I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on 1 Kings 1.

    When David became old and unable to govern any longer, he failed to designate an heir or a regent. So, his oldest remaining son, Abdonijah, conspired with several of David’s advisors to make himself king in David’s place. Unfortunately for Adonijah and his supporters, the prophet Nathan was not among those who supported him becoming king. IT is worth noting that David had never even suggested to Adonijah that he had done anything wrong, let alone discipline him. However, I want to focus on the different paths which Adonijah and Solomon chose to pursue to reach their goal kingship. Adonijah wanted to be king, so he reached out to take the kingship. We do not know if Solomon wanted to be king or not, but we do know that he did not actively pursue the kingship. The passage tells us that Bathsheba told David that he had promised her that Solomon would be king. We have no record of that David actually did so. However, there must have been some reason that Adnoijah invited all of David’s sons, except Solomon, to his self-coronation. It is worth noting that among the prominent people who refused to support Adonijah’s bid to make himself king was Shimei, who had cursed David when he fled Jerusalem ahead of Absalom.

    The prophet Nathan and his mother Bathsheba conspired to make Solomon king. However, unlike Adonijah, and his advisers, they worked to convince David to make Solomon king. Adonijah attempted to make himself king. Solomon allowed others to select him as king. This passage teaches two things which I think are important about leadership. First, those who are raised up to positions of leadership by others make better leaders than those who promote themselves to leadership. Second, the most common cause of a leadership conflict is the failure of a leader to select his successor in a timely manner. In addition to selecting his successor in a timely fashion a leader must clearly communicate his choice to the organization. Finally, a leader must recognize when it is time for the new leader to take over.