““Do as he said,” the king replied. “Kill him there beside the altar and bury him. This will remove the guilt of Joab’s senseless murders from me and from my father’s family. The Lord will repay him for the murders of two men who were more righteous and better than he. For my father knew nothing about the deaths of Abner son of Ner, commander of the army of Israel, and of Amasa son of Jether, commander of the army of Judah. May their blood be on Joab and his descendants forever, and may the Lord grant peace forever to David, his descendants, his dynasty, and his throne.””
1 Kings 2:31-33 NLT
Repeatedly, in this chapter, we see men who seal their own fate. In the case of Adonijah, he continued to stoke his selfish ambition after recognizing that the Lord had ordained Solomon. Now he had brought such wicked ways to his own mother. This is true with all of David’s dissenters. Each of them were given a fair level of peace and grace despite their rebellion and each of them decided to try God’s patience. Solomon acts as the sword of God rightfully. Even the shocking execution performed by the ark was committed as a response to a criminal trying to manipulate his way out of God’s wrath. He did so by impugning the process of worship. Solomon lays the guilt for what happens next upon his own head. These deaths had to happen for God’s power to rest in his chosen. Solomon’s sword is strong, but it preferred mercy. Unfortunately, the grace it gave let these men remain in their toxicity and ungodly influence. His position was prescriptive for leadership. Their is a time for the sword.
JOSH McGARY. COM 