1 Kings 2 records Solomon’s respective judgments on five characters: Joab, Abiathar, Adonijah, Shimei and Barzillai the Gileadite. Of these five men, only Barzillai is rewarded for the kindness he showed towards Solomon’s father David. The rest are judged for their wicked and rebellious deeds – Joab is executed for murder (2 Sam 3:27, 20:10), and Abiathar is stripped of his high priesthood for supporting Adonijah’s coup.
Interestingly, Adonijah and Shimei are shown mercy by Solomon (1 Kings 1:52, 2:36), who grants them a second chance to live in submission and obedience to the king. Let us examine how they responded to this grace, and in doing so, reflect on how we respond to God’s grace towards us.
Treating second chances lightly
In 2 Sam 16, Shimei cursed David and accused him wrongfully of seizing the throne from Saul through violence. David spared him then (2 Sam 16:11), and Solomon spared him again on one condition: to stay within Jerusalem and never leave (1 Kings 2:36-37) – a condition that Shimei accepted.
Three years later, Shimei was found leaving Jerusalem to retrieve two runaway slaves in Gath. There are two likely reasons why he broke Solomon’s condition: either he believed his actions were justifiable under the king’s command, or he simply assumed he wouldn’t get caught. Regardless of his reasoning, his trivialisation of the king’s command resulted in the exact judgment he was warned about: death (1 Kings 2:37).
Persisting in intentional sin
Adonijah’s attempt to usurp the throne was a treasonous sin punishable by death, but he was spared on the condition that he “proved himself a worthy man” (1 Kings 1:52).
Yet, Adonijah still coveted the throne, attempting to secure it indirectly by requesting Abishag the Shunammite – King David’s concubine – as wife. Despite knowing that Solomon would disapprove, he continued to pursue his ambitions anyway. Eventually, he paid for the wickedness that was still found in him – this time with his life.
Lessons from Adonijah and Shimei
As Christians, our sins have been paid for with the priceless blood of Jesus through baptism. However, this does not mean that we are immune to further judgment – Hebrews 10:26 warns us that "a certain fearful expectation of judgment" awaits those who reject the truth and continue to sin willfully.
Let us remember that while God's grace was freely bestowed upon us, it must never be taken for granted. We must not take our second chance at life as a license to return to old habits. Instead, let us reckon ourselves dead to sin (Rom 6:11-12; Phil 4:13); being “renewed in the spirit of [our] mind ... [putting] on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness" (Eph 4:23-24).
Reflection questions:
Have you ever ignored your conscience to pursue something you know went against God’s word?
Why is downplaying God’s word so dangerous to us? How might we ensure that we do not underestimate the weight of His word?
What is one bad habit/temptation that you struggle to overcome, and why? How do you resolve to overcome it?
