The Path to Peace
Let's get something straight about peace. It does not come without blood. People can talk all they want about being nice and bringing a calm to the world but it's all a bunch of nonsense if someone does not execute swift punishment on the evildoer and deter further insurrections with a strong righteous hand executing justice.
Without blood, World War 2 does not end.
Without blood, terrorist plots are not thwarted.
Without blood, the ego-maniacal dictators destroy millions of lives unfettered.
Solomon's reign begins in blood. Which is interesting since his name literally means, "Peaceable." Yet his own father sets him on a course for the swift judgment of those notable names who were thorns in his side.
1 Kings 2:5–6 (ESV) “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
Without blood, World War 2 does not end.
Without blood, terrorist plots are not thwarted.
Without blood, the ego-maniacal dictators destroy millions of lives unfettered.
Solomon's reign begins in blood. Which is interesting since his name literally means, "Peaceable." Yet his own father sets him on a course for the swift judgment of those notable names who were thorns in his side.
1 Kings 2:5–6 (ESV) “Moreover, you also know what Joab the son of Zeruiah did to me, how he dealt with the two commanders of the armies of Israel, Abner the son of Ner, and Amasa the son of Jether, whom he killed, avenging in time of peace for blood that had been shed in war, and putting the blood of war on the belt around his waist and on the sandals on his feet. 6 Act therefore according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to Sheol in peace.
Joab is just the beginning for Solomon as the second chapter of 1 Kings will see one death after another. All the names are familiar to the readers of David's life. Beginning with Joab, the petulant war general to Shimei, the Benjaminite and Saul loyalist who cursed David one moment and sought David's grace another. Adonijah is also struck down for seeking Abishag as his wife.
Now we mustn't take this passage for our own personal application. That is, we are not kings of nations in an ancient context and we are not called in Christ to enact vengeance on our enemies. In fact, we are called to the opposite, to forgive and to show grace even to the worst of offenders. This passage is a King leaving instructions for his successor to be strong in the face of potential insurrectionists.
The passage speaks to the need for civil government to bear the sword (see Romans 13). Without the sword of government, immoral people would wreak havoc on untold numbers of lives. Peace has many times only been possible through the strong arm of justice executed through just war bloodshed. The Gospel is spread through the Roman world swiftly because of Pax Romana - a 200 year-long unprecedented peacetime in history because Rome had bigger "guns" than anyone else.
So what can we take from this passage? We can pray for our governmental leaders to bring peace to the world with the tools necessary (see 1 Timothy 1:1-6). We can trust that the "king's heart is in... the hand of the Lord" and that God is using government for ultimate good even when the methods are less than desirable.
Solomon's reign becomes a picture of the reign of Christ in many ways. He is the wise king who puts down rivals over time and ensures peace and prosperity for the nation. Those in Christ can take comfort that our True Solomon, Jesus Christ brings an end to the violence of the nations step by step. But a final world-wide cleansing of evil is on the way. We trust His providence and power to accomplish this in His time.
Now we mustn't take this passage for our own personal application. That is, we are not kings of nations in an ancient context and we are not called in Christ to enact vengeance on our enemies. In fact, we are called to the opposite, to forgive and to show grace even to the worst of offenders. This passage is a King leaving instructions for his successor to be strong in the face of potential insurrectionists.
The passage speaks to the need for civil government to bear the sword (see Romans 13). Without the sword of government, immoral people would wreak havoc on untold numbers of lives. Peace has many times only been possible through the strong arm of justice executed through just war bloodshed. The Gospel is spread through the Roman world swiftly because of Pax Romana - a 200 year-long unprecedented peacetime in history because Rome had bigger "guns" than anyone else.
So what can we take from this passage? We can pray for our governmental leaders to bring peace to the world with the tools necessary (see 1 Timothy 1:1-6). We can trust that the "king's heart is in... the hand of the Lord" and that God is using government for ultimate good even when the methods are less than desirable.
Solomon's reign becomes a picture of the reign of Christ in many ways. He is the wise king who puts down rivals over time and ensures peace and prosperity for the nation. Those in Christ can take comfort that our True Solomon, Jesus Christ brings an end to the violence of the nations step by step. But a final world-wide cleansing of evil is on the way. We trust His providence and power to accomplish this in His time.
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