1 Kings 2:13-27--Solomon's Reign Established (Part 1)

1 Kings 2:13-27
English Standard Version
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Solomon's Reign Established
13 Then Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, “Do you come peacefully?” He said, “Peacefully.” 14 Then he said, “I have something to say to you.” She said, “Speak.” 15 He said, “You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel fully expected me to reign. However, the kingdom has turned about and become my brother's, for it was his from the LORD. 16 And now I have one request to make of you; do not refuse me.” She said to him, “Speak.” 17 And he said, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” 18 Bathsheba said, “Very well; I will speak for you to the king.”

19 So Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him on behalf of Adonijah. And the king rose to meet her and bowed down to her. Then he sat on his throne and had a seat brought for the king's mother, and she sat on his right. 20 Then she said, “I have one small request to make of you; do not refuse me.” And the king said to her, “Make your request, my mother, for I will not refuse you.” 21 She said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah your brother as his wife.” 22 King Solomon answered his mother, “And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask for him the kingdom also, for he is my older brother, and on his side are Abiathar the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah.” 23 Then King Solomon swore by the LORD, saying, “God do so to me and more also if this word does not cost Adonijah his life! 24 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.” 25 So King Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died.

26 And to Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go to Anathoth, to your estate, for you deserve death. But I will not at this time put you to death, because you carried the ark of the LORD God before David my father, and because you shared in all my father's affliction.” 27 So Solomon expelled Abiathar from being priest to the LORD, thus fulfilling the word of the LORD that he had spoken concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

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Last time we ended by Solomon calling for his brother Adonijah and all those that were with him to make a decision if they would follow after him as the king or not.  Their fate would lie in their hands.  Adonijah chooses wisely and comes in peace and Adonijah speaks to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, to say that even though he was the one the people assumed should be king, and he was for a short time, the LORD made it clear that the kingdom belonged to his brother Solomon.  All Adonijah asks of Bathsheba is that Solomon would give Adonijah Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.  Bathsheba agrees to make the request to King Solomon on behalf of Adonijah.

Though Solomon originally says that he would not refuse anything that Bathsheba would ask for, Solomon is already wise enough to understand that if Adonijah were to have Abishag the Shunammite as a wife, it would only strengthen his position to try to be king of Israel.  Solomon decides then and there that Adonijah will never cease to try to take the throne and the only solution is that he must be put to death and it must be done that very day, so Solomon sent word to Benaiah the son of Jehoiada (David's armor-bearer and the head of his special forces) that he might strike down Adonijah and he died that very day.

Then a message was sent to Abiathar the priest telling him to go home to his family because he was worthy of death, but the king would not kill him at this time because of the honor that Solomon had for the priesthood--he would let the LORD take care of Abiathar, but the implication is that Abiathar needs to get his house and affairs in order because the LORD's judgment may be coming soon.  Solomon also remembered how Abiathar was by David's side during times when David was greatly troubled and afflicted--when he was living in the wilderness strongholds and even having to live among the Philistines for a time.  However, Solomon did expel Abiathar from priesthood to the LORD, and since he was the last surviving descendant of Eli the priest from the book of 1st Samuel, the prophecy concerning Eli's family being cut off from the priesthood has now been fulfilled.

We'll talk more about the establishment of King Solomon next time (possibly later today or maybe tomorrow) as this is a long section of text and I wanted to break it up into two shorter articles for you to make it a little easier to read and study.