Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. So his attendants said to him, “Let us look for a young virgin to serve the king and take care of him. She can lie beside him so that our lord the king may keep warm.”
Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.
Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him. (His father had never rebuked him by asking, “Why do you behave as you do?” He was also very handsome and was born next after Absalom.)
Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.
Adonijah then sacrificed sheep, cattle and fattened calves at the Stone of Zoheleth near En Rogel. He invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.
Then Nathan asked Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go in to King David and say to him, ‘My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne”? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”
So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king.
“What is it you want?” the king asked.
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. He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”
While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? Today he has gone down and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now they are eating and drinking with him and saying, ‘Long live King Adonijah!’ But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?”
Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.
The king then took an oath: “As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out this very day 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.”
Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”
King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”
Benaiah son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so declare it. As the Lord was with my lord the king, so may he be with Solomon to make his throne even greater than the throne of my lord King David!”
So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon mount King David’s mule, and they escorted him to Gihon. Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.
Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”
Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”
“Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king. The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule, and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’”
At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed. But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’”
Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.”

• 1 Kings 1:53

When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son.
“I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.’
“Now you yourself know what Joab son of Zeruiah did to me—what he did to the two commanders of Israel’s armies, Abner son of Ner and Amasa son of Jether. He killed them, shedding their blood in peacetime as if in battle, and with that blood he stained the belt around his waist and the sandals on his feet. Deal with him according to your wisdom, but do not let his gray head go down to the grave in peace.
“But show kindness to the sons of Barzillai of Gilead and let them be among those who eat at your table. They stood by me when I fled from your brother Absalom.
“And remember, you have with you Shimei son of Gera, the Benjamite from Bahurim, who called down bitter curses on me the day I went to Mahanaim. When he came down to meet me at the Jordan, I swore to him by the Lord: ‘I will not put you to death by the sword.’ But now, do not consider him innocent. You are a man of wisdom; you will know what to do to him. Bring his gray head down to the grave in blood.”
Then David rested with his ancestors and was buried in the City of David. He had reigned forty years over Israel—seven years in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. So Solomon sat on the throne of his father David, and his rule was firmly established.
Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?”
He answered, “Yes, peacefully.” Then he added, “I have something to say to you.”
“You may say it,” she replied.
“As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.”
“You may make it,” she said.
So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.”
“Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.”
When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand.
“I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.”
The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.”
So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.”
King Solomon answered his mother, “Why do you request Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? You might as well request the kingdom for him—after all, he is my older brother—yes, for him and for Abiathar the priest and Joab son of Zeruiah!”
Then King Solomon swore by the Lord: “May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life for this request! And now, as surely as the Lord lives—he who has established me securely on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised—Adonijah shall be put to death today!” So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah and he died.
To Abiathar the priest the king said, “Go back to your fields in Anathoth. You deserve to die, but I will not put you to death now, because you carried the ark of the Sovereign Lord before my father David and shared all my father’s hardships. ”So Solomon removed Abiathar from the priesthood of the Lord, fulfilling the word the Lord had spoken at Shiloh about the house of Eli.
When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah though not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the Lord and took hold of the horns of the altar. King Solomon was told that Joab had fled to the tent of the Lord and was beside the altar. Then Solomon ordered Benaiah son of Jehoiada, “Go, strike him down!”
So Benaiah entered the tent of the Lord and said to Joab, “The king says, ‘Come out!’”
But he answered, “No, I will die here.”
Benaiah reported to the king, “This is how Joab answered me.”
Then the king commanded Benaiah, “Do as he says. Strike him down and bury him, and so clear me and my whole family of the guilt of the innocent blood that Joab shed. The Lord will repay him for the blood he shed, because without my father David knowing it he attacked two men and killed them with the sword. Both of them—Abner son of Ner, commander of Israel’s army, and Amasa son of Jether, commander of Judah’s army—were better men and more upright than he. May the guilt of their blood rest on the head of Joab and his descendants forever. But on David and his descendants, his house and his throne, may there be the Lord’s peace forever.”
So Benaiah son of Jehoiada went up and struck down Joab and killed him, and he was buried at his home out in the country. The king put Benaiah son of Jehoiada over the army in Joab’s position and replaced Abiathar with Zadok the priest.
Then the king sent for Shimei and said to him, “Build yourself a house in Jerusalem and live there, but do not go anywhere else. The day you leave and cross the Kidron Valley, you can be sure you will die; your blood will be on your own head.”
Shimei answered the king, “What you say is good. Your servant will do as my lord the king has said.” And Shimei stayed in Jerusalem for a long time.
But three years later, two of Shimei’s slaves ran off to Achish son of Maakah, king of Gath, and Shimei was told, “Your slaves are in Gath.” At this, he saddled his donkey and went to Achish at Gath in search of his slaves. So Shimei went away and brought the slaves back from Gath.
When Solomon was told that Shimei had gone from Jerusalem to Gath and had returned, the king summoned Shimei and said to him, “Did I not make you swear by the Lord and warn you, ‘On the day you leave to go anywhere else, you can be sure you will die’? At that time you said to me, ‘What you say is good. I will obey.’ Why then did you not keep your oath to the Lord and obey the command I gave you?”
The king also said to Shimei, “You know in your heart all the wrong you did to my father David. Now the Lord will repay you for your wrongdoing. But King Solomon will be blessed, and David’s throne will remain secure before the Lord forever.”
Then the king gave the order to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he went out and struck Shimei down and he died.
The kingdom was now established in Solomon’s hands.

• 1 Kings 2:1-46

Noted Biblical Scholars, Teachers, and Preachers Comments

1 Kings 1:2 ‘the king may be warm’: ”In his old age, circulatory problems plagued King David so he had trouble keeping warm. The royal staff proposed a solution that a young virgin nurse watch over him and, at night, warm him with her body heat. This was in harmony with the medical customs of that day; both the Jewish historian Josephus (first century A.D.) and the Greek physician Galen (second century A.D.) record such a practice.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:3 ‘Abishag the Shunammite’: “Abishag was a very beautiful teenager from the town of Shunem, in the territory of Issachar located 3 mi. N of Jezreel (Josh. 19:18; 1 Sam. 28:4; 2 Kin. 4:8). Though from the same town, she is not to be identified with the Shulamite in the Song of Solomon (6:13).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:5 ‘Adonijah’: ”Adonijah was the fourth son of David (2 Sam. 3:4) and probably the oldest living son, since Amnon (2 Sam. 13:28, 29) and Absalom (2 Sam. 18:14, 15) had been killed, and Chileab apparently died in his youth, since there is no mention of him beyond his birth. As David’s oldest surviving heir, Adonijah attempted to claim the kingship. chariots and horsemen. Like Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1), Adonijah sought to confirm and support his claim to kingship by raising a small army.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:7 ‘Joab’: “David’s nephew (1 Chr. 2:16), the commander of the army of Israel (2 Sam. 8:16) and a faithful supporter of David’s kingship (2 Sam. 18:2; 20:22). He was guilty of the illegal killings of Abner and Amasa (2:5; cf. 2 Sam. 3:39; 20:10). Adonijah wanted his support in his bid for the throne. Abiathar. One of the two High-Priests serving concurrently during David’s reign (2 Sam. 8:17), whose influence Adonijah sought.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:8 ‘Zadok’: “The other High-Priest serving during David’s reign (2 Sam. 8:17), whose descendants will serve the millennial temple (see Ezek. 44:15). He had been High-Priest in the tabernacle at Gibeon under Saul (1 Chr. 16:39). Benaiah. The commander of the Cherethites and Pelethites (v. 44), David’s official guards distinguished for bravery (see 2 Sam. 23:20). See … 1 Sam. 30:14. He was regarded by Joab as a rival. Nathan. The most influential prophet during David’s reign (2 Sam. 7:1–17; 12:1–15, 25). Shimei. Cf. 4:18. A different individual than the Shimei referred to in 2:8, 36–46; 2 Sam. 16:5–8. the mighty men. See 2 Sam. 23:8–39.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:11 ‘Bathsheba the mother of Solomon’: “The mothers of the kings of the Davidic line are continually noted (2:13, 19; 14:21; 15:2; 2 Kin. 8:26; 12:1; 14:2; 15:2, 33; 18:2; 21:1, 19; 22:1; 23:31, 36; 24:8). The queen mother held an influential position in the royal court. For the story of how David sinfully took her, see 2 Sam. 11.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:13 ‘Did you not … swear’: “This oath was given privately (unrecorded in Scripture) by David, perhaps to both Nathan and Bathsheba. Solomon’s choice by the Lord was implicit in his name Jedidiah, meaning ‘loved by the Lord’ (2 Sam. 12:24, 25) and explicit in David’s declaration to Solomon (1 Chr. 22:6–13). Cf. vv. 17, 20, 35.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:29 ‘the king took an oath’: “David swore another oath to carry out his earlier oath to make Solomon king, and he made good on it that very day.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:33 ‘my own mule’: “The riding of David’s royal mule showed Israel that Solomon was David’s chosen successor (see 2 Sam. 13:29). Gihon. This spring, which was Jerusalem’s main water supply (see translators’ note), was located about one-half mi. N of En Rogel (v. 9) and hidden from it by an intervening hill. Thus, the sound of Solomon’s anointing ceremony could have been heard without being seen by Adonijah’s party.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:41-49 ‘Adonijah … heard it’: “The loud shouts hailing Solomon as king reached the ears of those at Adonijah’s feast at En Rogel nearby. A messenger came with the full report of the coronation of Solomon, so that the cause of Adonijah was lost and the party ended with the people leaving in fear.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1:50 ‘horns of the altar’: “Cf. 2:28. The ‘horns’ were corner projections on the altar of burnt offering on which the priests smeared the blood of the sacrifices (Ex. 27:2; 29:12). By taking hold of the horns, Adonijah sought to place himself under the protection of God (see Ex. 21:13, 14).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 1 ‘True authority of God’: ”In chapter 1, we find King David upon the throne. His son, Solomon, is in line to succeed him as king. But one of David’s other sons, Adonijah, has different ideas. He is plotting rebellion in order to gain control of the throne even before his father dies. David, learning of this, acts to immediately place Solomon on the throne. So Solomon is anointed king while his father still lives.
“This symbolically suggests what the reigning authority in our lives should be. True authority comes as a gift from the hand of God. We cannot reign except as we are established by God. When we give ourselves to the authority of God, He brings every circumstance, every rebel, and every enemy under His control so that they cannot threaten our reign.“

• Ray C. Stedman, Adventuring Through the Bible

1 Kings 2:1 ‘he charged Solomon’: “Leaders typically exhorted their successors, e.g., Moses (Deut. 31:7, 8), Joshua (Josh. 23:1–6), and Samuel (1 Sam. 12:1–25). So also David gave Solomon a final exhortation.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 2:4 ‘His word’: “The unconditional Davidic Covenant was made by God with David in 2 Sam. 7:4–17 and confirmed to Solomon in 1 Kin. 9:5, promising the perpetuation of the Davidic dynasty over Israel. If your sons take heed to their way. David declared that the king’s obedience to the law of Moses was a necessary condition for the fulfillment of the divine promise. The book of Kings demonstrates that none of the descendants of David remained faithful to God’s law; none of them met the conditions for the fulfillment of the divine promise. Rather, David’s words provided a basis for explaining the Exile. Thus, the ultimate and final King of Israel would appear at a later, undesignated time.”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 2:5 ‘Abner … Amasa’: “These were victims of Joab’s jealousy and vengeance, who were killed after warfare had ceased (2 Sam. 3:27; 20:10), thus bringing Joab’s punishment as a murderer (Deut. 19:11–13).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 2:10 ‘David will not die.’: “A great, a mighty man was this David, son of Jesse the Bethlehemite.
“He had ten brothers, but almost nothing is heard of the ten; David alone arrests the pen of inspiration; only David is honored to write as he is moved by the Holy Spirit.
“How important a figure he was may be inferred from his refusal to die. David has been gone from the earth about three thousand years; three thousand times the earth has circled around the sun since he left us; three thousand times have the wild geese flown honking toward the south and returned again to the north with the returning spring. Empires have come into being, run their course and disappeared; thrones have toppled; kings have strutted their little day upon the stage of history and lain down at last to be forgotten or almost forgotten by the world. How many noted men during the long years have come and gone and left no more trace behind them than an arrow leaves when it passes through the air.
“Yet David will not die. He served his generation by the will of God and fell asleep, but asleep he has more power over men for good than a thousand religious doctors and bishops do awake. He will not allow oblivion to swallow him nor will he lie quiet with the ancients amid dust and mold. He was a simple shepherd but he stands to teach the learned; he lived an insular life among his own people, but his voice is heard today in almost every land and his pure songs are sung in half a thousand tongues. Scarcely will a church service be held next Sunday anywhere in the world but, unseen, David will direct the choir, and when the minister rises to preach God’s truth he will hardly sit down again until he has spoken of David or quoted from his inspired psalms.”

• A. W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God

1 Kings 2:17 ‘give me Abishag’: “In the ancient Near East, possession of the royal harem was a sign of kingship (cf. 2 Sam. 3:8; 12:8; 16:20–22). Adonijah’s request for Abishag was an attempt to support his claim to the kingship and perhaps generate a revolt to usurp the throne. Bathsheba didn’t see the treachery (vv. 18–21).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 2:22 ‘Ask for … the kingdom also’: “Solomon recognized Adonijah’s request as the prelude to his usurping of the throne. Because Adonijah’s request violated the terms of loyalty Solomon had previously specified (1:52), he pronounced a formal, legal death sentence on Adonijah (vv. 23, 24).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 2:28 ‘Joab fled to the tabernacle’: “Cf. 1:50. He knew he would have been killed already if he had not been so popular with the army. The altar provided no real sanctuary to the rebel and murderer (cf. Ex. 21:14).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 2:30 ‘issues to deal with’: “Solomon was to be the king after David, but his elder brother, Adonijah, was preferred by Joab, the captain of the army, and by Abiathar the priest. When Solomon came to the throne, Adonijah was afraid for his life and fled to the horns of the altar for shelter. Solomon provisionally forgave him until he began plotting again, and it became necessary for Solomon to strike a heavy blow. He determined to begin with Joab, the bottom of all the mischief. No sooner had the king determined this than Joab fled to the altar, which he had seldom approached before. He was an elderly man who had, thirty or more years before, committed two atrocious murders, and now they came home to him. As far as we can judge, he had shown little respect to religion during his lifetime. He was a rough man of war and cared little enough about God, the tabernacle, the priests, or the altar; but when he was in danger, he sought refuge in that which he had neglected. He is not the only man who has done this. But the altar was of no use to him. We may derive two lessons from this. The first is that outward ordinances are useless. Before the living God, who is greater and wiser than Solomon, it will be of no use to anyone to lay hold on the horns of the altar. But second, there is an altar-a spiritual altar-where if someone lays hold of the horns and says, ‘No, for I will die here,’ he will never die, but he will be safe against the sword of justice forever, for the Lord has appointed an altar in the person of his own dear Son, Jesus Christ, where there will be shelter for the vilest of sinners if they do but come and lay hold of it.”

• Charles H. Spurgeon, from sermon notes

1 Kings 2:31 ‘strike him down’: “Like Adonijah (1:50), Joab sought asylum at the altar (2:28). The protection of the Lord at the altar applied only to accidental crimes, not premeditated murder (Ex. 21:14), so Solomon ordered Benaiah to administer the violent death sought by David (2:6).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

1 Kings 2:45 ‘the throne of David’: “In contrast to Shimei’s curse (2 Sam. 16:5–8), the Lord’s blessing was to come through the ruler of David’s, not Saul’s, line (cf. 2 Sam. 7:12, 13, 16).”

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

There is a lot in these two chapters.  To start with, David Ettinger wrote a wonderful post on The Last Woman in David’s Life.  You can use the link HERE.  They probably did not have hot water bottles in those days, and from the historians of the first and second century AD, this practice was widespread in those days.  Rev. MacArthur says that David had circulatory issues.  This could explain the body being cold and the inability to react in a manly way to a beautiful woman in bed with you.  Abishag was there for body warmth only.  When David died, she was still a virgin, but she was sent to be with the other concubines since she had “slept with” the king.

Then the narrative turns to Adonijah, the fourth son of David.  He sets himself up as king and he gets the support of Joab, the commander of the army, and Abiathar, the priest.  Zadok, the other priest, and a few others did not join Adonijah.

Note:  Amnon was the firstborn son, who was murdered by men under the orders of Absalom, the third born son.  The fourth born son was Adonijah.  It says that his father had never rebuked him and he was very handsome.  Other than being named as the second born son in 2 Samuel 3 (Kileab or Chileab) and 1 Chronicles 3 (Daniel), the son of Abigail is never mentioned.  Rev. MacArthur states that he probably died as a child.  Yet, it is hard to surmise what really happened when there is no mention after the birth.  He could have been the only one of David’s sons who was not power-hungry.  Abigail, whose story intrigues me, is not mentioned either.  The Abigail that was the mother of Amasa, once the commander of the army until murdered by Joab (his cousin), was David’s sister.

When Adonijah set up to commemorate his kingship by offering a variety of livestock, he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Zadok the priest (not mentioned until Nathan repeats what is happening to David), Benaiah the warrior, Solomon, and the royal guard of king David.

Nathan went to Bathsheba to propose a plan to save her life and that of Solomon.  Bathsheba, in turn, goes to the king who is being attended by Abishag (both nurse by day and body warmth at night).  Bathsheba tells David what has happened and is happening.  She ends her news with once David has passed, she and Solomon will be treated as criminals.  She reminds David of the promise and oath that Solomon would become king.  This oath is not recorded, but David repeats the oath here with Bathsheba and Nathan in attendance.

As God’s providence would have it, King David had all he needed from the key personnel that Adonijah had not invited.  David had Zadok and Nathan anoint Solomon.  The trumpet would be blown and everyone in attendance would shout “Long Live King Solomon.”  The ground shook from the noise.

Adonijah heard the commotion.  Jonathan, Abiathar’s son reported that this was not good news, and said what was going on.  Solomon has been anointed the king of Gihon.  Gihon is one of the four rivers that came forth from the Garden of Eden, and it is the name of the spring that supplied most of the water to Jerusalem.  This is the spring that Hezekiah would build a tunnel so that the city’s water supply was more secure.  And Jonathan also reported that Solomon had been placed on David’s own mule and presented to the people.  Even the king, David, had bowed from his bed, praising God that he had seen his successor reign.  Instead of defending Adonijah, his guests deserted him.

Adonijah went to the horns of the altar for sanctuary.  When Solomon is told of this, he said to take Adonijah down.  If he is found worthy, he will live.  If he is found with any evil in him, he will die.

In this first chapter, we see two bold and wise women, Bathsheba and Abishag.  Abishag does her duty, and Bathsheba fights for her life and that of her son Solomon.

First Kings 2 starts with David’s charge to Solomon.  He speaks of the Davidic Covenant and how Solomon and the following generations must worship the Lord and Him only.  If not, the kingdom will be taken from them.

Then the charge shifts, David reminds Solomon that Joab had killed many in combat, but the deaths of Abner and Amasa were murder and Joab had to be punished.

The sons of Barzillai must eat at the king’s table for the kindness Barzillai had given David when he went into exile during Absalom’s revolt.  But while on that subject Shimei had hurled curses at David and David said he would not kill Shimei by the sword.  But in each of these cases, Solomon must use his wisdom to deal with the problems of Joab and Shimei.

David passed away and went to be with his ancestors.  He was buried in Jerusalem.

Solomon honored his mother by establishing a throne for her.  She had her son’s ear.  This is much like many kingdom’s today where the wife of the king who has passed away becomes the Queen Mother, and is so honored.

Adonijah does not go to Solomon directly, but he asks Bathsheba to ask Solomon if he can have Abishag as his wife.  She was a virgin, and very beautiful.  When she relays this request to Solomon, her wisdom, I think, is that of a woman.  Abishag is with the other concubines, never to have known a man, never to have given birth to a child.  She would live in luxury, but is that enough to be her divine purpose?

Solomon asks her if he should give Adonijah the kingdom also.  Sleeping with a woman who had slept with the king was a power symbol in the world of that day.  Remember that Absalom slept with all of David’s concubines in “full view” of all Israel.  After Saul was killed and all the tribes except Judah had established Ishbosheth, Saul’s remaining son, as king, Abner, Ishbosheth’s commander of his army, slept with Rizpah, Saul’s concubine who later chased the wild animals and birds away from her sons who had been placed on poles to symbolize the treachery of Saul against the Gibeonites.  If Ishbosheth was unworthy, Abner had the symbol of authority (2 Sam. 3:7).  And it might not fit, but Reuben slept with Zilpah (Gen. 35:22).  Israel was not a king, but Reuben, the firstborn son, may have been claiming his right to succeed his father.

Solomon saw through this ruse.  He had said that if any evil was found in Adonijah, he would die.  Solomon turned to Benaiah who killed Adonijah.  Since Abiathar had supported Adonijah, Solomon told Abiathar to return to his fields at Anathoth.  His duties as priest had come to an end.  He would have put Abiathar to death, but Abiathar had carried the Ark of the Lord in David’s presence.  This finally fulfilled the prophecy against Eli and his lineage of the priesthood.

When Joab heard of this, he did as Adonijah had done, he went to the tabernacle and sought sanctuary at the horns of the altar.  Benaiah reported back to Solomon and Solomon told Benaiah to finish his assigned task of killing Joab for the murders he had performed.  Benaiah did as Solomon commanded.  Joab was killed for the murders of Abner and Amasa, and Benaiah did not do as Joab had done regarding Absalom, Benaiah carried out the orders of his king. And note that Abishai, commander of the Three, who wished to kill Shimei by the sword as Shimei hurled insults at David is not mentioned after this point in history. Abishai was Joab’s brother.

Then, Solomon called for Shimei.  Shimei had slaves who had run away to Gath.  Shimei retrieved his slaves and returned to Jerusalem.  This was a normal practice, but Shimei had been told by David not to ever leave Jerusalem.  Solomon had Benaiah to strike him down.  Thus, Shimei, who had cursed David died in a pool, of his own blood just as David had requested in his final charge to Solomon.

And all of this, even per David’s charge was with Solomon using his wisdom.  I have heard many preach on how Solomon had to already be extremely wise to ask God for wisdom, but he was wise already.  He saw through Adonijah’s ruse.  He went against his mother’s request who saw a woman who was a faithful servant of the king remaining a virgin, never having a child, which in those days was the sign that the woman was blessed.  I do not fault Bathsheba, from her view, she was showing love to Abishag.  But Solomon saw Adonijah’s long-range plan.  And he saw what seemed to be a harmless error on Shimei’s part, but that error was the breaking of an oath made to the king.

This solidified Solomon’s reign as king of Israel.

Note that new successor’s to the throne in many nations and empires of that time would kill their siblings to strengthen their hold on the nation or empire.  This was done in the Ottoman Empire as late as the eighteenth century.  But Solomon only had those who exhibited rebellion and a lack of respect for Solomon being king.  If he had killed his brothers, one of them was Nathan who would be an ancestor of Mary, mother of Jesus.  Solomon did what was necessary to firmly establish himself as king and nothing more.

Some Serendipitous Reflections

I Kings 1:1-27 Adonijah Sets Himself Up as King 1. In what ways do you feel more vulnerable now than five years ago? What bothers you most about aging: (a) Declining health? (b) Loss of youth? (c) Loss of friends and relations? (d) The inevitability of death? (e) Slow narrowing of options and possibilities? Other: ____?
“2. How competitive are you? Would you run over people in order to win? Walk over them? Ask them to kindly step aside? What ambition have you yet to fulfill?
“3. On a scale of 1 to 10, rate your need to control: ‘I don’t want any surprises’ (=1) to ‘Tell me what to do, please!’ (=10). Do you try to control things directly, or do you sway people indirectly?
“4. Do you have a brother or sister who can’t stand you? What happened? Is reconciliation possible? Desirable?
“5. In what way do you need to ‘set your eyes upon your King’ for direction at this point in your life?
1 Kings 1:28-52 David Makes Solomon King 1. Is the Lord ‘with’ you in ways you can feel and know? Do you need more of that kind of ‘withness’? Why or why not?
“2. When you see a schemer at work, do you step in and get involved? Or keep quiet and mind you own business? Why?
“3. Are there any distant rumbles (worrisome rumors, political maneuvering) which are causing you concern? Can the group help?
“4. In your family, are you the eldest child, the youngest or in any other way ‘favored’ by your parents? How did your parents fairness (or lack of it) affect you?
1 Kings 2:1-12 David’s Charge to Solomon 1. Do you find it hard to ‘forgive and forget’? Do you hold grudges? How does the desire for vengeance, even if justified, affect your life?
“2. What factions do you find at your church? Are political games played? Does unity mean conformity?
1 Kings 2:13-46 Solomon’s Throne Established 1. Solomon acts with traditional wisdom in the affairs of state: ‘Do unto others before they do unto you.’ Do you like this unflattering but popular motto? Is it unreasonable to protect yourself? What should the Christian motto be?
“2. In your requests of God, can you ever ask too much of him? What guidelines can keep your ambitions in check?
“3. Many modern governments still use the tactics of assassination, cruel and inhumane punishment and sentencing without trial. This is not an ideal state of affairs, nor does it support the notion that modern society has improved in -the past few centuries. In what sense can it be said mankind is making progress in human rights? In what sense are we no further advanced than the ancient Israelites?
“4. In what instances are you too soft on ‘enemies’? Too mealy-mouthed on important decisions? Too hopeful of pleasing everyone and offending no one?”

• Lyman Coleman, et al, The NIV Serendipity Bible for Study Groups

First Kings 1 and 2 each have two sets of questions as noted.

Substitute whatever group for any reference to a small group or ask who could come to your aid.

If you like these Thursday morning Bible studies, but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Thursday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.