Day 101: January 8, 2026 – I Kings 1-5 and Proverbs 1

We begin I Kings and we see the life and the rule of David’s son, Solomon. This book begins somewhat inauspiciously with a different son of David seeking to be crowned king while David was failing in health. He doesn’t find out on his own, but rather Bathsheba and Nathan, two who had a real vested interest in Solomon, were able to find out how Adonijah was plotting behind the scenes, and they got Solomon into power before it was too late. David tells Solomon that there are certain people who cannot be allowed to live, and Solomon carries out his commands and kills those who were enemies to David and would have been enemies to Solomon as well.

Solomon consolidates his power and sets up peace upon the land and begins to make steps to build the temple because sacrifices were being done in places where in the past pagan sacrifices had been done. The scene where God tells Solomon that he can have anything that he wants and Solomon asks for wisdom does smack a bit like a genie in a bottle with one wish, but it is at the core of the life of Solomon. He asks for wisdom in order to rule the people of God wisely, and God recognizes that and gives him that wisdom as well as everything else: riches, long life, peace, etc. The reign of Solomon has begun.