Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20030330.htm

1 AND 2 KINGS: ENJOYING GOD'S BLESSINGS IN AN APOSTATE ERA
Part III: Guidelines To Heed When We MUST Judge As Overseers
(1 Kings 2:13-46)
  1. Introduction
    1. Though Jesus commanded us not to be censorious, He did call us to make judgments regarding sin in others after we have judged sin in our own lives, Matthew 7:1-5.
    2. To illustrate how to judge others carefully when we MUST pass judgment in oversight roles, 1 Kings 2:13-46 illustrates Solomon's great wisdom in winnowing the motives of difficult subordinates:
  2. Guidelines To Heed When We MUST Judge As Overseers, 1 Kings 2:13-46.
    1. Solomon relied on current action in light of past history to pass judgment on Adonijah, 1 Kings 2:13-25:
      1. In the past, Solomon had told his undisciplined and previously insubordinate half-brother, Adonijah that were he to prove he was subordinate to Solomon, Adonijah would live, 1 Kings 1:5-53.
      2. Well, Adonijah later approached Bathsheba and sought to express his submission to Solomon to set her at ease before making a petition to Solomon through her, 1 Kings 2:13-16 with 1 Kings 1:11-14.
      3. Yet, his petition to wed Abishag was a clear renewed plot to usurp the throne, cf. 1 Kings 2:17:
        1. Since Abishag was part of David's harem (though he was not intimate with her, 1 Kings 1:3-4), her union with Adonijah would let him claim David's throne, Ryrie St. Bib., KJV , ftn. to 1 K. 2:13-25.
        2. As he was David's older son, Adonijah could sway public opinion and thus rule, 1 Kings 2:22b!
      4. When Bathsheba then naively gave Adonijah's request to Solomon, he saw these cultural implications of the request, and noted it violated God's will to set himself on the throne, 1 Kings 2:18-22, 23-24b.
      5. Thus, Solomon had Adonijah executed for displaying a repeated failure to submit to himself, 2:24-25.
    2. Solomon relied on current action in light of past history to pass judgment on Abiathar, 1 Kings 2:26-27:
      1. Since Abiathar had supported Adonijah in both his original plot to take the throne as well as in this his SECOND subtle rebellion (1 Kings 1:7b; 2:22c), Solomon knew Abiathar deserved to die, 2:26a.
      2. Yet, due to his long positive record in having born the ark of God before his father and his sufferings with David during his flight from Saul, Solomon sought to honor Abiathar with his life and only demoted Abiathar from being Israel's high priest, 1 Kings 2:26b-27a. [This demotion fulfilled God's will that Eli's line would not have a high priest to serve the Lord, cf. 1 Samuel 2:27-36.]
    3. Solomon relied on current action in light of past history to pass judgment on Joab, 1 Kings 2:28-34:
      1. Since Joab had supported Adonijah in both his original plot to take the throne as well as in this his SECOND subtle rebellion (1 Kings 1:7c; 2:22d), Solomon knew Joab deserved death, 1 Kings 2:28a.
      2. Yet, in contrast to Abiathar, Joab had a long history of committing vicious murders, so Solomon had him slain at the temple altar where Joab sought refuge, 1 Kings 2:28b-34a.
      3. However, due to his long service to David, Joab was honorably buried, 2:34b; B.K.C., O.T., p. 493.
    4. Solomon relied on current action, past history and the weight of influence on fellow subordinates residing in Shimei to pass judgment on him, 1 Kings 2:35-46:
      1. Realizing from his experience with Adonijah, Abiathar and Joab that he needed to keep tabs on Shimei, another potential problem, Solomon summoned him to set guidelines for conduct: (a) Solomon recalled Shimei's former influential rebellion where he as a member of Saul's family had publicly opposed David in favor of Saul's past regime, 2 Sam. 16:7-8. (b) Thus, having summoned Shimei, Solomon got him to agree that (a) if Shimei ever left Jerusalem and (b) crossed the brook Kidron [toward Benjamin to stir up a rebellion against Solomon as Shimei was related to Saul of Benjamin, cf. 2 Samuel 16:5], Shimei would be slain, 1 Kings 2:36-37: Ibid., Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, ftn. to 1 Kings 2:37.
      2. Well, when Shimei left Jerusalem in even an opposite direction to retrieve some runaway slaves without getting clearance from Solomon, Solomon had him executed; after all, Shimei was a dangerous man in being an untrustworthy party in a very influential position, 1 Kings 2:38, 39-46.
Lesson: Solomon relied on (1) CURRENT DEEDS (2) in light of PAST HISTORIES (3) and the WEIGHT of a subordinate's INFLUENCE on others in making his verdicts.

Application: Regarding subordinates, may we focus on (1) CURRENT DEEDS (2) in view of PAST HISTORIES and the (3) WEIGHT of the INFLUENCE of subordinates in passing verdicts on them!