Solomon's Rise- Importance of Leadership: 1 Kings 2:13-46

You're listening to the Bible guys, a podcast where a

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By the way, Uh, I think that everything should have

that man's voice, you know, like in a world yes, right,

Like I just I love that idea.

I think that every preview should have that.

Every time we do like a church like trailer of

something coming up, I envision I hear in my mind

that man promoting our next series. Right, we have a

series coming up called what is it? Uh, oh my goodness,

what is it called?

I don't know.

Something about why, oh.

My goodness, I can't remember the titleist anyway, that forget

that boxed illustration. So this is why, this is, this

is why, this is why. Yeah, I picture this guy

promoting that. Okay, so let's just right there, you go.

Let's move on. So welcome to the Bible, guys. We

have a segment at the very beginning that we have

not done in a pretty good while, I would say,

and this is called stump the pastor. So we get

yes and we get these questions from people who actually

write in, and sometimes they write in for the purpose

of stump the pastor I think, and sometimes they just

write in because they're absolutely just curious and they want

to know if we would discuss it, which I guess

is the same thing. So this one's from Brian d

Hi Brian, and Brian says this, what are your thoughts

on where slash how demons originated?

It is a great question.

Yeah, So, first of all, demons. We believe that demons

are active in the world. We believe that demons live

in the supernatural and the Bible clearly says that there

is a super natural world that takes place right now

as we're sitting here. There is a there's an unseen

battle between angels and demons.

Yes, yeah, yeah, that's right.

Yeah, the spiritual warfare, right, is how the Bible describe that.

Within theology, there are ten twelve, fourteen different like buckets

of study, and one of those is angelology. Right, that's

one of those things, and it's it's the spiritual realm,

really is what that study is all about. So, and

that's where you'd also include then the spiritual warfare, demons,

all those.

Kinds of things.

So what do you say, what are your thoughts on

where and how demons originated?

Well, I'm going to back up two steps and say

they came from God because God created angels, and then

demons are fallen angels.

Okay, that's it. Okay, all right, let's move on. Good,

all right, thank you.

Thanks a lot.

No, No, the So the scripture gives us detail about this, right,

so so a little bit, yeah, so it gives us

a little that is exactly right.

You know.

It talks about a third of the angels rebelled against

God and the angel that was the most beautiful of

all is Lucifer, who So the original sin before Adam

and Eve, before earth, you know, mankind, the original sin

was pride, right, the original sin was pride by Lucifer,

who wanted to usurp God's throne and wanted to take

the king kingdom for himself.

He rebelled against God.

He had literally a third of the angels that followed him,

and they were cast away from heaven and they became demons.

And the Bible says there was war in heaven.

Yes, yes, yes, there was war in heaven. Yes.

And now the big question that you and I talked

about right before. We only talked about it for one says,

but the question is did their appearance change? Did angels

appearances change from beautiful beings of light and now that

they become demons, maybe their countenance has changed, but have

their actual physical appearance changes. Their evidence that they've become

these shadowy black things that we see in movies, right, so,

you know we see them in shadows or you know,

evil beings. You know there's the cartoon devil with the

red pitchfork kind of thing.

Yeah, certainly he's not, you know, the devil's not run

around and red pajamas. No, no cape, twisty mustache like pitchfork. Yeah. So,

so to go back to the Lucifer thing first, So

the Bible says that Lucifer was the covering cherub over

the throne of God. He led all of heaven and worship.

His body is a is a musical instrument, and so

he was perpetually, always and only in the presence of God.

And then he decides, I'm I'm going to rise above God.

I'm gonna set my throne above God's throne and his beauty,

his his power, his influence over the other angels, whatever,

drove this pride thing. So then God cast him out,

and one third of all of the angels in heaven believed.

I think Lucifer can beat Jehovah. Right, that's you want

to know how powerful our enemy is. That's that's pretty significant.

A third of the angels. I don't know how many

that is, but I think it's a lot.

Well, we assume it's millions based.

On or billions or whatever. Yeah, but then there's war

in heaven. We know Michael the archangel, he's a warrior

for God. Right, You've got these others. There's these battles

that are mentioned a couple different times, and then they're

cast out of heaven into uh, you know, out into creation.

And Satan hates God. So Lucifer falls. God begins to

refer to him as Satan, the father of lies. But

it also says that he's an angel of light. Right,

So in the garden, Adam and Eve weren't you know,

terrified of him in the form of a serpent. Right,

it was just kind of a normal thing. I guess

talking to snakes, I don't know.

Well, I mean they seem, I mean to be fair,

probably saw some pretty magical things.

Yeah, yeah, everything seemed normal. When you don't know anything,

then I guess everything seems normal. But then it is interesting.

Every time a person has an encounter in the Bible

with an angel, the angel has to say fear not.

But there seems to be a terror of people engaging

with demons. Right. There seems to be a difference between

like a healthy Bible says was supposed to have the

fear of God, fear God's beginning of wisdom. Right, So

having a healthy fear of God is different than terror.

So something about the demon, the demonic thing is brings

eventually hair, but I think he presents himself and and

and probably demons present themselves initially is something attractive, not

as something repulsive, right, as angels of light?

Right, Yeah, so that's a stab at saying like, we

don't really know about their physical countenance, but but they're

not going to come at you with something to be

afraid of, probably.

Not at the beginning, yeah right, right, And most of

the time, whenever I've talked with like witch doctors or

people deep that had been deeply embedded in witchcraft, they'll

usually say it begins really gently and beautiful and turns

into a nightmare. Yeah, right, and that's always one kid

say be careful with ouiji boards, don't don't play with

those things. It's it's cute. But that's how the devil does, right.

He brings us in with with cute things, pretty things,

beautiful things, comfortable things, and eventually flips because he's a father,

he's lying from the very beginning, so he flips into

this terror and horror. Right, yeah, but we don't have

to be afraid. Greater is he that is in me

than he that is in the world, the Bible says. So, yeah,

that's something that's right.

Anything else, no, I was just going to actually end

with that exact thought.

It's so funny you said that greater is he that

is in me that is in the world, the Bible says.

I was going to say, James says, resist sending yourself

therefore to God.

Resist the devil, and he's going to flee from you.

That's right.

It says that you believe in God, you do well.

Even the demons believe and tremble. That's right, right, which

means they tremble, they shudder at the name of God.

And then it also says that that that if you

that if you call out on the name of Jesus,

then you can repel or cast out or overcome demons

as well, so that even the name of Jesus has

power over demons. So I if you are a person

who is a very very much a spiritual warfare person,

and what I mean by that is there are people

that are just fascinated with that, or there are people

actually have experience with spiritual warfare.

In a negative way.

Right have you ever have you ever had anybody ask

you to come over and pray over their house because

they feel like there's.

A demonic presence.

So if you know, if you're wondering about that and

you feel frightened, just know that nobody, nobody can overcome

even the name of Jesus Christ.

So as you know, I used to tell my son.

Every need will boy out.

The Bible says that's right.

I used to tell my son, I say turn on

the light and then just literally shot out loud in

the name of Jesus Christ. I command you to be gone,

like leave. So if you ever feel like there's anything

dark or demonic that is around you, then just do that,

because you know, and that may seem silly to some

people who are not necessarily fully bought into spiritual warfare.

They say, do you really believe that you really believe that.

There's you know, something in your house that you're going

to call you know, you're going to call out to

something invisible? But if you believe what the Bible says,

then absolutely, yeah, yep.

It's good.

Yep.

So essentially angels are I mean, demons are fallen angels.

That's right.

So God created them as angels. He didn't create them

as demons, but sin, the consequence of sin, sin infected

them and they became demons. That's right, they're fallen angels.

That's right. There you go, all right, very good, good question,

Brian Deep and.

Their voice went from like something that beautiful, like a song,

like a musical instrument, to my name is leg Yeah.

I don't know. It starts off beautiful and goes ye

give you that. Okay, Well we are now picking up

with Solomon, so he's finding his own voice. Yes, at

this point, and that's my cheesy transition.

Oh, he's finding his own voice.

That's right. As the king. Yes, we're working really hard

to find cheesy transition realized.

Ever since I said that last week I'm trying. You've

done every single transition.

I'm trying.

Man, think what tomorrow, I'll do it on the spot.

Okay, you gotta do it all right. So Solomon and

takes the throne, and he's finding his voice as the ruler,

the leader. He establishes his rule here in First Kings,

chapter two says one day at Anaijah, whose mother was Hagath,

came to see Bethsheba, Salomon's mother. Have you come with

peaceful intentions? She asked him, Yes, he said, Remember he

tried to have a coup. Yes, So did you come

with peaceful intentions? It's kind of an important question, yes,

he said, I come in peace. In fact, I have

a favor to ask of you. What is it, she asked,

He replied, as you know, the kingdom was rightfully mine.

All Israel wanted me to be the next king, but

the tables were turned and the kingdom went to my

brother instead, for that is the way the Lord wanted it.

So now I have just one favor to ask of you.

Please don't turn me down. What is it, she asked,

He replied, speak to King Solomon on behalf, for I

know he'll do anything you request. And ask him to

let me marry Abhishak, the girl from Shunham. All right,

Bethsheba replied, I will speak to the king for you.

So Besheba went to King Solomon to speak on ad

and Ij's behalf, and the king rose from his throne

to meet her, and he bowed down before her. And

when he sat down on his throne again, the king

ordered that a throne be brought for his mother, and

she sat at his right hand. I have one small

request to make of you, he said. I hope you

won't turn me down. What is it, My mother, he asked,

you know I won't refuse you. Then let your brother

Adanijah marry Abishag, the girl from Shunam. She replied, how

can you possibly ask me to give Abishag Adanaija. King

Solomon demanded, you might as well ask me to give

the give him the kingdom. You know that he is

my older brother, and that he has Abiathar the priest

and Joeab's son of Zariah on his side. Then King

Solomon made a vow before the Lord. May God strike

me and even kill me. If Adanijah has not sealed

his fate with this request, The Lord has confirmed me

and placed me on the throne of my father David.

He's established my dynasty as he promised. So as surely

as the Lord lives, Adanaijah will die this very day.

So King Solomon ordered bena Ayah, son of Johiedah, to

execute him, and Adenija was put to death.

Oh wow.

Then the King said to Abiathar, the prince, go back

to your home in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but

I will not kill you now because you carried the

ark of the sovereign Lord for David, my father, and

you shared all his hardships. So Solomon deposed Abiathar from

his position as priest of the Lord, thereby fulfilling the

prophecy the Lord had given at Shiloh concerning the descendants

of Eli. Joab had not joined Absalom's earlier rebellion, but

he had joined Adenaija's rebellion. So when Joab heard about

Adamaij's death, he ran to the sacred ten of the

Lord and grabbed on to the horns of the altar.

When this was reported to King Solomon, he sent ben

a Ayah, son of Johoida, to execute him. Ben Ayah

went to the sacred ten of the Lord, and said

the Joeb, the King orders you to come out. Joeib answered, no,

I will die here. So Beniah returned to the king

and told him what Joeb had said. Do as he said.

The King replied, kill him there beside the altar and

bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joebs senseless

murders from me and from my father's family. The Lord

will pay him for the murders of two men who

were more righteous and better than he, For my father

knew nothing about the deaths of Abner, son of Ner,

commander of the Army of Israel, and of a Massive,

son of Jeth, commander of the army of Judah. May

their blood be on Joeab and his descendants forever. And

made the Lord grant peace forever to David, his descendants,

his dynasty, and his throne. So Benaiah, son of Johoida,

returned to the sacred tent, killed Joab and he was

buried at his home in the wilderness. And then the

king appointed ben a Ayah to command the army and

place of Joeb, and he installed Zaidak the priest to

take the place of Abiathar. The King then sent for

SHIMIAI and told him build a house here in Jerusalem

and live there, but don't step outside the city to

go anywhere else. On the day you so much as

crossed the kid Run valley, you will surely die, and

your blood will be on your own head. Shimiyai replied,

your sentence is fair. I'll do whatever my lord, the

King commands. So SHIMIAI lived in Jerusalem for a long time,

but three years later, two of Shimii's slaves ran away

to King Aikish, son of Maka of Gath, and when

Shimyai learned where they were, he saddled his donkey and

went to Gath to search for them, and when he

found them, he brought them back to Jerusalem. Salomon heard

that Shimiyai I had left Jerusalem, had gone to Gath

and returned, so the King sent for Shemi I demanded,

didn't I make you swear by the Lord and mourn

you not to go anywhere else so you would surely die?

He replied, the sentence is fair. I will do as

you say. Then, why haven't you kept your oath to

the Lord and obeyed my command. King also said to SHEMII,

you certainly remember all the wicked things you did to

my father David. May the Lord now bring that evil

on your own head. But may I King Solomon receive

the Lord's blessings, and may one of David's descendants always

sit on this throne in the presence of the Lord.

Then at the King's command, ben I, sen of Johidah

took SHEMIAI outside and killed him. So the kingdom was

now firmly in Solomon's grip. Wow.

Well, so everybody misbehaved, everybody stepped out of line just

a little bit.

And He's like, well, I was going to kill these

guys anyway.

Yeah, there's consequences to your decisions, right right yep.

And so I mean these were the guys on David's list.

Yeah, but he was trying to let them know this

is on you, It's not on me, that's right, right,

as as God's representative on earth here right now. Yeah,

my job is to ex acute justice. That's what That's

what a leader does, is he he is supposed to

firmly and fairly apply justice. He tries to extend mercy

to these guys. Shimmy, I man, David specifically, okay, do

this for me. Don't let him go to Hell in peace, right,

And Salomon goes, listen, just build a house inside the city.

Don't leave the city. You're under house arrest the rest

of your life. That's what he says. He literally puts

it and then shimmy, I breaks the rules, and he goes, Okay,

this is not you, this is not me.

Right, he goes the gaff, which is a Philistine city, right, right, yeah, yeah.

And so.

By the way, you know, sometimes if you don't read

a story in the Old Testament for a while, sometimes

you you'll read it and you go, oh, I remember that, right,

Like I didn't think I remember that, but now that

I read it, like, I remember that, And that's.

A much most of it.

Right.

Then there are some things you read it and you go, oh,

I forgot that right, And that was one of them.

At Anja, when I was reading this, I was like, oh,

I don't really remember how this plays out. And then

you're like blah blah blah blah blah, and you're like,

day and he killed him.

I'm like, oh my gosh, I'm like, wow, I forgot

that completely. Wow that was just that was just out

of nowhere man. And yeah, but you know it ends

the chapter by saying the kingdom was firmly in Solomon's grip.

And again, uh, some of these things are just so brutal.

But we do have to understand that, you know, back

in those ancient days, when you know, even even moving

the kingdom forward, I mean, think about David's entire assignment

throughout his life was to go conquer your enemies and

eliminate those who blasphemed against God. There was so much bloodshed, right,

and so this is I mean, all three of these

things are honestly sort of like ripple effects from from

all of David's reign, Right, all three of them are

and uh, and and so including obviously, uh, Solomon's older

brother who you know who by the way, he approaches

best Sheba and that she agrees.

It's love. Love is love. How do you thwart love?

Yeah?

Right, so he comes and she hears a love story,

and she goes, that's sweet. Yeah, I'll go talk to Solomon. Right,

Solomon sees it exactly the opposite.

Right.

Abishag while still a virgin, was part of David's harem,

So for for Ada and Niga to come and ask

for and to take a woman from David's harem is

like grabbing a part of David's kingdom, grabbing a part

of his throne power. That's it was a power move, right,

So she sees a love story. Solomon goes, that is

not what he's doing, right, and so he's like, he's

still he still desires our father's kingdom. That's what he wants,

and so he wipes him out right. Yeah, yeah, he

sees it for what it is. Yeah, there's a note here,

by the way, so that's not original with me. I

read this. It says that this is not a case.

By the way, get yourself a good study Bible, right,

because there's great notes to give perspective on stuff. Yeah,

and first King's chapter two here in the Life Application

Study Bible says this was not a case of thwarted love.

Adam Nijah had more a mind than was supposed than

his supposed love for Abishag. Although she was still a virgin,

Abershagg was considered part of David's harem. Ada Nijah wanted

Abshag because possessing the king's harem was equivalent to claiming

the throne. Abslom had done the same thing in his

rebellion against David. Remember, ye went and took a bunch

of women from David's Yep, harem right.

And that was also prophesied.

Man, that's right. Solomon well understood what Adam Nija was

trying to do. He was trying to send this because

he comes to beth Sheba says, you know, the people

really liked me. A lot of people are saying really

wonderful things about me.

Yeah.

Well, he says to Solomon's mom, Yes, right, and he says,

who's the they call it.

There's a title for that. There's like the Queen, the queen, yeah,

the queen mother, Queen mother.

Yeah, And he says, as you know, the kingdom was

rightfully mine all Israel wanted me to be the next king,

but the table's returned and the kingdom went to my

brother instead, and then and for that is the way

that the Lord wanted it. So what he's saying is

he's saying, as you know, I had the right, everybody

wanted it, but apparently I submit to whatever God wants. Right.

What a fake humility?

Yeah, fake humility, I mean, what a goofy.

But you can see how best sheep will go, oh,

what a beautiful thing. This king wants this servant girl.

I mean that this prince wants a servant girl. That's

so sweet. I can see how she could get caught

up in the story. And Solomon, being wise, sees through

it and realizes it's fake humility, and he's trying to

seize a part of my father's kingdom. He's reminding us

that the people like him a lot. So what you

see in this first chapter here in Solomon's reign is

he wipes out all of his potential enemies at the

very beginning. He eliminates them, but of their own hand,

right right, it's their fault, their fault.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, they're doing right right, and so so yeah,

I mean, Solomon is definitely set up for a great reign.

And by the way, whenever you think about handing off leadership,

uh this is sort of a stretch a little bit.

But like you know, you know, always read a passage and.

Say where's the sermon, and you know in the passage, uh,

there's a sermon about handing off you know things. Well, now,

the things that don't relate obviously are you know, power

moves and and murder you know, those things don't relate.

But like, for instance, having you seen organizations where uh,

all the leader had to do was just use wisdom

and if and if you just say, hey, if I

do these five things, I'm going to hand off this uh,

this company or this organization or this church or whatever

it is, I'm going to hand it off well. And

and and they seem like very sensible, common sense things,

and yet people botch the handoff. And uh, and you

know what, we talked about this earlier, but the choices

of a leader affect the entire in this case, the

entire kingdom, right, So had it been done poorly from

the very very top, the kingdom would not have been

in Solomon's grip. Things would have been chaotic, and the

entire kingdom would have suffered. Right. So this is a

clear setup of like, wow, this was a really great

handoff that David handloff to Solomon. He gave him words

of wisdom, and then Solomon buttons up all those potential enemies.

And it seems like at this point, not even knowing

what comes next, for a lot of readers, they would say,

it seems like this is the best possible handoff that

Solomon could be in Yeah.

Yeah, well, so yesterday we kind of made fun of

the fact that David said, you know, in his last breath, Hey,

by the way, I need you to clean up these

two messes. Yes, but that what we didn't talk about

was the end of the end of the passage we

read is said, and so Solomon's reign was firmly established.

David wasn't always the best dad. I mean he didn't

even ever one time correct at an Iija says right,

not one time, right, So he wasn't always the best dad.

But with Solomon, he he is here at the end

trying to pass on wisdom, trying to help him lead,

and all the enemies had been vanquished. There were a

couple of enemies on the inside, but all the other

enemies have been vanquished. And he gives Solomon instructions, Hey,

this is do these, do these couple of things, and

you are firmly established. And so it says that his

the end of David's life, Solomon's reign was firmly established.

Solomon does these things, which sounds to us like murder.

It's not murder, it's government execution based on on on

trader being you know, being a trader. Both two of

these were based on being a trader. Well all three

at an ij two that's right, right, he pulled out

a coup, and so David is saying, you cannot trust traders.

Traders never turn around. You have to execute them. And

execution at the hands of the government is ordained by

God uh for crime, right for capital crimes. And so

he does here as that representative that doesn't give other

people permission to go out and execute their enemies. This

is a government decision. But from this point on, Solomon

has a lot of peace in the rest of his kingdom.

It's because David fought the battles and set his son

up and he was firmly established. So these things were

necessary in order to firmly establish his rule here. But

then tomorrow, I think you see the shift in Solomon

that sends Solomon into the stratosphere beyond his father's leadership.

And it's because of what happens tomorrow.

That's great, all right, Well, hey, that's our time, so

hopefully we'll see you next time on the Bible Gush