大衛臨死前吩咐他的兒子所羅門：「當剛強，作大丈夫」（2：2）。大衛並且詳細的告訴所羅門要如何作個大丈夫。他不只要作以色列人的王，還要作他們的屬靈領袖。他要遵守上帝的命令，好作百姓的榜樣，也就是說，他要行上帝所喜悅的義路，順服摩西律法上的一切誡命、典章。大衛知道他自己作王的成功關鍵在於順服上帝以及遵守祂的聖言。如果所羅門和他的後代都能如此行，他們必定也會蒙上帝祝福，並繼續坐以色列的寶座。所以所羅門必須要作一個讀、學、和行上帝律法的國王（申17：18~20）這些要求也是針對所有上帝的兒女。這段經文特別是對男人──家庭中的屬靈領導者──說的。大衛並沒有吩咐所羅門要作一個英勇的戰士，而是要他作上帝剛強、忠心、順服的僕人。這是到目前為止最困難的要求了。

        大衛也指示所羅門如何用智慧對待國中的某些人。他必須提防那些可能威脅他王位的人，如約押和示每。約押不只是亞多尼雅反所羅門作王的共犯，他也謀殺了他的兩個對手，押尼珥和亞瑪撒，此外，他還違反大衛的命令，下手殺害押妙龍。

        示每是掃羅家的人，他和約押一樣該為自己的惡行受懲罰。他曾傲慢的咒詛大衛，但大衛憐憫他，發誓不傷害他（撒下16：5；19：20~23）。正如約押和示每的惡行不能一筆勾消，必須對付，巴西萊對大衛的仁慈也不該被遺忘，而應使他的子孫得尊榮以為回報。

        大衛交代完這些遺言後就死了。他有一段長期成功的執政經驗。但現在他的工作完畢，是將棒子交給他兒子的時候了。這位合上帝心意的大衛被安葬在大衛城裡的錫安山。

        大衛死後，亞多尼雅竟不智的要求娶亞比煞為妻，但亞比煞被視為是大衛的妃嬪之一。在那個時代，娶前王的妃嬪為妻，無異於篡奪王位。所羅門先前已經警告過亞多尼雅不要再有非分之想，但現在他覺得必須殺了亞多尼雅以杜絕威脅。約押也不得倖免，即使是祭壇的四角也救不了他，因為祭壇並不保護惡意謀殺人的人（出21：14）。約押的結局令人嘆息，因為他曾經是一位大能的勇士，幫助大衛建立他的國度。不過由於他性格強烈，有很大的影響力，又曾有不忠之舉，再加上他支持亞多尼雅，因此很難再被信任。約押深得百姓的尊敬，他在自己的家鄉有一場光榮的葬禮。

        現在，所羅門的威脅是剩下示每了，不過，當示每違反禁令，離開耶路撒冷，他也被依法處死。所羅門先前將他軟禁在耶路撒冷，使他與他的便雅憫族人分開的用意，是避免他再唆使便雅憫支派（掃羅的支派）奪取猶大支派的王位。我們可能無法完全瞭解為什麼要處死這許多人，但從經文可以明白，所羅門的王位因為除去了這些威脅而得堅固（2：46），我們也看見上帝使所羅門四境安寧。

        主啊，使我們成為您話語的讀者、學習者、和遵行者。我們為您使我們今日得以有您話語在手中的特權讚美您。奉主耶穌聖名，阿們！

English

        Before David died, he charged his son Solomon: "be strong... and prove yourself a man" (2:2). David went on to describe the way in which Solomon's manhood could be proven. He was to be not only the king, but the spiritual leader as well. He was to be a good example to all the people by keeping the Lord's charge: namely by walking righteously in the ways of the Lord and obeying His commandments and statutes as laid down in the Law of Moses (2:3). David knew the key to the success of his own kingdom was obedience to the Lord and the commandments in His Holy Word. If Solomon and his sons did this, they would also be blessed by God and would continue upon the throne of Israel (2:4).
Solomon, therefore, was responsible as a king under God to be a reader, learner, and doer of the Word of God (Deuteronomy 17:18-20). These are also required of all God's children, and this passage especially speaks to men, the spiritual leaders of their homes. Notice that David did not charge Solomon with proving his manhood by being a brave warrior; it was rather by being a strong, faithful, and obedient servant of the Lord. This is by far the more difficult and demanding requirement.

        David also instructed Solomon about being wise in dealing with certain men in the kingdom. He was to be wary of those that would pose a threat to him as king. Among these were Joab and Shimei, who deserved punishment. Joab was not only a co-conspirator with Adonijah against Solomon's kingship, but also the murderer of his two rivals, Abner and Amasa (2 Samuel 3:30; 20:9-10), and had killed Absalom against David's orders.

        Shimei, of the family of Saul, was also to be punished for his wickedness. He had defiantly cursed David, but David had shown him mercy, vowing not to harm him (2 Samuel 16:5; 19:20-23). Just as Shimei and Joab's wickedness was not to be forgotten but to be dealt with, so the kindness of Barzillai to David was not to be forgotten but rewarded by honouring his sons (2:7; 2 Samuel 17:27).

        With these final words of instruction to his son, David died, leaving Solomon the undisputed king of Israel. David had a long successful reign, but his task was now completed, and the torch was passed on to his son. David, the man after God's own heart, was buried on Mount Zion in Jerusalem, the city of David.

        After David's death, Adonijah unwisely asked for Abishag to be his wife, but Abishag was considered as one of David's concubines (although she actually was not one in the truest sense of the word, 1:4). In those days, to take a concubine of the former king was like assuming the throne. Solomon had warned him once before, but now he felt he had to put an end to this threat by having Adonijah killed. Joab also could find no mercy, not even while holding on to the horns of the altar, for a murderer was not afforded protection there (Exodus 21:14). It is sad to see Joab come to such an end, for he had been a mighty and brave warrior who helped establish the kingdom under David. Yet, because he was a man of influence, strong character, and treachery, and because he had supported Adonijah, he could not be trusted. Because Joab had the people's respect, he was given an honourable burial in his hometown.

        Shimei, the last political threat to Solomon, was put to death when he disobeyed the orders of his confinement by leaving Jerusalem. By separating him from his tribe of Benjamin, he could pose no threat of ever rallying that tribe (Saul's tribe) in an attempt to take the throne away from the tribe of Judah. We may not fully understand why there had to be these executions, but from the text we come to understand that because of them Solomon's kingdom was firmly established (2:46), and we see that God gave him a peaceful reign.

        Lord make us readers, learners, and doers of Your Word. We praise You for the great privilege You have given us to have Your Word in our hands today.