Day 96. 1 Kings 1-2

At the beginning of our reading for today we find David old and unable to "get warm" (1:1). The solution is Abishag the Shunammite, a girl of stunning beauty, who is taken on as a concubine to warm the bones of the aged king. The king does "not know her sexually," we are told, although she is technically a "lesser wife" (1:4) and of great importance in the power game that follows. (We need to remember that the possession of the royal harem helps secure the right of succession. During his ill-fated revolt, one of Absalom's acts of treason was to appropriate some of David's concubines who had remained behind in Jerusalem in order to consolidate his claim on the throne.) In Israel the principle of succession was not very well established during the early monarchy. Who was David's heir to be? Chapter 1 is devoted to answering this question.  Absalom's younger brother Adonijah the heir presumptive takes advantage of David's old age and increasing isolation to have himself proclaimed king and to assume the trappings of power (1:5). He offers a massive sacrifice as if he were already king (1:9) and gathers around himself important supporters-- Abiathar, the high priest, and our old friend Joab, the ruthless commander of David's army (1:7). He does not however have the support of the priest Zadok, the general Benaiah, or Nathan, the LORD's prophet; they remain loyal to Solomon. This a dangerous moment for everyone; it was a dangerous thing to support the wrong candidate in these dynastic struggles. There is a lot of harem politics at work here. The prophet Nathan goes to Bathsheba, now a much older than she was David when first saw her bathing on her roof. But she is still David's favorite wife and a force to be reckoned with. Nathan asks  her to go to the king and remind him of his promise that her son Solomon should to succeed him, not Adonijah (1:17).  At this point in Israel's history it is still up the king to decide among his various sons which should be his successor (1:20); the crown did not pass automatically to the eldest.   David, apparently unaware of Adonijah's activities until Nathan informs him of them, bestirs himself and gives orders to set Solomon upon a mule, the royal mount, (1:38), and bring him to Gihon,  where Zadok the priest is to anoint him as David had been anointed by Samuel (1:39). So Solomon is acclaimed as king by the people, in the midst of general rejoicing. When he hears of this the new arrangement, the frightened Adonijah goes to the Tent of Meeting for sanctuary and takes hold of the horns of the altar, seeking the protection of the LORD (1:49).  Solomon spares him on the promise of his good behavior and tells him to "go home" (1:52-53). So for a period of time David and Solomon reign together. But presently David's time comes to die, and he gives Solomon solemn advice, reminding him of the terms and stipulations of the covenant that God has made with the house of David. As long as the kings of Israel obey the Law of Moses, the promise of the LORD will stay alive, and "there shall not fail" to be successor from the house of David "on the throne of Israel" (2:4).  Then David gives Solomon advice regarding those who have troubled his own reign, notably Joab, the commander of the army. The murders of Abner and Amasa must be avenged—"do not let his grey head go down to Sheol in peace," David tells his son (2:6). They same is true of Shimei, who had cursed David and threw stones at him when he fled during Absalom's revolt. David had promised to spare him. But honor will not allow his curses to go unpunished. Solomon must take care of this unfinished business too—"you must bring his grey head down with blood to Sheol," he is told (2:9). Then David himself dies, and is buried, and the trouble begins. Adonijah goes to Bathsheba to get her son Solomon to let him have Abishag the Shunammite as his wife (2:22). Her stunning beauty is not her only charm, of course; as David's concubine she would give Adonijah a stronger claim on the throne. Bathsheba, a woman whose beauty has also gotten her a long way, is disposed to grant this boon. But Solomon sees through the request immediately and says, why don't you "ask for him the kingdom well! He is my elder brother" (2:22). This violation of the promise of good behavior causes Solomon to put Adonijah to death (2:25). He then consolidates his power by exiling the high priest Abiathar to his country estate and installing  Zadok, his loyal follower, in his place (2:26-27). When word of all this comes to Joab, he also flees to the tabernacle and takes hold of the horns of the altar, seeking sanctuary. But that does not save him. His crimes demand his blood (2:33). Benaiah assassinates  him with a sword, and replaces him as commander of the army (2 35). Shimei is spared on the condition that he stay in Jerusalem where Solomon can keep an eye on him. When he departs to recapture an escaped slave (2:44), he too is condemned "for all the evil" he has done to David (2:44) and dispatched by Solomon's hit-man Benaiah. So all the unfinished business is settled and we are told that the kingdom is "established in the hand of Solomon" (2:46). Now the Golden Age of the Israelite monarchy is set to begin.