are to be determined by Him.

Romans 12:19 NLT
¹⁹Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say,
“I will take revenge;
I will pay them back,”
says the Lord.

The justice of God brings punishment on unrepentant sinners.

It may be in the here and now, but for many it will be on judgment day.

In his justice God will pay back those who persecute believers.

⁷And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted

Biblical rest can mean a lot of different things.

Here are a few meanings for rest:

Relief from suffering.

Peace and security.

Relief for the soul.

Eternity in God’s presence. (Heaven)

Relief or rest for the persecuted is certain, but for the most part this rest will come in the future.

God does not ignore suffering. He promises justice, but on His timetable.

Remember: Suffering is temporary — glory is permanent.

Relief or rest for the persecuted is certain.

and also for us

Paul was suffering persecution just as the Thessalonians were.

Paul understands what the Thessalonians are experiencing.

Repeat (And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted)

when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven.

Persecuted believers will get relief when Jesus appears from heaven.

1 Peter 1:6-8 NLT
⁶So be truly glad. There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you must endure many trials for a little while. ⁷These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
⁸You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.

God does not ignore suffering. He promises justice, but on His timetable.

He will come with his mighty angels, ⁸in flaming fire,

Isaiah 66:15-16 NLT
¹⁵See, the Lord is coming with fire,
and his swift chariots roar like a whirlwind.
He will bring punishment with the fury of his anger
and the flaming fire of his hot rebuke.
¹⁶The Lord will punish the world by fire
and by his sword.
He will judge the earth,
and many will be killed by him.

Christ’s return is portrayed as public, powerful, and authoritative, accompanied by angels—symbols of divine judgment and execution of God’s will.

bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.

Bringing judgment on:

those who don’t know God

and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus.

God’s judgment is real and unavoidable.

⁹They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.

They will be punished for rejecting the message about Christ.

John 3:18-21 NLT
¹⁸“There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. ¹⁹And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. ²⁰All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. ²¹But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.”

There are severe consequences for the unbelievers.

Matthew 25:41 NLT
⁴¹“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.

The phrase “eternal fire” stresses the gravity and finality of judgment.

Revelation 20:15 NLT
¹⁵And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Eternal separation. Forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power.

The horror of the judgment for the wicked will continue throughout eternity.

¹⁰When he comes on that day,

There will be a day of final judgment.

The final judgment:

Read the story about:

Sheep and goats
Right and left

Matthew 25:31-33 NLT
The Final Judgment
³¹“But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne. ³²All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

Read through:

Matthew 25:46 NLT
⁴⁶“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.

John 3:16 NLT
¹⁶“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.

The event that brings judgment on the unbeliever brings wonder, joy, and honor for the believer,

Believers are not passive spectators on the day Christ comes back; they are part of Christ’s glory.

Christ’s power and grace are put on display through the transformed lives and resurrected bodies of his followers.

Reflected Glory: Just as a mirror reflects the sun, the transformation of the believers serves as the primary evidence of Christ’s power. He is “marveled at” because of what He has done in and through flawed human beings.

David Makes Solomon King

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David Makes Solomon King

Introduction:

Adonijah, one of David’s sons, has declared himself king at En Rogel without David’s approval. Nathan and Bathsheba alert David about this event, and these verses record David’s decisive public response.

1 Kings 1:28-40 NLT
David Makes Solomon King<BF|R>²⁸King David responded, “Call Bathsheba!” So she came back in and stood before the king. ²⁹And the king repeated his vow: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has rescued me from every danger, ³⁰your son Solomon will be the next king and will sit on my throne this very day, just as I vowed to you before the Lord, the God of Israel.”
³¹Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground before the king and exclaimed, “May my lord King David live forever!”
³²Then King David ordered, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came into the king’s presence, ³³the king said to them, “Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. ³⁴There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ ³⁵Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”
³⁶“Amen!” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied. “May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, decree that it happen. ³⁷And may the Lord be with Solomon as he has been with you, my lord the king, and may he make Solomon’s reign even greater than yours!”
³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king’s bodyguard took Solomon down to Gihon Spring, with Solomon riding on King David’s own mule. ³⁹There Zadok the priest took the flask of olive oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon with the oil. Then they sounded the ram’s horn and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” ⁴⁰And all the people followed Solomon into Jerusalem, playing flutes and shouting for joy. The celebration was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound.

Examine the Scriptures

1 Kings 1:28-40 NLT

David Makes Solomon King

²⁸King David responded, “Call Bathsheba!” So she came back in and stood before the king.

In the culture of that time it would have been customary for Bathsheba to leave the room when Nathan entered.

²⁹And the king repeated his vow: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has rescued me from every danger, ³⁰your son Solomon will be the next king and will sit on my throne this very day, just as I vowed to you before the Lord, the God of Israel.”

King David repeats his vow to Bathsheba.

Swearing “As surely as the LORD lives” meant that David’s intended action was certain to take place.

David reassured Bathsheba that Solomon would be the next king by repeating his earlier vow.

David planned to act “this very day”.

Remember: David knew that it was the Lord’s will for Solomon to be the next king of Israel.

³¹Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground before the king and exclaimed, “May my lord King David live forever!”

This is the conventional language of the day for addressing a king.

Bathsheba is reaffirming her loyalty to David.

The words Bathsheba spoke implied that she believed that the king had acted righteously (carrying out God’s plans) and was worthy of God’s blessing.

The words Bathsheba spoke to David implied that she believed that the king had acted righteously and was worthy of God’s blessing.

³²Then King David ordered, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.”

A priest – represents religious authority.

A prophet – represents divine will.

The captain of the king’s bodyguard – represents executive power.

Benaiah son of Jehoiada was captain of the king’s bodyguard. (2 Samuel 20:23)

David summoned three men who represent the pillars of a stable kingdom.

These three men would be acting as representatives of the king.

These men would have been respected by the general population.

When they came into the king’s presence,

³³the king said to them, “Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring.

The servants of your lord ESV

Your lord’s servants NIV

The king told Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah to take Solomon to Gihon Spring.

David would not be able to make this trip.

More detail about “my officials” is given in verse 38.

Likely this referred to David’s special troops.

The Kerethites and Pelethites under the leadership of Benaiah appear to be foreign mercenaries or special troops who were loyal to David. (2 Samuel 23:22-23)

Gihon Spring was Jerusalem’s major water sources.

In this common gathering place, Solomon’s anointing would be well known.

Apparently this location was not be visible to Adonijah’s supporters at En-rogel due to the terrain.

The En Rogel spring was where Adonijah was feasting with his guests.

In verse 41 (our next lesson) we read that “Adonijah and his guests heard the celebrating and shouting” from Solomon’s anointing ceremony.

Solomon is to ride on my own mule.

Solomon riding on David’s mule marks him as David’s favored son.

Riding the king’s mule was a sign of prestige.

The king’s mule was a symbol of royal authority.

Normally no one else was allowed to ride the king’s mule.

Allowing Solomon to ride David’s mule publicly meant:

Solomon had David’s blessing.

“This is my chosen successor.”

Solomon riding on the king’s mule implied his kingship.

³⁴There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel.

Saul and David had been anointed by Samuel, the Lord’s priest and prophet.

There does not appear to be a prophet with Adonijah as he is attempting to be the king over Israel and Judah.

The presence of the prophet Nathan gave Solomon’s coronation evidence of the Lord’s blessing.

**Throughout the book of Kings, God identified His chosen kings through prophets.

Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

The blowing of trumpets signaled a public assembly where the people corporately recognized Solomon’s new status as successor to David.

An expression of recognition and acclamation of a new king.

A similar acclamation had been made for Adonijah.

³⁵Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”

David appointed Solomon to be ruler over Israel and Judah.

As king, David had the authority to appoint the next king.

Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah were acting on David’s behalf.

³⁶“Amen!” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied. “May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, decree that it happen.

Benaiah was responsible to escort Solomon back to Jerusalem.

Benaiah wanted the appointment of Solomon to be God’s will.

³⁷And may the Lord be with Solomon as he has been with you, my lord the king, and may he make Solomon’s reign even greater than yours!”

This is an expression of total loyalty to David and Solomon, it is in no way a negative statement of David’s reign.

³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and the king’s bodyguard took Solomon down to Gihon Spring, with Solomon riding on King David’s own mule.

Note the differences in the following translations:

1 Kings 1:38 ESV
³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule and brought him to Gihon.

1 Kings 1:38 NIV
³⁸So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon.

Most scholars believe they were non-Israelite professional soldiers.

An elite military unit that functioned much like a royal guard or special forces.

We discussed this briefly in 2 Samuel 20:23 (Lesson 281)

David’s special troops.

The Kerethites and Pelethites appear to be foreign mercenaries or special troops who were loyal to David.

³⁹There Zadok the priest took the flask of olive oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon with the oil.

Most scholars understand the “sacred tent” in 1 Kings 1:39 to refer to David’s tent in Jerusalem, where the ark was located, not the Gibeon tabernacle (tabernacle of Moses).

Anointing with oil signifies divine appointment and empowerment.

Anointing an individual signifies that the person being anointed was chosen, empowered, and set apart for God’s service.

This act gave the ceremony divine sanction.

Solomon is not self-appointed; he is set apart by God.

Then they sounded the ram’s horn and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!”

The blowing of the trumpet and the people’s shout, “Long live King Solomon!” made Solomon’s coronation public, audible, and unmistakable.

At the same time, Adonijah’s feast was private and exclusive.

⁴⁰And all the people followed Solomon into Jerusalem, playing flutes and shouting for joy. The celebration was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound.

Solomon has the support of the people.

Solomon has God’s blessing.

The celebration of Solomon’s anointing was so joyous and noisy that the earth shook with the sound.

Those attending Adonijah’s banquet at En-rogel could not see the celebration, but it was so noisy that they could hear it.

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Believers Should Stand Firm

Solomon Establishes His Rule (continued)

Solomon Establishes His Rule

Prophecy Regarding the Day of the Lord

David’s Final Instructions to Solomon

Events Prior to the Lord’s Second Coming

Prayer for the Thessalonians

Adonijah Bows before Solomon

Encouragement during Persecution (continued)

David Makes Solomon King