The
two Books of Kings (1 Kings and 2 Kings) follow the leaders of Israel
after King David. Together they show us how God honored His promise
to Abraham through his descendents. Each successive king accepted
God’s commandments and received His blessings or they rejected His
ways and lead the nation into rebellion. The familiar lessons of
futility reflect the pattern we can see in our own life. We simply
cannot be good enough on our own. As Israel continued to spiral
toward defeat by the enemy, we are reminded of our individual need
for the Savior. Only by the perfect obedience of Christ can God’s
Law be fulfilled and our victory over the enemy be assured.
1
Kings chapter 1 begins, “King
David was old and well advanced in years“.
David was no longer able to attend to the nation and we are told,
“Now
Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith (he
was born next after Absalom) said,
“I will be king”. Adonijah conferred with Joab son of
Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their
support“.
He assumed he was the rightful heir to the throne and he began to
prepare. “Adonijah
then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened… He invited all his
brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah who were royal
officials, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the
special guard or his brother Solomon“.
Noting who was NOT invited tells us his intentions are not
completely honorable. I am reminded that in our business dealings,
our personal integrity reflects on the God we serve. What does your
professional life say about your God?
After
hearing about Adonijah, Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his
room. She said to him, “My
lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God:
‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my
throne.’ But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king,
do not know about it“.
King David reiterated his promise: “As
surely as the Lord lives… I will surely carry out today what I
swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall
be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place“.
The king set the plan in motion so quickly that the banquet feast of
Adonijah was still going on. The messenger announced to all in
attendance: “Our
lord King David has made Solomon king… Nathan the prophet have
anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering,
and the city resounds with it… Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat
on the royal throne“.
Suddenly everyone there knew they had made a deadly mistake.
Traditionally the new king would kill all of those in opposition to
avoid any challenge. “At
this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed“.
Solomon extended mercy even to Adonijah, “If
he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall
to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die“.
Are you tired of your spiritual uncertainty? Rest in this; “a
man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be
justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by
the works of the law no flesh shall be justified“.
(Galatians 2:16)