Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you. Isaiah 60:1-2.

In 1 Kings 2 David, knowing his time to die is drawing near speaks truth to Solomon, his son and now king. “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’” v. 2-4. He gave final instructions for those who would be a threat to Solomon’s rule and David died and was buried in the City of David.

Adonijah, the half-brother of Solomon who tried to take the throne comes to Bathsheba, Solomons mother, to make his request of the king and show his heart. “The kingdom was mine…give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” v. 15-17. As noted before, to possess the king’s harem was equivalent to claiming the throne. Bathsheba may have misunderstood the intent behind the request, but Solomon did not. As Solomon told his mother, she might as well have requested the kingdom for Adonijah, v. 22. When Adonijah had first claimed for himself the throne of his father, David, and after Solomon was anointed the true successor, Adonijah had sought safety at the horns of the altar. Solomon had told him if he showed himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head would fall to the ground; but if evil was found in him he would die. He was allowed to live. 1 Kings 1:50-53.

Solomon, seeing the evil in Adonijah’s heart, gave orders and Adonijah is killed, v. 23-25. Solomon established his rule by removing the threats to it from Joab and Shimei; they paid with their lives. Abiathar, the priest who was faithful to Adonijah was removed to live on his lands. So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli. v. 27. The kingdom was now established in Solomon’s hands. v. 46.

The way of all the earth? The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they reveal knowledge. They have no speech, they use no words; no sound is heard from them. Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world. Psalm 19:1-4.

Each one of us will go the way of all the earth. Our time will come to an end. And then what? Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord rises upon you. Isaiah 60:1. How we spend our lives matters…the way of all the earth…and the heavens declare the glory of God!