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SoldierAid to Bible Understanding
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and Gentile, would readily get the force of Paul’s illustration.
In a letter to the Ephesians, Paul outlined clearly that the fight of the Christian soldier is not against blood and flesh, but against “the wicked spirit forces in the heavenly places.” Therefore the armor necessary for this fight could not be obtained from worldly sources, but had to be the armor from Jehovah God, who brings victory under his army Commander, Jesus Christ.—Eph. 6:11-17.
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SolomonAid to Bible Understanding
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SOLOMON
(Solʹo·mon) [peaceable].
Son of King David of the line of Judah. King of Israel from 1037 to 997 B.C.E. The Bible record, after reporting the death of the son born to David through his illicit relations with Bath-sheba, continues: “And David began to comfort Bath-sheba his wife. Further, he came in to her and lay down with her. In time she bore a son, and his name came to be called Solomon. And Jehovah himself did love him. So he sent by means of Nathan the prophet and called his name Jedidiah, for the sake of Jehovah.” (2 Sam. 12:24, 25) Solomon later had three full brothers, sons of David and Bath-sheba: Shimea, Shobab and Nathan.—1 Chron. 3:5.
JEHOVAH’S PROMISE TO DAVID
Jehovah had declared to David, before Solomon’s birth, that a son would be born to him and that his name would be Solomon, and that this one would build a house to His name. The name Jedidiah (“beloved of Jah [Jehovah]”) seems to have been given as an indication to David that Jehovah had now blessed his marriage to Bath-sheba, and that the fruitage thereby produced was approved by him. But this was not the name by which the child was commonly known. Undoubtedly the name Solomon (“peaceable”) applied in connection with the covenant that Jehovah made with David, in which he said that David, being a man who had shed much blood in warfare, would not build the house for Jehovah, as David had it in his heart to do. (1 Chron. 22:6-10) Not that David’s warfare was wrong. But Jehovah’s typical kingdom was essentially of a peaceful nature and objective; its wars were for the purpose of cleaning out wickedness and those opposing Jehovah’s sovereignty, to extend Israel’s dominion to the boundaries that God had outlined, and to establish righteousness and peace. These objectives the wars of David accomplished for Israel. Solomon’s rule was essentially a reign of peace.
ADONIJAH’S ATTEMPT TO TAKE THE THRONE
After his birth Solomon next appears in the Scriptural record in the time of David’s old age. David, doubtless on account of Jehovah’s promise, had previously sworn to Bath-sheba that Solomon would succeed him on the throne. This was known to the prophet Nathan. (1 Ki. 1:11-13, 17) Whether Solomon’s half-brother Adonijah knew of this oath or intent of David is not stated. In any case, Adonijah made an attempt to gain the throne in a manner similar to that employed by Absalom. Perhaps because of the king’s feebleness and because Adonijah had the support of Joab the army chief and Abiathar the priest, he had confidence that he would be successful. It was nonetheless a treasonable action, an effort to seize the throne while David was still alive and without the approval of David or of Jehovah. Also, Adonijah revealed his underhandedness in inviting to his sacrifice at En-rogel (where he intended to be acclaimed as king) the king’s sons and men of Judah, the king’s servants, but leaving out Solomon, Nathan the prophet, Zadok the priest and the mighty men who had fought closely with David, along with Benaiah their leader. This indicates that Adonijah counted Solomon as a rival and an obstacle to his ambitions.—1 Ki. 1:5-10.
SOLOMON ENTHRONED
The prophet Nathan, ever faithful to Jehovah and to David, was on the alert. First sending Bath-sheba with instructions to inform the king of the plot, he then came in himself, asking David if this proclaiming of Adonijah as king had been authorized by him. David acted quickly and decisively, calling for Zadok the priest and Nathan to take Solomon to Gihon under the protection of Benaiah and his men. He was to put Solomon on the king’s own she-mule (denoting a high honor to the one riding, in this case, that he was successor to the kingship). (Compare Esther 6:8, 9.) David’s instructions were followed out, and Solomon was anointed, and acclaimed as king.—1 Ki. 1:11-40.
On hearing the sound of the music at Gihon, not so very far away, and the shouting of the people: “Let King Solomon live,” Adonijah and his coconspirators fled in fear and confusion. Solomon gave a foregleam of the peace that would mark his rulership by refusing to mar his ascension to the throne by executing revenge. Had matters been reversed, Solomon would very likely have lost his life. But he sent to the sanctuary, where Adonijah had fled for asylum, and had Adonijah brought before him. Informing Adonijah that he would continue to live unless bad should be found in him, Solomon then dismissed him to his house.—1 Ki. 1:41-53.
DAVID’S CHARGE TO SOLOMON
David, before dying, gave Solomon the solemn charge to “keep the obligation to Jehovah your God by walking in his ways, by keeping his statutes, his commandments and his judicial decisions and his testimonies.” He further instructed him concerning Joab and Shimei, not to let them ‘go down into Sheol in peace’; also to show loving-kindness toward the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite. (1 Ki. 2:1-9) Probably it was prior to this that David gave instructions to Solomon regarding the building of the temple, passing on to him the architectural plan “that had come to be with him by inspiration.” (1 Chron. 28:11, 12, 19) David gave command to the princes of Israel there present to help Solomon his son and to join in building the sanctuary of Jehovah. On this occasion the people anointed Solomon again as king and Zadok as priest. (1 Chron. 22:6-19; chap. 28; 29:1-22) God’s blessing on Solomon is shown early in his reign, as he began to sit upon “Jehovah’s throne as king in place of David his father and to make a success” of the kingship and to develop strength in it.—1 Chron. 29:23; 2 Chron. 1:1.
ADONIJAH’S SEDITIOUS REQUEST
It was not long until Solomon had to act to carry out David’s instructions concerning Joab and Shimei. This was prompted by the action of Adonijah, who still manifested ambition, despite the mercy that Solomon had shown him. Adonijah approached Solomon’s mother with the words: “You yourself well know that the kingship was to have become mine, and it was toward me that all Israel had set their face for me to become king; but the kingship turned and came to be my brother’s, for it was from Jehovah that it became his.” Here Adonijah acknowledged that Jehovah was behind the enthroning of Solomon, yet his request that followed these words was a further crafty bid for usurpation of the kingship. He said to Bath-sheba: “Please, say to Solomon the king . . . that he should give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” Adonijah may have felt that he had a strong enough following, together with the support of Joab and Abiathar, that, by taking David’s nurse (considered as David’s concubine, though he had no relations with her), he could start an uprising that might overthrow Solomon. (For wives and concubines of a king were the property of his successor, and one taking over such wives
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