I Just Can't Wait to be King

How often are you reading a bible passage and a disney song goes through your head? Yeah, I could hear Adonijah singing “I just can't wait to be king.” Surely he knew that his Father, the great warrior king of Israel had promised the kingdom to his younger brother Solomon. Everyone else did. It would speak to the issue that the leaders of his coronation party found a venue in another town and of course, they didn't invite certain key people: the prophet, the king, the brother, the high priest to name a few.

Now Adonijah, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.” So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him.

Adonijah was the oldest living heir. The others had all been killed by each other or in conflict. I'm sure Adonijah felt he had bided his time. He probably looked at the declining condition of his father David and said to himself “I'll get myself situated so that there will be a smooth transition of power and then when daddy goes to meet his final destiny -soon, there will be no question of who is to be king.” I'm sure he just wanted what was best for the nation – not!

Bathsheba, encouraged by Nathan the prophet, went to David “you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: ‘Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.’ But now Adonijah has become king, and you, my lord the king, do not know about it. He has sacrificed great numbers of cattle, fattened calves, and sheep, and 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. My lord the king, the eyes of all Israel 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, I and my son Solomon will be treated as criminals.”

She had a valid point. Every rising King removed every threat to his rule -all except the warrior king of Israel. He was a man of war and quick decisions, but when the war ended, David extended mercy to all he could. He was not one to fight with his own people either. He looked for descendants of Saul to bless. He elevated the captain of Absolom's army. But this was not David ascending the throne. David had never tried to displace Saul even though he had been anointed by Samuel to be king. Adonijah was taking the throne by deceit before his father's death. He could not be relied on for honesty or mercy.

King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.”

And what was Joab thinking? It's obvious he had begun to see David as a weak leader. He set himself against him several times toward the end of his life. He argued with him frequently. He always worked himself back to the top of the pile. But Joab didn't see one thing coming: David took Solomon aside and told him to assassinate Joab after his death because of the deceit and thoughtless way he had dispensed of honorable men who got in his way.

It occurred to me that if Israel as a whole knew that David intended Solomon to rule, the advance of Adonijah would have been unsettling at least. The nation had loved David and even though, after the episode concerning Bathsheba, there had been turmoil in the nation, they rejoiced when David was once more established as their king. The nation believed him to be a worthy and Godly king in spite of his fall.

Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, “Long live King Solomon!” And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.

Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”

The son of the Priest who annointed Adonijah delivered the news:“Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him (Solomon) king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear. Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne. Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed and said, ‘Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.’”

At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed.

Adonijah expected Solomon to be the caliber of man he was. He took refuge at the alter. He asked for a promise from Solomon who wisely gave him a conditional word. “Prove you are worthy and you won't die.” Adonijah tried to work himself back into royal position through the young girl who had served the king in his last days. Solomon had him executed.

When he (Jesus) noticed how the guests picked the places of honor at the table, he told them this parable: “When someone invites you to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for a person more distinguished than you may have been invited. If so, the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this person your seat.’ Then, humiliated, you will have to take the least important place. But when you are invited, take the lowest place, so that when your host comes, he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up to a better place.’ Then you will be honored in the presence of all the other guests. For all those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.”