1 Kings:1 – 27 “Now King David was old and well along in years, and though they covered him with blankets, he could not keep warm. So, his servants said to him, “Let us search for a young virgin for our lord the king, to attend to him and care for him and lie by his side to keep him warm.”
Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the king. The girl was unsurpassed in beauty, and she cared for the king and served him, but he had no relations with her.
At that time Adonijah, David’s son by Haggith, began to exalt himself, saying, “I will be king!” And he acquired chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never once reprimanded him by saying, “Why do you act this way?” Adonijah was also very handsome, born next after Absalom.)
So Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, who supported him. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s mighty men would not join Adonijah.
And Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened calves near the stone of Zoheleth, (literally, “the serpent’s stone) which is next to En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah who were servants of the king. But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, or his brother Solomon.
Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of Haggith has become king, and our lord David does not know it? Now please, come and let me advise you. Save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go at once to King David and say, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to your maidservant, “Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ Then, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words.”
So, Bathsheba went to see the king in his bedroom. Since the king was very old, Abishag the Shunammite was serving him. And Bathsheba bowed down in homage to the king, who asked, “What is your desire?”
“My lord,” she replied, “you yourself swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God: ‘Surely your son Solomon will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ But now, behold, Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, did not know it. And he has sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the other sons of the king, as well as Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army. But he did not invite your servant Solomon. And as for you, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are upon you to tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise, when my lord the king rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be counted as criminals.”
And just then, while Bathsheba was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. So, the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” And Nathan went before the king and bowed facedown to him.
“My lord the king,” said Nathan, “did you say, ‘Adonijah will reign after me, and he will sit on my throne’? For today he has gone down and sacrificed an abundance of oxen, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the sons of the king, the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the priest. And behold, they are eating and drinking before him, saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ But me your servant he did not invite, nor Zadok the priest, nor Benaiah son of Jehoiada, nor your servant Solomon. Has my lord the king let this happen without informing your servant who should sit on the throne after my lord the king?”
It’s difficult to keep track of David’s sons; however, if Absalom was born just after Amnon, then Adonijah is son #3. Adonijah is a spoiled brat; not once has David ever disciplined him for any reason. Although David has been a great king and military leader, he has failed as a father. Consider the facts: Amnon raped his half – sister, Tamar. Absalom assassinated Amnon and then fomented rebellion. Now both Amnon and Absalom are dead; in the natural scheme of things, Adonijah as the next son would be in line for the throne, and Adonijah is ready to seize this opportunity.
David is now in his seventies and his heart is failing, making it impossible for him to maintain his body temperature. The family employs Abishag, a lovely young maiden, to nurse David and to lie in the bed next to him to keep him warm. This relationship is completely asexual; Abishag is acting as a human heating pad. Adonijah makes a major mistake by assuming that his father is senile as well as in poor health and begins to pave the way for his usurpation of the throne.
Adonijah is following exactly in the steps of Absalom and has even enticed Joab the military commander, and Abiathar the priest to join him. Now, Joab has good reasons to be fed up with David. Not only has David put Joab in very difficult positions many times, but at one point, David attempted to oust Joab as head of the armies and put Amasa, a traitor, in Joab’s place. Joab has an eye to the main chance, and he figures that David may soon die. Even if Joab knows about David’s promise to Bathsheba, he may resent Bathsheba for having sex with David in the first place and for any part she has played in the death of her husband Uriah. Joab also may be a staunch traditionalist who believes in following the order of succession of sons.
The puzzler here is Abiathar. When Saul massacred the priests at Nob, Abiathar was the only one who escaped, and he immediately fled to David at the Cave of Adullam and became David’s high priest and counselor. But according to some sources, (The Jewish Encyclopedia) eventually the Holy Spirit left Abiathar, making it impossible for him to consult the Urim and Thummim. David appointed Zadok high priest in the place of Abiathar. So now David has his military commander and his former high priest both conspiring with his spoiled third son.
The site of Adonijah’s sacrifices is at En – Rogel, at the junction of the Hinnom and Kidron valleys, 500 meters south of the Old City of Jerusalem. Adonijah doesn’t dare enter the city quite yet; however, he is within easy walking distance. As Adonijah and his co – conspirators are feasting, Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan swiftly go to David, reminding him of his promise to make Bathsheba’s son Solomon king.
APPLICATION: The book of Proverbs tells us that “If you refuse to discipline your son, it proves you don’t love him; for if you love him, you will be prompt to punish him.” (The Living Bible) Unfortunately, David has made the same mistake as so many other busy important fathers; he has left the rearing of his sons to their mothers and has withheld correction. Adonijah may have grown up viewing David as some semi – mythical being who appears periodically to issue edicts and father more children and who then withdraws back into the throne room.
As a young man, Adonijah has absorbed all the palace gossip and frankly believes that David is a straw man who can easily be deposed. More than that, Adonijah has found willing co – conspirators in two disgruntled leaders, Joab and Abiathar. Apart from Solomon, Adonijah’s other brothers are also willing to enter into the conspiracy. Who knows what crumbs of power and wealth might be lying there for the taking when Adonijah makes his move? So Adonijah and his band of traitors weave their plans, unaware that Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan are aware of everything. Pure – hearted Zadok and Benaiah and the other mighty men have also been left out, a fatal mistake by Adonijah.
In the movie “The Lion King,” the little lion sings a song about “Oh, I just can’t wait to be king!” The song amply illustrates the fact that this youngster has no understanding whatsoever of what it means to be a compassionate and effective ruler. Were this young lion to gain power now, it would be a disaster. Adonijah is in a similar position.
Here is what C.S. Lewis said about kingship in The Chronicles of Narnia. “For this is what it means to be a king: to be first in every desperate attack and last in every desperate retreat, and when there’s hunger in the land (as must be now and then in bad years) to wear finer clothes and laugh louder over a scantier meal than any man in your land.” –C.S. Lewis, The Horse and His Boy in The Chronicles of Narnia (New York: HarperCollins, 1954/1994), 309-310.)
King David is prepared to fulfill those conditions of royalty while Adonijah is not. David might be old, but he is not senile, and his heart is pure. David has promised Bathsheba to make Solomon king. Now that is about to happen. Adonijah is headed for disaster because he has never learned self – discipline or self – sacrifice. All Adonijah knows is self – interest.
What can we learn from this sad story? Children need standards and when we refuse to teach them godly ones, the world will teach them something else. We can succeed in every other sphere of life, but if we fail to teach and discipline our children, we are unleashing untold evil on the world.
PRAYER: Father God, thank You for loving us and for caring for us. Lord, help all those of us who are parents in any fashion to teach our children, to guide our children, to discipline them, and to set good examples so that if they stray, they will have a standard to which to return. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.
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