Reflections on 1 Kings 1

1 Kings 01 (Contemporary English Version)

1. King David was now an old man, and he always felt cold, even under a lot of blankets.
   
2. His officials said, "Your Majesty, we will look for a young woman to take care of you. She can lie down beside you and keep you warm."
   
3. They looked everywhere in Israel until they found a very beautiful young woman named Abishag, who lived in the town of Shunem. They brought her to David, and she took care of him. But David did not have sex with her.
   
4. (SEE 1:3)
   
5. Adonijah was the son of David and Haggith. He was Absalom's younger brother and was very handsome. One day, Adonijah started bragging, "I'm going to make myself king!" So he got some chariots and horses, and he hired fifty men as bodyguards. David did not want to hurt his feelings, so he never asked Adonijah why he was doing these things.
   
6. (SEE 1:5)
   
7. Adonijah met with Joab the son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the priest and asked them if they would help him become king. Both of them agreed to help.
   
8. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David's bodyguards all refused.
   
9. Adonijah invited his brothers and David's officials from Judah to go with him to Crawling Rock near Rogel Spring, where he sacrificed some sheep, cattle, and fat calves.
   
10. But he did not invite Nathan, Benaiah, David's bodyguards, or his own brother Solomon.
    
11. When Nathan heard what had happened, he asked Bathsheba, Solomon's mother: Have you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has made himself king? But David doesn't know a thing about it.
    
12. You and your son Solomon will be killed, unless you do what I tell you.
    
13. Go say to David, "You promised me that Solomon would be the next king. So why is Adonijah now king?"
    
14. While you are still talking to David, I'll come in and tell him that everything you said is true.
    
15. Meanwhile, David was in his bedroom where Abishag was taking care of him because he was so old. Bathsheba went in
    
16. and bowed down. "What can I do for you?" David asked.
    
17. Bathsheba answered: Your Majesty, you promised me in the name of the LORD your God that my son Solomon would be the next king.
    
18. But Adonijah has already been made king, and you didn't know anything about it.
    
19. He sacrificed a lot of cattle, calves, and sheep. And he invited Abiathar the priest, Joab your army commander, and all your sons to be there, except Solomon, your loyal servant.
    
20. Your Majesty, everyone in Israel is waiting for you to announce who will be the next king.
    
21. If you don't, they will say that Solomon and I have rebelled. They will treat us like criminals and kill us as soon as you die.
    
22. Just then, Nathan the prophet arrived.
    
23. Someone told David that he was there, and Nathan came in. He bowed with his face to the ground
    
24. and said: Your Majesty, did you say that Adonijah would be king?
    
25. Earlier today, he sacrificed a lot of cattle, calves, and sheep. He invited the army commanders, Abiathar, and all your sons to be there. Right now they are eating and drinking and shouting, "Long live King Adonijah!"
    
26. But he didn't invite me or Zadok the priest or Benaiah or Solomon.
    
27. Did you say they could do this without telling the rest of us who would be the next king?
    
28. David said, "Tell Bathsheba to come here." She came and stood in front of him.
    
29. Then he said, "The living LORD God of Israel has kept me safe. And so today, I will keep the promise I made to you in his name: Solomon will be the next king!"
    
30. (SEE 1:29)
    
31. Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and said, "Your Majesty, I pray that you will live a long time!"
    
32. Then David said, "Tell Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah to come here." When they arrived,
    
33. he told them: Take along some of my officials and have Solomon ride my own mule to Gihon Spring.
    
34. When you get there, Zadok and Nathan will make Solomon the new king of Israel. Then after the ceremony is over, have someone blow a trumpet and tell everyone to shout, "Long live King Solomon!"
    
35. Bring him back here, and he will take my place as king. He is the one I have chosen to rule Israel and Judah.
    
36. Benaiah answered, "We will do it, Your Majesty. I pray that the LORD your God will let it happen.
    
37. The LORD has always watched over you, and I pray that he will now watch over Solomon. May the LORD help Solomon to be an even greater king than you."
    
38. Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah left and took along the two groups of David's special bodyguards. Solomon rode on David's mule as they led him to Gihon Spring.
    
39. Zadok the priest brought some olive oil from the sacred tent and poured it on Solomon's head to show that he was now king. A trumpet was blown and everyone shouted, "Long live King Solomon!"
    
40. Then they played flutes and celebrated as they followed Solomon back to Jerusalem. They made so much noise that the ground shook.
    
41. Adonijah and his guests had almost finished eating when they heard the noise. Joab also heard the trumpet and asked, "What's all that noise about in the city?"
    
42. Just then, Jonathan son of Abiathar came running up. "Come in," Adonijah said. "An important man like you must have some good news."
    
43. Jonathan answered: No, I don't! David has just announced that Solomon will be king.
    
44. Solomon rode David's own mule to Gihon Spring, and Zadok, Nathan, Benaiah, and David's special bodyguards went with him. When they got there, Zadok and Nathan made Solomon king. Then everyone celebrated all the way back to Jerusalem. That's the noise you hear in the city.
    
45. (SEE 1:44)
    
46. Solomon is now king.
    
47. And listen to this! David's officials told him, "We pray that your God will help Solomon to be an even greater king!" David was in his bed at the time, but he bowed
    
48. and prayed, "I praise you, LORD God of Israel. You have made my son Solomon king and have let me live to see it."
    
49. Adonijah's guests shook with fear when they heard this news, and they left as fast as they could.
    
50. Adonijah himself was afraid of what Solomon might do to him, so he ran to the sacred tent and grabbed hold of the corners of the altar for protection.
    
51. Someone told Solomon, "Adonijah is afraid of you and is holding onto the corners of the altar. He wants you to promise that you won't kill him."
    
52. Solomon answered, "If Adonijah doesn't cause any trouble, I won't hurt him. But if he does, I'll have him killed."
    
53. Then he sent someone to the altar to get Adonijah. After Adonijah came and bowed down, Solomon said, "Adonijah, go home."
    

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    1 Kings continues the history of Israel's kings from where 2 Samuel ends. At this point in time David had become feeble and bedridden. Since he died near the age of 70 he was evidently approaching that age at this time. This seems a rather early age at which to be so feeble, but scripture does not hint at anything other than age causing this condition. Even with blankets heaped on him he could not get warm. A beautiful young girl by the name of Abishag was found to attend to him and keep him warm at night.
    
    With it so apparent that death was approaching for David, his son, Adonijah, took matters into his own hands to assert himself as the succeeding king. Adonijah was probably the oldest living son of David and might normally have expected to succeed his father as king, but both God and David had chosen his younger brother, Solomon. (1 Chronicles 22:8-10)  It is not known if Adonijah was aware of this but he obviously thought that his only way to the throne was to take the initiative himself.
    
    As with David's sons, Absalom and Amnon, David's failure to discipline them played a role in Adonijah's behavior. Although Adonijah was "exalting himself, saying, 'I will be king!'" and assembling chariots and cavalry and men to run ahead of him, David "never once reprimanded him by saying, 'Why do you act this way?'" (1:5, 6) So Adonijah became bolder in his assertions and eventually conspired with Joab, David's former army commander, and Abiathar the priest, who had been David's advisor, to have a feast and proclaim himself king. He invited to this feast "all his royal brothers and all the men of Judah, the servants of the king." (1:9) The feast was held at En-rogel, one of two springs outside Jerusalem.
    
    Meanwhile, Nathan the prophet stepped up to head off placement of Adonijah on the throne. He knew that Solomon was to succeed his father as king and he knew that both Solomon and his mother, Bathsheba, were in danger if Adonijah were made king. So he went to Bathsheba and made her aware of Adonijah's actions and of the urgency of her acting quickly. She was to go to the king and make him aware of Adonijah's feast and remind David of his promise to make Solomon king. Then Nathan was to appear right behind her to confirm what she was saying.
    The plan worked, prompting David to action. He called for Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah his commander of the army. He instructed them to take the elite troops with them and have Solomon ride the king's own mule and go to Gihon, the other of the two springs outside Jerusalem. This gathering was about one-half mile from Adonijah's feast. The priest and prophet were to anoint Solomon king and blow the ram's horn officially announcing his anointing and then take him back to the palace to immediately assume the throne and his position as king.
    
    When these instructions were followed, those with Adonijah heard the ram's horn and commotion of the throng proclaiming Solomon as king and wondered what was happening. Soon, Jonathan, son of Abiathar the priest, arrived at Adonijah's feast and Adonijah assumed he came with good news. But Jonathan told him it was not good news and apprised the gathering of the anointing of Solomon and that he had already "taken his seat on the royal throne." (1:46) Adonijah's guests quickly "got up trembling and went their separate ways." (1:49) while Adonijah went to the tabernacle to take hold of the horns of the altar to seek asylum. All of them were at risk of execution for treason.
    
    Solomon proved to have his father's character and offered mercy to Adonijah promising not to harm him as long as no "evil is found in him." Otherwise he would die. (1:52)