1 Kings 1
Adonijah presumes to be king
King David was old and he could not become warm even though they cover him with blanket. His servants asked a young woman to be his caretaker. They actually went to search for a lovely young woman (quoted) to take care of him. She lied with him to keep him warm at night but they did not have sexual relations.

Adonijah (4th son of David and Haggith) went to exalt himself and say he will be king. Then he just made preparations and all. Some more went to sacrifice sheep, oxen and cattle to like throw a feast. But hes super sneaky. He didn't invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, mighty men of David and his half brother Solomon. So sneaky. Max.

So Nathan went to speak to Bathsheba, mother of Solomon and informed her about this. And he advised her to go to David and tell him about it. Think she could do so also cos David promised her that Solomon would reign after him. So she went and told David. While she was talking to him, Nathan came in and also reminded David of what he has promised Bathsheba.

David proclaims Solomon King
David called Bathsheba and David took an oath that it will be Solomon who would reign as King. David then gave instructions for Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to anoint him as king over Israel and Judah. So they put Solomon on a mule and went to Gihon and anointed him. All the people went up after him and they played flutes and rejoiced.

Adonijah heard the noise (apparently it was described as so loud until the earth like going to split with the sound) and asked what is happening. So Jonathan, told him that David made Solomon King. (PS Solomon was only 14 years old when he was made king, can you imagine a sec 2 boy having to rule the country?) Haha so the guests who were with Adonijah becaome scared and arose and left.
Haha paisei much. So Adonijah was afraid of Solomon and he went to take hold of the horns of the altar saying "Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword."

Then Solomon said Ïf he proves himself to be a worthy man, not one hair of him hall fall to the earth." Wow. Such wisdom at 14. I am impressed.

I like this passage cos it showed me how David keeps his word to what he has said before. He was sickly and he could have not bothered about Adonijah just usurping the throne. But he remembered his promise to Bathsheba and still proclaimed Solomon as king. I would think this process of doing so would have tired him out but he still made it happened. This is something that we need to learn from. Like when we make promises to people (or to each other or to God),  we really need to keep to what we say we will do. And that we need to be responsible to whatever we have decided on. (just like David) instead of just taking the easier way out. 

1 King 2
David's instructions to Solomon
David was about to die and he charged Solomon to do these:

Now, carefully obey all the commands of the Lord your God. Carefully obey all his laws, commands, decisions, and agreements. Obey everything that is written in the Law of Moses. If you do this, you will be successful at whatever you do and wherever you go. 4 And if you obey the Lord, he will keep his promise about me. He said, ‘If your sons carefully live the way I tell them, sincerely, with all their heart, the king of Israel will always be a man from your family.’”

Again the law of Moses was repeated here. We need to remember the law of Moses too ok. That when we obey the Lord, he will prosper us and we will be successful in what we do and where we go. 

Death of David
:'( So sad! Hate reading about David dying. David reigned for 40 years over Israel. Solomon reigned for 80 years. Wa twice the number! 

Solomon executes Adonijah
Oh the haolian guy is back in the story! He asked for Abishag (the young woman that took care of David) as wife. And so Solomon executed Adonijah cos its not right for them to sleep with their father's women. 

Abiathar Exiled, Joab Executed
He exiled Abiathar the priest because he took part in the attempt to raise Adonijah as king. Joab (nephew of  David) who also swore allegiance to Adonijah heard the news and fled to the tabernacle of the Lord and held the horns of the altar and plead. (Remember Adonijah did that too? Was reading online and it said that this is a place of mercy for people) However, Joab was struck down at the horn of the altar. 

Shimei executed
Solomon called for Shimei and asked him to stay in Jerusalem. And so, Shimei did so. However, Shimei went to Gath to chase after 2 of his slaves. When Solomon was told, he executed Shimei. 

Wa, Solomon might seem very harsh hor. But i guess his first order of business when he took over the throne was to get rid of the toxic people he has in his life. I guess this is something important for us too. That we get rid of the toxic people in our lives. (think O) I think its very hard to live life with people plotting against you and what not. Its super xinku. Solomon is wise indeed. 

Psalms 37
Vs 4: Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.
Vs 23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord, And He delights in his way.

Dear God, I pray that I will learn to delight myself in You. I know that when I obey You and stay close to You, You will grant me the desires of my heart. Thank You too that when I obey in You, You will delight in me. Lord, I would like You to be so real in my life. 

Psalms 71 God the Rock of Salvation

Psalms 94 God the refuge of the righteous. 

ok end.

Deuteronomy 30
² and when you and your children return to the Lord your God and obey him with all your heart and with all your soul according to everything I command you today, ³ then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes^[a] and have compassion on you and gather you again from all the nations where he scattered you.⁴ Even if you have been banished to the most distant land under the heavens, from there the Lord your God will gather you and bring you back.

We need to return to the Lord and obey Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. Then He will gather us back. He is going to help us get out of the pit. 

⁹ Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your ancestors, ¹⁰ if you obey the Lord your God and keep his commands and decrees that are written in this Book of the Law and turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.

I would like God to delight in us again. Remember how we used to spend time with Him and how He blessed us so much in the different areas of our lives? I guess we have forgotten whats it like to be really really close to God. We cannot be like the Israelites ya? We need to stand strong and remember all the good things which He has done for us. 

¹⁶ For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.

God wishes to bless us in whatever that we are undertaking so that we can bring glory to Him. But the key is that we need to love Him and walk in obedience to Him. Let's work hard again ok (;

Deuteronomy 31
Joshua the New leader of Israel
⁶ Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

The law to be read every seven years
Moses commanded the people tat they are to read the law before all Israel in their hearing at the Feast of the Tabernacles. This is so that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord and observe all the words of this law. We need to  go back to God's word daily so that we may learn to fear Him again and be in obedience towards Him. 

Its not going to be easy and we might not feel close to God immediately but we gotta make the first step ya. 

Prediction of Israel's rebellion
Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tabernacle of meeting and God appeared to them in a pillar of cloud. To Moses, God said he will not enter the promised land, and instructed him to write a song so that people will remember that God had predicted that Israel will rebel and it will serve as a reminder to them. To Joshua, God said again that he needs to be strong and of good courage because He is going to be with him.

Wa, in this passage, God repeated to be strong and of good courage 3 times to Joshua. The message was brought to Joshua through Moses and to him personally (in the tabernacle) 

Lets jiayou ok (:

The Song of Moses