1 Kings 2:28-33
April 12, 2021
When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”
So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’ ”But he answered, “No, I will die here. ”Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”
Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better men and more upright than he. May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne may there be the Lord’s peace forever.”
Joab was a great warrior, he often gave David great advice, as he did when David was moaning for Absalom after his death. But Joab was always looking after his own self-interest, and when David was on his death bed Joab wanted to make sure he was on the new king's list of being Israel's top general. He did all that Solomon accused him of and so Solomon removes two of those who had hurt his dad, and also his brother who was trying a back door approach to be king after he fails the first time.
Now Solomon was down to only one who his dad, King David had told him to make sure they did not die a natural death, and that was Shimel. We will address how Solomon dealt with him tomorrow.
From the Back Porch,
Bob Rice
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