Mon.’s Devo - David’s Last Requests

Read: 1 Kings 2:1-3:2; Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 16:25 Before David died, he gave Solomon a charge to have courage to be a man. If he observed all the requirements of the Lord written in Moses’ law, he would be successful. Then David gave Solomon a list of some loose ends he needed to tie up to secure his kingdom. The first was Joab. He needed to die for the murders of Abner and Amasa. Shimei, the man who cursed David when he was fleeing Absalom also needed to die. There were also men David wanted Solomon to take care of and remember and they were the sons of Barzillai of Gilead who fed his men when he was fleeing Absalom. David wanted Solomon to feed him at his table as long as he lived. Once David gave his last requests he was free to die. He was buried in the City of David. One day, Adonijah went to see Bathsheba to ask if she would ask Solomon to give him Abishag for his wife. Abishag was the beautiful young virgin who slept with David to keep him warm. When Bathsheba took his request to Solomon, he saw right through it and knew that this was Adonijah’s attempt to infiltrate the kingdom and get it back. He had Adonijah killed. When Joab heard about Adonijah’s death he knew he was next. Joab had sided with Adonijah when he rebelled, so he went and took hold of the horns of the altar and refused to let got. Solomon had him killed in front of the altar. Benaiah took Joab’s place as Solomon’s army commander. Next, Solomon called Shimei in and gave laid out the rules of his house arrest. Shimei thought it was fair but in three years he broke his part of the bargain giving Solomon a reason to have him killed. Solomon had now rid the earth of David’s last enemies. He made a treaty with Egypt and secured it by marrying one of his daughters. In Acts, Ananias and Sapphirra were both struck down for lying to the Holy Spirit. This caused the fear of the Lord to fall on the church. The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders as they met at the Temple’s Colonnade. It was known as Solomon’s Colonnade which was an outside porch designated for teaching and debating. It was where Jesus was found when he was 12 talking to the elders of the Temple. Sick people were brought on mats and laid so that Peter’s shadow might fall on them. Many who were demon possessed and sick were all healed. The Sadducees were the most upset with the apostles because of their teaching that Jesus had resurrected. Resurrection was one of their pet doctrines that they didn’t believe so the apostles teaching was a threat to them. They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. That night an angel came and opened the gates of the jail and brought them out. He told them to keep preaching. So the next morning, they arrived at the Temple and began teaching. When the high priest and his men met that morning to sentence the apostles, they sent for them. They found the jail securely locked but the apostles were not there. News came that the men were teaching in the Temple. They arrested them again and had them brought before them. They told the apostles they could not teach in Jesus’ name anymore. Peter answered and said that they had to obey God rather than man. This really made the high council angry and they wanted to kill the apostles but Gamaliel, an expert in the law stood up and calmed them down. He told of others who had risen up and after a while they were silenced. If these men were doing these things on their own, they would soon be over thrown, but if their power came from God, they would not be able to fight them and win. They decided to set the apostles free, telling them not to speak in the name of the Lord but they continued daily to do just that. This is a great reminder to us that when man’s law conflicts with God’s law, we must follow God’s law. He is the ultimate judge. Lord, give us courage to put your law above everything else. May we stand with power and authority in your name.