Sat.’s Devo - David’s Loose Ends

Read: 1 Kings 2:1-3:2; Acts 5:1-42; Psalm 125:1-5; Proverbs 16:25 Before David died, he talked to Solomon about all the loose ends he was leaving to Solomon. The first was to deal with Joab. He had killed Abner and Amasa who were two of David’s army officers. He had masked it as an act of war when it was really revenge in a time of peace. *** The next order was to bless Barzillai and his sons who brought provisions for David’s army when he was fleeing Absalom. He was to make them permanent guests at his table. The third was to judge Shimei who threw stones at him and cursed him when he was fleeing Absalom. *** David died having served 47 years as king of Israel. He served 7 years in Hebron and 40 in Jerusalem. *** Solomon had his own loose end to tie up which was Adonijah. He was still hoping to take the kingdom from Solomon and tried to come through Bathsheba. Adonijah went to Bathsheba and asked her if she would ask Solomon if he could marry Abishag the one who lay with David in his old age to keep him warm. Solomon saw right through that and saw it as a way to prove he was the rightful king. He had Adonijah killed. Solomon had Abiathar, the priest who had sided with Adonijah, sent back home and deposed from his position as priest. Abiathar was a descendant of Eli. *** When Joab heard what Solomon had done to Adonijah and Abiathar, he knew he was next. He went and took hold of the horns of the altar and refused to come out. David had Benaiah kill him right before the altar to atone for the deaths of Abner and Amasa. *** The last person Solomon had to deal with was Shimei who had cursed David. Solomon had him build a house in Jerusalem where he would be on house arrest. He was not allowed to leave Jerusalem or he would be killed. Shimei agreed to the terms. Three years later two of Shimei’s servants fled to Gath and he went to bring them back. News reached Solomon that Shimei left Jerusalem, so now he could legally kill him. *** Solomon made an alliance with the Pharaoh of Egypt and sealed it with the marriage of Pharoah’s daughter. David was building his palace and the Temple at the time so the people still worshiped God at the local places of worship. *** In Acts, we read yesterday how Barnabas had sold a pice of land and gave all the money to the apostles. This must have given him lots of notoriety because Ananias and his wife Sapphire sold some property and brought part of the money to the apostles but claimed it was all the money they had gotten. Peter discerned that he was lying and called him out on it. Annanias fell dead. He didn’t die because he didn’t give all the money to the church, he died because he lied about it and his motive was evil. They took his body out and buried it. Three hours later, his wife showed up and they asked her if the price Ananias had given them was the price they had sold the land. She agreed with her husband and Peter called her out for conspiring with her husband. He told her what had happened to him would happen to her, also. Sure enough, she fell dead and they buried her beside her husband. *** When the people in the church found out what had happened, the fear of the Lord fell on them. The apostles were working great miracles and signs and wonders. The church grew and grew and many were healed and saved. *** Those in the religious order were filled with jealousy. They cousin’t compete with miracles from God so they arrested the apostles and put them in public jail. But, the angel of the Lord came and set them free and told them to keep doing what they were doing. *** When the leaders found they had miraculously escaped the jail and were out preaching and teaching in the open, they arrested them again and questioned them. They reminded them that they had told them not to teach in the name of Jesus. Peter told them again that they had to obey God and not them. *** Gamaliel, one of the Pharisees who was respected by the council stood up and reminded them of two other revolutionaries who had followers but when they died, their followers eventually scattered and nothing came of it. He advised them to leave them alone, surely they would die out also. But, if they are from God, nothing they could do would be able to stop them. They listened to Gamaliel and took his advice. They called in the apostles and flogged them and ordered them again not to speak in the name of Christ. They let them go and they went home praising God that they had been worthy to suffer for Jesus. Every day they taught in the Temple and from house to house. *** Lord, may we be bold and not afraid of suffering for Christ. When we see the Holy Spirit moving in power and miracles, may we be filled with the fear of the Lord.