“Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged Solomon his son, saying,” (1 Kings 2:1, KJV)
Have we ever wondered what we would charge our children with when these last moments come? What makes this even more interesting is later in Solomon’s life he writes Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes 6:12, among other verses in this book, question what’s it all for if you really don’t know what is to come after you anyhow? Solomon makes a good case for the vanity of it all. Yet, David’s charge to Solomon doesn’t seem to be concerned with any of it. The balance of 1 Kings 2 seems to be acknowledging places in his life that he has intentionally yielded knowing that was the right thing to do at the time while still trusting in the Lord that one day God would bring justice somehow. Similar to how God tells Job in Job 38:11, that even the waves are intentionally limited, so there is value in knowing to yield ourselves so that we can more clearly see the greater things that God is doing. David was heavily invested in trusting God. As vain as our lives within our efforts may seem, he was showing his son what is bigger and worth more than all that we can ever do.
In 1 Kings 3, Solomon is granted a request for wisdom, and the first case the people see this displayed is between two women. It’s a tragedy nearly any way that you look at it, but it’s curious that all of the wisdom that is to be displayed; that this is the case that is showcased first. Why this case? Everyone has to eventually make the choice, is life worth living and is love worth giving? If you get that one wrong your beliefs are handicapped before you get very far. If vanity and staying ahead of the next guy is all that there is, then it really is a vanity of vanities. Whereas, if you know the author of life and look beyond all that we are limited to in this world, then nothing is really vain. There is value all over the place and it never rusts or fades.
“And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:” (1 Kings 2:3, KJV)