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

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

King David appears to have made no official pronouncement as to who would be his successor.  So, when he got old enough that he was no longer able to actively govern, Adonijah decided to take matters into his own hands.  Adonijah approached King David’s closest advisers to gain their support.  Joab and Abiathar (the priest who came to David for protection when King Saul killed the rest of his family) supported Adonijah’s plan to take the throne.  However, Zadok, David’s other priest, Benaiah, commander of David’s bodyguards, Nathan the prophet, and Shimei did not.  It is interesting that Shimei was one of the advisers whose lack of support for Adonijah the writer thought important enough to mention.  Despite only having the support of two of King David’s key advisers, Adonijah moves forward with his plans to make himself king.  Looking at Adonijah’s plan I see two important points.  Because he did not have King David’s support, or the support of a majority of King David;s advisers, Adonijah began the process of having himself coronated outside of Jerusalme.  However, because he did not plan on overthrowing his father, he did so in close proximity to Jerusalem. 

When Nathan learned that Adonijah had put his plan in motion, he coordinated with Bathsheba to get King David to make Solomon king.  As told here, King David had not formally named a successor.  However, Nathan tells Bathsheba to ask King David about a vow he had made to her that Solomon would be king.  There is no mention anywhere else of this vow (some people would point to 2 Chronicles 28, but I read that as being a different account of the same event recorded here).  That does not mean that King David had not made such a promise, just that there is no record of him making it.  In fact we have evidence supporting the idea that it was known that Solomon was King David’s choice for successor. Adonijah had invited all of his brothers except Solomon to the feast which he intended to culminate in his coronation.  One could read the passage differently, but I reach the conclusion that King David’s inability to govern was not a result of mental limitations, but merely physical limitations.  Which leads me to conclude that he had intended all along for Solomon to be his successor and that his advisers knew it.

It is not clear why Joab and Abiathar chose to support Adonijah’s attempt to make himself king, but it is clear that Nathan and Benaiah favored Solomon becoming king after David.  We know that Nathan favored Solomon because he coordinated with Bathsheba to make it happen.  Some would say that Nathan conspired with Bathsheba, but that carries the implication that they tricked King David into making Solomon king when the passage does not tell us that (although it is possible to read it that way).  From Benaiah’s reaction to King David’s instructions we learn that he too favored Solomon becoming king.  There is no evidence in the passage as to whether the other advisers who refused to support Adonijah did so because they supported Solomon or for some other reason.  I found it interesting to see how everyone’s actions here were influenced by Absalom’s earlier attempt to seize the throne.  

I have been taking note of the complicated relationship between David and Joab. In light of that, Joab’s support of Adonijah is interesting.  Especially when considered relative to his role in the Absalom incident.  Joab supported Absalom’s return from exile and reconciliation with his father, but did not support his attempt to seize the throne.