1 Kings 2 Summary - 5 Minute Bible Study
1 Kings 2 Short Summary:
1 Kings 2 begins with a short record of the death of David. Afterwards, Solomon takes the throne and quickly establishes himself as a strong king. He kills his brother Adonijah, and then turns his sword against Joab and Shimei. He refrains from killing Abiathar the priest but banishes him from Jerusalem.
What is 1 Kings 2 About?
WHEN:
David’s death is recorded in 1 Kings 2. David reigned over Israel and Judah from approximately 1055-1015 B.C.
CHARACTERS:
David – The 2nd king of Israel and Judah.
Solomon – The son of David and the 3rd king of Israel and Judah.
Adonijah – David’s 4th son. He tried to claim the throne of Israel for himself. He is described as a very handsome man.
Joab – The commander of David’s army.
Shimei – Years earlier, he cursed David and threw rocks at him when he fled from Absalom.
Abiathar – A priest who served David in Jerusalem. He supported Adonijah’s bid to become king.
WHERE:
The nation of Israel was centered around its civil and religious capital, Jerusalem.
OUTLINE:
DAVID GIVES SOLOMON INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE HIS DEATH (2:1-9):
When David was about to die, he called Solomon to him to give him some instructions.
He told him to follow the commands of the Lord, so that his kingdom would prosper.
Then David brought up a few grievances he had with two men in his kingdom.
He wanted Joab to be killed, because Joab had previously killed 2 of David’s allies, Abner and Amasa.
David also wanted Shimei punished. Shimei was the man who cursed David and threw rocks at him when he fled Jerusalem during Absalom’s rebellion (2 Sam 16).
THE DEATH OF DAVID (2:10-11):
David died and was buried in Jerusalem.
He reigned as king for 40 years, 7.5 years in Judah and 33 years over Judah and Israel (2 Sam 5:5).
SOLOMON KILLS ADONIJAH (2:12-25):
One day, Adonijah went to Bathsheba and asked her to convince Solomon to let him marry Abishag, the young woman who served David and kept him warm (1 Kings 1).
When Bathsheba talked to Solomon, he became very angry and interpreted Adonijah’s request as an attack. This was probably because of Abishag’s close connection to David, paired with Adonijah’s previous ambition to replace his father as king.
Solomon ordered Benaiah, one of David’s mighty men, to put Adonijah to death.
SOLOMON PURGES ISRAEL OF HIS FATHER’S ENEMIES (2:26-46):
After killing his brother, Solomon banished Abiathar the priest from Jerusalem, because he supported Adonijah during his attempt to claim the throne.
This banishment was ordered by Solomon, but it was directed by the providence of God. When Abiathar was banished from Jerusalem (therefore banished from serving as a priest), it fulfilled a prophecy that had been spoken against the priestly house of Eli approximately 100 years earlier (1 Sam 2:30-33).
Next, Solomon turned his attention to Joab. Joab had also allied with Adonijah.
When Joab learned Solomon was after him, he ran to the Tabernacle and took hold of altar, hoping to find sanctuary.
After receiving permission from Solomon, Benaiah went into the Tabernacle and killed him.
Next, Solomon went after Shimei. He did put him to death immediately, instead he put him under house-arrest in Jerusalem.
But after 3 years, Shimei broke the conditions of his house-arrest and Solomon had him killed.
APPLICATION:
This chapter illustrates the point that the story recorded in the Bible is not primarily about us, its about God.
David is one of the more significant figures in the Old Testament.
The record of his life spans multiple books of the Bible.
But his death doesn’t stop the story. In fact, his death is documented with extraordinary brevity, only 2 verses (2:10-11), and then the story continues.
Isn’t that humbling? To know that no matter how significant we are during our lifetime, eventually we will die, and God’s story will continue.
It’s incredibly humbling.
But we should also feel privileged that God would use us as a piece, no matter how small, in His eternal story.
