65. The Wisdom of Solomon?

A Fight For The Throne

The pictures that the Bible paints of David show him to be a very poor example of what a father should be.  Absalom, David's son was the man who instigated a civil war against his own father and was killed in that war.  

• Adonijah was the younger brother of Absalom.  
• And, whatever Adonijah wants, Adonijah gets.  His father had not displeased him at any time, saying, Why have you done so? 1 Kings 1:6.  

So it is small wonder that Adonijah, since he was the oldest remaining son of David and Haggith, presumptuously installed himself as the King of Israel, even before King David had passed away.   Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king. 1:5.

As David's reign ended so Solomon's reign began - with bloodshed.

Solomon is Anointed, King

Soon, King David heard about this development and he hastily appointed Solomon as the rightful king. David said, let him (Solomon) come and sit upon my throne. For he shall reign in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah. 1:35.  Because of what David did, Jonathan told Adonijah, Truly our lord King David has made Solomon king. 1:43.

What seems rather intriguing here is that Solomon was the youngest of all the sons of David; usually, the oldest is chosen to be king.

After David's death, Solomon rightfully took the throne and Adonijah feared for his life and went into the temple believing that no one would have the audacity to kill him in there.  Solomon said if he becomes a son of virtue, not a hair of his head shall fall to the earth. But if wickedness shall be found in him, then he shall die. 1:52.

Adonijah should have left well enough alone and lived.  But, no, spoiled as he was, he asked his mother to beseech King Solomon for the hand of Abishag in marriage.  Abishag was king David's beautiful "health care worker" till his death.  In response to that request king, Solomon replied, as Jehovah lives ... Adonijah shall be put to death today. 2:24.

Before David died he had charged Solomon, saying, also you know what Joab did to me, you shall ... not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace. 1 Kings 2:5.  Joab, the leader of King David's army tried the same ruse which had worked well for Adonijah, and he went into the temple for safety and while he was there king Solomon ... sent Benaiah ... saying, Go fall on him (kill him).  Benaiah came to the tabernacle of Jehovah, and said to him (Joab), So says the king, come forth! And he (Joab) said, No, but I will die here. ... Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and ... the king said to him, Do as he has said, and fall on him. (kill him in the temple). 2:29-31.

King David continued his instructions: Remember also, Shimei, the man who cursed me while I was fleeing from Absalom, I promised the Lord that I would not kill him but I want you to bring his gray head down to the grave with blood.  1 Kings 2:9.

With the death of Shimei, a new chapter in the life of Solomon began.  He married an Egyptian princess and built a tabernacle for Jehovah and a gigantic mansion for himself.

The Wise? Solomon

Lo, I have given you a wise and an understanding heart, so that there was none like you before you, and after you none shall arise like you. 3:2.  Based on this statement it is often said that no person has ever lived that was wiser than King Solomon.  One fact that is usually ignored, or missed, is this, Solomon awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. 3:15.  Maybe, in real life, he was not so wise.  Maybe his ego got too much involved in his dream. 

When the writer of Chronicles rewrote the biography of Solomon, he stated it as fact that King Solomon was greater than all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom. 2 Chron. 9:22.  Even if we accept that statement at face value, we must admit that it does not say that Solomon was wiser than the wise people of the female gender.

And the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with the best gold. The throne had six steps. 1 Ki 10:18.  A great throne of ivory must have cost a lot of elephants' their lives.  He overlaid the ivory with the best gold.  Now, that is absolutely a waste of ivory!  It seems that Solomon was not as wise as he is made out to be.

There is this oft-repeated story about two prostitutes, who each had a baby and one of the babies died.  In the king's presence, each woman claimed that the living child was her own and the dead child belonged to the other woman.

King Solomon "in his wisdom"  decided to cut the baby into two halves and give each woman half the baby.  The mother of the living baby cried out, O my lord, give her the living child, and in no way kill it. 1 Kings 3:26.  To the king, this was proof enough as to who the real mother of the baby was.  Perhaps this line of reasoning worked in Solomon's day in the Hebrew culture.

My wife and I have been involved with foster care for children enough to have learned that there are many foster mothers who love their foster children more than the birth mother does.  I am glad that our society has childcare workers who are wiser than Solomon ever was and very, very often make the best decision. 

Solomon reigned forty years in Jerusalem over all Israel. And Solomon slept with his fathers, ... and his son Rehoboam reigned in his place. 2 Ch. 9:30-31

64. Civil War in The Promised Land

A Troublesome Son

Earlier we learned that King David had children by many different women, some of those women were his wives.  In the following story, it is easy to see that it is usually in the best interests of anyone involved, for a man not to have more than one wife at a time.

Amnon, defiled Absalom's sister, Tamar.  The thing to notice here is that Amnon, Absalom and Tamer are all King David's children.  Absalom and Tamar both had the same mother.   When Absalom heard what Amnon had done to Tamar, he stewed about that for two years, then, at sheep-shearing time, he invited his brother to join them and there he killed Amnon, his half brother.

King David did nothing to punish Absalom for killing his other son but David mourned for his son every day.  So Absalom fled, and went to Geshur, and was there three years.  King David longed to go out to Absalom;  He missed his son who had fled. 2 Sa 13:38-39.

Absalom gathered together some of those who were not pleased that David was king instead of someone from Saul's family.  And with Absalom went two hundred called men out of Jerusalem. 15:11.

After Absalom had amassed a still larger group of followers, more than twelve thousand, they decided to attack the king in Jerusalem; David with his wives and bodyguard fled for safety; ten of his concubines were left behind to keep the house. 15:16.

Be careful what you pray for.  Ahithophel was David's counselor. 15:12.  And one told David, saying, Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.  David prayed, O Jehovah, I pray You, turn the advice of Ahithophel to foolishness. 15:31.  This prayer seems to have been distinctly answered.

Absalom said to Ahithophel, Give your advice. What shall we do? Ahithophel answered, "Some of your father's wives were left here to take care of the palace. You should have sex with them. Then everyone will find out that you have publicly disgraced your father. This will make you and your followers even more powerful." 16:20-22 CEV. 

Absalom decided to make King David hate him so he followed his counsellor's advice and pitched a tent on the palace roof and he spent his nights with David's concubines that had stayed behind.  It was King David who had prayed, O Jehovah, I pray You, turn the advice of Ahithophel to foolishness.  It is unlikely that there could have been a more foolish route for Absalom to take!

While David and his entourage were fleeing, Shimei, of the house of Saul, walked alongside David and began cursing and throwing stones at him.  And Shimei said this in his cursing, Go out, O man of blood, O man of Belial. 16:7.  According to Strong, Belial means "without profit, worthlessness; ... wickedness."

One of David's soldiers wanted to kill Shimei, but David said, no  It may be that Jehovah will look on my affliction, and that Jehovah will repay me with good for his cursing this day. 2 Sam. 16:12.

When Ahithophel realized that Absalom did not take his advice about how to conduct the war, he went home put his household in order, and he hanged himself. 

Ahithophel was Bathsheba's grandfather.  Is it possible that he turned against King David because of what David had done to his granddaughter, Bathsheba, and her husband?

Some Discrepancies

And it happened at the end of forty years, Absalom said to the king, Please let me go and pay my vow which I have vowed to Jehovah in Hebron. 15:7.   There is a time lapse problem with this verse.  The question is, at the end of which forty years.  

• It cannot mean since David started ruling, because of Absalom's age.  
• Neither is it forty years since King Saul started ruling nor
• even since Samuel, the last judge, passed away.  

Because Bible students have not figured out when the forty years started, some say that the word forty should actually be four.  If that is true then it might well refer to the time when Absalom killed his half brother Amnon.

Well, in any case:

At the death of Absalom, warlord of the Israelites, the civil war ended and many Israelites came to King David and begged for mercy and pledged allegiance to their new king.  However, before the prostration and the forgiveness were finished, a man, named Sheba, took leadership over the people of Israel and cried out in public, We have no part in David, neither do we have any inheritance in the son of Jesse. Every man to his tents, O, Israel! 20:1.   So again, the Israelites deserted king David and the army of Judah.

King David called for a census to be taken and after that was finished he realized that it was not something that he should have done.  The prophet, Gad, told David that the Lord would punish Israel for what he had done.

Notice a few discrepancies between this story in 2 Sam. and 1 Chron.:

• a) Again the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and He (Jehovah) moved David against them to say, Go count Israel and Judah. 2 Sam. 24:1.
• b) And, 1 Chronicles 21:1,  Satan stood up against Israel and provoked David to take a census of Israel.   Theologically these two verses sound like exact opposites.

 David you have a choice:

• Shall seven years of famine come upon you and on your land? 2 Sam. 24:13,
•  or, three years of famine will come to Israel. 1 Ch. 21:12

And he, king David, died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place. 1 Ch. 29:28.

• King David was the great-grandson of Naomi and the forefather of Jesus Christ.
• He has had a lot of influence in the history of Israel and even in the literature and beliefs in much of the world to this day.  
• He wrote about half of the songs in the Jewish hymnal, The Psalms.  

In spite of the wealth of information about him, our study is now moving forward to Solomon, King David's son.

63. King David's Bloody Career

David: King of Judah

Now, back our study of Jewish history.

When David was still just a young person, Samuel travelled to Bethlehem to anoint him to be the next king of Israel.  David never tried to usurp the throne from Saul, even though Saul had "gone mad".   While David was waiting for the crown he proved himself to be a mighty warrior and a ruthless conqueror.  Still, his followers respected him and obeyed his commands.

When Saul died the people of Israel were politically divided into two camps.  The Northern tribes stood firm with "The house of Saul".  Abner the son of Ner, commander of Saul's army, took Ishbosheth the son of Saul, ... made him king ... over all Israel. 2 Sam. 2:8-9.  He was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years.

But the house of Judah followed David.  The people of the tribe of Judah wanted David to be the king of Israel, in part because Samuel had anointed him to be king.  And the men of Judah came, and they anointed David king over the house of Judah there. Sam. 2:4.   After all, David was from the tribe of Judah, born in Bethlehem.  Before he received the king's crown he proved himself to be a mighty man of war, fighting for the freedom of his people.  David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah ...  seven years and six months. 2 Sam. 2:11.

A situation such as this could not but culminate in a civil war.  So Abner, the captain of the army under king Ishbosheth, marched south to make sure that his king would also be the ruler of Judah.

King David, however, believed that the people of his area had installed him as king, and therefore he, with Joab as the army's leader, defended the territory of Judah.  And there was a long war between the house of Saul and the house of David. But David became stronger and stronger, and the house of Saul became weaker and weaker. 2 Sam. 3:1.

As the dust of the war was settling, king Ishbosheth confronted Abner, his army leader, stating, as fact, that Abner had a  sexual affair with the late king Saul's concubine. And Abner was very angry over the words of Ishbosheth and he said, Am I some kind of worthless dog from Judah? 2 Sam. 3:8 CEV.

By which he meant, After all I have done for Israel, and against Judah, how dare you accuse me of something so trivial?  He is not denying that he is guilty of that depravity (depravity is the word used in the Hebrew text).  He insists, though, that it is inconsequential.

Because of this accusation, he said to his king, I ask God to punish me if I don't help David get what the LORD promised him!  God said that he wouldn't let anyone in Saul's family ever be king again and that David would be king instead. He also said that David would rule both Israel and Judah, all the way from Dan in the north to Beersheba in the south.  

What could the king say, he had just turned his army leader against him. Ishbosheth was so afraid of Abner that he could not even answer. 2 Sam. 3:9-11 CEV.

David: King of Judah and Israel

After David had ruled in Judah for seven years he became king over all of Judah and Israel, and he ruled another 33 years.  David's life, as a citizen and as a king, was marked by bloodshed and atrocious wars.  He was involved in many battles, wars and bloodbaths which have not even been touched on in these posts.

Later in life, he decided that he would build a temple; a permanent, very magnificent place where the people could worship Jehovah.  David said ... the house to be built for Jehovah is to be highly magnificent, for a name and for beauty to all the lands. 1 Ch. 22:5.

By express command, David was forbidden to build that temple.   David said to Solomon, "My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house to the name of Jehovah my God."  But the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying, "You have shed much blood and have made great wars. You shall not build a house to My name because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight." 1 Ch. 22:7-8.

Throughout the story of David, often we are told that Jehovah told David to go to war against other people.  Here, however, it sounds as if the Lord was not at all pleased with all the bloodshed that David was guilty of.  You shall not build a house to My name because you have shed much blood on the earth in My sight.

One lesson we can learn from this story is that the things we do in our early life are going to have an effect on how our latter life will turn out.

For example, young people who get caught breaking the law and incur a criminal record will, their whole lifelong, be hampered as to what vocations are open to them or even in which other countries they may travel.

62. The Resurrection of Christ

The Day of the Crucifixion

While the death of Jesus Christ is of utmost importance, His resurrection, which we celebrate on Easter Sunday morning, is so much more exciting.  Because His resurrection happened as it had been prophesied that it would happen, we can also believe the promise that He is going to come back. 

The Literal Translation and the Modern King James Version have it this way The first of the sabbaths.   This is a really bad translation, but not only that, it isn't literal.  In Greek, it says, on one of the Sabbaths.  Most other translations have, The first day of the week.  

John distinctly tells us that the body of Christ was taken down from the cross the same day He was crucified because the next day was the first Sabbath.  Then the Jews, because it was Preparation, begged Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away, so that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the sabbath. For that sabbath was a high day. John 19:31.   So if the tomb was already empty on the first of the two Sabbath's, Christ was in the tomb only one night, therefore we cannot accept that translation.

For a fuller analysis on this subject I strongly suggest:
https://wwwthinkagai.blogspot.com/2018/03/86-was-christ-crucified-on-friday.html

The Day if The Resurrection

Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, darkness still being on it, and she saw the stone taken away from the tomb. ... And the grave-cloth that was on His head was not lying with the linens, but was wrapped up in one place by itself. ... Mary stood outside of the tomb, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting there, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said to her, Woman, why do you weep?

This is resurrection Sunday; that event, which gives meaning to life, has just occurred, so why are you weeping?

She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. And when she had said this, she turned backward and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 

Jesus said to her, Woman, why do you weep?  Don't you remember that I told you that on the third day I would rise again?  Whom do you seek? Don't look for the living among the dead!  Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned herself and said to Him, ... Master! 

Then the same day at evening ... Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, Peace to you! Where Christ is, there is peace!  And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Then Jesus said to them again, Peace to you. 

Christ said, Thomas, because you have seen Me you have believed. Blessed are they who have not seen and have believed.  But these (things) are written so that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you might have life in His name. John 20:1-31.

The Day of His Ascension

Truly, ... I made the first report (the Gospel of Luke) as to all things that Jesus began both to do and teach until the day He was taken up (to heaven), having given directions to the apostles whom He chose, through the Holy Spirit; to whom (the disciples) He also presented Himself living after His suffering by many infallible proofs (not hearsay, not theories, not suppositions but infallible proofs).  These were proofs that no judge in the country would try to dispute. There are no less than thirteen different appearances of Jesus to his disciples (after His resurrection, over a period of forty days) recorded. Barnes Commentary.

Being seen by them through forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. Act 1:1-3. This was the same Christ they had known before His death.  He still worked miracles; He was still their friend; He still ate with them and still taught the same message about the kingdom of God.  

After forty days of post-resurrection teaching and proving that He was alive, while they were looking intently into the heaven, they saw Him go into heaven.  

As they stood, looking up two men in white clothing stood beside them, who also said, Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into the heaven? This same Jesus who is taken up from you into Heaven, will come in the way you have seen Him going into Heaven. Act 1:10-11.

The return of Christ is, of course, the great hope of the Christian Church.  If we believe that He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven, where do we find a problem with believing that He is coming back?  Is it because His promise is 2000 year old.  That is a poor excuse; Jehovah does not count time as we do.

Based on the prophecies in the Bible, and looking at the activities of the Arabian world these days, one cannot help but believe that maybe soon Christ will be returning.  We realize that just before Christ ascended to heaven He said to his disciples, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father has put in His own authority. Acts 1:7.

On the other hand, there are distinct indications in the Bible about certain things that will happen before Christ's return.  Some Bible students say that all the required events, except the setting up of Antichrist's throne, have already happened.  Based on what we hear on the news these days, that sounds like an imminent probability.

So now we repeat the words of Saint John, So, Lord Jesus, please come soon! The Revelation 22:20 CEV.

61. The Death of Christ.

The Hesitant Judge

Let us take some time to meditate on the death of the Jesus Christ and to praise His Father for His love for humanity.

Then Pilate went out to them and said, What charge do you bring against this man? They answered and said to him, If he were not an evildoer, even according to their own laws they could not honestly have accused Him of any wrongdoing, then we would not have delivered him up to you. Then Pilate said to them, You take him and judge him according to your Law. Then the Jews said to him, It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death. John 18:29-31. 

Before the trial had even begun the leaders of Jerusalem had already decided that Christ was worthy of death.

Pilate tried the second time to release Christ from such an unjust death so he said to them, I find no fault in him. But you have a custom that I should release one to you at the Passover. Then do you desire that I release to you the king of the Jews? Then they all cried again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas!  

This is an interesting name for the guilty Barabbas. "Bar" is Greek for "Son of" and "Abba" in Chaldeaic, means "father"; so here we have the guilty son of a father being released in place of the innocent Son of The Father.  

But Barabbas was a robber. John 18:38-40.  In the case of Barabbas we know from S. Mark and S. Luke that he had been guilty of insurrection and consequent bloodshed. Cambridge Commentary.

Then Pilate therefore took Jesus and flogged Him. And the soldiers plaited a crown of thorns and put it on His head. And they put a purple robe on Him, and said, Hail, King of the Jews! And they struck Him with their hands. Then Pilate went out again and said to them, Behold, I bring him out to you so that you may know that I find no fault in him. Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.  

It has been suggested that this was another attempt by Pilate to release Jesus.  According to this theory, Pilate hoped that when the Jews saw Christ bloody from the lashes and the thorns on his head they would feel sorry for him and ask for His release.

They put a reed in his hand, symbol of a scepter, (one) supposes that he refused to hold it, in consequence of which they took it from him, and smote him with it. The awful indignity was a wondrous prophecy. Nay, from that very hour he began to reign. That crown of thorns has been more lasting than any royal diadem. The Pulpit Commentary. 

And Pilate said to them, Behold the man! Then when the chief priests and under-officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, Crucify! Crucify Him! Pilate said to them, You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in him. The Jews answered him, We have a Law, and by our Law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God. John 19:1-7.

Then he delivered Him up to them (gave them permission) that He might be crucified. And they took Jesus and led Him away. And bearing His cross, He went out to a place called, The Place of a Skull (which is called in the Hebrew, Golgotha) where they crucified Him, and two others with Him, one on either side, and Jesus in the middle. And Pilate wrote a title and put it on the cross. And the writing was, JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS. John 19:16-19.  

Is it possible that Herod thought that the Jews, as a nation, were losers, and therefore, this seeming loser of a man, is a fit candidate as their king?

It Is Finished

Then when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, It is finished! And He bowed His head and gave up the spirit. Then the Jews, because it was Preparation, begged Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away, so that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the sabbath. For that sabbath was a high day. 

Then the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who was crucified with Him. But when they came to Jesus and saw that He was already dead, they did not break His legs. But one of the soldiers pierced His side with a lance, and instantly there came out blood and water. John 19:30-34

And after these things, Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus ... begged of Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus. And Pilate gave permission. Then he came and took the body of Jesus. 

And Nicodemus also came, ... Then they took the body of Jesus and wound it with linens with the spices, as is the custom of the Jews to bury. And in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one yet had been placed. There, then, because of the Preparation of the Jews, because the tomb was near, they laid Jesus. John 19:38-42