22 And they made Solomon the son of David king the second time, and they anointed him as prince for the Lord, and Zadok as priest.
23 Then Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord as king in place of David his father. And he prospered, and all Israel obeyed him. 24 All the leaders and the mighty men, and also all the sons of King David, pledged their allegiance to King Solomon. 25 And the Lord made Solomon very great in the sight of all Israel and bestowed on him such royal majesty as had not been on any king before him in Israel.
26 Thus David the son of Jesse reigned over all Israel. 27 The time that he reigned over Israel was forty years. He reigned seven years in Hebron and thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 28 Then he died at a good age, full of days, riches, and honor. And Solomon his son reigned in his place. 29 Now the acts of King David, from first to last, are written in the Chronicles of Samuel the seer, and in the Chronicles of Nathan the prophet, and in the Chronicles of Gad the seer, 30 with accounts of all his rule and his might and of the circumstances that came upon him and upon Israel and upon all the kingdoms of the countries. – 1 Chronicles 29:22-30 ESV
Solomon was crowned the next king of Israel for the second time. The Book of 1 Kings records the first occasion when David had Solomon crowned king. This was a hastily prepared coronation designed to thwart the plan of Adonijah, David’s eldest living son, who was attempting to stage a coup and take over the kingdom.
About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him.… Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s personal bodyguard refused to support Adonijah. – 1 Kings 2:5, 7-8 NLT
David took quick action and ordered Zadok the priest to officially anoint Absalom as his successor.
Then King David ordered, “Call Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came into the king’s presence, the king said to them, “Take Solomon and my officials down to Gihon Spring. Solomon is to ride on my own mule. There Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are to anoint him king over Israel. Blow the ram’s horn and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then escort him back here, and he will sit on my throne. He will succeed me as king, for I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and Judah.” – 1 Kings 2:32-35 NLT
At that point, Solomon became David’s co-regent, ruling by his side over the kingdom of Israel. David was still alive and would serve as the acting king until his death but his son would serve as the face of the crown, representing David in any public events. During this brief period of shared leadership, David was able to pass on words of wisdom to his son. He would provide Solomon with two sets of instructions, one that was spiritual in nature, while the other was personal.
The first thing David did was pass on the promise he had received from God. When he had first expressed his desire to build a house for the Lord, he was informed by God that his son would have that privilege.
“For when you die and are buried with your ancestors, I will raise up one of your descendants, your own offspring, and I will make his kingdom strong. He is the one who will build a house—a temple—for my name. And I will secure his royal throne forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from your sight. Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever.” – 2 Samuel 7:12-16 NLT
David knew that the key to his success as a king had been due to the hand of God, and he wanted Solomon to understand that his reign would need to be dependent upon the Lord as well. So, he passed along what God had told him and added a few vital words of encouragement and warning:
Be strong, and show yourself a man, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn… – 1 Kings 2:2-3 ESV
Where had David gotten this bit of information? How could he be so sure that God would prosper Solomon if he would be obedient? Long before the people of Israel voiced their desire for a king (1 Samuel 8:5-7), God preempted their request with a series of commands concerning the requirements of any man who served in that role over His chosen people.
And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel. – Deuteronomy 17:18-20 ESV
God had instructed that each and every king of Israel was to live by His law. The king was to keep a copy of the law on hand and was to have it read to him every day of his reign. But it wasn’t enough to be familiar with the content of the law, the king was to keep it – every word, statute, and commandment. There was to be no veering to the left or right. No cherry-picking or selective obedience. The health and longevity of the king’s reign would be directly tied to his obedience to the law.
So David made sure Solomon was well aware of God’s expectations. In fact, David tied Solomon’s manhood to his ability to keep God’s law. The Book of 1 Kings records David’s final words to his young son.
“I am going where everyone on earth must someday go. Take courage and be a man. Observe the requirements of the Lord your God, and follow all his ways. Keep the decrees, commands, regulations, and laws written in the Law of Moses so that you will be successful in all you do and wherever you go.” – 1 Kings 2:2-3 NLT
David encouraged his son to act like a man and be strong, and he made it clear that the proof of Solomon’s manhood would be found in his obedience to God. But David knew what God knew. He realized his son would sin Solomon would sin and have times of disobedience, just as he had. But God had promised to deal with Solomon in a loving manner, like a father to his son.
“If he sins, I will correct and discipline him with the rod, like any father would do. But my favor will not be taken from him as I took it from Saul…” – 2 Samuel 7:14-15 NLT
Yet, David knew that obedience was preferable to the loving discipline of God. It was far better to obey than to learn the difficult lessons that come as a result of God’s loving hand of discipline. David had lost three sons due to his own sins. He had watched two of his sons attempt to take his kingdom from him. He had seen innocent people die because of his disobedience. He knew that living in submission and obedience to the will of God was far better in the long run and it was the true mark of a godly man.
He also knew that obeying the Lord was going to take real strength. For Solomon to obey God's commands was going to take faith, trust, and a willingness to die to his own self-centered desires and wishes. Disobedience is the way of cowards.
David’s words to Solomon are very similar to those Joshua spoke to the people of Israel as he prepared for his own death.
“Therefore, be very strong to keep and to do all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, turning aside from it neither to the right hand nor to the left, that you may not mix with these nations remaining among you or make mention of the names of their gods or swear by them or serve them or bow down to them, but you shall cling to the Lord your God just as you have done to this day.” – Joshua 23:7-8 ESV
Be strong. Obey. Don’t veer to the left or right. Stay the course. Cling to the Lord your God. Joshua knew what the people were going to have to do if they were to be successful in their attempt to possess the land. David knew what Solomon was going to need to do if he was going to be successful in leading the people of Israel. Solomon’s accomplishments as king would not be tied to his own leadership skills, the strength of his military, the combined intelligence of his cabinet, or the size of his kingdom. It would be directly tied to his willingness to obey God. Nothing more. Nothing less.
In his letter to the believers in Corinth, Paul gave a similar charge. He encouraged them to, “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love” (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 ESV). Living the Christian life is anything but easy. Following the will of God is far more difficult than giving in to your own will. It isn’t easy to stand firm in the faith you have in the gospel of Jesus Christ when everything around you seems to be caving in and the waves of doubts confront you.
Solomon was going to have days of doubt. He would experience moments of despair and end up turning to money, materialism, human wisdom, sexual pleasure, food, and even science, in an attempt to find meaning in life. Later in life, he would chronicle his thoughts in the book of Ecclesiastes. Solomon would surround himself with hundreds of wives and concubines, whose false gods would lead him to turn his back on Yahweh. Solomon would start out strong, heeding his father’s advice and obeying the Lord’s commands, but his reign would end poorly. He would begin as a godly man, but not end that way.
And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant.” – 1 Kings 11:9-11 ESV
Hundreds of wives and concubines didn’t make Solomon a man. A mighty kingdom and a massive army didn’t make Solomon a man. A reputation for wisdom and wealth didn’t make Solomon a man. A true man is a godly man, a man who loves, fears, and obeys his God. A godly man is a man who knows his help is from the Lord, and who realizes that he is nothing apart from the presence and power of God in his life. Faith in God requires real strength. Disobedience is easy. This is why Paul calls us to “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong” (1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV).
David anointed Solomon the next king of Israel and “the Lord exalted Solomon in the sight of all Israel, and he gave Solomon greater royal splendor than any king in Israel before him” (1 Chronicles 29:25 NLT). Then after 40 years of ruling over the nation of Israel, David “died at a ripe old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth, and honor” (1 Chronicles 29:28 NLT). With his death, the baton was passed to his son and a new era began in Israel. The man after God’s own heart had imparted his wisdom, wealth, and kingdom to his son, along with a desire that he live in willing submission and obedience to the one true King, God Almighty.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT)
Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.