Adonijah Attempts to Become King

I Kings 1:1–10
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Prior to David’s ascension to the throne, he had been hunted and persecuted by his predecessor, King Saul.  Now, once again, at the end of his life he is posed with a threat as to who will be the king. As the scene opens in chapter one, David is getting old and his domestic troubles have followed him to his deathbed. In his hour of weakness another one of his sons, Adonijah, takes advantage of his father’s condition and attempts to snatch the throne. Sensing that David expects Solomon to succeed him as king, Adonijah plots to install himself as king.

Adonijah was the fourth and probably the oldest surviving son of David (II Sam. 3:4). With this status, he no doubt, felt that he was the rightful heir to his father’s throne. Gaining the support of two of David’s most trusted deputies, Joab and Abiathar, he planned a coup (v. 9, 19, 26).  Joab, David’s nephew (I Chron. 2:16), had been David’s famous general and Abiathar, the priest, had been a companion and confidant of David for years. With the military and religious backing, Adonijah summoned a group of followers to a feast and had them pronounce himself as the new king (v. 25). He had invited to this feast all the important people in the government who were not firmly allied with his father.  However, he didn’t invite his brother, Solomon, or Bathsheba, the King’s wife. No doubt they would have been the first to be killed if the coup had succeeded.

Application

This is the story of a father who had never disciplined his son or opposed his wishes as a child (v. 6). If I had not been firm and consistent with scriptural discipline in my home I may have reaped some of the same results that David did.