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)
26 Then 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.” 27 So 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.
28 Joab 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. 29 When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him.
30 Benaiah 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. 32 The 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. 33 May 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.”
34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness. 35 Then 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
7 Adonijah 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.)
17 He 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. 6 Do 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)
26 Then 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.
27 So 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. 31 The time is coming when I will put an end to your family, so it will no longer serve as my priests. …
See also 1 Samuel 22 (especially v. 20)
God is always faithful to His Word.
- Abiathar’s removal from office fulfills God’s judgment on Eli’s priestly house.
This transition prepares the way for Zadok’s priestly line, which becomes the dominant priesthood in Jerusalem.
28 Joab had not joined Absalom’s earlier rebellion, but he had joined Adonijah’s rebellion. So when Joab heard about Adonijah’s death,
Adonijah was dead and Abiathar was removed from his office of high priest. Joab knew that his time was coming.
- When Joab hears what happened to Adonijah and Abiathar, he realizes judgment is coming for him too.
he ran to the sacred tent of the Lord and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.
Joab sought refuge in the courtyard of the sacred tent.
- Joab runs to the altar of the Lord and grabs its horns, seeking sanctuary.
Look at Joshua 20 which talks about cities of refuge.
Joshua 20:1-3 NLT
The Cities of Refuge
20:1 The Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Now tell the Israelites to designate the cities of refuge, as I instructed Moses. 3 Anyone who kills another person accidentally and unintentionally can run to one of these cities; they will be places of refuge from relatives seeking revenge for the person who was killed.
Remember also: 1 Kings 1:50 NLT
50 Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, so he rushed to the sacred tent and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.
In ancient Israel:
The altar sometimes provided temporary asylum for accidental killers.
But it did not protect deliberate murderers.
Joab had previously murdered:
Abner (2 Samuel 3)
Amasa (2 Samuel 20)
Both killings were acts of revenge and political ambition.
Joab like Adonijah grossly misinterpreted the use of places of refuge.
- The altar provided no real sanctuary to Joab, the rebel and murderer.
29 When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent Benaiah son of Jehoiada to execute him.
- Solomon ordered Benaiah to administer the death sought by King David.
1 Kings 2:5-6 NLT (David instructing Solomon.)
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. 6 Do with him what you think best, but don’t let him grow old and go to his grave in peace.
King David’s instructions to Solomon are being carried out.
30 Benaiah 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.”
Solomon probably did not want to defile the tabernacle by shedding human blood there so he told Benaiah to order Joab to come out.
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.
Joab refused to come out
This will remove the guilt of Joab’s senseless murders from me and from my father’s family.
As long as Joab remained alive, David’s family bore some responsibility for Joab’s actions. This would be an obstacle to God’s blessings and to Solomon’s reign. (Remember the story of Achan)
Numbers 35:30-34 NLT
30 “All murderers must be put to death, … 33 This will ensure that the land where you live will not be polluted, for murder pollutes the land. And no sacrifice except the execution of the murderer can purify the land from murder. 34 You must not defile the land where you live, for I live there myself. I am the Lord, who lives among the people of Israel.”
- By executing Joab, Solomon removes the bloodguilt from David’s family and the kingdom.
32 The Lord will repay him for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he.
God will hold the sinner accountable.
God is just.
- Joab was executed 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.
Joab had murdered two innocent commanders, Abner and Amasa, without David’s knowledge.
We has referred to these two murders earlier in the lesson.
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.
33 May 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.”
Isaiah 2:2-4 NLT
2 In the last days, the mountain of the Lord’s house
will be the highest of all—
the most important place on earth.
It will be raised above the other hills,
and people from all over the world will stream there to worship.
3 People from many nations will come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of Jacob’s God.
There he will teach us his ways,
and we will walk in his paths.”
For the Lord’s teaching will go out from Zion;
his word will go out from Jerusalem.
4 The Lord will mediate between nations
and will settle international disputes.
They will hammer their swords into plowshares
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation will no longer fight against nation,
nor train for war anymore.
Isaiah 9:6-7 NLT
6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[a] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
34 So Benaiah son of Jehoiada returned to the sacred tent and killed Joab, and he was buried at his home in the wilderness.
To be buried in one’s own land was an honor bestowed on Joab for his long service to David.
35 Then the king appointed Benaiah to command the army in place of Joab, and he installed Zadok the priest to take the place of Abiathar.
Solomon restructures the leadership of the kingdom:
- Benaiah becomes commander of the army in place of Joab.
- Zadok becomes priest in place of Abiathar.
Zadok’s appointment returned the high priesthood to Eleazar’s line as it had been before Eli.
