Solomon Establishes His Rule (part 3)
Introduction:
Review:
King David has died and Solomon is now king. He is dealing with housekeeping issues 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.
Adonijah is executed by Solomon.
Abiathar and Joab are guilty by association with Adonijah and they had to be dealt with.
In addition:
Joab was a murderer, and these murders needed to be dealt with.
Solomon sends Abiathar into exile to his hometown of Anathoth and removes him from the priesthood.
Joab was executed for “the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he”.
Now Solomon will deal with Shimei.
Shimei first appears in 2 Samuel 16:5–13 when David was fleeing Jerusalem during the rebellion of Absalom.
- Shimei cursed David.
2 Samuel 16:5-13 NLT
Shimei Curses David
5 As 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. 6 He 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!”
9 “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king?” Abishai son of Zeruiah demanded. “Let me go over and cut off his head!”
10 “No!” the king said. “Who asked your opinion, you sons of Zeruiah! If the Lord has told him to curse me, who are you to stop him?”
11 Then 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. 12 And perhaps the Lord will see that I am being wronged and will bless me because of these curses today.” 13 So David and his men continued down the road, and Shimei kept pace with them on a nearby hillside, cursing and throwing stones and dirt at David.
David refused to have him killed at that moment, saying the Lord might have allowed the cursing.
- Shimei asked David for mercy.
Shimei asks David for mercy.
After Absalom’s rebellion ended, Shimei hurried to meet David and begged for forgiveness (2 Samuel 19:16–23).
2 Samuel 19:16-23 NLT
16 Shimei son of Gera, the man from Bahurim in Benjamin, hurried across with the men of Judah to welcome King David. 17 A thousand other men from the tribe of Benjamin were with him, including Ziba, the chief servant of the house of Saul, and Ziba’s fifteen sons and twenty servants. They rushed down to the Jordan to meet the king. 18 They crossed the shallows of the Jordan to bring the king’s household across the river, helping him in every way they could.
As the king was about to cross the river, Shimei fell down before him. 19 “My lord the king, please forgive me,” he pleaded. “Forget the terrible thing your servant did when you left Jerusalem. May the king put it out of his mind. 20 I know how much I sinned. That is why I have come here today, the very first person in all Israel to greet my lord the king.”
… turning to Shimei, David vowed, “Your life will be spared.”
- David spared Shimei’s life and swore he would not put him to death.
However, before David died he told Solomon to deal wisely with Shimei because of the wrong he had done (1 Kings 2:8–9).
1 Kings 2:8-9 NLT
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. 9 But that oath does not make him innocent. You are a wise man, and you will know how to arrange a bloody death for him.”
- Before David died he told Solomon to deal wisely with Shimei because of the wrong he had done (1 Kings 2:8–9).
1 Kings 2:36-46 NLT
Solomon Establishes His Rule (part 3)
36 The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else. 37 On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”
38 Shimei replied, “Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.” So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.
39 But three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath. When Shimei learned where they were, 40 he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them. When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem.
41 Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. 42 So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’ 43 Then why haven’t you kept your oath to the Lord and obeyed my command?”
44 The king also said to Shimei, “You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the Lord now bring that evil on your own head. 45 But may I, King Solomon, receive the Lord’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the Lord.” 46 Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him.
So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.
Examine the Scriptures
1 Kings 2:36-46 NLT
Solomon Establishes His Rule (part 3)
36 The king then sent for Shimei and told him, “Build a house here in Jerusalem and live there. But don’t step outside the city to go anywhere else.
Solomon told Shimei to build a house in Jerusalem and never leave the city.
This was to be Shimei’s permanent residence.
This is both mercy and restriction.
- Cursing David was a serious offense.
Exodus 22:28 NLT
28 “You must not dishonor God or curse any of your rulers.
Romans 13:1-2 NLT
Respect for Authority
13:1 Everyone must submit to governing authorities. For all authority comes from God, and those in positions of authority have been placed there by God. 2 So anyone who rebels against authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and they will be punished.
Ecclesiastes 10:20 NLT
20 Never make light of the king, even in your thoughts.
And don’t make fun of the powerful, even in your own bedroom.
For a little bird might deliver your message
and tell them what you said.
Confinement to Jerusalem would greatly reduce the possibility of Shimei conspiring with any reaming followers of Saul, especially from among the Benjamites, against Solomon’s rule.
- Shimei was restricted to living in Jerusalem. The city would be his prison.
37 On the day you so much as cross the Kidron Valley, you will surely die; and your blood will be on your own head.”
- Solomon told Shimei that he would be executed if he disobeyed his sentence.
38 Shimei replied, “Your sentence is fair; I will do whatever my lord the king commands.”
- Shimei understood his sentence and agreed to live by it.
So Shimei lived in Jerusalem for a long time.
39 But three years later two of Shimei’s slaves ran away to King Achish son of Maacah of Gath.
Achish was the king of Gath, one of the major cities of the Philistines.
Gath was about 30 miles southwest of Jerusalem.
When Shimei learned where they were, 40 he saddled his donkey and went to Gath to search for them.
- Shimei violated Solomon’s sentence by leaving Jerusalem to retrieve two runaway slaves.
This demonstrated that Shimei had no more respect for Solomon’s authority than he had for David’s. Shimei’s attitude had not changed.
When he found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem.
- Shimei’s disobedience may seem small and practical—but it directly violates the king’s command.
Disobedience often begins with justification (“I had a good reason”).
41 Solomon heard that Shimei had left Jerusalem and had gone to Gath and returned. 42 So the king sent for Shimei and demanded, “Didn’t I make you swear by the Lord and warn you not to go anywhere else or you would surely die? And you replied, ‘The sentence is fair; I will do as you say.’
- Solomon reviewed the terms of Shimei’s sentence with Shimei.
43 Then why haven’t you kept your oath to the Lord and obeyed my command?”
44 The king also said to Shimei, “You certainly remember all the wicked things you did to my father, David. May the Lord now bring that evil on your own head.
- Solomon had given Shimei a chance to live out his life in Jerusalem, but because Shimei had disobeyed his sentence he would be held accountable for his actions.
Shimei’s earlier sin is now fully judged.
Shimei will receive the consequences of his own actions.
45 But may I, King Solomon, receive the Lord’s blessings, and may one of David’s descendants always sit on this throne in the presence of the Lord.”
Solomon’s throne is established by God.
David’s dynasty would endure.
David’s throne would be established “forever”.
This points forward to the eternal kingdom through Christ.
The Lord’s blessings would come through the ruler of David’s line, not Saul’s.
Shimei had always been an advocate of King Saul.
46 Then, at the king’s command, Benaiah son of Jehoiada took Shimei outside and killed him.
- Solomon commanded Benaiah to execute Shimei.
This is the third execution carried out by Benaiah. (First Adonijah, then Joab, now Shimei.)
This completed the tasks assigned to Solomon by David just before David’s death.
- Solomon’s actions were necessary to secure the throne of David.
Solomon’s actions were neither unfair nor vindictive.
The new king had demonstrated both wisdom and mercy in dealing with his political enemies, men who had conspired against the will of God during David’s reign.
So the kingdom was now firmly in Solomon’s grip.
All internal threats are now removed:
Adonijah (rebellion)
Joab (bloodguilt)
Abiathar (disloyal priest)
Shimei (cursing and instability)
