as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.”
David is old and failing. Adonijah has made his own bid for the throne, and Bathsheba has come to the king's bedside to remind him of a promise made years before. David answers by renewing his oath. But the real question is who chose Solomon in the first place.
A Choice Already Made
David is not inventing a successor on the spot. God had already given the throne to Solomon, and Israel knew it. That is what makes Adonijah's move so serious:
William KellyHere 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.
Why David Could Swear
David had known God's choice long before this bedside scene. God had even given the child a name that marked it:
H. L. RossierThe 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 same writer points out who was guarding the throne while the king lay unaware:
H. L. RossierThe 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.
"This Day"
David does not put the promise off to a later day. He fixes it to the present hour, and something in the old man wakes up:
H. L. RossierBut 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."
(Rossier quotes an older translation here. The ESV reads, "even so will I do this day.")
The Plot That Backfired
Adonijah's rebellion did not delay Solomon by an hour. It brought the coronation forward:
William KellyHe 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.
A Throne Larger Than Solomon
David promises that Solomon will sit on his throne while he himself is still alive. One writer traces what became of that throne, and the dignity it carries:
W. W. FeredayThe 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.
One writer keeps the parallel with Adonijah modest, calling him at most "a faint shadow, for self-will is the common mark of all that oppose Christ" (The Bible Treasury).
Summary
- Chosen — the throne was never David's to hand out; God had designated Solomon, and everyone in Israel knew it.
- Named — David could swear because God had already spoken, giving the child the name Jedidiah, "Beloved of the Lord."
- Guarded — while the king lay ignorant of the plot, God was keeping watch and sent the prophet with a word of wisdom.
- Dated — David fixes the promise to the present hour. A failing man finds all his energy again when the matter is the beloved son.
- Advanced — the rebellion only hurried the coronation. The throne it secured is one that only Christ can fill in perfection.