1 Ki. 2: Solomon Cleans House

1 Kings 2:12 "So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established."

Probably no more apt of a linchpin verse than the above.

Anyway, David has a little father-son chat with Solomon before he kicks off, and tells him how to be a man. Despite Solomon having been a man for decades at a minimum. But anyway, its not military might, as one would expect coming from David, it's following the laws of Moses. David saw the blessings that come with obedience, and he saw the curses and downfalls that come with disobedience. He wanted to protect his son from sin and bad choices. It must have been important to David to continue his lineage. And important to God. I don't think God merely wanted to have just any clown on the throne. Despite God's sort of displeasure with the idea of a human king on the throne, he set regulations in place to ensure that it would endure. Weird.

David offers some inside info that Solomon may or may not have known about, regarding Joab, who killed two of David's military men, Barzillai, who helped David cross the river, and Shimei, who cursed David but then blessed him.

Adonijah wins the "Just Doesn't Get It" award for his request for Abishag to be his wife. The woman who sustained David. Adonijah was hanging by a thread already for his attempted coup. Now he sends in his mom to King Solomon to ask for Abishag? Solomon's lethal response I actually find quite appropriate. How much more power would Adonijah seek?

Abiathar was removed from the priesthood, partly because of his conspiracy with Adonijah, but also because of the curse brought upon the house of Eli.

Joab was next. Solomon had Benaiah, his new hitman, kill Joab. Joab tried to cling to the horns of the altar, which was apparently like calling "safety" in tag, as Adonijah had done.

Shimei was next, but was sort of a gray area. He was instructed never to leave Jerusalem. But he did to go find some lost slaves. Solomon had him killed. By Benaiah.