1 Kings 1:11–31

On the day this great danger threatened Israel, nothing had been done to guard against it (vv. 11-31). The king, weakened by age and confined to his palace, "knew not" what was happening. Thankfully, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not allow the plans of the usurper to succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom. You may be sure of this: in the Word of God we will always find the means to glorify Christ and to be kept safe from the enemy's traps.

Everyone in the house of David and in the land of Israel knew this. God chose David from among his brothers, and He was also pleased to appoint Solomon to the throne of Israel... Adonijah's sin was not just ambition. It was not even simply rebellion against the king, against David. It was rebellion against Jehovah. It was a direct act of setting himself against the declared and revealed purpose of God.

When Adonijah made the bold move of proclaiming himself king, Nathan the prophet took a wise course. He advised Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, to tell David at once what Adonijah had done. Adonijah had proclaimed himself king, even though David had sworn to Bathsheba that Solomon would reign (vs.11-13). Then Nathan would come in with the same message to confirm it (v.14), so that David would see how urgent things were.

What a contrast between Nathan's mediation and that of Joab through the woman of Tekoah (2 Sam. 14)! There everything was trickery and lying, meant to sway the king's spirit and flatter his hidden leanings... Here prudence points to what must be done, without straying from the truth at all.

She went to Nathan, the one man above all who could give the mind of God. He had rebuked the king at the height of his power. He had the courage to speak for God whatever it cost him... We always show where our heart is by whom we trust. Suppose a man is set on his own will and going wrong. He is sure to ask advice from exactly the people he should avoid. If he cannot count on outright approval, he looks for someone weak, who will give the feeblest protest, if not some encouragement. Weakness leans on weakness.

He invites all his brothers, with one exception: the only one having the right to the throne according to the will of God and of his father — Solomon, the one who is to become the king of glory. Clearly he had to shut out of his feast the one whose presence would judge it, would condemn it, would bring all his plans and all his ambitions to nothing. Christ is the last to be invited by the world; more than that, the world is unwilling to invite Him.

The only effect of Adonijah's conspiracy was not to hinder Solomon, but to move him forward to the throne of Israel. Without the conspiracy, Solomon would surely have waited for the king to die. Instead the plot secured the throne for him, and secured it at once. So it is that if we are only calm, God always accomplishes His purpose.

On the day this great danger threatened Israel, no one had taken a step to ward it off (vv. 11-31). The king, weakened by age and confined to his palace, "knew not" what was happening. Thankfully, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not let the schemes of the usurper succeed. To that end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom. You can be sure of this: in the Word of God we will always find the means that glorify Christ and keep us safe from the enemy's traps.

She also told David that the eyes of all Israel were on him, waiting to see what he would do in view of this turn of events. For if he let Adonijah's crowning stand, then Bathsheba and Solomon would count as offenders, and they would be killed for it (v.21).

We have seen in this chapter that Nathan's counsel was according to God and according to the respect due to the king. This is not human counsel, as when the same Nathan said to David, "Go, do all that is in your heart" (2 Sam. 7:3). It is divine wisdom, meant to keep the prophet-king from a fall, and to defend the honour of Solomon, the anointed of the Lord, after his father's passing. Above all, it is a matter of establishing the king of glory on his throne.

When Adonijah made the bold move of proclaiming himself king, Nathan the prophet took a wise course. He told Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, to inform David at once that Adonijah had proclaimed himself king. Adonijah had done this even though David had sworn to her that Solomon would be king (vs.11-13). Then Nathan would come in with the same message to confirm it (v.14), so David would see how urgent the situation was.

Whatever her weakness, her heart was right. She went to the one who, above all, could give the mind of God — to Nathan. He was the one who had rebuked the king at the height of his power. He was the one with the courage to speak for God whatever the cost. She goes to Nathan. And allow me to say, dear friends, as a matter of practical profit, we always show where our heart is by our confidence. Suppose a man is going wrong in his own will. He is sure to ask for advice in exactly the place where he should not. He looks for advice where he will find weakness, if he cannot count on outright approval — somewhere the protest will at least be faint, if not a little encouraging. Weakness leans on weakness.

The king, weakened by age, confined to his palace, "knew not" what was happening. Thankfully, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not allow the plans of the usurper to succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom. You can be sure of this: in the Word of God we will always find the means to glorify Christ and to keep ourselves safe from the enemy's traps.

Everyone in the house of David and in the land of Israel knew this: just as God chose David from among his brothers, so He had also been pleased to appoint Solomon for the throne of Israel... So Adonijah's sin was not just ambition. It was not even simply rebellion against the king, against David. It was rebellion against the Lord. He set himself directly against the purpose God had declared and revealed.

What a contrast between Nathan's mediation and Joab's through the woman of Tekoa (2 Sam. 14)! There everything was trickery and lying. The aim was to work on the king's mind and flatter his hidden leanings. In the end it was to put a deceitful and violent man on the throne over Israel. Here prudence suggests what should be done, but without straying in the least from the truth. The king must be made aware of the imminent danger. He must be persuaded to act decisively for God.

She went to the one who, above all, could give the mind of God — to Nathan. He was the one who had rebuked the king at the height of his power. He had the courage to speak for God whatever the cost... we always show where our heart is by who we confide in. Suppose a man is going wrong in his own will. He is sure to look for advice in exactly the place where he should not.

Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he does not know the danger (v. 18). She reminds him what he had settled on: a successor who was a king after God's own heart (v. 17). She also points out his responsibility towards herself, her son, and the people. The eyes of all Israel were on David, waiting for him to say who should sit on his throne after him. Truth is in this woman's heart, as it is in the prophet's heart. It is a lovely example of the spirit we should show one another.

Adonijah's conspiracy did not hinder Solomon. Its only effect was to move him forward to the throne of Israel. If there had been no conspiracy, Solomon would surely have waited for the king to die. Instead the result was to secure the throne, and to secure it at once. So it is that if we are only calm, God always accomplishes His purpose.

The mind of the Lord about Solomon had already been revealed to David. He knew it very well. There was a reason why the Lord had given David's son the name Jedidiah, Beloved of the Lord (2 Sam. 12:25)... It was enough to remind this man of faith of his oath for him to see the path to take.

On the day this great danger threatened Israel, no one had taken any measure to ward it off (vv. 11-31). The king, weakened by age, confined to his palace, "did not know" what was happening. Thankfully, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not allow the plans of the usurper to succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom. Be assured that we will always find in the Word of God the means by which Christ may be glorified and we ourselves preserved from the ambushes of the enemy.

When Adonijah made the bold move of proclaiming himself king, Nathan the prophet took a wise course. He advised Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, to tell David at once that Adonijah had proclaimed himself king — even though David had sworn to Bathsheba that Solomon would be king (vv. 11-13). Then Nathan would come in with the same message to confirm it (v. 14). That way David would see how urgent the situation was.

What a contrast between Nathan's mediation and that of Joab through the woman of Tekoah (2 Sam. 14)! There everything was trickery and lying. It was meant to work on the king's feelings and flatter his hidden leanings, so that in the end a deceitful and violent man would take David's place as king over Israel. Here prudence suggests what should be done, but without swerving in the least from the truth. The king must learn of the danger closing in. He must be persuaded to act with resolve for God. The Lord had already revealed His mind about Solomon to David, and David knew it well. He had sworn to Bathsheba by the LORD, the God of Israel, "Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place" (vv. 17, 30). One reminder of that oath was enough to show this man of faith the path to take.

Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he is unaware of the danger (v. 18)... The truth is in the heart of this woman, as it is also in the heart of the prophet — a lovely example of the spirit in which we should behave toward one another.

She went to the one who above all could give the mind of God — to Nathan. He had rebuked the king at the height of his power. He had courage to speak for God whatever the consequence. And note this: we always show where our heart is by whom we trust. Suppose a man is going wrong in his will. He is sure to take advice in the very quarter where he ought not. If he cannot count on outright approval, he looks for advice where he will find weakness. At most he will meet a feeble protest, and perhaps even some encouragement. Weakness tends to lean on weakness.

We have seen in this chapter that Nathan's counsel was according to God and according to the respect due to the king. Here it is not a matter of human counsel, as when this same Nathan said to David, "Go, do all that is in your heart" (2 Sam. 7:3). It is divine wisdom. It aims to keep the prophet-king from a fall, and to defend the honour of Solomon, the anointed of the Lord, after his father's passing. Above all, it is a matter of establishing the king of glory on his throne.

The only effect of Adonijah's conspiracy was not to hinder but to hurry Solomon to the throne of Israel... So it is that if we are only calm, God always accomplishes His purpose.

David was about 70 years old and extremely feeble. Many things left him this weak. He had led a hard life. His youth brought exposure and hardship. His reign brought cares and worries. He went through discipline because of his great sin, and much else weighed on him too. It is another illustration of that unbending law: whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. It was an early decay, with the complete loss of natural warmth.

The king's servants come up with a way to bring him back to life, copying the rulers of the nations around them. It seems David lacked the will to oppose the plan of those around him. So they bring a Shunammite to him. She cares for him and serves him. This very beautiful young woman of Israel will later be counted by Solomon as one of the most precious jewels in his crown. She is to belong to him, and anyone who dares to look at her with desire will bear his judgment. But let us not get ahead of the story. What the Word teaches us is that she did not become the wife of David, the king of grace. It is like this at present with Christ. His eyes are on Israel, yet right now another bride is being taken from among the Gentiles. He will keep her as King of Glory. Yet as King of Glory He will also renew His relations with the remnant of Israel, the finest of His people.

On the day this great danger threatened Israel, no one had done anything to stop it. The king, weakened by age, confined to his palace, did not know what was happening. Thankfully, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not allow the plans of the usurper to succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom.

She went to Nathan, the one who above all could give the mind of God. He had rebuked the king himself, at the height of the king's power. He had the courage to speak for God whatever the consequence. And let me say, as a matter of practical profit, we always show where our heart is by our confidence. Suppose a man is going wrong in his own will. He is sure to take advice in exactly the quarter where he ought not.

Bathsheba bowed to him, showing the humility of her subjection to the king, even though he was her husband.

Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he is unaware of the danger. She shows him that the purpose he had settled on was to have a king after God's own heart as his successor... The truth is in the heart of this woman, and in the heart of the prophet too. It is a lovely example of the spirit in which we should behave toward one another.

So the king showed that, old as he was, he was fully alive to how serious the moment was. He saw and judged the crisis that was coming. Adonijah's conspiracy did not hinder Solomon. Its only effect was to bring him forward to the throne of Israel. Had there been no conspiracy, Solomon would have waited, we can hardly doubt, for the death of the king. So it is that if we are only calm, God always accomplishes His purpose.

On the day this great danger threatened Israel, no measure had been taken to ward it off. The king, weakened by age, confined to his palace, did not know what was happening. Blessedly, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not allow the plans of the usurper to succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom.

Bathsheba then went into David's bedroom, where Abishag was serving as a nurse to David. Bathsheba bowed to him, showing the humility of her subjection to the king, though he was her husband. In answer to David's question, she reminded him that he had sworn by the Lord to her that Solomon would succeed him as king. She also told him that Adonijah had taken the place of king without David being aware of it.

Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he is unaware of the danger (v. 18). She shows him that the purpose he had settled on was to have a king after God's own heart (v. 17) as his successor. She also points out his responsibility toward herself, her son, and the people. The eyes of all Israel were on David, and he should tell them who should sit on his throne after him. This woman has the truth in her heart, and so does the prophet. It is a lovely example of the spirit in which we should treat one another.

It was not mere ambition in Adonijah. In someone totally ignorant of the word of God and of the will of the LORD for Israel, it would have been ambition. But if we have an incomparable blessing in the word of God, we have far greater responsibility. And sin takes on a new character. So Adonijah's sin was not just ambition. It was not even just rebellion against the king, against David. It was rebellion against the LORD. It was a direct act of setting himself in contradiction to the declared and revealed purpose of God.

Bathsheba showed her own confidence in the will of God — her faith, in short — by coming to Nathan. She went to the right quarter. She told him of Adonijah's conspiracy and his party, and she goes into the presence of the king. Nathan followed. The result was that the king, however aged, showed he was fully alive to the seriousness of the occasion. He saw and judged the crisis that was coming. The only effect of Adonijah's conspiracy was not to hinder Solomon but to hurry him to the throne of Israel… So it is that if we are only calm, God always accomplishes His purpose.

Adonijah gives the meeting at En-rogel the false appearance of a peace offering. He follows in the footsteps of his brother Absalom, who had said he wanted to pay a vow to the Lord. He invites his brothers, the sons of the king, and even the servants of the king... But Adonijah is too shrewd to invite those whose faith or whose testimony keeps them close to David. He invites all his brothers but one. He leaves out Solomon, the only son with a right to the throne by the will of God and of his father — the son who is to become the king of glory. He has to leave him out. Solomon's presence would judge that feast and condemn it, and would ruin every plan and ambition Adonijah had. The world invites Christ last of all; more than that, the world does not want to invite Him at all.

In these three men we see three powers combined against Christ. Adonijah is the authority of the world, Joab the power that carries out orders, and Abiathar the religious power. They are the representatives of the three great moral forces of the world. While they were feasting, they heard the people shouting. Fear seized them, and destruction soon followed. So it will be at the end.

The priest looks to God, the prophet to the Spirit of God, the servant to David, to Christ. Do they need anything else? Those mighty men found their strength in David. Will they now go after Adonijah, who cannot give it to them?

Turning away from the mind of God almost always looks successful at first. Every step of unfaithfulness gets big results in the world where there is talent, and where everything that works on people's minds is drawn up in order. This plan was certainly well calculated. Joab would influence a certain set. Abiathar the priest would have his religious name and reputation. And above all there were the king's sons — all of them except Solomon... It was a widespread rebellion, and it seemed a carefully arranged one. "But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother." And that is where faith can rest — on God's word.

Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he does not know the danger he is in (v. 18). She reminds him that he had settled on a successor, a king after the heart of God (v. 17). She also points out his responsibility towards herself, her son, and the people... Nathan comes in next. In his own conversation with the king he stresses two things: Adonijah invited none of the Lord's faithful servants, and, above all, he set Solomon aside on purpose. What must one expect from a man who gives no place to the Lord, to the true King, in his purposes or in his life?

Solomon, the chosen of God, who held his rights from God, did not suit them. But in the end, human cleverness fails before the judgment of God. Sooner or later God arranges events so that the cleverest are shown for what they really are. On the surface everything is going well. The king's eldest and best-loved son is there. So is the captain of the army, whom David himself could not resist, and the priest who had always stayed with David. All the king's sons are there too — all except the one God had chosen. Yet no one there gave a thought to God or His will.

On the day this great danger threatened Israel, no one had taken a step to hold it off. The king, weakened by age and shut in his palace, did not know what was happening. Thankfully, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not let the usurper's plans succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom.

She also told David that the eyes of all Israel were on him. They were waiting to see what he would do about this turn of events. For if he let Adonijah's crowning stand, Bathsheba and Solomon would count as criminals, and that would cost them their lives.

Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he does not know the danger. She reminds him that he had already settled on a successor who would be a king according to God's heart. She also points out his responsibility towards her, her son, and the people, since all Israel was watching to see whom he would name to sit on his throne after him. The truth is in the heart of this woman, as it is in the heart of the prophet — a lovely example of the spirit in which we should treat one another.

It was well known in the house of David, and in the land of Israel, that God chose David from among his brothers. In the same way, He was pleased to appoint Solomon to the throne of Israel… So Adonijah's sin was not just ambition. It was not even just rebellion against the king, against David. It was rebellion against the Lord. It was a direct act of setting himself against the declared and revealed purpose of God.

The Lord had already revealed His mind about Solomon to David. He knew it very well. There was a reason why the Lord had given David's son the name Jedidiah, Beloved of the Lord. He knew the mind of the Lord on this so well that he had sworn to Bathsheba, by the Lord God of Israel, that Solomon her son would reign after him and sit on his throne in his place. It was enough to remind this man of faith of his oath for him to see the path to take.

She went to the one who, above all, could give the mind of God — to Nathan. He was the man who had rebuked the king when the king was at the height of his power. He had the courage to speak for God whatever it cost… we always show where our heart is by whom we trust. Suppose a man is going wrong in his will. He is sure to ask for advice in exactly the place where he should not.

But someone had to urge the aged king to reveal his secret. He decides at once. All his energy returns when it concerns the Beloved. He promises to do exactly that, this very day.

Adonijah thought David was too old and worn out to have any power left as king. But the God who had brought David through all his troubles was still God. He could enable David to use again the moral and spiritual power that had carried him through much opposition before. God always backs up what is His own work.

The priest anointed him king and the people rejoiced with great joy. But what joy will come to this earth when One greater than Solomon takes His throne and receives His great kingdom! Solomon's glorious reign is only a faint picture of it.

When Adonijah made the bold move of proclaiming himself king, Nathan the prophet took a wise course. He advised Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon, to tell David at once that Adonijah had proclaimed himself king. Adonijah had done this even though David had sworn to Bathsheba that Solomon would be king (vv. 11-13). Then Nathan would come in with the same message to confirm it (v. 14). That would make the urgency of the situation clear to David.

On the day this great danger threatened Israel, no one had taken a single step to ward it off (vv. 11-31). The king, weakened by age and shut in his palace, did not know what was happening. Yet God, in His goodness, was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not allow the plans of the usurper to succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom. Be sure of this: in the Word of God we shall always find the means to glorify Christ and to keep ourselves safe from the traps of the enemy.

What a contrast between Nathan's mediation and that of Joab through the woman of Tekoa (2 Sam. 14)! There everything was trickery and lying. The aim was to work on the king's feelings, flatter his hidden leanings, and in the end put a deceitful and violent man on Israel's throne in David's place. Here prudence points to the right course, without wavering in the least from the truth.

No doubt Adonijah had counted on his father's failing powers to seize the kingdom. But he had not reckoned on God, on the prophet, or on the truthfulness of the king's heart. Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness... Truth is in this woman's heart, and in the prophet's heart too. It is a lovely example of the spirit we should show one another.

She went to the one who, above all, could give the mind of God — to Nathan. He was the man who had rebuked the king at the height of his power. He was the man with courage to speak for God whatever the cost. She goes to Nathan. And let me say, dear friends, this is worth putting into practice: we always show where our heart is by whom we trust. Suppose a man is going wrong in his own will. He is sure to look for advice in the one place where he should not.

Notice that it was those willing to be at a distance from David who were moved to follow Adonijah. They were not near to David as Bathsheba and Nathan were. What a lesson for every believer! Only staying near to the Lord keeps us from that danger. Otherwise we risk dishonouring Him by following what looks appealing but is in fact disobedience.

The result was that the king, old as he was, proved wide awake to the seriousness of the moment. He saw and judged the crisis that was coming, and the only effect of Adonijah's conspiracy was not to hinder but to hurry Solomon to the throne of Israel. Without the conspiracy, Solomon would no doubt have waited for the king to die. Instead the plot secured the throne for him, and secured it at once. So it is that if we are only calm, God always accomplishes His purpose.

Nathan knew that David had nothing to do with making Adonijah king. Still, he asked David whether he had ordered this without telling Nathan (v. 27). Nathan meant the question to stir David to act, and it worked.

Nathan comes in his turn. In his own talk with the king he stresses that Adonijah had invited none of the faithful servants of the Lord — and, above all, that he had deliberately pushed Solomon aside. What can you expect from a man who gives no place to the Lord, to the true King, in his plans or in his life?

What a contrast between Nathan's mediation and Joab's, carried out through the woman of Tekoah (2 Sam. 14)! There everything was trickery and lying, meant to work on the king's feelings and flatter his hidden leanings, so that in the end a deceitful and violent man would replace David as king over Israel. Here prudence points out what should be done, without straying from the truth in the least.

Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he is unaware of the danger (v. 18)... Truth is in this woman's heart, and in the prophet's too — a lovely example of the spirit in which we should treat one another.

We have seen in this chapter that Nathan's counsel was according to God, and according to the respect owed to the king... This is divine wisdom at work. It aims to keep the prophet-king from a fall, and to defend the honour of Solomon, the anointed of the Lord, after his father's death. Above all, it aims to set the king of glory on his throne. Of all this the world sees and hears nothing.

The result was that the king, old as he was, showed himself fully awake to how serious the moment was. He saw the coming crisis and judged it. Adonijah's plot did not hold Solomon back at all; it only carried him forward to the throne of Israel. Without the plot, Solomon would surely have waited for the king's death. Instead the plot secured the throne for him, and secured it at once.

But the aged king had to be urged to reveal his secret. He decides at once: all his energy comes back when the matter concerns the Beloved. He says he will certainly do it that very day (v. 30).

He acknowledges the Lord's gracious help in the past and his present confidence in Him. His case had rested in the Lord's hands.

"As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity …" Such is the One in whom I trust. I will receive nothing from the world because I depend on the Lord.

But the aged king must be urged to reveal his secret. He decides at once. All his energy returns when it is a matter of the Beloved [Solomon]. "Even so," he says, "will I do this day" (v. 30).

Adonijah had thought David was too old and drained of strength to have any power left as king. But the God who had brought David through all his troubles was still God. He could enable David to still use the moral and spiritual power that had carried him through much opposition before. God always backs up what is His own work.

Everyone in the house of David, and in the land of Israel, knew this. As God chose David from among his brothers, so He had also been pleased to appoint Solomon to the throne of Israel… Adonijah's sin was not merely ambition. It was not merely rebellion against the king, against David. It was rebellion against the LORD. It was a direct act of setting himself against the declared and revealed purpose of God.

The king, weakened by age, shut up in his palace, "did not know" what was happening. Thankfully, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not allow the schemes of the usurper to succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom.

The only effect of Adonijah's conspiracy was not to hinder, but to advance Solomon to the throne of Israel. Had there been no conspiracy, Solomon would have waited for the death of the king; we can hardly doubt that. But the result was to secure the throne for him, and to secure it at once. So it is that if we are only calm, God always accomplishes His purpose.

The priest anointed him king and the people rejoiced with great joy. But what joy will come to this earth when He who is greater than Solomon takes His throne and receives His great kingdom! Solomon's glorious reign is only a faint picture of it. All that David did was according to the LORD's will and purpose.

Here we have David nearing his end, and the eldest of his surviving sons, Adonijah, takes advantage of the king's weakness for his own ambitious purpose. There was no fear of God in this. It was well known in the house of David, and in the land of Israel, that God chose David from among his brothers. In the same way, He had also been pleased to designate Solomon for the throne of Israel... The sin of Adonijah was not merely ambition; not merely even rebellion against the king, against David; it was rebellion against the Lord. It was a direct act of setting himself in contradiction to the declared and revealed purpose of God.

The mind of the Lord concerning Solomon had already been revealed to David. He knew it very well. It was not without reason that the Lord had given to David's son the name Jedidiah, Beloved of the Lord (2 Samuel 12:25). David knew the mind of the Lord on this subject so well that he had sworn to Bathsheba by the Lord God of Israel. It was enough to remind this man of faith of his oath for him to see the path to take.

The king, weakened by age, confined to his palace, "did not know" what was happening. Thankfully, God was keeping watch for him. God, who has the glory of His Son and His kingdom in view, does not allow the schemes of the usurper to succeed. To this end He sends the prophet to Bathsheba with a word of wisdom.

But the aged king must be urged to reveal his secret. His decision is made immediately: all his energy is renewed when it is a matter of the Beloved. "Even so," he says, "will I certainly do this day."

He saw and judged the crisis that was coming, and the only effect of Adonijah's conspiracy was not to hinder, but to advance Solomon to the throne of Israel. Had there been no conspiracy, Solomon would have waited until the king's death — we can hardly doubt it. But the result was simply to secure the throne, and to secure it at once. So it is that if we are only calm, God always accomplishes His purpose.

The young Solomon did not have to wait until his father's death to sit on his throne. "When David was old and full of days, he made Solomon his son king over Israel" (1 Chronicles 23:1). Adonijah's grab for power, which Chronicles does not mention, led to a second enthronement: they made Solomon king a second time and anointed him as prince for the LORD. At that point David's throne is called "the throne of the LORD" (1 Chronicles 29:22-23). That is a title of exaltation indeed. David's throne has a place in the ways of God that no other has ever had, or can have. It is the centre of divine administration for the earth, and can only be filled in perfection by the Lord Jesus.

Bowing was an act of respect between one person and another, very common in the East. Abraham bowed before the people of the land when he bought a burial place for his dead (Genesis 23:7, 12). It was also an act of reverence to God (Psalm 95:6). But God forbade it before an idol or image (Exodus 20:5), and treated it as an act of worship.

She told David that the eyes of all Israel were on him. They wanted to see what he would do now. For if he let the crowning of Adonijah stand, Bathsheba and Solomon would count as offenders, and that would cost them their lives.

David called Bathsheba back into his presence. He swore to her by the Lord who had redeemed him from all his troubles. He had sworn before by the Lord God of Israel, and now he would carry out that oath — and carry it out "this day", making Solomon king in David's place.

The aged king needed urging to reveal his secret. Then he decides at once: all his energy returns when the matter concerns the Beloved.

Bathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he does not see the danger. She reminds him that he had resolved to have a king after the heart of God as his successor. She also points out his responsibility towards herself, her son, and the people. The truth is in the heart of this woman, and in the heart of the prophet too — a lovely example of the spirit in which we should treat one another.

This was not mere ambition in Adonijah. In someone who knew nothing of the word of God and the will of Jehovah for Israel, it would have been ambition. But if we have an incomparable blessing in the word of God, our responsibility is far greater, and sin takes on a new character. So Adonijah's sin was not merely ambition. It was not even merely rebellion against the king, against David. It was rebellion against Jehovah.

On the other hand, it was not a matter of God's people as such. What made the throne in Israel remarkable was this: here was a king by God's election — the only king who was so in the full sense of the word. Nebuchadnezzar reigned by God's providence, no doubt. But there was more than providence in the throne of Israel. The reason is simple. The throne of Israel was in a very true and real sense the throne of Jehovah.

There was always a man whose birthright it was to sit upon David's throne. Unworthiness was found in each, but the line of descent continues till Christ came. He is the Man on Whom the Holy Spirit looks. In Him there was, and is, the divine right as well as the human title. He is the Son of God as well as Son of David. Whatever comes between the promise and its fulfilment, He will certainly sit there.