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Okay, you can turn in your Bibles 
to 1 Kings, chapter 1. 1 Kings, chapter 1. The larger context is the rise 
of Solomon and the reign of Solomon. Chapter 1, verse 1 to chapter 
11, verse 43, details the reign of Solomon, the king that came 
after David. And last week we saw in chapter 
1, verses 1 to 4, the declining health of David. We remember 
that he could not get warm, so they get this young woman, Abishag, 
to keep him warm. And then in verses 5 to 10, the 
ambitious self-exaltation of Adonijah. He was one of the sons 
of David, but he was not the one that was to be on the throne. Nevertheless, he conducted himself 
like a king. He acted like a king. The text 
tells us that he was very good-looking. That sets him in the context 
of Saul and Absalom. And then, as a result of that, 
there was the faithful intervention of Nathan in 1127. Nathan first 
addresses Bathsheba to tell her what's happening in terms of 
Adonijah, and Nathan encourages Bathsheba to instruct David. And Nathan says that while Bathsheba 
is talking to David, Nathan will come in at the end and will confirm 
all that she has said. And so we saw that last week, 
both Nathan and Bathsheba address David and instruct him concerning 
Adonijah's attempt to take the throne away from David. So beginning 
in chapter 1 at verse 28. Then King David answered and 
said, Call Bathsheba to me. So she came into the king's presence 
and stood before the king. And the king took an oath and 
said, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every 
distress, just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel, 
saying, Assuredly, Solomon your son shall be king after me, and 
he shall sit on my throne in my place. So I certainly will 
do this day. Then Bathsheba bowed with her 
face to the earth and paid homage to the king, and said, Let my 
lord, King David, live forever. 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. Then you shall come 
up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, and he 
shall be king in my place, for I have appointed him to be ruler 
over Israel and Judah. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered 
the king and said, Amen. May the Lord God of my Lord the 
king say so too. As the Lord has been with my 
Lord the King, even so may He be with Solomon, and make His 
throne greater than the throne of my Lord King David." So Zadok 
the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, 
the Karathites and the Pelathites went down and had Solomon ride 
on King David's mule and took him to Gihon. Then Zadok the 
priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. And they blew the horn. And all 
the people said, Long live King Solomon. And all the people went 
up after him. And the people played the flutes 
and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split 
with their sound. Now Adonijah and all the guests 
who were with him heard it as they finished eating. And when 
Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, Why is the city in such 
a noisy uproar? While he was still speaking, 
there came Jonathan, the son of Abiathar the priest. And Adonijah 
said to him, Come in, for you are a prominent man, and bring 
good news. Then Jonathan answered and said 
to Adonijah, No, our Lord, King David, has made Solomon king. 
The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, 
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Karathites and the Pelathites, 
and they have made him ride on the king's mule. So Zadok the 
priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon, 
and they have gone up from there rejoicing, so that the city is 
in an uproar. This is the noise that you have 
heard. Also, Solomon sits on the throne of the kingdom. And 
moreover, the king's servants have gone to bless our Lord King 
David, saying, May God make the name of Solomon better than your 
name, and may he make his throne greater than your throne. Then 
the king bowed himself on the bed. Also the king said thus, 
blessed be the Lord God of Israel who has given one to sit on my 
throne this day while my eyes see it. So all the guests who 
were with Adonijah were afraid and arose and each one went his 
way. 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. And Solomon said, if he proves himself a worthy 
man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth. But if wickedness 
is found in him, he shall die. 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. Amen. So we continue in this 
study in the Old Testament. Certainly, 1 and 2 Samuel was 
the beginning of the monarchy, Saul being the first king chosen 
by God himself, anointed by Samuel. Saul was a wretch. He was an 
apostate. He defected from the Lord. And 
as a result, God, through the prophet, said that he was going 
to take the kingdom away from Saul and give it to someone better 
than Saul. David rises up in 1 Samuel chapter 
16. He's anointed by Samuel, and 
then he begins his reign. And it's a rocky reign at the 
very beginning as he's opposed by Saul, as he has to fight Philistines, 
as he has to essentially fight everybody. But he secures the 
throne in 2 Samuel chapter 4. He has consolidated power over 
both the north and the south. And certainly his reign was marked 
by justice and by righteousness. It was not perfect. He was certainly 
an imperfect king, but pointing forward to the perfect one, even 
the son that would come from his line, the Lord Jesus Christ. 
David dies, or David, rather, is getting close to death in 
this particular chapter, and certainly kingship is most necessary. We can't have the king in ill 
health and dying. and having nobody to take his 
place. Adonijah sees the opportunity and tries to wiggle his way into 
the throne. Thankfully, Nathan stands up. 
Nathan does intervene, and as a result, we see what this chapter, 
or the latter part of this chapter, indicates concerning the coronation 
or the crowning of Solomon. So we'll look at verses 28 to 
53 under three considerations. First, the choice of Solomon. 
Secondly, the coronation of Solomon. And thirdly, the concern regarding 
Solomon. But in the first place, note 
the king's oath in verse 28. David answered and said, Call 
Bathsheba to me. So she came into the king's presence 
and stood before the king. And the king took an oath and 
said, As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my life from every 
distress." He rehearses God's faithfulness. Remember, we saw 
him make this statement in 2 Samuel chapter 4 at verse 9. And up to that point, we saw 
how David had went through many distresses. He was, as I said, 
opposed by Saul. He was on the run. He was hunted 
like an animal. He was opposed by the Philistines. 
I mean, David's life was certainly full of adventure and intrigue 
and danger. Well, after 2 Samuel 4, 9, we 
see that David's life continues to be a life filled with danger 
and intrigue. and all sorts of adventure, and 
he's able to say that the Lord has redeemed my life from every 
distress. Now, after 2 Samuel 4, 9, consider 
what he means by that. The one distress that sticks 
out is when he sinned. He sinned against God with Bathsheba 
and with Uriah. And he stayed quiet about it for some 
time. Nathan comes and reproves him. 
David confesses. He says, I have sinned against 
the Lord. And he receives the forgiveness of God. Certainly, 
that is redemption from the distress of sin. After that particular 
time, as a result of the curse by God upon David, the temporal 
consequences for his sin, the sword would never depart from 
his house. After his daughter is raped by his son, then his 
other son kills that son. And then Absalom tries to take 
his throne. I mean, David faced a whole lot 
of opposition, and yet he's able to say, the Lord has redeemed 
my life from every distress. And not only was Absalom in rebellion 
against the throne, but so was Sheba. He launched a rebellious 
attempt to try and take the throne away from David also. So this 
statement in verse 29 is really loaded, and when compared with 
2 Samuel 4, verse 9, we see that this was the faithful and consistent 
testimony of David throughout the entirety of his life. We 
know that he's old, we know he's advanced in years, he's at a 
point where he can't get warm, he is going to die. In fact, 
in chapter 2 he does die, but what a testimony he's able to 
ascribe to the faithfulness of God Almighty. And we ought to 
appreciate the fact that God isn't like this only for David. God is like this for all of His 
people. He does redeem us from every 
distress. The Lord is there. Doesn't look 
like it's going to be, you know, this deliverance from every problem, 
but He does deliver us or redeems us from every distress. We go 
through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil because 
He's with us, and He will keep us and secure us, and He faithfully 
sees us through those calamities. If your faith is ever wavering 
and you doubt the faithfulness of God, read the life of David. See how he was delivered. See 
how he was redeemed. See how he was freed from the 
clutches of Saul and from the clutches of a whole host of enemies. 
I mean, there were some miraculous deliverances that God wrought 
on behalf of David. There are two instances in Samuel 
where God uses Philistines to save David. I mean the fact is 
that the Lord did indeed redeem his life from every distress. So he rehearses God's faithfulness 
and then he rehearses his oath concerning his successor. Notice 
in verse 30, just as I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel 
saying, assuredly Solomon your son shall be king after me and 
he shall sit on my throne in my place, so I certainly will 
do this day. Now, from this point on, the 
king is very zealous to protect the kingdom. In fact, he is full 
of action, full of activity. The man who couldn't keep warm 
is now fired up with reference to the integrity and the stability 
of the kingdom of Israel. Davis makes a comment in his 
commentary, what makes us fired up? What promotes zeal in our 
hearts? What moves us into action? Is it God's kingdom or is it 
our own exploits? Are we first seeking God and 
His kingdom and His righteousness and then trusting that all these 
things will be added to us? David jumps into action. He takes 
the initiative, he demonstrates leadership to make sure that 
Solomon does get upon the throne. Now, arguably, David's leadership 
may have faltered to some degree because he did not know that 
Adonijah had launched this rebellion. He was surprised to hear about 
this. As well, he did not make known 
to Israel that Solomon was, in fact, his successor. So his leadership 
had been a bit shaky, but when he learns what's happening, he 
moves into action. And I think the action of David 
here, as well, shows us that the oath was indeed his. We don't 
find this oath in 2 Samuel. We don't find David swear by 
the Lord that Solomon will take the throne. But nevertheless, 
it is repeated by Nathan, Bathsheba, and David here affirms it as 
his own. There are commentators I mentioned 
last week that suggest that David never made the oath, that it 
was concocted by Nathan, that Nathan introduced it to Bathsheba 
so that Bathsheba would repeat it to David, and if David heard 
it enough, then he might believe that it was in fact his oath. 
I don't think anything could be further from the truth. David 
is not weak in mind. His body may not be warm, but 
his mind is certainly alert and sharp, and the way that he counters 
this rebellion by Adonijah evidences that fact. This is not the mindset 
of a feeble man who would have forgotten an oath, who would 
have never made an oath, and who would have taken it from 
Bathsheba and declared it to be his own. No, David made this 
oath concerning the fact that Solomon would be the one to take 
the throne after he died. Bathsheba responds with reverence. She bows her face to the earth. She pays homage to the king and 
says, let my lord king David live forever. She did esteem 
him. She did revere him. This wasn't 
just what you said, but certainly she did have an esteem for David. Now note the king's instructions 
in verses 32 to 37. He summons the particular men, 
the very men that were excluded by Adonijah. Adonijah was an 
ambitious, self-exalting fool, a pretender king, but he wasn't 
so foolish as to think that he should have invited these three 
men. David, however, does invite them, Zadok the priest, Nathan 
the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the same ones 
rejected by Adonijah in verses 8, 10, and 26. So note the specifics 
here. He's got the priest, He's got 
the prophet and he's got the military leader. This is very 
strategic and will play out as Solomon is anointed to the throne. He gives them specific instructions 
concerning this coronation in verses 33 to 35. Notice in verse 
33, 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 David says that they are 
to anoint him and that he is to take the throne immediately. 
This suggests a co-regency. Sometimes when you start to crunch 
the numbers in the books of Kings and Chronicles, there's a few 
years shy in certain reigns. Well, some have recognized, and 
I think rightly so, that there were seasons of co-regency where 
two kings would reign at the same time together. And this 
is one sort of evidence of that particular fact. David wasn't 
dead. David wasn't abdicating. But David wanted Solomon crowned 
and on the throne. alongside of him for the remainder 
of his life. And so it's a co-regency. And 
I suggest that as we deal with the numbers, as we move through 
Kings, that's probably one of the reasons why there does seem 
to be a disparity at times. Notice the response of David's 
men in verses 36 and 37. Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered 
the king and said, Amen. May the Lord God of my Lord the 
king say so too. As the Lord has been with my 
Lord the king, even so may he be with Solomon and make his 
throne greater than the throne of my Lord King David. It's not 
a beautiful statement. David is able to say in verse 
29, as the Lord lives who has redeemed my life from every distress. David has that personal testimony 
concerning the faithfulness of God. But it was such and it was 
so evident that Benaiah is able to say this concerning David, 
as the Lord has been with my Lord the King. Now, I hope that 
people see you as that kind of person that the Lord is with. Now, that doesn't mean you're 
going to have no troubles or no difficulties or no trials 
or hardships in your life, but the way that we deal with those 
particular things gives evidence to the fact that the Lord is 
indeed with us. If we fall prey to those works 
of the flesh that we saw in Galatians chapter 5 on Sunday night, if 
we have these outbursts of wrath, if we're full of enmity and hatred, 
if we're full of dissension and all sorts of grumbling and whining 
and complaining, the Banias in our life aren't going to be able 
to testify that the Lord has been with you. We need to give 
evidence of the fact that God is our portion and God is our 
lot by the way that we live. If the Lord redeems our life 
from every distress, we give Him the praise, we give Him the 
honor, we give Him the glory. In other words, beniahs in our 
lives ought to be able to witness and see for themselves that the 
Lord has been with you. The Lord is your portion and 
lot. the way that you talk, the way 
that you live, the way that you function, the way that you worship, 
the way that you deal with adversity and hardship and trial, all of 
those give evidence to the fact that God Most High is with you. And I think this is a wonderful 
testimony of the grace of God in David's life, such that Benaiah 
is able to ascribe the presence of Yahweh with David throughout 
his life. Now note, the coronation of Solomon 
in verses 38 to 40. They essentially do what they're 
told. I mean, essentially, this section 
of the chapter says the same thing three times. David gives 
the instructions, the men take it seriously, and then they accept 
it, and then they enact... I'm sorry. David gives the instructions, 
the men apply, and then the report is given by Jonathan, the son 
of Abiathar, to Adonijah and his ilk. But notice the significance 
of the mule. I mean, we might look at that 
and say, well, the mule isn't a battle stallion. I mean, that 
doesn't seem like, you know, the royal steed that a king should 
ride. Well, that's what David rode, 
and it was common. Well, Gil says, the Jews say 
that it wasn't common, but they made an exception in the case 
of David. I don't know about all that. But I know this, that 
to ride upon the king's mule was to assume the king's role. And that is the significance. 
And certainly, it hopefully points us to another son of David that 
will ride into Jerusalem triumphantly, not on a mule, but on a colt. 
and he will be that son that builds a house for the Lord God 
Most High. So there is typology even in 
this passage pointing us forward to Matthew 21, 1 to 11. Now note the comprehensive approval 
of Solomon as king. We know he's got royal approval. 30 tells us that David swore. So there's royal approval for 
the installation of Solomon as the king over Israel. Notice 
the divine approval. This is indicated by verse 39. 
Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and 
anointed Solomon. That's divine approval when the 
priest of the Most High God, and of course, Nathan is there 
as well, when prophet and priest are involved in this coronation, 
that is indicative of the divine approval of God Almighty. As 
well, there is military approval. Benaiah is present. Benaiah is 
there, witness to this, swearing his allegiance to Solomon, saying, 
Long live King Solomon. So this is of the Lord. It was 
orchestrated by God. It was purposed by God. to learn 
that when Adonijahs rise up and they ambitiously try to insert 
themselves into the narrative of the kingdom, if it is against 
the will of God, then God will put them down. God will shut 
them up. Adonijahs can't steal thrones. God the Lord protects the throne, 
and Solomon gets in at this particular point. And then notice he has 
popular support. Verse 40. And all the people 
went up after him. And the people played the flutes 
and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth seemed to split 
with their sound." That's a great statement concerning the popular 
support of the people. They have the approval of the 
king. King David has said, this is 
our man. They have the military commander. 
they have the prophet, they have the priest, and the people are 
rejoicing over this reality. One commentator, a man by the 
name of Provan, says that the contrast with Adonijah's private 
dinner party for a few elite is evident. This is the proper 
way to become a king, the text tells us, out in the open with 
mules, oil, and music, with popular involvement. Adonijah's attempted 
coup by stealth and patronage is an aberration. So what we 
have is approval with reference to Solomon and we have disapproval 
and, yea, rejection of Adonijah because he's a usurper and a 
rebel who tries to put himself upon the throne of Israel. Now 
note thirdly and finally the concern regarding Solomon. Verse 41, Adonijah and all the 
guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. Remember 
I said back in verse 9, it was important that the location of 
this dinner party be specified. Because here we see why it was 
important, because they're in earshot of what's happening over 
with Solomon at his coronation. They don't hear everything clearly, 
but they certainly hear this pomp and display. And so when 
Joab heard the sound of the horn, he said, why is the city in such 
a noisy uproar? Now note this. Here's Adonijah, 
a rebel, a usurper, trying to steal the throne, perhaps silently 
and perhaps even with some of his trusted friends and advisors, 
thinking what a pushover his father David is. I mean, come 
on, David is the reigning king, and Adonijah has been able to 
just sort of wiggle his way in. He's thrown this private party 
to crown him as the king of Israel. He's probably feeling quite content 
about his exploits at this particular time. He's probably finishing 
his supper, finishing the dessert, having his coffee, thinking that 
he's accomplished a lot of good today, and he's really done it 
right under the nose of his own sort of inactive father. And 
yet, here's the irony of it all. It's the father, David, who has 
worked these things out so that Solomon is indeed the rightful 
king. While he's been whining and dying, 
and I don't mean whining grumbling, I mean whining, drinking wine 
and dining, thinking that he's now the king, the kingdom has 
indeed been given to the man that it was rightfully supposed 
to go to. It really is an ironic display 
of God's cunning to take the rug out from under this particular 
man and give the throne to whom it was due. So Joab essentially 
says, what's happening here? Jonathan comes and then Jonathan 
gives the report. Note in the first place the loyalties 
of Jonathan. They're quite obvious. Verses 
43 and 47. Our Lord King David. He's on the right side of this 
particular equation. He doesn't say, we need to defeat 
David because he's trying to do such and such. No, Jonathan's 
on the right side of this situation. Our Lord, King David, and again 
in verse 47, they have gone to bless our Lord, King David. And 
then note the specific report concerning Solomon's coronation. 
He rehearses the fact that Solomon now sits on the throne of the 
kingdom. Again, imagine if you're at an 
ijah, you're sipping your coffee thinking that you're now the 
king, and this man comes and says in verse 46, also Solomon 
sits on the throne of the kingdom. Guess where he rode that mule? 
It wasn't to a dinner party with some, you know, few elites. He 
went to take the throne of Israel. Notice as well that Jonathan 
rehearses the prayer of the king's servants. It says, their prayer, 
may God make the name of Solomon better than your name, and may 
He make His throne greater than your throne. That's a significant 
prayer, and I think it tells us much about David. Because David doesn't rebuff 
them, David doesn't rebuke them, David does not resist them, but 
rather David approves of this particular prayer. Not only because 
David was fond of his son Solomon, but because David loved the kingdom. That's what moves David in all 
of this. Of course he had affection for 
Solomon. Of course he loved the son he 
had with Bathsheba. Of course there was that natural 
affection. But when David approves, notice 
the end of verse 47, then the king bowed himself on the bed. He is not resistant to this. 
He is not suggesting, well, Solomon can be good, but he mustn't ever 
outshine me. Solomon can be great, but he 
mustn't ever exceed me. He mustn't ever steal my thunder. That's not David's disposition. David certainly is the man that 
does display those fruits of the Spirit that are counter or 
contra to those works of the flesh. The works of the flesh 
are selfish ambition. The works of the flesh are envy. 
The works of the flesh are the sorts of things that don't want 
anyone to be esteemed more highly than themselves. David, however, 
animated by his love for the kingdom of God, receives this 
and then adds his own in verse 48. Also the king said thus, 
blessed be the Lord God of Israel who has given one to sit on my 
throne this day while my eyes see it. So David not only affirms 
what these servants pray concerning Solomon's greatness and excellence, 
but David himself blesses God for the provision of this king 
to sit alongside of David on the throne before he dies. And then notice the concern of 
the rebels with reference to Solomon. The guests were afraid. I suggest that this is a good 
response. They were right to be afraid. 
Anyone who opposes the kingdom of God Almighty ought to be afraid. They ought not to be content 
or Notice, it says in verse 49, all the guests who were with 
Adonijah were afraid and arose, and each one went his way. They 
knew the score. They knew what time it was. They 
knew that it was not right to stick around with Adonijah. We've 
had enough coffee. We've had enough meat. It's time 
for us to leave and submit to the rightful king. Your attempt 
was noble if we could say these rebels, but we know what's happening 
and we're going to get out of here. And then notice what the 
pretender king does in verse 50. Now Adonijah was afraid of 
Solomon. Again, this is absolutely consistent. This is the response we should 
be looking for. Adonijah shouldn't try and oppose 
at this particular time. Fear is a good expression of 
a heart that tries to stand against the living and the true God. 
So he arose and he went and he took hold of the horns of the 
altar. In the ancient Near Eastern world, the persons would seek 
asylum in religious places. In fact, there's probably a hint 
from Exodus 21 in this particular section. Exodus 21, 12, he who 
strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 
However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into 
his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may 
flee." This is the part of the legislation where it distinguishes 
with reference to the Sixth Commandment. It makes a distinction between 
murder and manslaughter. The command in verse 12, he who 
strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. 
That's murder. Manslaughter is verse 13. However, 
if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, 
Then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee." That's not 
murder. There was no malice of forethought. There was no premeditation. 
There was nothing that would make that murder. It was an accidental 
homicide. Then notice in verse 14, but 
if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor to kill 
him by treachery, you shall take him from my altar. that he may 
die, and one of the commentaries suggests that it was a Jewish 
tradition, that if you were in the holy place, if you were holding 
on to the altar, you would not be executed. So most likely, 
that's what Adonijah's doing at this particular time. Adonijah, 
as I said, wasn't the brightest bulb in the chandelier, but he 
wasn't absolutely stupid either. He knew that Solomon would want 
to deal with him, for his having tried to usurp the throne. So he takes hold of the horns 
of the altar. Verse 51, 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. Isn't that amazing? He pleads 
for his life with the true king. He calls him King Solomon. I 
mean, as foolish as he was, at this point, he's doing the right 
thing. He's afraid and he wants clemency. He wants mercy. Now, 
unfortunately, in chapter two, he reverses this non-foolery 
and jumps right back into folly and ultimately does lose his 
life. But note what Solomon's response 
is in verse 52. If he proves himself a worthy 
man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth. He's not making 
a blanket authorization that Adonijah is going to live happily 
ever after. If he proves himself a worthy 
man, not one hair of him shall fall to the earth. This was clemency. 
This was kindness. This was decency. I mean, here 
was a man that tried to take the throne away from Solomon, 
and Solomon says, as long as he doesn't do anything more, 
then not one hair of him shall fall to the earth. But if wickedness 
is found in him, he shall die." And as I said, we'll see that 
in chapter 2, verses 13 to 25. He himself asks for Abishag. Well, if to ride the king's mule 
is to assume the role of the king, then to lay with the wife 
of the king is to assume the king's role as well. So when 
Adonijah in chapter 2 says, can I have Abishag, Solomon knows 
exactly what he is saying. Solomon understands that this 
is yet another attempt to try and wrest the throne away from 
Solomon, and so Solomon introduces him to his little friend, Benaiah. And Benaiah takes care of business 
in that particular instance. And then notice, finally the 
chapter ends with the dismissal of Adonijah. He is to go to his 
house. As I said, the same information 
is essentially repeated three times, but I think there are 
a few lessons that we ought to appreciate before we close. In 
the first place, and I've already noted this, the zeal for the 
kingdom, that's what animates David in this particular section. 
That's what moves David. David was old and he was unable 
to get warm. David did not know that a major 
rebellion was going on right under his nose. I mean, while 
he is shivering and cold and trying to get warm, Adonijah 
is trying to work his way into the kingdom of Israel as the 
king. But David leaps into action as 
soon as he is advised. David takes immediate steps to 
correct the situation. David evidences the fact that 
he has a zeal for the kingdom. And I think that if we learn 
anything, as we have considered at great length the life of David, 
we ought to learn that very important lesson, that he was a man moved 
by a desire for the propagation and for the extension and the 
stability of God's kingdom. I mean, that's precisely what 
we as Christians are called to by David's greater son in Matthew 
6. We are to seek first the kingdom of God. And as we consider that 
passage, say, in Galatians chapter 5 on Sunday night, and we look 
at the fruits of the Spirit, God willing, this coming Sunday 
night, these are kingdom principles. If we're inhabitants of God's 
kingdom, we're not supposed to conduct ourselves in those works 
of the flesh. Rather, we are to imbibe the 
fruits of the Spirit. Those are the things consistent 
with the kingdom of God. David embodied that. Again, not 
perfectly. As we've moved through, as we've 
surveyed, we see his sins, we see his shortcomings, we see 
his failings, but overall David was a man of the kingdom. He 
was full of zeal. David actually hopes that Solomon's 
name would be better and that his throne would be greater. 
John Gill comments concerning this, the fact that these servants 
said that or prayed that with reference to Solomon. Gil says, 
which they knew would not displease David. They didn't have to be 
afraid. Well, if we pray this way, then 
David might get upset because, you know, he's so jealous about 
his own name and his own greatness and his own fame. They didn't 
fear that for a moment. You see, with a godly man, you 
know you're not dealing with some petty wretch that's full 
of envy, jealousy, and pride. These servants knew that their 
king was on board. He says, "...which they knew 
would not displease David, who not only had an affectionate 
regard for Solomon his son, but wished heartily the prosperity 
of the kingdom of Israel." Do we wish heartily the prosperity 
of the kingdom of God? Is that what we're about? Is 
that what animates us? Is that what moves and motivates 
us? Is it the kingdom for us? If 
it is the kingdom for us, then we'll take that passage in Galatians 
5, I think it's just a very handy section right now to refer to, 
we will shun those works of the flesh and we'll put into practice 
those fruits of the Spirit. Because if we do heartily cherish 
the kingdom of God, we'll heartily cherish the inhabitants of the 
kingdom of God. We'll love one another, we'll 
care for one another, we'll pray for one another, we'll support 
one another, we'll encourage one another, we will be with 
one another. All of these things manifest 
themselves in those who heartily love the kingdom. And David was 
such a man. Gil says he wished heartily the 
prosperity of the kingdom of Israel. And the wish on all accounts 
was grateful to him. Though to an envious and ambitious 
prince, it might have been disagreeable. You just hear that, oh yeah, 
I want him to be good, but I don't want him to be great. I want 
his kingdom to be strong, but I don't want anybody to ever 
forget me. I want them to think that I've always been... That's 
not David. David is about the kingdom, and that's why David 
does what David does. Secondly, we ought to appreciate 
the power behind the kingdom. As we have seen so many times 
in our studies in Samuel and here in 1 Kings already, it starts 
off with tumult in the kingdom. I mean, the only time we're going 
to get to that steadiness and stability of the kingdom is in 
the eternal state. I mean, even now, right, the 
kingdom is in tumult. Not that I'm suggesting that 
it can be taken away from God or thrown off course, but as 
it appears to us, there's ups and downs, there's ebbs and flows, 
and, you know, there's a whole lot of hardships that the kingdom 
faces. And we see that the tumult of kingdom life is obvious in 
the rebellion by Adonijah. The potential success of such 
things, at times, worries the children of God. And I'm suggesting 
here that we ought not to worry. We should be concerned, we ought 
to pray, we ought to preach, we ought to live in such a way 
so as not to rile up the kingdom, but we ought to realize that 
Almighty God has the kingdom under control. I love that passage 
in Revelation chapter 1.5. It's a greeting. In fact, you 
can turn there because I think this is a passage that should 
steady the soul of believers in whatever situation they may 
find themselves. I mean, there's more in this 
greeting from John in Revelation than than I think we often reflect 
upon. It's Trinitarian in nature, but 
note specifically in Revelation 1, verse 4, John to the seven 
churches which are in Asia, grace to you and peace from Him, Him 
who is and who was and who is to come. and from the seven spirits 
who are before his throne." So father is referenced. He's the 
one who is and was and who is to come. The seven spirits is 
a reference to the Holy Spirit. It doesn't mean there are seven 
Holy Spirits. Seven is the number of completion. 
It's speaking of the fullness of the Spirit of the living God. 
So we've got Father, Spirit, and then notice specifically 
the Son. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn 
from the dead, notice this last clause, and the ruler over the 
kings of the earth. Isn't that beautiful? This is 
not, I mean, this is the most fitting greeting for the book 
of Revelation. What's happening in the book 
of Revelation? Tumult, represented by beasts, 
the beasts from the sea, beasts from the land. We have these 
enemies of God's kingdom. We have these enemies of God's 
churches. We have these political powers. 
We have the Roman Empire. We have unbelieving Israel working 
in concert to try and neutralize or liquidate the church. What 
would be one of the most helpful things to be reminded of if you 
were in one of those seven churches in Asia Minor? That Jesus Christ 
is the ruler over the kings of the earth. That the beasts may 
rage, the beasts may prowl, the beasts may try to destroy the 
people of God, but Jesus Christ is the ruler over the kings of 
the earth. And I'm certain you've heard 
that threefold office of the Lord Jesus, prophet, priest, 
and king. That was not developed by the 
Westminster Assembly. That's Bible. This is specifically 
what John says. The faithful witness, that's 
the prophetic office of our Lord. The firstborn from the dead, 
that's the priestly office of our Lord. And the ruler over 
the kings of the earth, that's the kingly office of our Lord. 
So, John gives the seven churches in Asia Minor this glimpse of 
this glorious Christ at the right hand of Him who is and who was, 
and the seven spirits that are before the throne, and this Lord 
Jesus. That is to steady the people 
of God as they move their way. In that situation, through the 
Roman Empire, in the first century situation, during the collapse 
of Jerusalem in AD 70, all those things, they were to continually 
reflect upon the fact that their God Almighty was in control of 
all things. Thirdly, we ought to realize, 
and I mentioned this, that the fear of God by the opponents 
of God is a very good thing. A very good thing, Psalm 2, David 
picks up this theme as he addresses the kings in his own day. These 
are pagans, these are heathen, these are those around the nation 
of Israel. And in Psalm 210 he says, Now 
therefore be wise, O kings, be instructed, you judges of the 
earth. Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss 
the son lest he be angry and you perish in the way when his 
wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put 
their trust in him. We ought to communicate to the 
people who oppose the kingdom. If you do, you ought to fear. 
Because the Bible teaches that we don't live in this chance 
universe. We're not just sort of random 
particles that are going to dissipate at the end, or that it's this, 
you know, circle of life, cyclical thing where we just sort of, 
you know, keep going and we might appear, you know, in a different 
type of speed. History is linear according to 
the Bible. There's a beginning, there's a middle, and there's 
an end. And that end ought to terrify the opponents of the 
kingdom of God, because they're going to meet this God, whom 
they have rejected, whom they have despised, and it's better 
now to fear and to kiss the sun, lest he be angry, and they perish 
in his way. As well, we see, fourthly, the 
fulfillment of the Davidic covenant. Remember that covenant, we've 
referred to it several times in Samuel, 2 Samuel chapter 7. One commentator, House, Paul 
House says, Israel had never gotten a king in this way. Before, 
Saul and David had been identified by Samuel as God's chosen. Both men then had to prove themselves 
worthy in the people's eyes. Remember that? Samuel anoints 
Saul, and what does he do? He goes out and he kills Ammonites 
until the heat of the day. That affirms that he's God's 
man, right? What happens after David is anointed? He goes into the Valley of Elah 
and cuts the head off of the Philistine giant. This is the 
public display that they are God's men. This is a dynasty. David's dying and now his son 
is succeeding him. Both men then had to prove themselves 
worthy in the people's eyes, and neither Saul nor David began 
to rule all twelve tribes immediately." Note this as well. Solomon has 
rule immediately over all 12 tribes, north and south. He goes 
on to say, the placing of Solomon on the throne signals the beginning 
of the Davidic dynasty, a royal lineage that will eventually 
produce Jesus Christ. God has begun to keep the promises 
made to David in 2 Samuel 7. David does have a son on the 
throne, and that son will be blessed as he obeys the Lord. So all of this is to be gleaned 
in chapter 1 of 1 Kings. And I hope that we will take 
these things to heart, that we will be encouraged, that we will 
manifest something of the zeal that David had. We may never 
be the king of Israel. Well, I know we'll never be the 
king of Israel, but we can certainly imitate the zeal that David had 
with reference to the kingdom. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank You for Your Word and for these things that we learn. 
And God, help us to always see that You are in absolute control, 
that You are sovereign over all things, and that Christ is presently 
ruler over the kings of the earth. And we know, God, that we are 
oftentimes unhappy with political leaders that are in place, human 
government. But God, let us never lose sight 
of the fact that Jesus Christ is enthroned at your right hand. 
Let us never lose sight of the fact that you are over all things, 
and that your plan and your purpose is being worked out in history, 
and that through your providence, God, your will is being done 
on earth as it is in heaven. And we pray that you would just 
bless us, help us to be faithful inhabitants of this kingdom, 
help us to manifest a zeal and a concern for the kingdom, and 
help us to live like those who are kingdom citizens. We pray 
that you would go with us now. Again, we ask that you bless 
all the people in our church that have these ongoing struggles 
physically and even spiritually. God, we just pray that you would 
comfort each and every one of us. And we pray through Christ 
our Lord. Amen.