“I can get away with it.” Oh no, you can’t

1 Kings  2:28-46  (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 2:28-46.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 2:28-35 (NIV)
²⁸  When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar.
²⁹  King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the LORD and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”
³⁰  So Benaiah entered the tent of the LORD and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!'” But he answered, “No, I will die here.” Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”
³¹  Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my father’s house of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed.
³²  The LORD will repay him for the blood he shed, because without the knowledge of my father David he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them–Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army–were better men and more upright than he.
³³  May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the LORD’s peace forever.”
³⁴  So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried on his own land in the desert.
³⁵  The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.

On verses 28-35:  For many years Joab was the ruthless commander of King David’s army.  Joab’s ruthlessness was never more manifest than when he unsuspectingly murdered two high ranking Israelite officials, Abner (in 2 Samuel 3) and Amasa (in 2 Samuel 20:9-10), possibly for fear that they would one day replace him.  Joab also killed Absalom, David’s son, specifically against David’s orders.  Yet for some reason David always spared Joab’s life.  David literally let Joab get away with murder.  (Why?  Some scholars believe it’s because Joab was one of the few who knew the secret that David had ordered the murder of one of his own brave soldiers, Uriah the Hittite, and that David was scared that Joab would expose him.)

With David now dead, Joab fears that Solomon will execute him, since Joab supported Adonijah’s bid for king instead of Solomon.  So Joab goes to the house of God and hangs onto the altar, much like Adonijah did earlier (see 1 Kings 1:50-53), hoping that Solomon would spare his life.   But Solomon does not flinch.  Pursuant to David’s deathbed wishes, Solomon has Joab executed and appoints Benaiah to replace Joab as military commander.

What can we learn from this?  First, let’s see what happens in verses 36-46.

1 Kings 2:36-46 (NIV)
³⁶  Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else.
³⁷  The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”
³⁸  Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.
³⁹  But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maacah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.”
⁴⁰  At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.
⁴¹  When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned,
⁴²  the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the LORD and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’
⁴³  Why then did you not keep your oath to the LORD and obey the command I gave you?”
⁴⁴  The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the LORD will repay you for your wrongdoing.
⁴⁵  But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the LORD forever.”
⁴⁶  Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and killed him. The kingdom was now firmly established in Solomon’s hands.

On verses 36-46:  Previously Shimei had publicly called down curses on David, which was an act equivalent to treason (2 Samuel 16:5-8; 19:18-21). Initially Solomon shows grace to Shimei, saying that he will not be harmed as long as he stays within Jerusalem (v36-37).  Shimei agrees.  However, one day Shimei leaves Jerusalem for the foreign country of Philistia in search of two runaway slaves (v39-40).  Shimei probably thought, “I’m leaving Jerusalem for a good cause.  Solomon shouldn’t mind.”  However, upon hearing that Shimei had left Jerusalem, Solomon keeps his word and fulfills his father’s wishes by having Shimei executed (v41-46).

What can we learn from all this?  Joab lived much of his life thinking he could get away with anything, including murder.  Shimei too thought that he could break his word and get away with it.  Both received a significant amount of grace from King David and later King Solomon.  Yet because they both persisted in rebellion one too many times, they ultimately lost their lives as a result.

Like Joab and Shimei, all of us have rebelled against our King in countless ways.  Like Joab and Shimei, all of us have been shown incredible grace by this King who chose to spare our lives.  But don’t be like Joab and Shimei and be hardhearted toward the grace you have received, thinking “God will let me get away with anything”.  For if we intentionally and hardheartedly persist in sin and rebellion against the King, like Joab and Shimei we will pay dearly for it in the end.  

So cherish the grace of God, repent of sin, and live in humble reverence and loving obedience before Him.  That’s the secret to living a joyful and successful life.

Father, may I never take your grace for granted.  May I never think that You will let me get away with anything.  Instead, may I cherish Your grace every day and live in humble reverence and loving obedience before You.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!