1 Kings 1-4 - Outline

[Jim Watt]

“*TWO ARE BETTER THAN ONE” MINISTRIES*

*Jim & Marie Watt*

*Tel: 253-517-9195 - Email: jmbetter at gmail.com*

*Web: www.2rbetter.org*

October 17, 2012


 *JUN 12 - 1 KINGS 1-4 - SOLOMON: KINGDOM ESTABLISHED FIRST*


 *1. 1:5-6a (1:1-9, ESV) DAVID: ADONIJAH PLOTS IN HIS DECLINING YEARS. “Now
Adonijah the son of Haggith (Exultation) exalted himself, saying, ‘I will
be king.’ And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men
to run before him. 6a His father had never at any time displeased him by
asking, ‘Why have you done thus and so?’” *There is a danger in our
declining years. It is good to pass on responsibility while we are yet
alert. David waited too long. *Hallowed by your :name.*


 *2. 1:11 (1:10-27) SOLOMON: PROTECTED BY NATHAN AND BATHSHEBA. “Then
Nathan said to Bathsheba (Daughter of an oath) the mother of Solomon
(Peaceable). ‘Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has
become king and David our lord does not know it?’” *Thank God for the
prophet Nathan! Apart from him, all the good of David’s kingdom might have
been lost. Father, we thank You for the wisdom You placed in Nathan. By it
he preserved the Kingdom! *Your :kingdom come!*


 *3. 1:34 (1:28-2:11) SOLOMON: ANOINTED AND CHARGED BY DAVID. “And let
Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel.
Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’” *What wisdom are
in the words of David with which he charged Solomon! All of Adonijah’s
plans went awry because of Nathan, Bathsheba and David. Father, we bless
You that You look over us in our weakness! *Your :will be done, As in
heaven, so on earth.*


 *4. 2:24 (2:12-25) SOLOMON: EXECUTES ADONIJAH. “Now therefore as the LORD
lives, who has established me and placed me on the throne of David my
father, and who has made me a house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put
to death today.” *With what dispatch Solomon acted concerning Adonijah’s
request! O forgive us Father, that we so often fail to discern the
seriousness of a situation; or, seeing it, we fail to act with dispatch!
Grant us too the wisdom of Solomon! *Our :daily :bread Give us this day.*


 *5. 2:31 (2:26-35) SOLOMON: REMOVES ABIATHAR AND EXECUTED JOAB. The king
replied to him, “Do as he has said, strike him down and bury him, and thus
take away from me and and from my father’s house the guilt for the blood
that Joab shed without cause.” *How *necessary* was this action! Forgive us
Father, for often being ‘bleeding-heart liberals’, who fail to apprehend
the importance of Your Kingdom Government and principles! Strengthen us
that we fall not into the temptation of becoming wishy-washy, wimpy
leaders. *And forgive us our :debts, As we also have forgiven our debtors.*


 *6. 2:46 (2:36-46) SOLOMON: EXECUTES SHIMEI. “Then the king commanded
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck him down, and he
died. So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.” *This make 3
executions and one banishment, all in less that a 4 year period of time.
This *had* to be done before the building of the Temple. Father, we see and
perceive You in all of this. *And bring us not into temptation.*


 *7. 3:5 (3-4) SOLOMON: WISDOM-ENDOWED AND ESTABLISHED. “At Gibeon the LORD
appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, ‘Ask what I shall
give you.’” *What a dream! We will not sell You short, O Great Jehovah
Father, concerning Your right to speak to us in *dreams*, as You did to
Joseph and Daniel (Job 33:14-18). There are 24 dreamers and 34 recorded
dreams in Scripture: 22 in the OT, and 12 in the NT. *And deliver us from
the evil one!*


 *NOTE**: 3:9 (3-4) SOLOMON’S REQUEST. **“Give your servant therefore an
understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good
and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?” *We too need
Your wisdom, Father!


 And what are the chief lessons that we can glean and apply from this
reading for us today?


 Perhaps one that stands out is the counsel David gave his son Solomon just
before he died. Joab and Shimei required judgment that David was unable to
look after during his life-time. These with Adonijah and Abiathar were
attended to in the 4 years of his reign prior to beginning the building of
the Temple. For us - before beginning God-given assignments - there are
oftentimes tasks to be attended to prior to taking care of the assignments.


 Then - all of us could learn from the humility of Solomon asking for
wisdom to rule God’s people wisely - ahead of any other personal request he
might have asked for. God was so pleased with this request, that He granted
it above any ruler prior or since in the realm of wisdom! As a bonus He
added riches in like measure.


 We too like Solomon should see the priority of wisdom and understanding
above any other goal in seeking God.


 Solomon was author of 3 books of the Bible: Song of Solomon in his early
years; Proverbs as a father; and Ecclesiastes as “a looking back” on his
failures, and a closing word on the chief lesson he learned from his lapses
in departing from God’s ways.


 Solomon means “peaceable” - and God determined that it took a man of
“Peace” to build His Temple, not a man of wars. When Solomon was born (2
Samuel 12:25) God instructed Nathan to also name him “Jedidiah” - “Beloved
of the LORD.” Certainly in his early and mid-years, Solomon lived up to
this added name. It was only later when he multiplied wives and let them
lead him into worshiping their gods - that the anger and wrath of the LORD
came upon him, leading to the division of the Kingdom under his son
Rehoboam.


 We should remember that in later years - we too can be led astray and
depart from the true and pure worship of the LORD. - Jim Watt


 *Our chapter of Proverbs for the day: 12:14 (12) THE PROVERBS OF
SOLOMON. “From
the fruit of his mouth a man is satisfied with good, and the work of a
man’s hand comes back to him.” *You Father, are not ungrateful to pass over
unnoticed our labor of love to You, and to our fellow-man. When we walk by
Your Spirit, obeying His leadings according to the mandates of Your Word, a
*sure* reward comes, and our needs *are* met! *Hallowed be your :name!*



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