2 Samuel 24 Reading Schedule: Census and Plague

[Summary]

This chapter records the second serious sin committed by David during his reign and the resulting disaster. David ordered Joab to conduct a census of the men who could participate in battle (vv. 1-9). This was intended to show off his achievements. As a result, he incurred God's wrath, and David repented (vv. 10-14). However, this ultimately resulted in a three-day plague throughout Israel, and many people died (vv. 15-17). Afterwards, David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings to God at the threshing floor of Araunah, and the disaster was finally stopped in Israel (vv. 18-25).

[Explanation]

This chapter records David's greatest mistake, the census, and the punishment that followed his adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. King David conducted a census to show off his glory and the great power of Israel. God brought disaster on Israel because of this, causing 70,000 casualties. 

1 Kings 1: King Solomon's Ascension to the Throne

[Summary]

This chapter follows the Book of Samuel, which records David's activities, and shows how David's reign came to an end and Solomon's new reign began. David, a warrior and a saint who achieved the great feat of establishing a unified kingdom of Israel, became old and weak and was on the verge of death (verses 1-4). In the midst of this, Adonijah arbitrarily declared himself king of Israel (verses 5-10). When Nathan and Bathsheba reported this injustice to David (verses 11-27), David immediately made Solomon his successor, completely crushing Adonijah's treasonous plot and opening the curtain on Solomon's reign. Through the tumultuous events of this chapter regarding the succession to the throne, we can see that the true protagonist of this event, although not on the surface, is the providential God who governs history. 

[Explanation]

This chapter tells us about the ascension of King Solomon, who succeeded King David, and the events surrounding it. In particular, it explains the situation in which Solomon had no choice but to ascend to the throne before King David’s death, namely, Adonijah’s rebellion. However, God’s covenant was fulfilled despite the plots of men, and Solomon ascended to the throne as the third king of Israel. 

1 Kings 2: Establishment of Solomon’s Kingship

[Overview]

This chapter records the process of Solomon’s kingship being firmly established. It also serves as an introduction to the heyday and golden age of Israel that will be described later. In a word, the content of this chapter is that Solomon, following David’s will, punishes his enemies and solidifies his kingship. So, David's will (vv. 1-9), David's death (vv. 10-12), Adonijah's rude request (vv. 13-18), Adonijah's death (vv. 19-25), Abiathar's dismissal (vv. 26-27), Joab's end (vv. 28-35), and Shimei's end (vv. 36-46) are recorded. In these texts, we see that Solomon's wisdom is prominent. This does not mean that Solomon used bad tricks, but rather that he was able to discern the legitimacy of punishment and the appropriate timing of punishment, as well as his wisdom and justice. Therefore, we can understand Solomon in this chapter as the one who represents God's justice, and his enemies as a group that hinders Solomon's promised kingdom construction. 

[Explanation] 

The time has come for David's life, which had dominated an era, to finally come to an end. Before his death, David gave Solomon a will about the path he should take as king. Finally, Solomon, who became the true king of Israel, solidified his rule by purging those who were his and his father’s enemies. This established the kingdom of Solomon. 

1 Kings 3: Solomon’s Wisdom

[Summary]

This chapter reveals that Solomon’s amazing glory was due to his outstanding wisdom. First, the beginning of this chapter shows that Solomon’s kingdom was in the position of a great power externally (verses 1-3), and also suggests that there were elements of corruption in such prosperity. It also shows that after Solomon’s fervent devotion to the thousand burnt offerings, God promised Solomon wisdom (verses 4-15). This is followed by a famous trial case, which clearly proves that Solomon received the wisdom promised by God (verses 16-27). As a result, the people came to respect and fear Solomon’s actual ability and authority as a ruler (verse 28). [King Solomon]

King Solomon strengthened his royal authority by wisely and justly purging his enemies. This chapter presents the source of Solomon's wisdom and presents one incident in which his wisdom shone brightly. However, the beginning of this chapter first declares that Solomon was a finite being who was weak and could not help but commit sin. 

1 Kings 4: Solomon's Politics

[Overview]

This chapter takes the approach of describing the era under Solomon in three dimensions, such as politics and economy, rather than describing it chronologically. The first part contains a list of Solomon's cabinet (verses 1-6), the twelve governors, and their administrative districts (verses 7-19), followed by the political and economic achievements of Solomon's kingdom (verses 20-28), and Solomon's achievements and reputation in culture and scholarship (verses 29-34). What this chapter wants to emphasize while introducing the golden age of Israel during the reign of Solomon is that such prosperity was none other than the strict fulfillment of God’s promise. Also, such prosperity was God’s blessing given to Solomon and his people who faithfully kept God’s laws. [Explanation] During his reign, David conquered other countries and laid a solid foundation for Israel’s sovereignty. David’s efforts became the driving force that made Solomon’s reign smooth. Solomon first gave each of his subjects a mission. Then he divided the twelve provinces into administrative districts so that he could have a normal tax and administrative organization.