1 Kings 2: Solomon the Lion of Judah

Thanks to Guy McKenzie for preaching this week. Please accept our apologies for the missing audio.

Introduction:

As we discovered in 1 Kings Chapter 1, the book of Kings is theology cleverly disguised as exciting history. And as we read on in chapter 2 we will find that it does not disappoint, the thrilling tale of intrigue, mystery, and murder, only gets more absorbing. I am preaching through this book, as it is written, as a thrilling piece of redemptive history. So before we begin we need to remind ourselves just where in redemptive history this chapter fits.

The redemptive story so far tells us that Adam and Eve have been deceived by the serpent, sinned and been cast out of the Garden of Eden. God has promised the first humans that one day a saviour will rescue them and their descendant’s from their sins. The flood has decimated the first world, and Abraham has been promised that the saviour will be born from his seed, out of a people as numerous as the sand on the beach, or the stars in the sky. And this great race of people have now come into existence and they are the Israelites. The Israelites are now living in the promised land and are ruled by Solomon, the son of great king David.

When we left 1 Kings chapter 1 Solomon as a type of Christ, has established his kingdom with mercy and grace. Solomon has forgiven the sins of his brother, Adonijah, and the other rebels. In 1 Kings Chapter 1 Solomon represents the Lamb if God in all his mercy and grace. But surrounding Solomon in his palace, are all the typical characters of any court, the faithful, the unfaithful, the treacherous, and the hypocritical. These characters continue to play out their own typology and parts in redemptive history, against the backdrop of the scheming serpent.
Satan, is still prowling around like a lion seeking to devour whomever he can, even the elect, if that were possible. Satan is always attempting to destroy the race of men and the shadows of death and treachery continue to stalk the halls of King Solomon’s palace.

We pick up the narrative with king David about to go the way of all the flesh. And it is well for all of us that there is another life after this one. For in our deaths everything that we think we have achieved or gained in this life is turned to dust.