Jesus' Second Coming Will Not Be Pretty for Unbelievers...

King David's last words to Solomon before dying (1 Kings 2) were:  Telling him to kill some folks and removing others from office.

1 Kings 2 - The Securing of Solomon's Throne King David gave his son, Solomon, a list of orders to carry out after his death. This included having some people put to death and removing others from office. All this was done to secure the throne for his son. I studied 1 Kings chapter 2 for nuggets of wisdom. I'm taken back by how King David would have Solomon put his general Joab to death for a crime that Joab had committed years before. Joab was guilty of the murder of both Abner, the general of Israel's army under Saul (2 Samuel 3:27) and Amasa, one of David's military commanders(2 Samuel 20:9-10). Yet David never punished Joab for his disobedience and for the crime of murder.  (This represents Jesus now giving people time to repent and turn to him.)  But when his son was to become the new king of Israel, David put this on the top of the list.Why? I've read several different theories ranging from Joab's involvement in David murdering his trusted Captain Uriah, the man whose wife David took. David's knowing how loyal Joab had been to David over the years and other things. Perhaps all of these factors played a role in his decision. But I believe the biggest reason was that David wanted his son to start off with a clean slate and to begin his reign showing that true justice would prevail and be the ruling force of the new kings reign. Justice deals with the crime being paid for by requiring the guilty party to pay the penalty. The guilty one must be offered up. 

The Holy Spirit led me to these scriptures: Hebrews 10:10: We are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Sin must be paid for by death. The wages of sin is death. Romans 6:23.Jesus first came as our sacrifice. His second coming, he will come as our Judge and execute his justice as did Solomon. It will then be too late to run for cover. Time passes and we don't see Jesus and unbelievers tend to think there will be no judgement. They fall into a false sense of security.

Joab had passed a good while living a normal life after his treacherous acts. The king hadn't punished him so he probably thought he was home safe. But when Joab knew he was sought out to be put to death after David turned over the kingdom to his son, he ran into the tabernacle and grabbed onto and held tight the horns of the altar thinking this would save him. When asked to come out, he refused, saying they'd have to kill him at the altar before God. Joab thought this might spare his life, but he was dead wrong. What Solomon said also reveals much: "Do as he has said, and strike him down and bury him, that you may take away from me and from the house of my father the innocent blood which Joab shed. So the LORD will return his blood on his head, because he struck down two men more righteous and better than he, and killed them with the sword; Abner the son of Ner, the commander of the army of Israel, and Amasa the son of Jether, the commander of the army of Judah; though my father David did not know it. Their blood shall therefore return upon the head of Joab and upon the head of his descendants forever. But upon David and his descendants, upon his house and his throne, there shall be peace forever from the LORD." 

Lord, may we be serious about the seriousness of sin and understand Lord that you will return the blood on the heads of those who are not found innocent before you. Therefore, let us fall on our knees before you Lord in Holy Fear and plead the blood of the lamb as our saving grace before the blood sprinkled mercy seat. Amen.