I Kings 2:1,5,6,8,9- Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying, 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. 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.
There were two men that David wanted to see judged- Joab and Shimei. Joab had killed Saul's brother, Abner when they had just reached a peace agreement. And, Shimei had cursed David and his family when they were on the run from Absalom. Solomon now was charged with their punishment.
Solomon had his own list of people who needed to be judged for their sins. The first was his half-brother Adonijah who had tried to take the throne. Solomon wanted to have mercy on him and let him live, but he just wouldn't be good. And he went so far as to bring Solomon's mother in on his plot.
I Kings 2:13-18- And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD. And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king.
Do you remember Abishag? She was the young lady who was brought in when King David was old to help him keep warm. Adonijah knew that the kingdom looked at her as one of the Queens of Israel. He was hoping to gain the hearts of the people and the throne through his marriage to her.
Bathsheba didn't understand this plot, but Solomon was a wise man. He could see the plot that Adonijah was constructing.
I Kings 2:19-22- Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand. Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah.
Solomon knew that Abiathar the priest and Joab, David's General, had stood behind Adonijah. He knew that now was the time to bring a swift end to the plot that could split his new kingdom.
I Kings 2:23-27- Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died. And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.
So, Solomon had Adonijah killed, and he sent Abiathar home. Abiathar deserved to die, but because he was a faithful priest to David during his reign Solomon showed him mercy and terminated his job as priest instead of killing him.
The news of these punishments travelled to Joab who knew that he must be next.
I Kings 2:28-31- Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father.
Joab ran into the temple and grabbed onto the altar. He thought that Solomon wouldn't kill him in there. But, Solomon knew that God was a God of justice and he had Joab killed for the murder and sedition he was guilty of.
Now, there was only one man left on his list that had to be judged- Shimei.
I Kings 2:36-38- And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.
Solomon wasn't going to kill Shimei right away. He was going to offer him the chance to live a long life. All he had to do was move to Jerusalem and stay in the city so Solomon could keep an eye on him. And he did, for a little while.
I Kings 2:39-40- And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath.
Shimei had two servants that ran away. He knew he wasn't suppose to leave the city and yet he went to the land of the Philistines to get his servants and bring them back. Do you suppose that he forgot what Solomon had said? Guess who didn't forget!
I Kings 2:41-46- And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.
Now, during the time that all this was happening, stories of Solomon's judgement and wisdom were being spoken of around the known world. Tales of the beauty of the temple and the magnificence of his palace were circulating. And there was one ruler who just had to see for herself!
II Chronicles 9:1-2- And when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon, she came to prove Solomon with hard questions at Jerusalem, with a very great company, and camels that bare spices, and gold in abundance, and precious stones: and when she was come to Solomon, she communed with him of all that was in her heart. And Solomon told her all her questions: and there was nothing hid from Solomon which he told her not.
The Queen of Sheba had prepared gifts for Solomon. She had travelled far to get some answers to questions that she couldn't find anyone who could settle. She wanted to see if the stories were true.
II Chronicles 9:3-6- And when the queen of Sheba had seen the wisdom of Solomon, and the house that he had built, And the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel; his cupbearers also, and their apparel; and his ascent by which he went up into the house of the LORD; there was no more spirit in her. And she said to the king, It was a true report which I heard in mine own land of thine acts, and of thy wisdom: Howbeit I believed not their words, until I came, and mine eyes had seen it: and, behold, the one half of the greatness of thy wisdom was not told me: for thou exceedest the fame that I heard.
She had heard the tales, but she didn't really believe that they could be true. The things she was told seemed too good to be reality. Surely, they were exaggerations! But, when she finally arrived to see for herself, she was amazed that they were true. In fact, she had only heard a small part of the wonders of Solomon's kingdom.
We hear about things in heaven the same way that the Queen of Sheba heard about Solomon's kingdom. We thing that streets of gold and gates of pearl must be an exaggeration- no city could be that grand! But, I believe that once we get to heaven we will realize that, like the Queen, we were only told a small amount of the amazing place it really is!
II Chronicles 9:9, 12- And she gave the king an hundred and twenty talents of gold, and of spices great abundance, and precious stones: neither was there any such spice as the queen of Sheba gave king Solomon. And king Solomon gave to the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatsoever she asked, beside that which she had brought unto the king. So she turned, and went away to her own land, she and her servants.
The Queen of Sheba gave gifts to Solomon which she had brought with her, and Solomon gave her gifts in return.
We, one day, will be able to give gifts to our Lord Jesus Christ when we finally see the wonders of His kingdom. Do you know how you will have gifts to give to him?
I Corinthians 3:12-14- Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward.
Paul tells us that every work which we do upon the earth creates something in heaven. If our works are faith in God, reading the Bible, and winning lost souls to Christ we will get gold, silver, and precious stones. But if our works are done in selfishness, greed, or for worldly pleasures we will get wood, hay, and stubble.
When we get to heaven all of our works will be piled in front of the Lord. He will then put them through the fire that separates the good from the bad. The gold, silver, and precious stones will be the only things left. These will be the gifts that we can give to the Lord!
