Reader’s Guide: “The Word for Today” Sunday, November 18, 2012 Read – 1 Kings 2 & 3 Chapter 2 of 1 Kings is a very troubling chapter for us to read. The last actions of David before he died sound like something right out of “The Godfather” movies. Like a mob boss, David instructs Solomon to take revenge on his enemies, some of who he had graciously spared when he rose to power. Others are to be rewarded for their loyalty to David. We might have expected to hear a better story than this. Having instructed Solomon to carry out his last wishes, the narrator can now tell the story of David’s death. We might have expected to hear a story about a long period of mourning for Israel’s greatest king. By contrast, the story is surprisingly brief. In the rest of chapter 2 we hear the story of Solomon carrying out David’s wishes. Adonijah is killed. Abiathar, the priest, is exiled back to Anathoth. Joab is killed while clinging to the horns of the altar. Shimei is put to death after failing to live up to his agreement. The narrator’s summary puts it well, “So the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon.” In stark contrast to chapter 2, chapter 3 tells two stories about Solomon that put Solomon in a much more favorable light. First, God encounter Solomon in a dream at Gibeon, a place of worship on the outskirts of Jerusalem. It is as if the clock has been turned back. Solomon speaks of himself as only a child. In his dream, God invites Solomon to ask for what he most desires. Solomon’s answer is that what he most desires is the wisdom to lead God’s people in the way God wants. What a great answer! This is the Solomon we like to hear about. God grants his request. Solomon is given the gift of being the wisest man ever to live. Solomon’s wisdom is tested in the very next story the narrator tells us – the story of the two women who fight over the living child. Solomon’s wisdom in deciding the case is remarkable. We have heard both stories of the goodness of David and stories of David’s dark side. The same is true now with Solomon. The telling of the complete story of Biblical characters is a wonderful thing about the Bible. Sometimes we are troubled by what we hear. At other times we are assured that those whom God has chosen do function well. The point in all of this is twofold. First of all, the Bible makes clear that there are no perfect people. Secondly, the Bible makes clear that we can identify with the characters we meet in the Bible. They are like us. We are like them. We are skipping chapter 4 which simply describes Solomon’s administration.