Solomon and Adonijah were the only claimaints to the throne of their father David. David had sworn that his son Solomon would be king, but in his arrogance, Adonija assumed that he would be king, and started acting like it before his father King David was even dead. .
***Adonijah, son of Haggith, boasted, “I shall be king!” and he provided himself with chariots, horses, and a retinue of fifty to go before him.*a(1 Kings 1:5)
There was a lot of intrigue and Adonijah caused divisions within the kingdom.
He consulted with Joab, son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest, and they became Adonijah’s supporters. However, Zadok the priest, Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei and Rei, and David’s warriors did not support Adonijah. (1 Kings 1:7-8)
Eventually Adonijah declared himself to be king but David has Solomon annointed and and in fear, Adonijah grabs the horn of the altar in the tabernacle and begs for mercy. Solomon spares his life.
All the guests of Adonijah got up trembling, and went each their way, but Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to grasp the horns of the altar. It was reported to Solomon: “Adonijah, in fear of King Solomon, is clinging to the horns of the altar and saying, ‘Let King Solomon first swear that he will not kill me, his servant, with the sword.’” Solomon answered, “If he proves worthy, not a hair of his shall fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he shall die.” (1 Kings 1:49-52)
That’s the background to Adonijah’s request for Abishag the Shumanite as a wife.
Abishag the Shumanite was chosen because of her beauty and vigor to be a bed compantion to King David, to keep him warm in his old age, and served as a housekeeper. She can best be described as a nurse, bathing the king, feeding him and providing him with the dignity befitting a king up to the moment of the king’s death. Abishag eventually became a concubine, the property of King Solomon. Abishag was present when Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan spoke to King David about Solomon becoming king, and Adonijah wanted Abishag for himself to get her out of the picture, so that he could claim that King David never said that Solomon would be king. Abishag was a witness to King David’s royal decree that Solomon should be king, and he didn’t want her around. Adonijah still wanted the throne.
As the queen-mother, Bathsheba had total control of the royal household including all the women in the royal court. Bathsheba knows what Adonijah is trying to do and so she very quickly agrees to ask Solomon to give Abishag the Shunammite to Adonijah. She agrees so quickly because she knows what Solomon’s answer is going to be.
Remember when Adonijah was clinging to the horns of the altar begging for mercy? Remember what Solomon said when he granted his half-brother Adonijah mercy?
***Solomon answered, “If he proves worthy, not a hair of his shall fall to the ground. But if evil is found in him, he shall die.” *(1 Kings 1:52)
Bathsheba knows what Adonijah is trying to do, and knows what Solomon’s answer will be, and so she says, “Sure! I"ll ask King Solomon for you. No problem!!!” Bathsheba is more than happy to ask King Solomon for Abishag on behalf of Adonijah, because she already knows that her son, King Solomon, will put Adonijah to death.
***And King Solomon swore by the LORD: “May God do thus to me and more, if Adonijah has not spoken this word at the cost of his life. And now, as the Lord lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father and made for me a house as he promised, this day shall Adonijah be put to death.” Then King Solomon sent Benaiah, son of Jehoiada, who struck him dead. *(1 Kings 2:24:25)
Bathsheba knew that Solomon would put Adonijah to death because Solomon had already sworn to do so if he was found to be evil, and they both knew what Adonijah was up to.
This brings to my mind the wisdom of James.
*Where do the wars and where do the conflicts among you come from? Is it not from your passions that make war within your members? You covet but do not possess. You kill and envy but you cannot obtain; you fight and wage war. You do not possess because you do not ask. You ask but do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. Adulterers! Do you not know that to be a lover of the world means enmity with God? Therefore, whoever wants to be a lover of the world makes himself an enemy of God. (James 4:1-4) *
All through the Bible, God chooses the people who quietly go about their business. David was tending sheep while his brothers were in the tent tyring to become king. Jacob was in the tent, obedient to his mother while his brother Esau was running around hunting, never at home, and Jacob got the blessing. Joseph was the youngest but became the Lord over Pharoah’s house. Peter, Andrew, James and John were tending to their business when they are called by Jesus.
Instead of being obedient his Father King David and tending to his own business, Adonijah was arrogant and ambitious. Those never do well in the Bible.
-Tim-
