Read: 1 Kings 2:1-3:3; Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 16:25
Before David died he encouraged Solomon to be strong and follow after the Lord and keep his commands. If he did this, God would establish his kingdom forever. He also gave Solomon instructions about some loose ends that needed tying. There were people who needed to be honored and people that needed to be judged for their actions. Joab had killed Abner, the army commander of Israel and Amasa, the army commander of Judah. David had not sanctioned any of these murders and Joab had killed in a time of peace because they were a threat to his job. He had also conspired with Adonijah to take over the kingdom. He would need to pay with his own life.
Shimei was the man who had cursed David as he fled from Absalom. David had promised to let him live, so he told Solomon to get creative in how to punish him. Solomon moved Shimei to Jerusalem and told him that if he ever left Jerusalem, he would kill him. Shimei agreed until three years later when his slave escaped to another city. He went after him which gave Solomon the opportunity to kill him.
David told Solomon to honor the sons of Barzillai who had fed David and his army when they fled Absalom. Now, Solomon had done all David had asked of him.
He also killed his brother, Adonijah when he used his own mother, Bathsheba to get him a royal wife. Solomon saw that Adonijah was still manipulative and would always be a threat to his kingdom if he didn’t do away with him, so he killed him.
Solomon defrocked Abiathar from the priesthood because he had sided with Adonijah and sent him home. Zadok became the official priest. Solomon had now drained his swamp and his kingdom was established. He had used Benaniah to help him so he became the commander of his army. His name means “built of Jehovah.”
The last few verses we read today are the saddest. Solomon had established his kingdom and loved the Lord, but he made an alliance with the Pharaoh of Egypt and married his daughter bringing her into his palace. This particular wife represents the Church who has been ransomed out of a heathen nation and betrothed to the king of kings.
Yesterday, the last thing we read was about a man named Joseph who had sold a piece of land and brought all the money and gave it to the apostles. Today, we read the story of Ananias and his wife, Sapphira. They apparently wanted the same glory that went to Joseph, only Ananias and his wife had schemed that they would keep some of it but not tell that part. They didn’t have to give it but when they lied about it and said they were giving all of it to the church, God was not pleased and killed them on the spot.
When God is moving greatly like he was during their time, there is great responsibility required. They had tried to deceive God and man but it didn’t work.
The apostles went out and did the same works Jesus had done. They preached the kingdom of God and the resurrection of Jesus and they followed it with healing the sick and doing miracles. The Sanhedrin now had their hands full of twelve “Jesus’s”. Filled with jealousy, they threw the apostles in jail. That night God’s angel rescued them and told them to stand in the temple courts and proclaim the good news about Jesus and the Holy Spirit.
When the Sanhedrin arrived at the jail to get the apostles out for questioning they found an empty jail. They got news of where the apostles were and had them called in. When questioned, the apostles told them they had to obey God instead of man. The religious leaders didn’t know what to do with these apostles.
Gamaliel, a teacher of the law explained that it would be better to let them go than to kill them. If they were from man then their zeal would fizzle out on its own but if they were from God, then there was no fighting God and winning. That was wise advise so they had the apostles flogged and sent home. The apostles went home rejoicing at the privilege of being able to suffer for the sake of Christ.
Lord, may we have that attitude about our lives and the kingdom.
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