Solomon is best known for his wisdom. With this divine quality his father connected righteousness. When charging his son respecting certain offenders who had hitherto been spared, David said, “Thou art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do.... Do therefore according to thy wisdom” (1 Kings 2:6-9). Righteousness was to be exercised with divine wisdom; thus there would be no mistakes.
Long after Solomon’s day Isaiah wrote, “Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness” (ch. 32:1). That King is Christ. Isaiah’s prediction follows several dreary chapters exposing the unrighteousness both of Israel’s King and people. He goes on to say, “the work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.” Surely our hearts cry, “Lord Jesus, come!” This poor distracted world needs the righteousness and peace that He alone can establish. Jeremiah gives us a similarly delightful word concerning Him: “Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King and do wisely, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth” (Jer. 23:5―R.V). The Gospel of Matthew presents to us our Lord as the King; and, remarkably, His first utterance recorded therein contains the word “righteousness.”
At Jordan, when John was disposed to refuse Him baptism, He said, “Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:15). Thus He would Himself practice what in the day of His power He will administer to the world. In David’s great Psalm of the King, we read, “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness” (Psa. 45:7).
In the matter of righteousness David signally failed. Joab was allowed to murder both Abner and Amasa, and pass unpunished. David’s own sons Ammon and Absalom were guilty of grievous sins, and they also passed unpunished. With reference to Joab, David said, “these men the sons of Zeruiah are too hard for me,” and he even said, “I am this day weak, though anointed king” (2 Sam. 3:39). Pitiful language from one who had frequently experienced the sustaining power and grace of God! But Joab was a capable military commander, and thus useful to the State! This is by no means the only occasion on which the sins of public men have been condoned. But it is not righteousness!
There is yet another explanation which covers all these sad cases. David’s own sins in the matter of Uriah and Bathsheba had weakened his hands. It has been truly said that “a maimed hand cannot wield a heavy sword.” Besides, had he not used Joab as his tool for the murder of Uriah? When he lay dying, he charged Solomon to deal with Joab and others whom he had spared; but the whole story is humiliating nevertheless (1 Kings 2:1-9).
Psalm 101 must here be transcribed:
A Psalm of David
1. I will sing of mercy and judgment; unto Thee, O Jehovah, will I sing.
2. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way. O when wilt Thou come unto me? I will walk within my house with a perfect heart.
3. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.
4. A forward heart shall depart from me: I will not know a wicked person.
5. Whoso privily slandereth his neighbor, him will I cut off: him that hath a high look and a proud heart will I not suffer.
6. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me: he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me.
7. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house: he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight.
8. I will early (i.e. every morning) destroy all the wicked of, the land; that I may cut off all wicked doers from the city of Jehovah.
These were David’s noble resolutions before he ascended the throne. How grievously he failed we have seen. Solomon’s sentiments may be learned from his Book of Proverbs: “A king sitting on the throne of judgment scattereth away all evil with his eyes”. (ch. 20:8). “Take away the wicked from before the king, and his throne shall be established in righteousness” (ch. 25:5). When Solomon had executed judgment upon Joab and others, the Holy Spirit says, “the Kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon” (2 Kings 2:46).
But in neither David nor his son do we see perfection. When penning Psalm Jot David was carried by the spirit of inspiration far beyond himself and he was led to describe the King who is yet to come. His first action will be to “send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His Kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity: and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth” (Matt. 13:41-42). “The sons of Belial shall be all of them as thorns thrust away” (2 Sam. 23:6). Throughout His administration every act of insubordination to the will of God will be dealt with in righteous judgment. “Righteousness shall go before Him, and shall set His footsteps on the way (J.N.D.). Truth shall spring out of the earth, and righteousness shall look down from heaven” (Psa. 85:11-13). Nothing will in that age be seen on earth that will offend the eye of God.
Psalm 101 is rather negative in its statements. We learn from it the sort of persons the King will not tolerate; Psalms 15 and 24. are more positive, and they describe those in whom the King will find pleasure, and with whom He will surround Himself in Zion. The Kingdom of God as we know it today “is not meat and drink, but righteousness and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Rom. 14:17). May these divine excellencies characterize our lives. We stand before God in righteousness divine through the work of the Lord Jesus; let righteousness be seen in all our ways before men (1 John 3:7; Titus 3:8).
If we are not called upon in this day of grace to “cut off wicked doers from the city of the Lord,” we can at least cast off from ourselves the works of darkness, and also mortify our members which are upon the earth (Rom. 13:12; Col. 3:5). Thus, and thus only, shall we be righteous ones in the eyes of both God and men.