1 Kings 1 looks at another of David’s sons (Adonijah) who decided to take matters into his own hands and proclaim himself king. Adonijah seems to us to be arrogant and worldly, looking at the idea of hereditary rule from a purely selfish point of view, a fact that the writer seems to think is partly because David has not disciplined him enough as a parent (1 Kings 1:6) The balance between love and discipline, encouragement and rebuke, is not easy; parents can easily embitter or exasperate their children, causing them to become discouraged and disillusioned, but as Hebrews 12:5-11 reminds us, discipline and training are necessary if we are to be trained in righteousness and holiness. Adonijah clearly felt entitled to become king and rallied around him those who could support him (Joab and Abiathar, the priest), but others (Zadok, Benaiah, Nathan the prophet and others) remained loyal to David. Nathan and Bathsheba made David aware of this potential coup, and David – despite being old and frail – acted decisively to make Solomon king, as commanded by God.
This long chapter reminds us of many important principles:
- God’s word takes precedence over human ways (we may not understand why God chose Solomon to be David’s successor, but we cannot argue with God and win!)
- Character matters (and Adonijah’s good looks could not compensate for his arrogance and selfishness)
- People tend to be fickle (Adonijah’s supporters soon melted away when they heard David had crowned Solomon). Loyalty (such as that shown by Zadok and others) is to be prized dearly.
- We need to keep our promises! David did what he had promised as commanded by God. God is faithful in keeping His promises to us (Heb 10:23), and we should be faithful to keep our promises and fulfil our vows too.