November 17, 2024 1 Kings 2:28-38
November 17, 2024 1 Kings 2:28-38
28 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. 29 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.” 30 So Benaiah came to the tent of
the Lord and said to him, “The king commands, ‘Come out.’” But he
said, “No, I will die here.” Then Benaiah brought the king word again, saying,
“Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me.” 31 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 that Joab shed without cause. 32 The Lord will bring
back his bloody deeds on his own head, because, without the knowledge of my
father David, he attacked and killed 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. 33 So
shall their blood come back on the head of Joab and on the head of his
descendants forever. But for David and for his descendants and for his house
and for his throne there shall be peace from
the Lord forevermore.” 34 Then Benaiah
the son of Jehoiada went up and struck him down and put him to death. And he
was buried in his own house in the wilderness. 35 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.
36 Then
the king sent and summoned Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house
in Jerusalem and dwell there, and do not go out from there to any place
whatever. 37 For on the day you go out and
cross the brook Kidron, know for certain that you shall die. Your
blood shall be on your own head.” 38 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 lived in Jerusalem many days.
39 But
it happened at the end of three years that two of Shimei's servants ran away
to Achish, son of Maacah, king of Gath. And when it was told Shimei,
“Behold, your servants are in Gath,” 40 Shimei
arose and saddled a donkey and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants.
Shimei went and brought his servants from Gath. 41 And
when Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and
returned, 42 the king sent and summoned Shimei and
said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and solemnly warn
you, saying, ‘Know for certain that on the day you go out and go to any place
whatever, you shall die’? And you said to me, ‘What you say is good; I will
obey.’ 43 Why then have you not kept your oath to
the Lord and the commandment with which I commanded you?” 44 The
king also said to Shimei, “You know in your own heart all the harm that
you did to David my father. So the Lord will bring back your
harm on your own head. 45 But King Solomon shall be
blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before
the Lord forever.” 46 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.
King Solomon once again engages in completing
his father’s work. This had to be hard on everyone involved. Bloodshed seems to
be so common in this passage. However, King Solomon also showed grace to
Shimei. He sent him to Jerusalem to build a house. He told Shimei to not leave
the house at the risk of death. This is true grace. However, Shimei made a
decision that ended his life. He went in search of missing servants. King
Solomon did as he said he would do and Shimei was struck down.
Think about evil in our world. Will our God
show indefinite patience to evil people who bring harm to others?
Debbie Walker
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