Returns

1 Kings 2:5 ESV

Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel...Act therefore according to your wisdom.”

It happened once again. After awhile it is not surprising, people can only make so many unfulfilled promises before cynicism takes over. I don’t know how many times I have been told “I will be their Sunday.” And when Sunday rolls around, as it does every week, other choices were made. Was it even sincere when it was uttered? The weight of being lied to and avoided starts to creep into thoughts and actions and cynicism must be fought as the enemy it is, but leopards don’t change their spots.

As we come to the text this week, David has already given the Kingdom to Solomon, bypassing the presumptuous son and now he is giving Solomon the final charge of things that need done, that he did not have the strength or courage to do himself. Mainly the commander Joab and his murders. David never did more than cry for the deceased. He would not punish his nephew, but he did not forget the crimes. So, what does Solomon do after David dies? He does nothing. He does not seek out Joab, he does not destroy Shemei. He weights. Solomon has learned the lessons of history. As we continue reading in the text, we find that Adonijah has come up with another plan to regain the kingdom from his brother. When Solomon perceives the depth of the plan and its full intent, he then has his brother executed. At this point what would co-conspirators do? If you had been part of the first attempt, and know were part of a second attempt to establish a counter monarchy, what do you do? You run. That is what Joab does. He runs to the place where Solomon had given leniency and parole earlier. He runs to the altar of God. Yet, this time, his sin is found out and he is executed there for both his current crime and his past crimes.

Solomon knowing the realities of men and already being wise, does the same for Shimei, the man who cursed David on his way from the city. He gives him the room and space to hang himself. A simple scenario is played out in which he is given parole and fails to meet the demands of it so his is executed as well. This points us to the plain reality that man “does not quickly depart from it” meaning the way he was raised. A knowledge of history and the reality of men’s sin allowed Solomon to simply weight for men to fall and then executed judgment without the need to justify his actions. We too are given this ability.

Solomon, had to weight three years for Shemei to reveal his heart, but that heart is revealed. Meditating on this passage and realizing that people don’t change, I realized that I have been in Lincoln for three years. This creates a hard question for me. Is what I am seeing in our church the result of my leadership and shepherding or a result of a people’s hearts finally revealing themselves? Even as none is given opportunity to see into a man’s heart but God, wisdom told Solomon, that if people are faithful, they would remain so, if they are not then they would simply fall back into wayward activity. If gathering with the saints one day a week is a “take it or leave it” affair, your heart has been revealed.  “Like a dog that returns to its vomit, so is a fool who repeats his folly.” Proverbs 26:11

Coram Deo