Has their been a time in your life when you witnessed a powerful person make a premature claim to the throne? If you follow US politics, there is a chance that you may see that play out relatively soon. If you follow the kings of the Bible, you’ll know it did happen! Let it never be said the Bible isn’t relevant today….
It helps to remind us where Israel is at as a country. They are still a fairly new nation, having just finished battle after battle to establish their land. Only two kings deep, the Biblical record shows that the second anointed king’s throne had already been threatened twice by claims to power (one was his very own son).
God anoints the King…
God made it clear to Saul that he would be made the first anointed king. So too, God made it clear to David that he would be the next anointed king. Furthermore, God made it clear to David that his son, Solomon, would be his successor as king.
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A place of power is sought after by many. It brings about a fierce desire to do anything to keep or get it. Look at the commander of David’s army, Joab… he wanted to retain his position and kept all threats away, even if it meant he had to kill them.
Or, a bit more personal to David was the threat to the throne by Ish-Bosheth, Saul’s son. In other countries, the kings passed on the throne within their families. Ish-Bosheth (along with his commander Abner) tried to trump God’s anointed with his own for power. Again, we see another time when the claim to the throne attempted to prevail over God’s anointed kingship: Absalom (David’s son) planned a revolution to overthrow David and become king.
Reviewing typical Israelite culture, the firstborn son held great status within a family. They were the recipients of the birthright and the blessing. So, too, it would be assumed, that they would be the first in line for the throne of their father. Yet, in both of the first two kings, neither king had their first-born son anointed by God as their successor.
David’s Sons…
We were already introduced to some of David’s sons, but to understand the anomaly of Solomon being chosen, it may help to break it down.
- Amnon: Raped his sister, murdered by his brother, Absalom.
- Daniel: Not much is known about him.
- Absalom: He attempted to overthrow his Dad and become king; he died unnaturally and undignified as his head became stuck in a tree and he hung to death during the battle that was to secure his claim to the throne.
- Adonijah: He wanted power and tried to take over the throne.
- Shephatiah: Not much is known about him.
- Ithream: Not much is known about him.
David’s first 6 sons were from his wives Ahinoam, Abigail, Maakah, Haggith, Abital, and Eglah. Then Bathsheba enters the picture and we know from 2 Samuel 12:15-19, her firstborn with David dies at 7 days old (he likely remained nameless as it was typical to name a child when they entered the Abrahamic covenant at their circumcision on day 8). She has four sons listed in the Bible in non-chronological order (Shammua, Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon), but we know from 2 Samuel 12:24-25 that her second-born son was Solomon.
We see David’s first 6 sons and can immediately pick out those who died, but that’s where it gets interesting. We don’t know about Daniel other than that his mother was Abigail (who helped spare bloodshed by quick thinking and acting wisely), yet God did not choose him. The next in line, we would assume, would be Adonijah.
However, God chose Solomon: his 7th son, the second of Bathsheba, the son whose name meant “peace”, and the son who was born to David after he truly repented to the Lord for his sins.
The coup d’etat…
David already faced murderous threats before he was king by King Saul, David’s own men wanted to kill him, endured a challenge to his throne by King Saul’s son, and an attempted revolution by his own son to overthrow him. What next, right?!
The coup d’etat.
Adonijah, like Saul, looked like a king with handsome features. He decided for himself that he would be the next king. Since Absalom had attempted to gain control, he naturally, was next in line. The current king, his Dad, was still alive and had not appointed a successor yet.
Was it clear to Adonijah that Solomon was going to be the next king? While we do not want to speculate, we can infer from 1 Kings 1:10, 11, 19, 21, 26 that it was a purposeful choice to not include Solomon in Adonijah’s self-acclaimed celebrations for his premature claim to the throne. As was typical of those days, a new king would secure his position by killing off all potential threats to the throne as well as take over the King’s harem of women. It was clear to Nathan and Bathsheba that this was intentional.
Adonijah prepares his own huge party with specifically selected guests, without informing David of his plans. Take note who follows the potential power seat: Joab, of course!
The attempted power grab fails after David is informed. He officially anoints Solomon, parades him through the city, and sits him on the throne. The noise from this was so loud that Adonijah’s guests could hear it outside the city; they were in En Rogel, located south of Jerusalem in the Kidron Valley.
Premature claim to the throne…
As always, we see God’s hand ruling over everything even when situations seem bleak. Adonijah did not get away with his premature claim to the throne because he was not God’s anointed. God had other plans and no one can ever thwart or usurp it.
Adonijah ended up trying again to stake a claim at kingship through control of the King’s harem, but failed in his coy plan. His failure cost him his life as he proved utterly untrustworthy and devious.
God was taken out of the picture…
God was taken out of Adonijah’s picture. Of course He really wasn’t, He already knew what was going to happen, even the naming of Solomon portrayed this. The name Solomon is “peace”; and the name God gave him was Jedidiah, meaning “loved by the Lord”.
David’s life was spent securing the Israelite nations through wars and battles. It was not his duty to build the temple of God, though he wanted to. First things first, his role was to prepare the setting so Solomon could oversee the building. Solomon was granted a time of peace, in which the temple of God was built (as well as a palace for himself).
No matter what way your nation turns, your prayers can remain steady. You can continue to pray for your leaders’ hearts to turn to Him (or remain on Him), for your people/land to see His glory, for His name to be glorified through it, for justice to occur for the wicked and deceitful through God’s powerful hand, for His name to be revered through that, and to relinquish all desire for retribution leaving it fully in God’s hands.
It matters not if there is a premature claim to the throne; if it is not in God’s plans then the situation will be corrected. If it is, then that person will remain in power. Either way, we can take great comfort in God’s sovereign power that He knows and has this all under His control. God will NEVER be taken out of the picture!
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David’s situation is always a cautionary tale of waiting for God’s timing.