20240901

unfinished business

1 Kings 2:1-11 (JDV)

1 Kings 2:1 As the time drew near for David to die, he charged his son Solomon,
1 Kings 2:2 “As for me, I am going the way of all of the land. Be strong and be a man,
1 Kings 2:3 and keep your obligation to Yahveh your God to walk in his ways and to keep his statutes, commands, ordinances, and decrees. This is written in the law of Moses, so that you will have success in everything you do and wherever you turn,
1 Kings 2:4 and so that Yahveh will fulfill his promise that he made to me: ‘If your sons watch their way to walk faithfully before me with all their heart and all their throat, you will never fail to have a man on the throne of Israel.’
1 Kings 2:5 “You also know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me and what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s army, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He murdered them in a time of peace to avenge blood shed in war. He spilled that blood on his own waistband and on the sandals of his feet.
1 Kings 2:6 Act according to your wisdom, and do not let his gray head descend to Sheol in peace.
1 Kings 2:7 “Show kindness to the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite and let them be among those who eat at your table because they supported me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
1 Kings 2:8 “Keep an eye on Shimei son of Gera, the Benjaminite from Bahurim who is with you. He uttered malicious curses against me the day I went to Mahanaim. But he came down to meet me at the Jordan River, and I swore to him by Yahveh: ‘I will never kill you with the sword.’
1 Kings 2:9 So don’t let him go unpunished, for you are a wise man. You know how to deal with him to bring his gray head down to Sheol with blood.”
1 Kings 2:10 Then David rested with his fathers and was buried in the city of David.
1 Kings 2:11 The length of time David reigned over Israel was forty years: he reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem.

unfinished business

Solomon had a rather peaceful reign, and that may be partly due to his willingness to listen to his father and take care of the problems David pointed out to him before they resulted in rebellion.