A Royal Conspiracy
First Kings 1: 11-27
A royal conspiracy DIG: Why did Nathan oppose Adonijah and his plan? How was Bathsheba’s influence seen in the palace at this time? What’s the risk of getting involved? What were Nathan and Bathsheba concerned about? What might happen to them if Adonijah came to power? How is Nathan’s plan supposed to sway the king? How did Nathan’s speech compare with Bathsheba’s? How as Bathsheba’s influence seen in the place at that time?
REFLECT: Where do you see this kind of jockeying for position today? Do you have a brother or sister who can’t stand you? What happened? Is reconciliation possible? Desirable? In what ways do you need to “set your eyes upon your King” for direction at this point in your life? When you see a schemer at work, do you keep quiet and mind your own business or do you step in and try to make things right? What are you doing for the coming generation?
The right to rule as king has been the occasion of many bitter conflicts. Often brother has fought against brother to wear the crown, forcing members of the royal family and citizens of the realm to choose sides.
During the Third Crusade, King Richard I (also known as the Lion-hearted) waged war against the Muslim armies under the command of Saladin. But while Richard was fighting to regain Zion, his brother Prince John was busy trying to crown himself the king of England. Richard hurriedly made a treaty with Saladin and raced home to protect his royal rights. But as he made his way across Europe, the king was captured by Leopold V of Austria and held for a ransom equal to two or three times the amount of his kingdom’s annual income.
Everyone in England was forced to choose sides. John offered Leopold half as much to keep Richard in prison for another couple of years, so he would have time to consolidate his power. Meanwhile, Richard’s mother – Eleanor of Aquitaine – tried (and eventually succeeded) to raise enough money to have her son rescued and restored to his rightful throne. It was a conflict for the kingdom, which Richard finally won. But while the throne was still in dispute, people had to decide which man they wanted to be king, and how much they would give to support his cause.
We face a similar choice when it comes to the Kingdom of God. Will we honor God’s true and rightful King, or will we try to seize the crown for ourselves? Which Kingdom will we choose? And how much will we sacrifice to see it established?
The people of God faced the same choice during the last days of David, when the king was on his deathbed and two of his sons were contesting for the crown. With the question of royal succession on everyone’s mind, David’s oldest living son, Adonijah, decided to take the throne, declaring: I will be king (to see the clink Ak – King Me!).33 When Nathan became aware of the plot, he acted immediately. He was tactful and thoughtful, just as he had when he reprimanded David for his sin against Bathsheba and Uriah (Second Samuel 12:1-14). The prophet probably sought a secret meeting with Bathsheba somewhere in the palace. Though we haven’t heard about Bathsheba since the birth of Solomon, it would be a mistake to think she was just a pretty face. Like Esther before her, this courageous woman saved Isra’el from disaster at a critical hour.
Nathan also knew what would happen if Adonijah proved to be successful: Bathsheba and Solomon would both be killed, for in ancient times it was customary for a king to put his rivals to death. The whole situation was a royal crisis. By trying to usurp the throne, Adonijah was threatening the royal succession, and with it all the promises that ADONAI had made to the house of David (see the commentary on the Life of David Ct – The LORD’s Covenant with David). This was more than a power struggle; it was a life-and-death conflict for the Kingdom of God. Everyone had to make that destiny-deciding choice. Which king will I serve?
What Adonijah did not do – as the Bible is careful to show – was to let God decide what he was called to do, when and where he was called to do it. This is why Adonijah didn’t consult with the prophet (Nathan), or the priest (Zadol) that ADONAI had anointed over Isra’el (First Kings 1:8), and why he very conspicuously left his brother Solomon off the guest list for his coronation party (First Kings 1:10). It also explains why he never asked what his father David wanted him to do, even though his father was the true king of Isra’el.34
Scene one: Adonijah’s coup party was in full swing when Nathan decided to take action. He asked Bathsheba, “Have you not heard that Adonijah, the son of Haggith, has become king, and our lord David knows nothing about it? The fact that David didn’t know anything about it showed that it was a well-designed conspiracy. After sounding the alarm about Adonijah, Nathan then gave Bathsheba her lines to speak to the king, “Now then, let me advise you how you can save your own life and the life of your son Solomon.” Nathan sent Bathsheba in to see the king first. Her status as favored wife would ensure a quick hearing, and immediate action was indeed necessary: Go in to King David and say: My lord the king, did you not swear an oath to me your servant, “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne?” This oath is mentioned here for the first time. David probably took it after the promise God made to him that Solomon would succeed him as king. The mention of an oath is ironic because Bathsheba means the daughter of an oath. Furthermore, Nathan advised her to ask: When then has Adonijah become king? Then Nathan explained the timing of their plan. While you are still there talking to the king, I will come in and confirm my word to what you have said (First Kings 1:11-14). That would make two witnesses, one of whom was King David’s wife, and the other his prophet. Together they would act decisively for the Kingdom of God.
The plan was set.
Scene two: So, because he was old and feeble, Bathsheba went to see the aged king in his royal bedroom where Abishag the Shunammite was attending him. Bathsheba approached David with deference and humility bowing down, prostrating herself to give him honor. These actions showed that she was asking for an audience with the king to make a request. “What is it that you want (only two words in Hebrew)?” the king asked (First Kings 1:15-16).
Bathsheba got to the point, telling him bluntly what he needed to hear. But she made five changes in what Nathan told her. My lord, you yourself swore an oath to me your servant by ADONAI your God, “Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.”
First, she made David’s “swear” into “You swore by ADONAI your God,” which would make David’s promise more binding.
Second, she changed Nathan’s rhetorical question, “Did you not swear,” into a fact, “My lord, you yourself swore.” The question had become a fact.
Third, she changed Nathan’s question, “Have you not heard that Adonijah has become king,” into “But now Adonijah has actually proclaimed himself king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it” (First Kings 1:17-18). Nor did he know who was and who wasn’t, on Adonijah’s “guest list.”
Fourthly, on her own, she mentioned Adonijah’s coronation banquet: He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep.
Fifthly, she mentioned that the only one left off of the guest list was Solomon. And Adonijah has invited all the king’s sons, Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander of the army, but he has not invited Solomon your servant (First Kings 1:19). This shows that Adonijah already knew that Solomon was David’s choice to succeed him. The validity of Solomon’s claim to the throne was not in question here. Both Nathan and Bathsheba knew David’s feelings in the matter. The danger was that Adonijah would succeed to the throne through David’s inaction.
So sixthly, the queen challenged David to take action: My lord the king, the eyes of all Isra’el are on you, to learn from you who will sit on the throne of my lord the king after him. Otherwise, as soon as my lord the king is laid to rest with his ancestors, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals (First Kings 1:20-21). Bathsheba’s warning reflected reality. The omission of Solomon from the “guest list” was a sure sign that she and her son would be marked for death if Adonijah succeeded.35
The speech of the queen was a daring and imaginative one, creating a political crisis from which David could only extricate himself in only one way, for he dared not go back on the oath he had made to her! Like Eleanor of Aquitane, Bathsheba was doing what she could to secure her son’s claim to the royal throne.
Scene three: On cue, while she was speaking with the king, Nathan the prophet arrived at the palace. And the king was told, “Nathan the prophet is here.” Like Bathsheba, Nathan entered David’s presence with all due respect: So, he went before the king in bed and bowed with his face to the ground (First Kings 1:22-23). At that point Bathsheba apparently left the bedroom and was not present when Nathan spoke to the king.
With the king’s permission, Nathan confirmed everything that Bathsheba had been saying: Have you, my lord the king, declared that Adonijah shall be king after you, and that he will sit on your throne? Today he has gone down from Jerusalem to En Rogel and sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep. He has invited all the king’s sons, the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. Right now, they are eating and drinking with him saying, “Long live King Adonijah!” But me your servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and your servant Solomon he did not invite. Is this something my lord the king has done without letting his servants know who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him (First Kings 1:24-27)?
Frankly, the prophet wanted to know whether any of this had been done under David’s royal authority. If so, then why hadn’t his prophet been informed? If not, when what was David going to do about it? Nathan was challenging David to disavow what Adonijah had done, knowing the proper succession to the throne could come about only with the king’s royal consent. Whereas Bathsheba appealed to David’s pity as a husband and father, Nathan appealed to his authority as king.
It’s very likely that Nathan’s recitation of these facts brought David’s memory back to the terrible days of Absalom’s rebellion, but he didn’t want the nation to experience another civil war. Solomon was a man of peace (1 Chron 22:9). Reared in the palace, he had no experience of war as did his father; and if there was another civil war, how could he build the Temple?36 If only one person had come to warn him, perhaps David would have doubted the accuracy of the report he was given. But Bathsheba and Nathan came one right after the other, and with two witnesses – the biblical number for establishing any criminal matter in a court of law (Deut 19:15) – the king was fully persuaded. Now that he knew the truth, he needed to act like a king.37
Scene four: After listening to Nathan and Bathsheba, David’s blood began to rise. He understood that Adonijah was trying to seize the throne from God’s chosen successor and what his wayward son had done was a direct challenge to his kingly authority. Therefore, he rose to the challenge, making one last decision for the glory of the Kingdom of God.
Up to this point, the king had barely spoken two words in this chapter (First Kings 1:16). But rising from his bed, King David summoned Bathsheba back into his royal chamber. She had evidently left the bedroom when Nathan’s presence was announced. Similarly, in keeping with Near Eastern custom, Nathan left the room when the queen was recalled. It was part of their plan to appear independent of one another and to avoid the appearance of collusion. So, she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. The two were alone. Then David took an oath, strongly reaffirming the previous one, declaring: As surely as ADONAI lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out today what I swore to you by ADONAI, the God of Isra’el, “Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place” (First Kings 1:28-30). By making Solomon his co-regent immediately, David stayed in command and Solomon would do his bidding. Solomon was no longer merely the prince or even his heir apparent. He was then co-regent with his father and the king of Isra’el.38 Nathan’s and Bathsheba’s double strategy had worked. David was still the key player, still master of his own house, still capable of an act of great authority. Then she bowed low with her face to the ground and, kneeling before the dying king, said: May my lord King David (the house of David) live forever (First Kings 1:31)!
What will you do for the Kingdom of God? Which side will you take when people exalt themselves and try to tear down His Kingdom? Do you see how your own eternal destiny is bound up with what God is doing in the world today? What will you do to make a Kingdom difference for the coming generation?
Since Messiah is the King, then we should do whatever we can for His Kingdom. After all, Yeshua Himself has done everything that He could do for the Kingdom. He has even done what no other king would dare to do: He has offered His own blood to save His people. Given what He has done for us, it is only right for us to do whatever we can for Him and for His Kingdom. As Matthew Henry (famous for his six-volume Exposition of the Old and New Testaments in 1708-1710) said, “Whatever power, interest, or influence, people have – they ought to improve it to the utmost for the preservation and advancing of the Kingdom of Messiah.” We should do this not only for our own people, in our own place, at our own time, but also for the coming generation.39
Dear Heavenly Father, How wonderful Your gracious love and yet how sad that so many seek to take selfish advantage of Your love by living for themselves – yet thinking that since God loves all, everyone ends up in heaven! Not so! You are so gracious to make the path to heaven to be thru the blood of Messiah who adopts us into His family. He predestined us for adoption as sons through Messiah Yeshua, in keeping with the good pleasure of His will – to the glorious praise of His grace, with which He favored us through the One He loves! In Him we have redemption through His blood – the removal of trespasses – in keeping with the richness of His grace (Ephesians 1:5-7). Each of us has a choice as to who will be the king in their life. For the child of God that choice was made when he chose to follow Messiah as his Lord and Savior. For if you confess with your mouth that Yeshua is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart it is believed for righteousness, and with the mouth it is confessed for salvation (Romans 10:9-10). Thank You that Your Spirit lives inside of each one who loves You (John 14:23) to help, comfort and guide. In Yeshua’s Holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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