Godly fathers-ungodly sons-32
King David only had 4 sons that were really mentioned in the Scriptures. He had many more sons, but these four were the only ones highlighted. It would appear that they all had different mothers and all tried to become king. Only Solomon would finally ascend to the throne. We have one more son before Solomon to study.
1 Kings 1:1 Now King David was old, advanced in age; and they covered him with clothes, but he could not keep warm. 1:2 So his servants said to him, "Let them seek a young virgin for my lord the king, and let her attend the king and become his nurse; and let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may keep warm." 1:3 So they searched for a beautiful girl throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 1:4 The girl was very beautiful; and she became the king's nurse and served him, but the king did not cohabit with her.
David was now approaching the age of 70 and was getting weaker by the day. He could no longer feel warm, which many aging people also attest. So what should they do? He has multiple wives and concubines, but none would do? So his servants search for a beautiful girl! If he only needed warmth, why did she have to be beautiful? This unique relationship was never consummated with sex.
1:5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, "I will be king." So he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen with fifty men to run before him. 1:6 His father had never crossed him at any time by asking, "Why have you done so?" And he was also a very handsome man, and he was born after Absalom.
We now meet Adonijah. David apparently was not a father who criticized his sons or even disciplined them. He never condemned Ammon, who raped Tamar. He never condemned Absalom who killed Ammon. He wept for Abaslom who tried to kill him.
1:7 He had conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest; and following Adonijah they helped him. 1:8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. 1:9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En-rogel; and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the men of Judah, the king's servants. 1:10 But he did not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the mighty men, and Solomon his brother.
He learned from his now dead older brothers. David was getting too old to notice or stop him. He planned this very carefully. He tried to get this all orchestrated before anyone could stop him.
1:11 Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, "Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? 1:12 "So now come, please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. 1:13 "Go at once to King David and say to him, 'Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne"? Why then has Adonijah become king?' 1:14 "Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words."
If you remember that Nathan was also the prophet that confronted David with his sin of killing Uriah. Now he sets an alternate plan in place using Bathsheba!
1Ki 1:15 So Bathsheba went in to the king in the bedroom. Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was ministering to the king. 1:16 Then Bathsheba bowed and prostrated herself before the king. And the king said, "What do you wish?" 1:17 She said to him, "My lord, you swore to your maidservant by the LORD your God, saying, 'Surely your son Solomon shall be king after me and he shall sit on my throne.' 1:18 "Now, behold, Adonijah is king; and now, my lord the king, you do not know it. 1:19 "He has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant. 1:20 "As for you now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. 1:21 "Otherwise it will come about, as soon as my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be considered offenders."
Kings will not risk having anyone who can displace him; Even if it is a brother. She begins in reminding David of his plans and promises. Then she gives him the bad news in regards to Adonijah.
1Ki 1:22 Behold, while she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet came in. 1:23 They told the king, saying, "Here is Nathan the prophet." And when he came in before the king, he prostrated himself before the king with his face to the ground. 1:24 Then Nathan said, "My lord the king, have you said, 'Adonijah shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne'? 1:25 "For he has gone down today and has sacrificed oxen and fatlings and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the king's sons and the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest, and behold, they are eating and drinking before him; and they say, 'Long live King Adonijah!' 1:26 "But me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and your servant Solomon, he has not invited.
Nathan arrives on cue and challenges David to act quickly and decisively. There is no time to waste.
1:27 "Has this thing been done by my lord the king, and you have not shown to your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?"
Nathan and Bathsheba knew the answer to this question, but continued in their veiled plea for David to act quickly. Why did they have to create this plan if they really believed that God had already ordained Solomon as the next King?
Could we fall into this same type of trap? We often state that we believe God is sovereign over the affairs of men, but sometimes we get impatient or overly concerned about other possible unfavorable outcomes.
More next Saturday.