King David had many sons, 19 of whom are named in Scripture. Some of them include the baby who was born to Bathsheba but died because of David’s sin (2 Sam. 12); Amnon, who raped his half-sister Tamar and then was murdered by her brother Absalom in revenge (2 Sam. 13); Adonijah, who attempted to obtain the throne in 1 Kings 1; and Solomon, who was crowned as king in chapter 2. David, the “man after God’s own heart,” brought a lot of sorrow on himself and his family because of his sin. (See 2 Sam. 12:11–12.) How much trouble could have been averted if David had obeyed God in all things?
Now in 1 Kings 2:3 he instructs Solomon, “Keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn.” I’m sure his hope was that Solomon would learn from his father’s mistakes. He did well for a time, until his many wives turned him away from following God alone. It is quite possible that Solomon was the author of Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Many believe he was also the author of Ecclesiastes, which at times sounds like a lament for seeking satisfaction outside of God’s will.
We too have the choice to obey God and to set an example for our family and friends. Will we heed the instructions of our spiritual fathers?
“For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps” (1 Peter 2:21).
Dawn C. Rutan, Charlotte, N.C.
