June 30, 2025

Lessons From The Life of Solomon
1 Kings 1 (HCSB)
David’s Last Days
1 Now King David was old and getting on in years.
Although they covered him with bedclothes, he
could not get warm. 2 So his servants said to him:
“Let us search for a young virgin for my lord the
king. She is to attend the king and be his caregiver.
She is to lie by your side so that my lord the king
will get warm.” 3 They searched for a beautiful girl
throughout the territory of Israel; they found
Abishag the Shunammite and brought her to the
king. 4 The girl was of unsurpassed beauty, and she
became the king’s caregiver. She served him, but
he was not intimate with her.
Adonijah’s Bid for Power
5 Adonijah son of Haggith kept exalting himself,
saying, “I will be king!” He prepared chariots,
cavalry, and 50 men to run ahead of him 6 But his
father had never once reprimanded him by saying,
“Why do you act this way?” In addition, he was quite
handsome and was born after Absalom. 7 He
conspired with Joab son of Zeruiah and with
Abiathar the priest. They supported Adonijah, 8 but
Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, Nathan
the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s warriors did
not side with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened
cattle near the stone of Zoheleth, which is next to
En-rogel. He invited all his royal brothers and all the
men of Judah, the servants of the king, 10 but he did
not invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the warriors,
or his brother Solomon.
Nathan’s and Bathsheba’s Appeals
11 Then Nathan said to Bathsheba, Solomon’s
mother, “Have you not heard that Adonijah son of
Haggith has become king and our lord David does
not know it? 12 Now please come and let me advise
you. Save your life and the life of your son Solomon.
13 Go, approach King David and say to him, ‘My lord
the king, did you not swear to your servant: Your
son Solomon is to become king after me, and he is
the one who is to sit on my throne? So why has
Adonijah become king?’ 14 At that moment, while
you are still there speaking with the king, I’ll come in
after you and confirm your words.”
15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his bedroom.
Since the king was very old, Abishag the
Shunammite was serving him. 16 Bathsheba bowed
down and paid homage to the king, and he asked,
“What do you want?”
17 She replied, “My lord, you swore to your servant
by the Lord your God, ‘Your son Solomon is to
become king after me, and he is the one who is to
sit on my throne.’ 18 Now look, Adonijah has
become king. And, my lord the king, you didn’t know
it. 19 He has lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle,
and sheep. He invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar
the priest, and Joab the commander of the army,
but he did not invite your servant Solomon. 20 Now,
my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you to
tell them who will sit on the throne of my lord the
king after him. 21 Otherwise, when my lord the king
rests with his fathers, I and my son Solomon will be
regarded as criminals.”
22 At that moment, while she was still speaking with
the king, Nathan the prophet arrived, 23 and it was
announced to the king, “Nathan the prophet is here.”
He came into the king’s presence and bowed to him
with his face to the ground.
24 “My lord the king,” Nathan said, “did you say,
‘Adonijah is to become king after me, and he is the
one who is to sit on my throne’? 25 For today he
went down and lavishly sacrificed oxen, fattened
cattle, and sheep. He invited all the sons of the king,
the commanders of the army, and Abiathar the
priest. And look! They’re eating and drinking in his
presence, and they’re saying, ‘Long live King
Adonijah!’
26 But he did not invite me—me, your servant—or
Zadok the priest or Benaiah son of Jehoiada or your
servant Solomon. 27 I’m certain my lord the king
would not have let this happen without letting your
servant know who will sit on my lord the king’s
throne after him.”
Solomon Confirmed King
28 King David responded by saying, “Call in
Bathsheba for me.” So she came into the king’s
presence and stood before him. 29 The king swore
an oath and said, “As the Lord lives, who has
redeemed my life from every difficulty, 30 just as I
swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: Your son
Solomon is to become king after me, and he is the
one who is to sit on my throne in my place, that is
exactly what I will do this very day.”
31 Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground,
paying homage to the king, and said, “May my lord
King David live forever!” 32 King David then said,
“Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and
Benaiah son of Jehoiada for me.” So they came into
the king’s presence. 33 The king said to them, “Take
my servants with you, have my son Solomon ride
on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. 34
There, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet are
to anoint him as king over Israel. You are to blow
the ram’s horn and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ 35
You are to come up after him, and he is to come in
and sit on my throne. He is the one who is to
become king in my place; he is the one I have
commanded to be ruler over Israel and Judah.”
36 “Amen,” Benaiah son of Jehoiada replied to the
king. “May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, so
affirm it. 37 Just as the Lord was with my lord the
king, so may He be with Solomon and make his
throne greater than the throne of my lord King
David.” 38 Then Zadok the priest, Nathan the
prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites,
and the Pelethites went down, had Solomon ride on
King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 Zadok
the priest took the horn of oil from the tabernacle
and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the ram’s
horn, and all the people proclaimed, “Long live King
Solomon!” 40 All the people followed him, playing
flutes and rejoicing with such a great joy that the
earth split open from the sound.
Adonijah Hears of Solomon’s Coronation
41 Adonijah and all the invited guests who were with
him heard the noise as they finished eating. Joab
heard the sound of the ram’s horn and said, “Why is
the town in such an uproar?” 42 He was still
speaking when Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest,
suddenly arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in, for you
are an excellent man, and you must be bringing
good news.”
43 “Unfortunately not,” Jonathan answered him. “Our
lord King David has made Solomon king. 44 And
with Solomon, the king has sent Zadok the priest,
Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the
Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have had
him ride on the king’s mule. 45 Zadok the priest and
Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in
Gihon. They have gone from there rejoicing. The
town has been in an uproar; that’s the noise you
heard. 46 Solomon has even taken his seat on the
royal throne.
47 “The king’s servants have also gone to
congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your
God make the name of Solomon more well known
than your name, and may He make his throne
greater than your throne.’ Then the king bowed in
worship on his bed. 48 And the king went on to say
this: ‘May the Lord God of Israel be praised! Today
He has provided one to sit on my throne, and I am a
witness.’”
49 Then all of Adonijah’s guests got up trembling
and went their separate ways. 50 Adonijah was
afraid of Solomon, so he got up and went to take
hold of the horns of the altar.
51 It was reported to Solomon: “Look, Adonijah fears
King Solomon, and he has taken hold of the horns
of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear to
me that he will not kill his servant with the sword.’”
52 Then Solomon said, “If he is a man of character,
not a single hair of his will fall to the ground, but if
evil is found in him, he dies.” 53 So King Solomon
sent for him, and they took him down from the altar.
He came and paid homage to King Solomon, and
Solomon said to him, “Go to your home.”

Don Steele
David is at the end of his life and it is time to pick his
successor. We know that God had already chosen
Soloman (1 Chronicles 2:8-10), but Adonijah was
technically next in line since he was the oldest son
capable of taking the throne. He assumed that it
belonged to him. It also says that his father (David)
never once reprimanded him. In my opinion, I think
that was put in there to remind us parents not to let
our kids run wild. It even happened to King David.
But the main thing in this chapter, in my mind, is the
fact that Soloman had people working on his behalf.
He isn’t directly involved in most of this chapter. It
tells me that we, as Christians, need to be looking
after each other. I know that it is very humbling when I
learn that during a difficult time, someone has been
praying for me and I didn’t even know it. Especially
when it is someone that I didn’t really know. It’s
always a good thing to know that you are never alone
in any situation. God is with you and He will send the
people you need at the time you need them. In the
end, Adonijah was left alone and afraid. This is what
can happen when we try to do things on our own
without God.