seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
1 Kings 1:1 When King David was very old, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him. 2 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.”
3 Then they searched throughout Israel for a beautiful young woman and found Abishag, a Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The woman was very beautiful; she took care of the king and waited on him, but the king had no sexual relations with her.
5 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. 6 (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.)
7 Adonijah conferred with Joab son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they gave him their support. 8 But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei and David’s special guard did not join Adonijah.
9 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, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the special guard or his brother Solomon.
11 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? 12 Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. 13 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?’ 14 While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and add my word to what you have said.”
15 So Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his room, where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. 16 Bathsheba bowed down, prostrating herself before the king.
“What is it you want?” the king asked.
17 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.’ 18 But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. 19 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. 20 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. 21 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.”
22 While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived. 23 And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” So he went before the king and bowed with his face to the ground.
24 Nathan said, “Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? 25 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!’ 26 But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. 27 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?”
Here's the link to the commentary I use.Let her lie in your bosom, that our lord the king may be warm: This sounds strange — perhaps even immoral — to us, but this was proper of David to allow. This did not bring a moral cloud over the last days of David’s life.
He prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him: Adonijah had a good marketing campaign, and he knew how to present himself as king. He hoped that if he put forth the image of a king, he would become king in reality.
His father had not rebuked him at any time: Sadly, David did not do a very good job raising his own sons. David failed to restrain his passions in some areas of his life; his sons showed a much greater inability to restrain their passions. In part, this was because David did not discipline his own sons well.
He was also very good-looking: David was a handsome man and was attracted to beautiful women. It doesn’t surprise us that David’s children were very good-looking. This gave them an unfair and unfortunate advantage.
Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king: This is included to remind us of David’s limited capabilities as king. He needed the help of Bathsheba and Nathan brought to him in the following verses.
I and my son Solomon will be counted as offenders: Bathsheba began by telling David the facts about Adonijah’s actions. Then she used this tender appeal, reminding David that her life and the life of Solomon were in grave danger if Adonijah became the king.
Nathan the prophet came in: The last place we saw Nathan was in 2 Samuel 12, where he rebuked his friend David over the scandal with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah. Yet now, at the end of his days, David received Nathan; the sense is that he remained a trusted friend. David did not treat Nathan as an enemy when he confronted him with a painful truth.
Good morning! I skipped a couple chapters. David did some singing. The warriors who were loyal to David were named for their conquests. In chapter 21 one of David's mighty soldiers took on a guy who had six fingers and six toes. Before I knew it, I was in 1 Kings and David was old. Another of his pretty sons decided "pop's too old to do the job". [paraphrased]I also skipped the three choices God gave David in chapter 24 David up and decided to do a census, and find out how many able-bodied men he had, should he decide to go to war. God didn't order that census, and God didn't want people counted. According to "got questions" God only wanted a man to count himself. God wanted man to know he's responsible for his own actions, not the actions of others.
God gave David three choices, famine, war, or plague. David figured plague would be the easiest on the people. At the last minute, God told David to make a sacrifice on a threshing room floor... and that's what he did. Plague averted.
And now.... here I am in 1 Kings! And wouldn't you figure, David's boys are getting all big headed about who is going to take the throne.
David was so old he couldn't even stay warm. I guess he was wearing diapers by this time... not disposables though... they didn't make disposable diapers back then. Anyway, he was old and cold and his sons started acting up so someone had to do something.
Bathsheba went to Nathan. Bathsheba and Nathan went to David. Bathsheba and Nathan reminded David that he promised Solomon the throne.
Meanwhile, another of David's boys, Adonijah, was out killing the unblemished bull for a big "make me king" affair.
David was too old and cold to have another boy murdered in warfare.
The king was old and cold...
