Day 144: David's Last Words (2024)

This episode delves into the final counsel and actions of King David, emphasizing the guidance he offers to Solomon and the subsequent transition of power and responsibilities.

1. David's final words to Solomon encapsulate a mixture of justice and mercy.
2. Solomon's actions post-David's death show his commitment to establishing a stable and strong kingship.
3. The episode highlights the significant role of the queen mother, as illustrated by Bathsheba's influence and respect in Solomon's court.
4. It connects the biblical narrative to the New Testament, enhancing understanding of Mary's role as the queen mother.
5. The podcast provides a spiritual reflection on leadership, legacy, and the importance of following divine guidance.

1: David’s Final Advice

David's last words to Solomon focus on the importance of adhering to God’s commandments and dealing justly with threats to the kingdom. Father Mike Schmitz: "David's final words are significant not just for their immediate context but for their eternal wisdom."

2: Solomon’s Response

Solomon begins his reign by decisively dealing with threats and planning for the temple, illustrating his resolve and vision. Father Mike Schmitz: "Solomon's actions demonstrate his understanding of his father's counsel and his readiness to rule."

3: The Role of the Queen Mother

The episode discusses the biblical and theological significance of the queen mother, tying it to the reverence for Mary in Christian doctrine. Father Mike Schmitz: "The queen mother's role in the ancient kingdom highlights the special honor we give to Mary today."

1. Embrace wisdom from past generations and apply it judiciously.
2. Recognize and respect the roles and contributions of each family member in governance and leadership.
3. Strengthen your spiritual foundation by understanding and reflecting on biblical teachings.
4. Seek to establish peace and justice in your leadership and authority.
5. Use your influence for the betterment of your community and to uphold moral and ethical standards.

Fr. Mike looks into David's last words to his son Solomon and explains why it could have been hard for him to take David's advice. He also points out the important role of the mother of the king, and how this will foreshadow the role of Mary in the New Testament. Today's readings are 1 Kings 2, 2 Chronicles 2-3, and Psalm 62.

People

David, Solomon, Bathsheba, Joab, Adonijah, Shimei

Books

1 Kings, 2 Chronicles

Content Warnings:

None

Father Mike Schmitz
Hi, my name is Father Mike Schmitz and you're listening to the Bible in a year podcast where we encounter God's voice and live life through the lens of scripture. The Bible in a year podcast is brought to you by ascension using the great adventure Bible timeline. We'll read all the way from Genesis to revelation, discovering how the story of salvation unfolds and how we fit into that story. Today it is day 144. We are reading from one kings, chapter two and two chronicles, chapters two and three.

So three chapters in the Old Testament, including the fourth hidden special chapter of psalm 62, that we're going to pray today. As always, the Bible translation that I am reading from is the revised standard Version, the second catholic edition. I'm using the great Adventure Bible from Ascension. If you want to download your own Bible in a year reading plan, you can visit ascensionpress.com bibleina year. And if you've not yet subscribed to this podcast, you can do that and you'd be subscribed and it would be funnel it is day 144 where we are reading from the first book of kings, chapter two, second Book of chronicles, chapters two and three, and we are praying psalm 62, the first book of kings, chapter two Davids instructions to Solomon when Davids time to die drew near, he charged Solomon his son, saying, I am about to go the way of all the earth.

Be strong and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may establish his word which he spoke concerning me, saying, if your sons shall heed to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail you a man on the throne of Israel. Moreover, you know also what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he murdered, avenging in time of peace blood which had been shed in war, and putting innocent blood upon the belt about my loins and upon the sandals on my feet. Act therefore, according to your wisdom, but do not let his grey head go down to Sheol in peace, but deal loyally with the sons of Barzilai the Gileadite, and let them be among those who eat at your table. For with such loyalty they met me when I fled from Absalom, your brother. And there is also with you Shimei, the son of Gerah, the Benjaminite from Bahurim, who cursed me with a grievous curse on the day when I went to Mahanaim.

But when he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the lord, saying, I will not put you to death with the sword. Now, therefore, hold him not guiltless, for you are a wise man. You will know what you ought to do to him. And you shall bring his grey head down with blood to Sheol. Death and burial of David.

Then David slept with his fathers and was buried in the city of David. And the time that David reigned over Israel was 40 years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and 33 years in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat upon the throne of David, his father, and his kingdom was firmly established. Adonijah's intrigue.

Then Adonijah, the son of Haggith, came to Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. And she said, do you come peaceably? He said, peaceably. Then he said, I have something to say to you. She said, sayan.

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 brothers, for it was his from the lord. And now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me. She said to him, say on.

And he said, please ask King Solomon. He will not refuse you to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife Bathsheba said, very well, I will speak for you to the king. 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. 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. She said, let Abishag the shunammite be given to Adonijah, your brother, as his wife.

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 elder brother. And on his side are Abiathar, the priest, and Joab, the son of Zeruiah. 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.

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 this day. So King Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, and he struck him down, and he died. Solomon consolidates his reign. 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 bore the ark of the Lord God before David, my father and because you shared in all the affliction of my father.

So Solomon expelled the beathar from being priest to the Lord, thus fulfilling the word of the Lord which he spoke concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh when the news came to Joab. For Joab had supported Adonijah, although he had not supported Absalom. Joab fled to the tent of the lord and caught hold of the horns of the altar. And when it was told King Solomon, Joab has fled to the tent of the lord, and behold, he is beside the altar. Solomon sent Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada, saying, go.

Strike him down. So Benaiah came to the tent of the lord and said to him, the king commands, come forth. But he said, no, I will die here. Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, thus said Joab. And thus he answered me.

The king replied to him, do as he has said. Strike him down and bury him. And thus take away from me and from my father's house the guilt for the blood which Joab shed without cause. The lord will bring back his bloody deeds upon his own head. Because without the knowledge of my father David, he attacked and slew with the sword two men more righteous and better than himself.

Abner the son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of jether, commander of the army of Judah. So shall their blood come back upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But to David and to his descendants and to his house and to his throne, there shall be peace from the Lord forevermore. Then Benaiah the son of Jehuiada went up and struck him down and killed him. And he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

The king put Benaiah, the son of Jehoiada over the army in place of Joab. And the king put Zadok the priest in the place of Abiathar. Then the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, build yourself a house in Jerusalem and dwell there. And do not go forth from there to any place whatever. For on the day you go forth and cross the brook, Kidron, know for certain that you shall die.

Your blood shall be upon your own head. And Shimei said to the king, what you say is good. As my lord the king has said, so will your servant do so. Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days. But it happened at the end of three years.

That two of Shimei's slaves ran away to Akshish, the son of Maakkah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shimei, behold, your slaves are in gath, Shimei arose and saddled a donkey. And went to gath, to Aksishish, to seek his slaves. Shimei went and brought his slaves from gath. And when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and returned, the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, did I not make you swear by the lord.

And solemnly admonish you, saying, know for certain that on the day you go forth and go to any place whatever you shall die. And you said to me, what you say is good, I obey. Why, then have you not kept your oath to the lord. And the commandment which I charged you? The king also said to Shimei, you know in your own heart.

All the evil that you did to David, my father. So the Lord will bring back your evil upon your own head. But King Solomon shall be blessed. And the throne of David shall be established before the Lord forever. 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.

Preparations for building the temple. Now, Solomon purposed to build a temple for the name of the lord. And a royal palace for himself. And Solomon assigned 70,000 men to bear burdens. And 80,000 to quarry in the hill country.

And 3600 to oversee them. And Solomon sent word to Huram, the king of tyre. As you dealt with David, my father, and sent him cedar to build himself a house to dwell in. So deal with me. Behold, I am about to build a house for the name of the Lord my God, and dedicate it to him.

For the burning of incense, of sweet spices before him. And for the continual offering of the showbread. And for burnt offerings morning and evening on the sabbaths and the new moons and the appointed feasts of the Lord our God. As ordained forever for Israel. The house which I am to build will be great for our God is greater than all gods.

But who is able to build him a house? Since heaven, even highest heaven, cannot contain him? Who am I to build a house for him except as a place to burn incense before him? So now send me a man skilled to work in gold, silver, bronze and iron. And in purple, crimson and blue fabrics trained also in engraving to be with the skilled workers who are with me in Judah and Jerusalem whom David, my father, provided.

Send me also cedar, cypress and Elgham timber from Lebadon. For I know that your servants know how to cut timber in Lebadon. And my servants will be your servants to prepare timber for me in abundance. For the house I am to build will be great and wonderful. I will give for your servants the hewers who cut timber.

70,000 cores of crushed wheat, 20,000 cores of barley, 20,000 baths of wine and 20,000 baths of oil. Hurram agrees to help Solomon. Then Huram, the king of Tyre, answered in a letter which he sent to Solomon. Because the lord loves his people, he has made you king over them. Hurram also said, blessed be the Lord God of Israel who made heaven and earth who has given King David a wise son, endued with discretion and understanding who will build a temple for the lord and a royal palace for himself.

Now I have sent a skilled man endued with understanding. Huromabi, the son of a woman of the daughters of Dan. And his father was a man of tyre. He is trained to work in gold, silver, bronze, iron, stone and wood and in purple, blue and crimson fabrics and fine linen and to do all sorts of engraving and execute any design that may be assigned him with your craftsmen, the craftsmen of my lord David, your father. Now, therefore, the wheat and barley, oil and wine of which my lord has spoken, let him send to his servants and we will cut whatever timber you need from Lebanon and bring it to you in rafts by sea to Joppa so that you may take it up to Jerusalem.

Census of the aliens then Solomon took a census of all the aliens who were in the land of Israel. After the census of them which David, his father, had taken and there were found a them he assigned to bear burdens, 80,000 to quarry in the hill country and 3600 as overseers to make the people work. Chapter three. Solomon builds the Temple. Then Solomon began to build the house of the Lord in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah where the Lord had appeared to David his father at the place that David had appointed on the threshing floor of Ornan the jebusite he began to build in the second month of the fourth year of his reign.

These are Solomon's measurements for building the house of God. The length in cubits of the old standard was 60 cubits and the breadth 20 cubits. The vestibule in front of the nave of the house was 20 cubits long, equal to the width of the house, and its height was a 120 cubits. He overlaid it on the inside with pure gold. The nave he lined with cypress and covered it with fine gold and made palms and chains on it.

He adorned the house with settings of precious stones. The gold was gold of parvaim. So he lined the house with gold, its beams, its thresholds, its walls and its doors. And he carved cherubim on the walls. And he made the most holy place.

Its length, corresponding to the breadth of the house, was 20 cubits, and its breadth was 20 cubits. He overlaid it with 600 talents of fine gold. The weight of the nails was one shekel to 50 shekels of gold, and he overlaid the upper chambers with gold. In the most holy place, he made two cherubim of wood and overlaid them with gold. The wings of the cherubim together extended 20 cubits.

One wing of the one of five cubits touched the wall of the house, and its other wing of five cubits touched the wing of the other cherub. And of this cherub, one wing of five cubits touched the wall of the house, and the other wing, also of five cubits, was joined to the wing of the first cherub. The wings of these cherubim extended 20 cubits. The cherubim stood on their feet facing the nave. And he made the veil of blue and purple and crimson fabrics and fine linen and worked cherubim on it.

In front of the house, he made two pillars 35 cubits high with a capital of five cubits on top of each. He made chains like a necklace and put them on the tops of the pillars. And he made a hundred pomegranates and put them on the chains. He set up pillars in front of the temple, one on the south, the other on the north, that on the south he called Jachin, and that on the north, Boaz.

Psalm 62. Song of trust in God alone to the choirmaster, according to Jedathun, a psalm of David. For God alone my soul waits in silence. From him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation my fortress.

I shall not be greatly moved. How long will you set upon a man to shatter him? All of you like a leaning wall or a tottering fence. They only plan to thrust him down from his eminence. They take pleasure in falsehood.

They bless with their mouths, but inwardly they curse. For God alone. My soul waits in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress. I shall not be shaken.

On God rests my deliverance and my honor. My mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times. O people, pour out your heart before him. God is a refuge for us.

Men of low estate are but a breath. Men of high estate are a delusion in the balances. They go up, they are together lighter than a breath. Put no confidence in extortion. Set no vain hopes on robbery.

If riches increase, set not your heart on them. Once God has spoken, twice I have heard this. That power belongs to God. And that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love for you. Repay a man according to his work.

Father in heaven, we give you praise and we thank you. Yes, to you, Lord God belongs steadfast love. To you, belongs power. You love us with a love that doesn't change. You love us with a love that is constantly dynamic and constantly activated.

Lord God, you're not a God of potency. You're a God of actuality. You're not a God of dreams. You're a God of reality. And in all things, we trust you.

In all things, we praise you. And this day, as you speak to us once again, we continue to trust in you. Please hear our prayer and please make yourself known by every one of us. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

In the name of the father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Okay, so here we are at the end of David's life. Now, yesterday and first kings, chapter one, at the end of his life. But these are David's final words that he gives to his son Solomon.

And, gosh, there's a couple things to pay attention to. One is that David's last words are, hey, make sure you kill these people or make sure that you show some kind of leniency, some kind of clemency to others. But what is David doing? David is imparting his hard earned wisdom, his hard earned knowledge of. Yeah, Adonijah.

He had turned against you. He turned against me. And he had gathered a number of people to himself. Some of the people who will, they will want to get close to you. King Solomon, people like Joab, like Shemi, who had cursed David when he was on the run from Absalom.

These kinds of people, here is David who says, okay, it's your job, Solomon, when I'm gone, to deal with these people, to deal with these men in a way that is just. So. There's that. So then the rest of this chapter, chapter two, in one, kings is spent with Solomon trying to essentially mete out the justice that his father had advised him to do. But here's something I think is so important.

On the last day of David's life, or last day, when he's talking to King Solomon, he gives him some advice. And I just, I've heard it said that when it comes to parenting, children pay more attention to the example that we give than the advice that we offer, if that makes any sense, that children pay more attention to the example that we set rather than the advice that we offer. And so here is David's last words, saying, okay, make sure you keep his God's ways and his statutes and his commandments and his judgments and his testimonies. That is great advice. That is great advice.

And yet David's life was. Yeah, he kept God's commandments in many ways. Yes. He broke God's commandments as well. He repented of those times, which is why he is man after God's own heart.

But what Solomon could see in his father, David, was that his father, as I mentioned yesterday and a couple times before this, that his father was distant, his father was not engaged in the affairs of the family, that his father's heart, although it in many ways belonged to the Lord, was divided when it came to the Lord. And so, yeah, great advice. Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, with your whole soul. He's taking him so important, his last words, and be strong and courageous. Prove yourself a man.

All these things so good. And yet David's example was a divided heart. Yes. Again, we have a sense that David belonged to the Lord. Yes.

But also that David didn't necessarily witness to that, to his family. He did not necessarily witness to that. He didn't, what do you say? Like, he didn't mentor his children. He didn't.

He didn't disciple his children. Another way to say it is he didn't father his children. He was pretty distant, as we noted. And what we're going to find is in the next chapters, following Solomon's life, that he's going to live, he's going to follow his father's example rather than follow his father's advice. And that's going to be a really key thing.

Okay. So keep that in mind. Keep back your heads over the course of the next couple days. But then we have this story where this is remarkable, where Adonijah goes to Bathsheba and says, I have a small request, a small request to ask you. I want you to go to King Solomon and ask that I can have abisheg the shunammite.

Now, here's a couple things to highlight. A couple things to highlight is this is not a small request. This is not a small request at all. Why would Adonijah want to have as a wife Abishag the shunammite? Well, because she was one of King David's concubines.

Now, again, scripture makes a point of saying that David had. Did not have relations with her. But here is a power play, another power play from Adonijah. Say, if I can make as my wife one of my father the king's concubines, then once again, here is a last ditch effort Adanijah is making at usurping the throne of his brother. Now, I've read commentaries that would indicate that Bathsheba clearly would know this.

Yep. She's gonna go before King Solomon, and she's gonna tell him this. She's gonna make the request of King Solomon on behalf of Adonijah, but she's going to do this because she knows. She's already demonstrated that she knows how things in court are run. She knows who to talk to.

She conspired with Nathan the prophet to make sure that her son Solomon got on the throne and whatnot. So she's going to King Solomon because she knows that he needs to know that Adonijah is still plotting against King Solomon. And so on the surface of the text, it just looks like, yeah, she's carrying out this request from Adonijah kind of maybe blind or kind of ignorant to his plan, to his plot. But that would. It's so unlikely that that's the case and more likely that she's saying, oh, okay, so you think I'm gonna do your dirty work for you?

I'm gonna ask the king for this favor? Well, I'm gonna ask him for the favor. And when I ask him, he will know what you're plotting. And so she essentially knew that. Now, here's something I just think is so important to pay attention to.

In the previous chapter, when Bathsheba went into the presence of King David, her husband, what did she do? She bowed down. She did obeisance to him, and then she rose when he told her to rise. But when Bathsheba comes into the presence of her son, the king, something else very distinct happens, she walks into the king's presence, and he rises up to meet her and bows down to her. And he sat on his throne.

He had a throne set for his mom, and she sat at his right hand. Now, that's because think about this. In the ancient kingdom, who is the queen? In the ancient kingdom, who is the queen? The queen is not the wife of the king, because the king has many wives.

The queen is the mother of the king, because he only has one mom. He has many wives, but one mom. Therefore, the mother of the king is the queen. When she came before David, she bowed down. When she came before David, she did obeisance.

But when she comes before her son, the king, he gets up and does her honor, and he makes her to sit at his right hand. Now, this is going to be important because that's the role of the, called the Gebirah. That's the queen mother. Gebirah is the queen mother in Hebrew. And what's going to happen is what we have in the new kingdom, right?

In the New Testament, people sometimes ask, like, why do we honor Mary? Well, we honor Mary for a number of reasons. But one of the, one of the reasons we honor Mary is because this is how the Lord had baked it in to the kingdom of Israel. Now keep in mind the church, the new kingdom on earth, in heaven as well, is meant to be the fulfillment of the ancient kingdom of Israel. And so while there's one king and there's one queen, that is the mother of the king, in the new kingdom, who is the king?

The king is Jesus Christ himself for all eternity, right? He is the fulfillment. That's why chronicles keeps pointing to David as the prototype and Solomon as a prototype. Now, who's building the temple? That's why we hung out with two chronicles, chapters two and three today.

But he has a mom, and that mom is the queen. And we see that in Revelation chapter twelve, where John looks into heaven and he sees a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon at her feet, and a crown of twelve stars around her head. And what the church has consistently believed is that John's vision as he looked into heaven in Revelation chapter twelve, is of the queen mother. Now, obviously, the queen is not at the same height, the same authority as the king at all, no way in shape or form, because our king is Jesus himself, God himself, and Mary is a mere human being. And yet, just like we see King Solomon arise to meet his mom, to meet the queen mother, bows down to her, has her sit on his right hand, that there is an element here, where in the new covenant, in the new kingdom, here is Jesus, who has a role of honor, not of worship at all, at all, but a role of honor for the queen mother.

As he gives her honor, we give her honor. And that's just a small thing of like people. Again they ask, why do you pay so much attention to Mary? We'd say because just as the king in the Old Testament would give his mom, the queen mother honor, so we in the New Testament know that the king, Jesus Christ, our Lord and God himself, would give his mom, the queen mother, honor, again, not worship, whole different thing, but to give honor. And so that's what we do.

And so that's why we're cruising right along. It was such a gift today to be able to just be with each other and to be able to hear this advancement of the kingdom. Now, the kingdom's going to break soon, but in the meantime, we can take some lessons from Solomon. We can see what's happening in his building of the temple. We can see what's happening in his exercise of wisdom that's coming tomorrow.

And so until then, we're going to keep praying for each other. I'm praying for you. Please pray for me. My name is Fr. Mike.

I cannot wait to see you tomorrow. God bless.