May 29, 2013
Reading today from 1 Kings 1 and 2 along with Psalms 37, 71 and 94.
1 Kings 1 –
1 Kings opens with the search for a young woman whose body heat will warm the king. The servants political motivation is evident when Abishag is found from the village of Shunem – a nice union of north and south. Their plan is foiled when David is not intimate with her.
Adonijah is determined to get into the picture believing there is vacuum in leadership with David growing old. He Like Absolom before him he flaunts his royal desires to become king and gathers some followers to a feast. Nathan and Bathsheba conference and they agree for Bathsheba to go to the king and petition for Solomon to become king announcing that Adonijah has declared himself king, followed in agreement with Bathsheba Nathan enters and related the same story.
David give the order that Solomon is to become king with the anointing ceremony led by Nathan, Benaiah, and Zadok. Adonijah is tole of the news that Solomon is the king rather than him. Upon hearing this news he heads to that refuge in the horns of the altar that sets the stage for the confrontation between him and his brother Solomon.
During all this Solomon lifts not a finger nor has0 he spoken a word about this issue.
2 Kings –
David mentions Solomon’s wisdom during his speech to his heir to the throne. His speech has two parts:
- An injunction to walk in the ways of the law,
- On the other hand David could be offering some hard-earned advice since his life would have been easier if he had always walked in the way of the law.
David mentions Joab and he should be dealt with as with Barzillai, and Shimei. David breathes his last. Adonijah seems to harbor some additional desires for a wife and takes the risk of talking to Bathsheba. Solomon in meeting with Bathsheba takes the conversation to treasonous. Joab comes back into the picture by also grasping the horns of the altar for protection. It seems as though Joab is struck down near the altar and buried in the wilderness.
Asbury Chapel 