What I Noticed Today (1 Kings 1-2:25)
There is a short introduction available for the book of 1 Kings. You can read it here.
1 Kings 1
David’s last days and the issue of planning a successor to the throne.
In verses 1-4, David was old and could no longer stay warm, so a search was done for a beautiful young virgin to care for David. Abishag, the Shunammite was brought to David, and she became his caregiver, but he was not intimate with her.
In verses 5-10, Adonijah, David’s son, kept exalting himself, saying, “I will be king.”
Note: Adonijah was David’s fourth son and probably the oldest of David’s remaining sons.
- Adonijah prepared chariots, cavalry, and had 50 men run ahead of him.
- Apparently, this had been going on for some time, but David said nothing to him. Adonijah grew bolder and bolder.
- Eventually, he conspired with Joab and Abiathar the priest.
- He even planned a coronation party for himself with sacrificed animals. He invited the royal household, the men of Judah, and servants of the king. However, he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the warriors, or his brother Solomon.
In verses 11-40, about that time, Nathan, the prophet, stepped in to let Bathsheba know what Adonijah had planned.
- Nathan and Bathsheba told David about Adonijah and asked if he intended to let Adonijah become king rather than Solomon (as he had promised).
- David made good on his earlier promise to Bathsheba and ordered Solomon crowned as king.
In verses 41-53, Adonijah learns of Solomon’s coronation.
- Jonathan, son of Abiathar, the priest came and told Adonijah that David and made Solomon king.
- When Adonijah’s supporters heard that David made Solomon king, they deserted him.
- Adonijah was afraid and went to grab hold of the horns of the altar near the tabernacle.
- Solomon told Adonijah he would be shown mercy if he demonstrated loyalty to the throne and was no longer rebellious.
- Adonijah promised loyalty to Solomon, and Solomon sent him home.
Note: Adonijah soon rebelled against Solomon and was killed (1 Kings 2:13-25).
1 Kings 2
1 Kings 2 contains David’s final instructions to Solomon.
In verses 1-9, David encouraged Solomon to be faithful to God, walk in His ways, and keep His statutes.
- David gave Solomon a list of people who had betrayed him, as well as those who had been faithful to him.
- David died, having ruled Israel 40 years, seven years in Hebron, and 33 years in Jerusalem.
In verses 10-25, Adonijah came to Bathsheba and asked her to ask Solomon to give him Abishag (David’s caregiver) as a wife.
Note: It was the tradition for a king to take over the concubines of their predecessor as a sign of power. So Adonijah’s request was very bold and symbolized taking David’s power.
- Solomon wisely refused and ordered Benaiah to kill Adonijah.
In verses 26-27, Solomon ordered Abiathar the priest to return to Anathoth. Although he deserved to die for aligning himself with Adonijah, he had carried the Ark of God and suffered through the wars with his father, David. Because of this, he was allowed to live.
Note: Abiathar’s banishment and removal from priesthood fulfilled the prophecy of 1 Samuel 2:30-36.
In verses 28-25, Joab heard the news of what had happened to Adonijah and Abiathar. He also sought the sanctuary of the altar of God.
- Solomon ordered Benaiah to take Joab away and kill him because he had murdered Abner and Amasa.
- Benaiah killed Joab, and he was buried in the wilderness.
- Then Solomon appointed Benaiah as commander of the army in place of Joab. He also appointed Zadok priest in place of Abiathar.
Some thoughts for additional consideration:
- David certainly seemed to have a soft spot in his heart for his rebellious/traitorous children. First, Absalom tried to take his throne, then Adonijah tried to take the throne. In both cases, David let the action go until it caused bigger problems for him and others. Even after David died, Adonijah continued to try to extend his authority, but Solomon wisely saw through his ploy and took decisive action.
- Sometimes it is easy to know what to do when it involves someone else, but when it involves our own flesh and blood, we lose the strength of our convictions. We may feel like we are loving and gracious by letting our children find their way. Sometimes we think if we just ignore their behavior, they will see the error of their ways and stop. That is usually not the case. Seldom does ignoring and hoping a problem will go away actually resolve anything. There are times when decisive action is the best way to deal with a difficult action.
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.
