Steve Webb: too clever for his own good
Hello, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you
right out of Riverside, California and podcasting since
2004. I'm your OG God Gaster. Steve Webb. This is the daily
podcast where we're reading through the entire Bible in a
year. Welcome. I'm glad you're here. Today, our reading is
first Kings one through four, and I'm calling the episode,
another pretender to the throne. Now I've got a quick question
for you. Are you using Apple's podcast app to listen to the
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First Kings chapter one. At this time, King David was very old,
and although his servants covered him with blankets, he
could not keep warm. They said to Him, we will look for a young
woman to care for you. She will lie close to you and keep you
warm. After searching everywhere in Israel for a beautiful young
woman. They found a girl named Abba shag from shooting him and
brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful and she
cared for the king and served him but the king did not have
sexual relations with her. At an Isaiah was the son of King David
and haggis, and he was very proud. I will be the king he
said. So we got chariots and horses for himself and 50 men
for his personal bodyguard. Now David had never interfered with
that an idea by questioning what he did. Born next after Absalom
at Nyjah was a very handsome man at an Asia spoke with Joab son
of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest and they agreed to help
him but Zadar the priest, Binya son of Jehoiada Nathan the
prophet, shimmy AI Rifai in King David special guard did not join
at a Nyjah then at an IG killed some sheep, cows and fat calves
for sacrifices at the stone of Zohar Leffe near the spring of
rogell. He invited all his brothers, the other sons of King
David to come as well as all the men of Judah, but at an agent
did not invite Nathan the prophet Binya his father,
special guard or his brother Solomon. When Nathan heard about
this, he went to Bathsheba Solomon's mother. Have you heard
that at Nyjah haggis son has made himself king Nathan asked
our real King David does not know it. I strongly advise you
to save yourself and your sons. Go to King David and tell him my
master and King you promised that my son Solomon would be
king and would rule on your throne after you why then has at
an age to become king. While you're still talking to the
king. I will come in and tell him that what you have said
about adda Nyjah is true. So Bathsheba went in to see the
agent king in his bedroom where Abba shag the girl from Shannon
was caring for him. Bathsheba bowed and knelt before the king.
He asked, What do you want? She answered, My master, you made a
promise to me in the name of the Lord your God. You said, Your
son Solomon will become king after me and He will rule on my
throne. But now unknown to you at a Nyjah has become king. He
has killed many cows, fat calves and sheep for sacrifices. And
he's invited all your sons as well as Abiathar the priest and
Joab the commander of the army, but he did not invite Solomon
who serves you, my master and King. All the Israelites are
watching you waiting for you to decide who will be king After
you. As soon as you die, Solomon and I will be treated as
criminals. While Bathsheba was still talking with the king
Nathan the prophet arrived, the servants told the king Nathan
the prophet is here. So Nathan went to the king and bowed
facedown on the ground before him. Nathan said, My master and
King, have you said that Edo Nyjah will be king after you,
and that he will rule on your throne. Today he has sacrificed
many cows, fat cows and sheep. And he has invited all your
other sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the
priest. Right now they're eating and drinking with him. They're
saying Long live King at an idea. But he did not invite me
your own servant or is a doc the priest orbignya, son of
Jehoiada. Or your son Solomon, did you do this? Since we're
your servants? Why didn't you tell us who should be king after
you? Then the king said, Tell Bathsheba to come in. So she
came in and stood before the king. Then the king made this
promise. The Lord has saved me from all trouble as surely as he
lives I will do today what I have promised you in the name of
the Lord, the God of Israel. I promised that your son Solomon
would be king after me and rule on my throne in my place. Then
Bathsheba bowed facedown on the ground and knelt before the king
and said, long lived my master King David. Then King David
said, tells a doc the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah,
son of Jehoiada to come in. When they came before the king, he
said to them, take My servants with you and put my son Solomon
on my own mule. Take him down to the spring called guy hon.
There's a doc the priest and Nathan the prophet should pour
olive oil on him and make him king over Israel. Blow the
trumpet and shout, Long live King Solomon, then come back up
here with him. He will sit on my throne and rule in my place
because he is the one I've chosen to be the ruler over
Israel and Judah Binay a son of Jehoiada answered the king,
amen. This is what the Lord the God of my master has declared.
The Lord has always helped you are king. May He also helped
Solomon and make King Solomon's throne and even greater throne
than yours.
So as they dock the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah,
son of Jehoiada, left with a keralites and parasites. They
put Solomon on King David's mule and took him to the spring
called guy Han, Zaid, Dr. Priest took the container of olive oil
from the holy tent and poured the oil on Solomon's head to
show he was the king. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the
people shouted, Long live King Solomon. All the people followed
Solomon into the city, playing flutes and shouting for joy.
They made so much noise, the ground shook at this time at an
IKEA and all the priests with him were finishing their meal.
When he heard the sound from the trumpet. Joab asked, What is all
that noise from the city mean? While Joab was speaking
Jonathan, son of Abiathar the priest arrived at an age he
said, come in you are an important man. So you must be
bringing good news. But Jonathan answered, No, our Master King
David is made Solomon the new king, King David set Zadara
priest, Nathan the prophet, Binya son of Jehoiada and all
the king's bodyguards with him, and they have put Solomon on the
king's own mule. Then Zadar, the priest and Nathan the prophet
poured olive oil on Solomon, that guy Han to make him king.
After that, they went into the city shouting with joy. Now the
whole city is excited. And that is the noise you hear. Solomon
is now become the king. All the King's officers have come to
tell King David that he has done a good thing. They're saying,
May your God make Solomon even more famous than you, and an
even greater King than you, Jonathan continued, and King
David bowed down on his bed to worship God saying, Bless the
Lord, the God of Israel. Today he has made one of my sons the
king, and allowed me to see it. Then all of that in ages, guests
were afraid, and they left quickly and scattered out an
Asia was also afraid of Solomon. So he went and took hold of the
corners of the altar. Then someone told Solomon, at an age
is afraid of you. So he is at the altar, holding on to its
corners. He says, Tell King Solomon to promise me today that
he will not kill me. So Solomon answered, our Nyjah must show
that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise you will
not lose even a single hair from his head. But if he does
anything wrong, he will die. Then King Solomon sent some men
to get out of Nyjah. When he was brought from the altar, he came
before King Solomon and bowed down. Solomon told him go home.
First Kings chapter two. Since it was almost time for David to
die, he gave his son Solomon his last commands. David said, My
Time to die is near. Be a good and strong leader. Obey the Lord
your God. Follow him by obeying his demands, His commands His
laws, and his rule. They are written in the teachings of
Moses. If you do these things, you will be successful and all
you do and wherever you go. And if you obey the Lord, He will
keep the promise he made to me. He said, If your descendants
live as I tell them and have complete faith in me, a man from
your family will always be king over the people of Israel. Also,
you remember what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me. He killed the
two commanders of Israel's armies, Abner son of nerd and a
mesa son of Jeter. He did this as if he and they were at war,
although it was a time of peace. He put their blood on the belt
around his waist in on his sandals on his feet. Punish him
in the way you think is wisest, but do not let him die
peacefully of old age. Be kind to the children of Barzilay of
Gilead and allow them to eat at your table. They welcomed me
when I ran away from your brother Absalon. And remember,
shimmy is son of gira. The Benjamin Knight is here with
you. He cursed me the day I went to May a&m, but when he came
down to meet me at the Jordan River, I promised him before the
Lord, shimmy I will not kill you. But you should not leave
him unpunished. You are a wise man, and you will know what to
do to him, but you must be sure he is killed. Then David died
and was buried with his ancestors in Jerusalem. He had
ruled over Israel 40 years, seven years in Hebron in 33
years in Jerusalem.
Solomon became king after David his father, and he was in firm
control of his kingdom. At this time at an Asia son of haggis
went to Bathsheba Solomon's mother. Did you come in peace?
Bathsheba asked. Yes, this is a peaceful visit at an Asia
answered, I have something to say to you. You may speak she
said. You remember that at one time that kingdom was mine at an
Isaiah said, all the people of Israel recognized me as their
king. But things have changed. Now my brother is the king
because the Lord chose him. Now I have one thing to ask you.
Please do not refuse me. Bathsheba answered. What do you
want? I know King Solomon will do anything you ask him at a
Nyjah continued, please ask him to give me Abba shag the
Shulamite to be my wife. Very well, she answered. I will speak
to the king for you. So Bathsheba went to King Solomon
to speak to him for Athanasia when Solomon saw her he stood up
to meet her than bowed down and sat on the throne. He told some
servants to bring another throne for his mother. Then she sat
down in his right side. Bathsheba said, I have one small
thing to ask you. Please do not refuse me. Ask mother, the king
answered, I will not refuse you. So she said, allow Abba shag the
Shulamite to marry your brother Athanasia. King Solomon answered
his mother. Why do you ask me to give him Abba shag? Why don't
you also ask for him to become the king since he's my older
brother Abiathar, the priest and Joab the son of Zeruiah would
support him. Then King Solomon swore by the name of the Lord,
saying, May God punish me terribly if this doesn't cause
that are Nyjah his life by the Lord who has given me the throne
that belonged to my father David, and who has kept his
promise and given the kingdom to me and my people at a Nyjah will
die today. Then King Solomon gave orders to Binay us and
Jehoiada and he went and killed at a Nyjah King Solomon said to
Abiathar the priest, I should kill you too. But I will allow
you to go back to your fields and Anna thought, I will not
kill you at this time because you helped carry the ark of the
Lord God while marching with my father David, and I know you
shared in all the hard times with him. Then Solomon removed
Abiathar from being the Lord's priest. This happened is the
Lord said it would when he was speaking in Shiloh about the
priest Eli and his descendants. When Joab heard about what had
happened, he was afraid he had supported at a Nyjah but not
Absalon. So Joab branded the tent of the Lord and took hold
of the corners of the altar. Someone told King Solomon that
Joab had run to the 10 of the Lord and was beside the altar.
Then Solomon ordered binaire to go and kill him B'nai I went to
the 10 of the Lord and said to Joab the king says come out, but
Joab answered, No, I will die here. So Binya went back to the
king and told him what Joab had said, Then the king order Binya,
do as he says, kill him there and bury him. Then my family and
I will be free of the guilt of Joab who has killed innocent
people. Without my father knowing it. He killed two men
who were much better than he was Abner son of nurse, the
commander of Israel's army, and to Mesa son of Jeter, the
commander of Judah's army, so the Lord will pay him back for
those deaths. Joab and his family will be forever guilty
for their deaths. But there will be peace from the Lord for
David, his descendants, his family and his throne forever.
So Binya sunnah, Jehoiada killed Joab and he was buried near his
home in the desert. The king then made Binya son of Jehoiada
commander of the army in Joanne's place. He also made
Zaid Hawk the new high priest in Abiathar his place next The King
said for shimmy I, Solomon said to him, build a house for
yourself in Jerusalem and live there. Don't leave the city. The
very day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley someone will kill
you, and it will be your own fault.
So shimmy I answered the king. I agree with what you say. I will
do what you say my master and King. So shimmy I lived in
Jerusalem for a long time. But three years later to have shimmy
AI slaves ran away to acreage son of gaff, who was the son of
maca? Shimmy I heard that his slaves were in GAF so he put his
saddle on his donkey and went to a Kish at gaff to find them.
Then he brought them back from gap. Someone told Solomon that
shimmy I had gone from Jerusalem to GAF and had returned. So
Solomon said for shimmy i and said, I made you a promise and
the name of the Lord not to leave Jerusalem. I warned you if
you went out anywhere you would die. And you agreed to what I
said. Why did you break your promise to the Lord and disobey
my command. The king also said, you know the many wrong things
you did to my father David. So now the Lord will punish you for
those wrongs. But the Lord will bless me and make the rule of
David safe before the Lord forever. Then the king ordered
Binay to kill shimmy i And he did. Now Solomon was in full
control of his kingdom. First Kings chapter three. Solomon
became the Son in law of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt.
After marrying Pharaoh's daughter, Solomon brought her to
the city of David until he finished building his own house,
the Lord's house and the wall around Jerusalem. The people
were still sacrificing at other worship sites because a temple
for the name of the Lord had not yet been built. Solomon loved
the Lord and lived by his father's rules. However, he
still sacrificed and burned incense at these other worship
sites. King Solomon went to Gibby into sacrifice because it
was the most important place of worship. Solomon sacrificed 1000
burnt offerings on that altar. In Gibson, the Lord appeared to
Solomon in a dream at night. He said, What can I give you?
Solomon responded, you've shown great love to my father, David,
who was your servant. He lived in your presence with truth,
righteousness and commitment. And you continue to show him
your great love by giving him a son to sit on his throne today,
Lord, my God, although I'm young and inexperienced, you've made
me King in place of my father, David, I am among your people
whom you have chosen. They are too numerous to count a record.
Give me a heart that listens so that I can judge your people and
tell the difference between good and evil. After all, who can
judge this great people of yours? The Lord was pleased that
Solomon asked for this. God replied, you've asked for this
and not for a long life or riches for yourself, or the
death of your enemies. Instead, you've asked for understanding
so that you can do what is right. So I'm going to do what
you've asked. I'm giving you a wise and understanding heart so
that there will never be anyone like you. I'm also giving you
what you haven't asked for riches and honor, so that no
other king will be like you as long as you live. And if you
follow me and obey my laws and commands as your father David
did, then I will also give you a long life. Solomon woke up and
realized it had been a dream. He went to Jerusalem and stood in
front of the Ark of the Lord's promise. He sacrificed burnt
offerings and fellowship offerings, and held a banquet
for all his officials. A short time later, two prostitutes came
to the king and stood in front of him. One woman said to him,
Sir, this woman and I live in the same house. I gave birth to
a son while she was with me in the house. Two days later, this
woman also gave birth to a son. We were alone. No one else was
with us. Just the two of us were in the house. That night, this
woman son died because she rolled over on top of him. So
she got up during the night and took my son who was beside me
while I was asleep. She held him in her arms. Then she laid her
dead son in my arms. When I got up in the morning to nurse my
son, he was dead. I took a good look at him and realized that he
wasn't my son after all. The other woman said, No, my son is
alive. Your son is dead. The first woman kept on saying, No,
your son is dead. My son is alive. So they argued in front
of the king. The king said, This one keeps saying my son is alive
Your son is dead. And that one keeps saying no Your son is
dead. My son is alive.
So the king told his servants to bring him a sword. When they
brought it he said cut the living child into give half to
the one and half to the other. Then the woman whose son was
still alive was deeply moved by her love for the child. She said
to the king, please, sir, give her the living child, please
don't kill him. But the other woman said, he won't be mine or
yours, cut him into. The king replied, give the living child
to the first woman don't kill him. She is his mother. All
Israel heard about the decision that King made. They respected
the king very highly, because they saw he possessed wisdom
from God to do what was right. First Kings chapter four. When
King Solomon was the king of all Israel, these were his
officials. As Araya son of Zadar was the chief priest, Ella Horus
and a hija. The sons of Shasha were scribes. Jehoshaphat, son
of a highland was the royal historian. Binya son of Jehoiada
was commander of the army, ze doc and Abiathar were priests.
As Araya son of Nathan was in charge of the district,
governor's Zayed son of Nathan was the Kings advisor. A high
Shar was in charge of the palace at an Irem son of Abda was in
charge of forced labor. Solomon appointed 12 District governors
in Israel, they were to provide food for the king and his
palace. Each one had to supply food for one month every year.
Their names were Ben Hur who was in charge of the hills of
efirium Ben Dieker, who's in charge of make as Shay album,
Beth Shemesh, and Elan Beth Hainan and Ben he said who was
in charge of a rub off SOCO and the entire region of Keefer Ben
had been a dam had the entire region of d'Or. Solomon's
daughter teeth that was his wife, Bana, son of a highland
had to snack Megiddo and all of Beth Sheehan. This was near
Zehra fan below Jess rail from Beth Sheehan, to able to hola
and over to jock mium Ben Geebo was in charge of Ramoth Gilead.
He had the settlements of Jair a descendant of Manasseh in
Gilead. He also had the territory of Argus invasion 60
large cities with walls and bronze bars across their gates.
A henna DAB son of Iddo was in charge of May Anam a him as was
in charge of NAFTA lie. He also married Solomon's daughter
Bassam math. Bana son a few Shai was in charge of Asher and a lof
Jehoshaphat son of Perugia was in charge of his car. Shimmy I
sent of ILA was in charge of Benjamin goobers son of URI was
in charge of Gilead, the territory of King sigh Han the
Amorite and King OG of Batian. There was only one governor in
that territory. The people of Judah and Israel were as
numerous as the sand on the seashore. They ate and drank and
lived happily. Solomon ruled all the kingdoms from the Euphrates
River to the country of the Philistines, and as far as the
Egyptian border. These kingdoms paid taxes, and were subject to
Solomon as long as he lived. Solomon's food supply for one
day was 180 bushels of flour, 360 bushels, of course, flour 10
fatten cows 20 Cows from the pasture, and 100 sheep in
addition to deer, gazelles, fallow deer and fattened birds.
He controlled all the territory west of the Euphrates River from
titsa to Gaza, and all of its kings. So he lived in peace with
all the neighboring countries, as long as Solomon lived Judah
and Israel from Dan to Beersheba lives securely, everyone under
his own vine and fig tree. Solomon headstalls for 40,000
chariot horses, he also had 12,000 chariot soldiers. Each of
the governors provided food for one month every year for King
Solomon and all who aided his table. The governor saw to it
that nothing was in short supply. They brought their quota
of barley and straw for the chariot horses to the proper
places. God gave Solomon wisdom, keen insight and a mind is
limitless as the sand on the seashore. Solomon's wisdom was
greater than all of the Eastern people and all the wisdom of the
Egyptians. He was wiser than anyone than Ethan they Ezra
height, or human Cal call or darda may halls sons. His fame
spread to all the nations around him. Solomon spoke 3000 Proverbs
and wrote 1005 songs he described in classified trees
from the cedar in Lebanon to the HiSET growing out of the wall.
He described in classified animals, birds, reptiles and
fish. People came from every nation to hear his wisdom. They
came from all the kings of the earth who had heard about his
wisdom.
Today, beloved, we're going to talk about first Kings chapter
one and First Kings chapter two. In chapter one, once again, we
see a member of David's Family trying to grab the throne. In
this chapter Athanasia knows that David is near death and he
thinks that by being proactive he can take the throne. He knows
that Solomon is the one chosen to succeed David and once David
dies it'll be too late because Solomon will immediately become
the king. Solomon was God's choice to become king. So at an
aija, too clever for his own good, gathers all of his
brothers except Solomon, in addition to Joab, the General of
the Army and Abiathar, the high priest and all the other men of
Judah to his coronation party. He figures that with all these
minute attendance, he'll have the throne, but the prophet
Nathan is a wise man and he short circuits anodised is
planned by letting Bathsheba know what's going on. There is
good evidence that Bathsheba was David's most loved wife and she
had no problem getting immediate access to David to let him know
what was happening. So David told him what to do to squash
Athanasius plan and make Solomon King post haste. Well, once that
Nyjah heard that Solomon was crowned he rightfully feared for
his life. But Solomon showed him grace. Now let's move on to
chapter two. King David is dead, long live King Solomon. David
had been king for 40 years, many of them turbulent, and on his
deathbed, he gave his dying son words of advice. Now, we're not
sure how old Solomon was when he became king, but some scholars
believe he might have been as young as 12 years old. Others
think that he was in his 20s I tend to go with a second
opinion. Either way, David told him to stay close to God and
follow His commands so that his kingdom would be lasting. And
then David gave Solomon some directions about some specific
people Joab who had killed innocent men, the family of
Barzilay, who had given David shelter when he was being
pursued by Absalon and shimmy AI who had cursed David even though
he knew that David was God's anointed king. Well, because of
our limited time. I'm not going to talk about these folks. But
we will talk about anodised request to have Abba shag the
Shulamite as his wife, you remember what happened. Solomon
had had an IG killed for this request. Well, why? As we just
read in chapter one at an age he had tried to snake the throne
away from Solomon before David died, right? Well, do you also
remember that Abba shag was the young girl that had been brought
to David to keep him warm? She was his concubine, sort of a
second level wife. We're told in chapter one there that David did
not have sexual relations with her but she was his concubine
and they had slept together. So Athanasia went to Bathsheba, and
he asked Bathsheba to go to Solomon to ask for Abba shag to
be his wife. You see, he thought that if he could have one of
David's wives as his, this would give him a step up to usurp the
throne. Well, Bathsheba must have known that this was an
outrageous thing for Athanasia to ask. So why didn't she reject
that Nigel's request out of hand? Maybe she thought this
would be a way to assuage at an ages disappointment over losing
the throne, but more likely is that she wanted Solomon to know
what at a Nyjah was thinking. She was warning him and Solomon
saw right through at an Asia scheme. As long as that a Nyjah
lived, Solomon was endangered. So he ordered at an Asia Stef,
that very day. Remember in chapter one after Solomon found
out what at an Asia had been up to and trying to steal the
throne. He forgave at an Asia but he said at an Asia must show
that he is a man of honor. If he does that, I promise he will not
lose even a single hair from his head. But if he does anything
wrong, he will die. So in having Athanasia killed immediately, he
was just following through with what he had said. Solomon was
God's chosen King. These were formative years for Israel.
God's plan for Solomon and his chosen people was going to be
fulfilled, but had at an idea accepted God's will, his fate
would have been different. Instead, he chose his own path
which was diametrically opposed to God's will, and he paid the
price. What are your thoughts? Leave a comment at Lifespring
media.com/s 12 v 153. In our reading tomorrow, we're going to
read Psalms 60 through 65 books.
On this date in church history, February 1 1750, Anglican
clergyman and hymn writer John Newton married Mary Catlett.
Their marriage lasted 40 years until Mary's death in 1790. John
Newton, author of The hymn Amazing Grace died in 1807 and
on this date in church history, February 1 1909, George Beverly
Shea was born. He was the Canadian born music evangelist
who sang it many of Billy Graham's crusades from the
1950s. Through the 1970s. I had the privilege of interviewing
George Beverly Shea on the Lifespring podcast, I'll put a
link to that interview on the show notes page at Lifespring
media.com/s 12 e 153.
Let's pray. Our Heavenly Father, we worship you and praise you
because you are worthy. There is none above you. There is none
greater than you. You were holy. Thank you for your word, Lord.
And thank you for revealing yourself to us through Your
word. Thank you for calling us to be yours. And thank you for
your grace. I pray now for the Lifespring family and I thank
you for bringing them here. Bless them today. Lord, I pray
this in Jesus name, amen. Send your prayer requests and praises
in at prayer dot Lifespring media.com.
I welcome your comments on the show. Go to Lifespring
media.com/as 12 v 153. You can email me at Steve at Lifespring
media.com And you can support the show at Lifespring
media.com/support. Until tomorrow, may God bless you
richly. Thank you for being here. I'm Steve Webb. Bye