No Kingdom Without Justice

·37 min·3 clips

Jesus cried 'My God, why have you forsaken me?' experiencing the hell of the Father's absence for believers.

The episode is a sermon from the Grace Redeemer Church podcast, part of a series on the Old Testament books of 1 and 2 Kings. The host, Pastor John, opens by setting the historical context at 970 BC, following King David's death and Solomon's succession. He admits he was tempted to skip the violent passage of 1 Kings 2 but decides to treat it head-on because 'there is no kingdom without justice.' He reads David's last words from 1 Kings 2:5-9, where David instructs Solomon to deal with Joab and Shimei, and then reads the narrative of Adonijah's request for Abishag and Solomon's resulting order for his execution. The host then transitions to a discussion on justice, citing philosopher Michael Sandel's definition of outrage as anger at injustice. He argues that while everyone loves justice and hates injustice, we disagree on how and to whom it should be applied. The sermon distinguishes between punitive and restorative justice in the Bible, noting 1 Kings 2 focuses on punitive justice to establish Solomon's kingdom. The host analyzes the three executions in the chapter: Adonijah for treason, Joab for murder, and Shimei for blasphemy and cursing the king, all capital crimes under Mosaic law. He connects this to Psalm 97, which states righteousness and justice are the foundation of God's kingdom. The host then addresses the fairness of divine justice by discussing hell, prompted by conversations with a skeptical young woman. He explains that hell is self-chosen, with people insisting on living apart from God. He describes Jesus's metaphors for hell as darkness (isolation from God and others) and fire (spiritual disintegration), referencing C.S. Lewis's 'The Great Divorce' and Jonathan Edwards. The host warns against entertaining thoughts of hell through horror movies. He concludes by arguing that salvation requires divine justice to be poured out on the innocent Jesus, who experienced the hell of the Father's abandonment on the cross. This 'great exchange' allows sinners to be saved by believing in Jesus. The sermon ends with a prayer reflecting on the cost of salvation.

As heard by us

1 Kings 2 is presented as a hard but steady case for justice under God's rule.

The sermon takes 1 Kings 2 directly, tracing David's last words to Solomon and then facing the chapter's bloodshed without softening it. Joab and Shammai are presented as men who broke God's law, and Solomon's actions are framed as the duty of a king to carry out justice.

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Why you'd press play

If you want the chapter nobody lines up for, this sermon stays with 1 Kings 2.

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