If you are following The Plan, you should be starting the Book of 1 Kings  and the Book of 2 Chronicles, as well as reading through some Psalms.

The Books as History

As we begin 1 Kings, we enter the halfway point for the chronology of the Israelite monarchies which began with King Saul.  As a matter of fact, if you look at the table of contents for the Septuagint (which is the oldest Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible, dating to 200-300 B.C.), we see that the Books of Samuel and Kings are actually called something different:

So these four books are seen from the earliest translations as a single, historical record of the rise (and fall) if the Kingdom of Israel.  

The books of 1 & 2 Chronicles were originally one book called "Acts of the Days," which got translated to "Chronicles" at some point in the early Christian Church.  The Septuagint (see above) refers to the two books of Chronicles as "Things Omitted," which I think is a much more interesting title.   What's interesting about Chronicles is that they seem to whitewash much of David's story.   No Bathsheba for instance.

So Where Are We?

David is on his deathbed and who will succeed him is in dispute.  Adonijah thinks he will be King.  Solomon thinks he will be King.  Which, of course, is a problem. 

The Supporting Cast

Let's start with Joab.   If you needed a punch thrown, Joab was just the cowboy to throw it.  He was a nephew to David (the son of his sister) and remained intensely loyal to David. 

We first hear about Joab when David is fighting it out with Ishbosheth (Saul's son) to succeed Saul as King of Israel.  After 24 warriors manage to slaughter each other to no conclusion at the Pool of Gibeon, open warfare breaks out.  Abner (Saul's military man), who is now serving Ishbosheth, manages to kill Joab's brother, Asahel.   Strike One.   Later, Abner switches sides, which is bad news for Ishbosheth, and as it turns out, bad news for Abner.    Joab is no fool, and can see that Abner is setting himself up to supreme military leader for David.  Strike Two.   Not being a man to wait around for strike three, Joab kills Abner in Hebron - protecting his position as commander of the armies and avenging the death of his brother.

David mourns the death of Abner and curses Joab, saying, "these men, the sons of Zeruiah, are too harsh for me.  The LORD shall repay the evildoer according to his wickedness.”  So Joab is out of favor with David - until David lays siege to Jerusalem.  Then David makes this offer - "Whoever climbs up by way of the water shaft and defeats the Jebusites (the lame and the blind, who are hated by David’s soul), he shall be chief and captain."  A perfect job for Joab, who leads the assault and is supreme commander once again.

From this point forward, Joab is central to David's military conquests and his "go to" guy in times of trouble.   In Moab, in Syria, against the Ammonites, against the Philistines.  When David asks Joab to put Uriah the Hittite in the front lines at Rabbah - no problem.

Then Absalom rebels.  David flees Jerusalem, and as he gathers his army and prepares for the big battle, he say this to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.”  Of course he's saying this to the wrong group of guys.   When Joab is told that Absalom is caught in a tree and his soldiers are standing around wondering what to do, he says,  "You just saw him! And why did you not strike him there to the ground?"  They hadn't, so he did.  (Note to self: don't burn Joab's fields just to get his attention).

This may have been the end for Absalom, but Israel was still divided in their loyalties.  So David makes a deal with Amasa (Absalom's military commander), saying  "And say to Amasa, ‘Are you not my bone and my flesh? God do so to me, and more also, if you are not commander of the army before me continually in place of Joab.’”  This goes as well for Amasa as it did for Abner.  When Sheba rebels against David, Joab uses it as an opportunity to kill Amasa.   "Then Joab said to Amasa, “Are you in health, my brother?” And Joab took Amasa by the beard with his right hand to kiss him. But Amasa did not notice the sword that was in Joab’s hand. And he struck him with it in the stomach, and his entrails poured out on the ground; and he did not strike him again. Thus he died."

David relied on Joab.  But Joab killed two of his commanders and his son Absalom.  Joab also aligned himself with Adonijah and not Solomon.  Not things you are likely to forget on your deathbed.  When David's provides his  final instructions to Solomon he will say - "let not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace."  Translation - kill Joab.

Abishai

Then there is Abishai.  He is the brother of Joab, which should tell you a lot.    When David was looking for volunteers to sneak into Saul's camp one night, it was Abishai who said, "I'll go."  When they got there, it was Abishai who said "Today God has delivered your enemy into your hands. Now let me pin him (Saul)  to the ground with one thrust of my spear."  When it came time to kill Abner and avenge his brothers death, Abishai was there with Joab.   When David was fleeing Jerusalem and was being cursed by Shimei, it is Abishai that said "Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Please, let me go over and take off his head!”  When it came time for Joab to deal with Amasa, Abishai was by his side.  When David was about to be killed by a Philistine, it was Abishai that saved the life of David in battle.  He was one of David's "Mighty Men," and we are told he "raised his spear against 300" and "struck down eighteen thousand Edomites in the Valley of Salt." 

Nathan

Nathan gets to deliver the hard messages to David.   

We first read of Nathan as David is planning to build a temple for the Ark of the Covenant.   David says, "Here I am, living in a palace of cedar, while the ark of God remains in a tent."  After initially blessing the idea - "Whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the LORD is with you" - God reminds Nathan (and David) that he did not ask for a “house of cedar.”  Nice thought, but a tent is fine, thank you very much.

Hard Message number one.

After David sleeps with Bathsheba and arranges to have Uriah killed to cover up his sin, it is Nathan who cleverly chastises David.   "You are the man!" 

Hard Message number two.

When David's son Adonijah assumed the throne for himself, it is Nathan (along with Bathsheba) that tell David.  "Has this thing been done by my lord the king," he asks.

Hard message number three.

Zadok and Abiathar

Zadok and Abiathar are both priests.    Abiathar was descendant of Eli and the sole survivor the day that Saul had Doeg the Edomite slaughter the priests of the Lord at Gibeah.  Zadok and Abiathar were the first High Priests of David's reign in Jerusalem.   When David fled the city during Absolam's rebellion, it was Zadok and Abiathar who packed up the Ark and were ready to follow him.  But David turns them away, saying "Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, He will bring me back and show me both it and His dwelling place."  Zadok and Abiathar also play a part in reconciling David with Amasa and the elders of Judah after Absalom's rebellion.

Things end very differently for these two.  Abiathar sides with Adonijah.  He becomes the ONLY high priest in the Old Testament that is deposed.  Quite a distinctions, considering some of the others that served as High Priest.  Zadok sides with Solomon.  He chose wisely.   This also fulfills an older prophecy - Abiathar was of the house of Eli and the descendants of Eli had a curse upon them.  Zadok is of the house of Eleazar (son of Aaron), and his descendants will remain High Priests for several hundred years.

Adonijah and Solomon

Of course, we can talk about the power struggle without talking about the two main actors.  David had many sons from many wives, but after Amnon and Absalom leave the scene, Adonijah, born to Haggith,  appears to be the heir apparent.  He enlist the support of Abiathar and Joab, but leaves out some fairly important people - like Nathan, Zadok, Solomon, and King David himself.    So when Adonijah pronounced himself King, Nathan and Bathsheba tell David, who promptly declares Solomon King.   Two kings are too many.

Adonijah fears for his life, so he "took hold of the horns of the altar," and made Solomon promise not to kill him.  "If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die," was Solomon's reply, which was as good a deal as Adonijah was likely to get.    Solomon seemed ready to spare his life, but then Adonijah asked for Abishag, King David's concubine.  This was enough for Solomon.   Enter Benaiah.

Benaiah

Benaiah was one of King David's "Might Men" and head of his personal body guard.   He sides with Solomon and is appointed head of the armies, but first there is some business to attend to.   Benaiah becomes the trigger man for Solomon  - killing Adonijah and Joab.  

This leaves Solomon as undisputed King of Israel with the support of the people of Jerusalem, the High Priest, and a loyal army commander.     It is interesting that it is the son of David and Bathsheba that inherits the throne, considering how they started.   \

Naturally these books and these stories can be read simply as interesting history.   But they are much more than that.  They are a demonstration of God’s covenant with his people.   David was a man after God’s own heart.  He sought God’s counsel continuously.  He prayed.  He wrote song after song honoring God.  But for all his blessings and all his glory,  he was just a man – and had the same weaknesses that we all do.   And his sin had consequences – his own family rebelled against him.  His closest advisors turned against one another.   Man’s sin is the central theme of these stories.   And no amount of good deeds, glorious conquests, songs of praise, or man made temples can make that sin go away.  It takes something else.  Something extraordinary.  Something like this.  

Blessings.

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Pray.