Would you like to read James McNaught’s novel Sinking Sand”? click here: Sinking Sand
(The view expressed in this blog are my own and should not be taken as inspired in any way.)
1 Kings 2:1–11, “Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong therefore, and shew thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the throne of Israel. Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. But shew kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of Absalom thy brother. And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar head bring thou down to the grave with blood. So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And the days that David reigned over Israel were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years reigned he in Jerusalem.”
David knew that he was old and ready to die. He ensured the succession when Adonijah tried to take the crown by force and he took some time to advise his son. Perhaps, by that stage, he realised that it was important to give his children guidance rather than let them do whatever the wanted to do. The first and most important advice that David gave his son was to be a man and keep the charge of the Lord God. David knew that Israel and his own family had promises that would last forever as long as they faithfully obeyed the Lord and kept his commandments. He also advised his son to make sure that his grandchildren were given direction and advice in the ways of the Lord as well. The Lord promised David that his family would remain on the throne of Israel as long as they were faithful to the Lord and the Law. There were also some specific issues that needed to be dealt with that David had not done anything about during his own lifetime. Joab, David’s cousin, had killed two men who were significant soldiers so that Joab could keep his own position. David advised Solomon to make sure that Joab was punished, according to the Law for this sin. There were also some men who had helped David when he was in difficult times and these men should be rewarded and their goodness recognised. When David fled from Absalom a man called Shimei had cursed him, at that stage David didn’t punish the man but he told Solomon to make sure that Shimei was punished. Solomon would be a young king and he would need to make sure that any opposition be dealt with properly to ensure the security of his crown. After David died.
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