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1KINGS
CHAPTER 2B

13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Comest thou peaceably? And he said, Peaceably. 14 He said moreover, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And she said, Say on. 15 And he said, Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign: howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's: for it was his from the LORD. 16 And now I ask one petition of thee, deny me not. And she said unto him, Say on. 17 And he said, Speak, I pray thee, unto Solomon the king, (for he will not say thee nay,) that he give me Abishag the Shunammite to wife. 18 And Bathsheba said, Well; I will speak for thee unto the king. 19 Bathsheba therefore went unto king Solomon, to speak unto him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself unto her, and sat down on his throne, and caused a seat to be set for the king's mother; and she sat on his right hand. 20 Then she said, I desire one small petition of thee; I pray thee, say me not nay. And the king said unto her, Ask on, my mother: for I will not say thee nay. 21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to Adonijah thy brother to wife. 22 And king Solomon answered and said unto his mother, And why dost thou ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? ask for him the kingdom also; for he is mine elder brother; even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah. 23 Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. 24 Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. 25 And king Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; and he fell upon him that he died.

Solomon was enthroned and ruled a little while before David died. But just because a kingdom (or person) is established, doesn't mean it will be without opposition. Adonijah still had a plan to take over the kingdom. If he could marry David's latest wife, Abishag, then he would have a legitimate claim to the throne.
Many people wouldn't understand that. Bathsheba didn't. She consented to help Adonijah obtain Abishag because she, as a woman, thought Adonijah sought her out of love. But Adonijah is the eldest son of the previous king. ((Well, actually, Chileab is the oldest - but had not challenged Solomon at all.))
Ordinarily, without God's intervention, Adonijah would have been heir to the throne. Therefore, if he could marry Abishag, he would have legal grounds with which to challenge Solomon.
We should remember this lesson as a Christian. Just because God established Christians through the blood of Jesus, and by the entrance of His Holy Spirit, doesn't mean that we are without opposition. If the devil can persuade a Christian to "marry" a sin, then the devil will gain control of the Christian's life. Jesus said, "Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.." (John 8:34).
Solomon saw right through Adonijah's plot. He listened patiently as his mother made the request. But then he plainly told her that Adonijah was only seeking to obtain the kingdom, and he would grant no such request.
Solomon had spared Adonijah when he had attempted to take the throne before. But it was a conditional pardon. Now it was time for Adonijah to die. He who would take away the authority of the king deserves to be taken out of the way by the king.
And it is so in the Christian's life under King Jesus!

26 And unto Abiathar the priest said the king, Get thee to Anathoth, unto thine own fields; for thou art worthy of death: but I will not at this time put thee to death, because thou barest the ark of the Lord GOD before David my father, and because thou hast been afflicted in all wherein my father was afflicted. 27 So Solomon thrust out Abiathar from being priest unto the LORD; that he might fulfil the word of the LORD, which he spake concerning the house of Eli in Shiloh.

In verse 22, Solomon was reminded by Adonijah's plot, that he had to deal with Abiathar and Joab. Abiathar was Co-High Priest, but he had joined with Adonijah in the plot to take the kingdom from David and Solomon. So, Solomon exiled Abiathar and appointed Zadok as the ONLY High Priest.

28 Then tidings came to Joab: for Joab had turned after Adonijah, though he turned not after Absalom. And Joab fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD, and caught hold on the horns of the altar. 29 And it was told king Solomon that Joab was fled unto the tabernacle of the LORD; and, behold, he is by the altar. Then Solomon sent Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, saying, Go, fall upon him. 30 And Benaiah came to the tabernacle of the LORD, and said unto him, Thus saith the king, Come forth. And he said, Nay; but I will die here. And Benaiah brought the king word again, saying, Thus said Joab, and thus he answered me. 31 And the king said unto him, Do as he hath said, and fall upon him, and bury him; that thou mayest take away the innocent blood, which Joab shed, from me, and from the house of my father. 32 And the LORD shall return his blood upon his own head, who fell upon two men more righteous and better than he, and slew them with the sword, my father David not knowing thereof, to wit, Abner the son of Ner, captain of the host of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, captain of the host of Judah. 33 Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab, and upon the head of his seed for ever: but upon David, and upon his seed, and upon his house, and upon his throne, shall there be peace for ever from the LORD. 34 So Benaiah the son of Jehoiada went up, and fell upon him, and slew him: and he was buried in his own house in the wilderness.

Joab realized what was happening. Solomon was purging himself from all those who had committed treasonous acts. And Joab knew he was in TROUBLE. He ran to the courtyard, and took hold of the horns of the altar, signifying he would depend upon the mercy of God.
But God's law said if a man was guilty of murder, he could even be taken from the altar to be executed (Exodus 21:14).
Joab had committed treason also. He merited death on two counts. Benaiah, strong, loyal, worthy and courageous showed himself a little "squeemish" at killing Joab upon the altar. He thought it better to advise Solomon of the situation first. Benaiah wanted to be SURE that it was ok to kill Joab at the altar. Solomon assured him it was perfectly rigteous because Joab was a "presumptuos" murderer.
Thus, Joab, who had shamed his king on several occasions, died in shame and disgrace. The mercy of God might put him in heaven, but God would not allow him to be saved from earthly punishment of sins.
There are many who, after heinous crimes, will cry out for MERCY. And God may indeed have mercy and grant eternal salvation. But God may require earthly penalty for crimes against humanity.
Justice should be tempered with mercy. But justice demands righteous judgment and swift execution of sentence.

35 And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar. 36 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Build thee an house in Jerusalem, and dwell there, and go not forth thence any whither. 37 For it shall be, that on the day thou goest out, and passest over the brook Kidron, thou shalt know for certain that thou shalt surely die: thy blood shall be upon thine own head. 38 And Shimei said unto the king, The saying is good: as my lord the king hath said, so will thy servant do. And Shimei dwelt in Jerusalem many days.

Benaiah was made head of all Israel's army replacing Joab. Zadok was named High Priest after Abiathar's exile.
Then Solomon turned his attention toward Shimei. This was a man with whom he had to deal in real "wisdom."
Shimei was told to stay in Jerusalem for the rest of his life. Solomon made a solemn oath before the Lord, that Shimei's punishment would be death if he left Jerusalem for any reason.
Shimei's response indicated that he was in total agreement with Solomon's decree.
HOWEVER,

39 And it came to pass at the end of three years, that two of the servants of Shimei ran away unto Achish son of Maachah king of Gath. And they told Shimei, saying, Behold, thy servants be in Gath. 40 And Shimei arose, and saddled his ass, and went to Gath to Achish to seek his servants: and Shimei went, and brought his servants from Gath. 41 And it was told Solomon that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath, and was come again. 42 And the king sent and called for Shimei, and said unto him, Did I not make thee to swear by the LORD, and protested unto thee, saying, Know for a certain, on the day thou goest out, and walkest abroad any whither, that thou shalt surely die? and thou saidst unto me, The word that I have heard is good. 43 Why then hast thou not kept the oath of the LORD, and the commandment that I have charged thee with? 44 The king said moreover to Shimei, Thou knowest all the wickedness which thine heart is privy to, that thou didst to David my father: therefore the LORD shall return thy wickedness upon thine own head; 45 And king Solomon shall be blessed, and the throne of David shall be established before the LORD for ever. 46 So the king commanded Benaiah the son of Jehoiada; which went out, and fell upon him, that he died. And the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.

Shimei would only abide under the decree as long as it SUITED him! A couple of his servants ran away, and he hasted to retrieve them.
David had said that Solomon was wise enough to handle this situation. And Solomon decreed the execution of his sentence against Shimei.
He had given Shimei enough rope to "hang himself."
Friends, Christians are a FREE PEOPLE. Because God has given us freedom. We may be slaves to mankind, but we are FREE MORAL AGENTS. We have the RIGHT to make moral choices.
Moral freedom is an awesome responsibility. When God tells us to walk in His ways, and after His will, He is granting us enough room to be SAFE, and enough ROPE with which to hang ourselves!
It then depends upon US to do the right thing!

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