Adonijah, Absolom's brother

Mo. 3/31/14: 1 Kings 1:5 – 6                  What did Adonijah do?

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. (And his father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, “Why have you done so?” He was also very good-looking. His mother had borne him after Absalom.)

What did Adonijah do? He proclaimed himself king!

Tu. 4/1/14: 1 Kings 1:7 – 8                  What did Adonijah plot next?

Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah. But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah.

What did Adonijah plot next? Adonija picked people to be with him.

We. 4/2/14: 1 Kings 1:11 – 13                  What did Nathan tell Bathsheba?

So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? … Go immediately to King David and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king, swear to your maidservant, saying, “Assuredly your son Solomon shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”?’

What did Nathan tell Bathsheba? Bathsheba was to tell David the plot.

Th. 4/3/14: 1 Kings 1:32 – 34                  What did David do?

And King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king. The king also said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord, and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and take him down to Gihon. There let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel; and blow the horn, and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

What did David do? David decided to proclaim Solomon as king.

Fr. 4/4/14: 1 Kings 1:50 – 53                  What was Adonijah’s response?

Now Adonijah was afraid of Solomon; so he arose, and went and took hold of the horns of the altar. And it was told Solomon, saying, “Indeed Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon; for look, he has taken hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’” … So King Solomon sent them to bring him down from the altar. And he came and fell down before King Solomon; and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

What was Adonijah’s response? He begged for mercy. This leads to a question: did our Lord Jesus Christ try to be king?

Scripture taken from the New King James Version®.

Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

Used by permission. All rights reserved.