Just a thought here…
Would Adonijah’s petition have even been heard had it not have come from the queen mother?
Your Protestant friends would be making several unwarrented assumptions if the claim is made that the petition is why he was put to death.
That’s a good point. Good thinking. This is why I love this forum, because we can collaborate.
One thing that I am keying in on is Verse 22, where Solomon notes that Adoni’jah is his older brother. In fact, as I read around a bit more, Adoni’jah was born in Hebron, the fourth son born to David in Hebron, and born of a woman named Haggith. So he is Solomon’s half brother, not born to Bathsheba.
Also, in 1 Kings 1 the story opens up with David old and, apparantly with a case of the chills. You’ve seen old people always wanting the heat cranked up? This appears to be going on. Verses 1 - 4 describe that, in an effort to keep David warm, they took a beautiful girl, stripped her down and sat her on David’s lap underneath the blankets, although there was no sex apparantly. All of this is sort of my interpretation, but what else does this sound like?
Anyway, this pretty girl is no other than Ab’ishag the Shu’nammite, who is exactly the same person that Adoni’jah wants to marry in verse 17 of Chapter 2.
A little more, Adoni’jah jumped the gun a little bit back in Chapter 1. You’ve heard of measuring for new drapes? When you are moving on to another job and some insolent jerk shows up in your office and wants to measure the windows for drapes? Adoni’jah engages in this sort of behavior in Chapter 1, by cementing a political faction that included the high priest and the General of the Military, General Jo’ab who was one of David’s big time advisors and cabinet members.
So Adoni’jah had a claim to the throne, and tried to secure it. Then David gets word of this, abdicates and sets Solomon on the throne just before he dies. He does this with Zadok the Priest and Nathan the Prophet in attendance giving the annointment to Solomon. When David dies we’re primed up for a succession struggle.
Adoni’jah and his faction vs. Solomon and his faction, but Solomon has the superior claim because David himself passed on the title to Solomon.
Now Adoni’jah claims to come in peace to Bathsheba, see Chapter 2 verse 13. And he wants to get married?!? Ok, well…married to who?
Well how about the naked chick who was “warming” King David back in Chapter 1?
Is this mere coincidence? Unlikely. Something is going on here that Solomon finds unacceptable, and this doesn’t look like an innocent request by Adoni’jah, but I don’t know what all is happening. I don’t know all of the subtlety here.
Who can give some background or additional information?