Why You Need to Die to Self (1 Kings 1 - 2; 1 Chronicles 23 - 29)

A Few Thoughts to Consider

Have you ever tried to lift yourself up in the eyes of others, only to see it end in disaster?

Such was the story of Adonijah. Before we get there, we should note that the first four verses of 1 Kings 1 appear very strange. David takes a young girl named Abishag, the Shunammite in his old age, to care for him and keep him warm. This arrangement, according to the text, did not include sexual relations, as it states that the king knew her not.

In the cultural and historical context of David's time, kings often had multiple wives and concubines, and their actions were sometimes described without moral judgment. Abishag's role appears to be more about serving a practical need for warmth and care in David's declining years rather than forming a relationship that would have been considered sinful under the law. Therefore, the biblical text does not frame the arrangement with Abishag as a sin on David's part. As Iain Provan notes, “A number of factors combine to imply that the importance of the Abishag incident lies in its indication to the watching court (and to Adonijah in particular) that David has lost his virility and thus his ability to govern.”^[1] David is vulnerable, and now Adonijah will seek to take advantage.

1 Kings 1:5-6 says,

⁵“Adonijah son of Haggith kept exalting himself, saying, ‘I will be king!’ He prepared chariots, cavalry, and fifty men to run ahead of him. ⁶ But his father had never once infuriated him by asking, ‘Why did you do that?’ In addition, he was quite handsome and was born after Absalom.”

There are several points to note. First, Adonijah’s obvious self-exaltation. He wants to be king. Second, King David’s apparent apathy as a father—a repetitive theme in his life. And third, there is a direct connection between Adonijah and Absalom. As Provan notes, “In associating Adonijah so clearly with his brother, the authors have already hinted to us that this son, too, is heading for disaster.”^[2]

Over the following two chapters, Adonijah does his best to connive and manipulate his way to the top and take the throne David promised Solomon. However, his bid for power was foiled when David, informed by Nathan the prophet and Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, quickly anointed Solomon as his successor, thus reaffirming Solomon's right to the throne.

Still, Adonijah doesn’t stop. Despite the fact that Solomon spares his life when other kings would have put him to death, Adonijah comes to David’s now widow, Bathsheba, in 1 Kings 2:17 and says, “Please speak to King Solomon since he won’t turn you down. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as a wife.” Bathsheba agrees, but Solomon instantly sees through Adonijah’s plot and realizes it is likely motivated by political ambition.