Part 49 - Success and Succession

1 Kings 1

Let’s pray.

Introduction

What is success?

How can I be successful?

Opening Illustration

[Insert text]

Bridge

What is success?

How can I be successful?

In our passage today, we are going to see two different ways of answering these questions with completely different outcomes.

My prayer is that by looking at this story in God’s Word, we will be able to see how these ancient characters in an ancient time matter for us today.

Passage Outline

1. David’s condition (vv. 1-4)

1 Kings 1:1–4 (ESV)

1 Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm.

2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.”

3 So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king.

4 The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.

Explanation

In our study of the life of David, we were introduced to David as a teenager, when he was a shepherd in the fields. Gradually, we saw him rise through the ranks as a powerful soldier and general, eventually leading his own band of misfits and outlaws. By the time he rises to full strength, he is a powerful force to be reckoned with, commanding an army that conquers most of Israel’s enemies. And at the height of his power, he reaches out and takes Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah, for his own sinful purposes. David was strong. David was capable. And in many ways, it was that strength and capability that got David into trouble, when he didn’t submit his power to God’s authority.

But now, years later, after a complex web of betrayal and rebellion, David is just a shadow of the man he once was.

Where once he was young and vibrant, now he’s old and sick.

Where once he was hot-headed and strong, now he’s weak and can’t get warm.

Where once know for his sexual prowess, now, in his age and physical state, he lies next to another beautiful woman, unable to consummate their relationship.

Illustration - The time for David’s prominence has come and gone, like a once-vibrant red rose, now wilted and discolored.

The time for a new leader has come.

Application -

Maybe there’s some here who can relate to where David is. Scripture speaks to all our experiences. Here, we see a man who like some of us here, feel physically weak, quickly decaying, not as strong as we once were.

But as we’ll see, his body may be decaying, but his mind is still sharp.

2. Adonijah’s sedition (vv. 5-10)

1 Kings 1:5–10 (ESV)

5 Now 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.

6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom.

7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him.

8 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah.

9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah,

10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.

Explanation

Yet again, we have one of David’s sons at the center of the drama— David’s oldest surviving son, Adonijah.

This was the first time in Israel’s history that the question of succession was actually coming up in practice.

The Law of Moses had prepared the people for this scenario, saying in Deuteronomy 17:15:

Deuteronomy 17:15 (ESV)

15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose.

According to the Law, the people were to appoint the king that was chosen by God, which would have been confirmed by the prophet, as in the case of David’s anointing by Samuel. According to 1 Chronicles 22:9 and 1 Chronicles 28:6, God had told David that the son who would take his place on the throne would be Solomon, the son of Bathsheba. The text doesn’t go into much more detail than that on why Solomon was chosen, but then again the Bible is full of God choosing people who are not the firstborn and not the expected choice.

The king that God chose was Solomon, so according to the Law, that’s who should be next in the line of succession.

But Adonijah wants to do things a different way.

1 Kings 1:5 (ESV)

5 Now 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.

Adonijah sees David’s condition and sees an opportunity to force David’s hand.

v.5- “Adonijah…exalted himself” - literally “lifted himself up,” his attitude not one of humility and reverence before God, but one of arrogance and presumption.

He arranges for a small armed force to accompany him as he begins to make his plans, clearly acting like a king before even being appointed as the king, usurping the authority clearly intended by God to reside with David and taking it for himself to support his own plan.

And not only that, but look who he talks into helping him:

1 Kings 1:7 (ESV)

7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him.

Joab and Abiathar, two of David’s closest advisors and servants, going back even as far as when David was on the run from Saul in the caves and in the wilderness.

They see the chance to support Adonijah’s bid for the throne over Solomon, and they abandon David, throwing their weight in support of Adonijah.

Just imagine the arrogance for Adonijah to do this. Knowing full well that the next king needed to be chosen by God, Adonijah rushes ahead, makes his plan, commands his men, and recruits some of David’s closest servants, making sure to not invite Solomon, Nathan, and Benaiah, those he perceived would not be as receptive to his plot.

Application -

3. Bathsheba’s petition (vv. 11-27)

Word of Adonijah’s plot makes its way to the prophet Nathan, who recognizes what’s at stake and quickly goes to Bathsheba — Solomon’s mother — and urges her to appeal to King David.

1 Kings 1:15–21 (ESV)

15 So Bathsheba went to the king in his chamber (now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was attending to the king).

16 Bathsheba bowed and paid homage to the king, and the king said, “What do you desire?”

17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’

18 And now, behold, Adonijah is king, although you, my lord the king, do not know it.

19 He has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king, Abiathar the priest, and Joab the commander of the army, but Solomon your servant he has not invited.

20 And now, my lord the king, the eyes of all Israel are on you, to tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.

21 Otherwise it will come to pass, when my lord the king sleeps with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon will be counted offenders.”

Explanation

In a strange reversal of the story, where once Bathsheba had been summoned to the king’s chamber of the king’s accord, now she was entering the king’s chamber of her own accord, with purpose and conviction, ready to do everything she can to persuade the king to act in righteousness.

The stakes are high for Bathsheba and Solomon.

As one commentator points out, “A usurper [like Adonijah] would be expected to eliminate all rivals with their families.” Which is certainly what other places in the history of the kings of Israel show (15:29; 2 Kgs 10:11; 11:1).”

If David didn’t act, Bathsheba and Solomon were dead.

Bathsheba enters David’s chamber and appeals to him, reminding him that he had sworn an oath to YHWH, the God of Israel, that Solomon would be his successor and that the entire nation was now watching and waiting, seeing how David responds.

Nathan comes in immediately after her and asks David if he knew what was happening, repeating Bathsheba’s urgency for the king to intervene lest this become yet another political crisis from which David would not be able to recover. What would David do?

Illustration - I’m reminded of the story of Lieutenant Colonel Stanislov Petrov of the Soviet Air Defense Forces, who was working an overnight shift at a Soviet Union nuclear missile defense station on September 26, 1983 when his computer alerted him to 5 nuclear missiles that had apparently been launched from the United States and were heading toward the Soviet Union. In a moment of incredible tension, Petrov had to decide either to pass along this alarm to his superiors, which would have likely triggered a nuclear war, or deem it a computer malfunction and a false alarm. In the end, Petrov decided it was most likely a false alarm, so chose not to report it. In the end, his assessment was right. By that single decision, he may have prevented an all out nuclear war.

It was time for David to make a decision. Who would be the next Anointed King of Israel? Would David go with God’s choice Solomon? Or would he go with his oldest surviving son, Adonijah? Which would he choose? What would be the consequences if he didn’t make the right choice? It was time for him to act.

Application -

4. David’s commission (vv. 28-40)

After hearing Bathsheba’s petition and Nathan’s appeal, David makes his decision.

1 Kings 1:28–31 (ESV)

28 Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king.

29 And the king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity,

30 as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.”

31 Then Bathsheba bowed with her face to the ground and paid homage to the king and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

Explanation

David is decisive. He remembers God’s faithfulness to him in the past — especially given that the subjects involved are Bathsheba and Solomon—and he tells Bathsheba he will honor his vow and follow the Lord’s choice of Solomon, no matter what the fallout might be.

David then gives his instructions:

1 Kings 1:32–37 (ESV)

32 King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada.” So they came before the king.

33 And the king said to them, “Take with you the servants of your lord and have Solomon my son ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon.

34 And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel. Then blow the trumpet and say, ‘Long live King Solomon!’

35 You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.”

36 And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, “Amen! May the Lord, the God of my lord the king, say so.

37 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.”

David addresses his servants—including a prophet, a priest, and a military leader—and commissions them to publically anoint and install Solomon as David’s official choice of successor.

Mule: royal animal

Anoint with oil: signifying God’s choice, just like David was anointed before him

Trumpet: publically announcing a new reign, and a new king

Sit on the throne: Solomon is led on his mule up the hill, up to the palace, where he sits on David’s throne; installed as co-regent (common in ANE), overlapping reign with current king

David’s servants carry out his command, the kingdom responds with joy and celebration at the announcement.

Later, David will host a big, formal, well-planned official installation ceremony for Solomon. This is just a quick ceremony to stop Adonijah in his tracks and serve as the official notice to the kingdom that Solomon will be the next king.

Illustration - similar to the after party after a US Presidential election, once the president-elect is declared the winner of the election. There’s a celebration at that first news, followed by the official inauguration ceremony later.

Application -

5. Solomon’s position (vv. 41-53)

David has decided, his servants have obeyed, and now the camera turns back to Adonijah.

1 Kings 1:41–43 (ESV)

41 Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished feasting. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, “What does this uproar in the city mean?”

42 While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.”

43 Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king,

Jonathan the priest, the son of Abiathar, reports everything that has happened to Adonijah and his supporters, saying that their plan has been stopped and that David has outmaneuvered them, making his choice of Solomon very clear.

When they hear news, they know its all over.

1 Kings 1:49–53 (ESV)

49 Then all the guests of Adonijah trembled and rose, and each went his own way.

50 And Adonijah feared Solomon. So he arose and went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

51 Then it was told Solomon, “Behold, Adonijah fears King Solomon, for behold, he has laid hold of the horns of the altar, saying, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me first that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.’ ”

52 And Solomon said, “If he will show himself a worthy man, not one of his hairs shall fall to the earth, but if wickedness is found in him, he shall die.”

53 So King Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and paid homage to King Solomon, and Solomon said to him, “Go to your house.”

Explanation

Solomon, the newly installed co-regent with David, hears of Adonijah’s sedition and hears that he is begging for mercy.

As is typical of the Solomon’s wisdom that we read in the Book of Proverbs, Solomon’s position is that of biblical justice.

If Adonijah is a worthy man who lives righteously and justly, justice will demand that he live.

But if he is wicked and continues to try and subvert the king, justice will demand that he be executed.

Unlike the political leaders around him, and even unlike leaders of the old guard like Joab, Solomon’s position was that there would be mercy today, with no political violence; instead, moving forward, there would be justice.

Application -

Two Questions for Success

What is success?

How can I be successful?

In this text, I think we see two different approaches to the question of success.

I think this is where we can pull some of these threads together and work to apply this in our own lives.

(1)The What? Question: What is success?

Question: Will I be successful in my eyes or successful in God’s eyes?

This is really the definition question. How will we define success? Will we define it our way or God’s way?

Success Today

“American Dream”

upward mobility

economic prosperity

an increasingly comfortable life

a high position

power or influence

pleasure

People today are not fundamentally unlike people from the ancient world. We might have some real differences, but that desire for self-centered success is part of the human condition

It’s easy to define success without reference to God

That’s exactly what Adonijah does

1 Kings 1:5 (ESV)

5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.”

Adonijah’s definition of success was “I will be king.” He wanted to be king, and he didn’t care about what God had to say on the subject.

By making his definition of success being king, he missed out on the blessing that could have come if he would have used his energy to support Solomon as king instead of trying to be king himself.

We’ve already seen this dynamic. Saul fought and fought and fought against David, only to be thrown down and humbled, but Jonathan, Saul’s son, who from the world’s perspective should have been the next king, he submitted to God’s choice and allowed God’s definition to define his life, resulting in a multi-generational blessing that extended to his kids and their kids.

Application -

What is your functional definition of success?

Not what you would ever want to say out loud to other church people, but really, functionally how do you define success?

What is the life well-lived?

How do you know you’re not just wasting your time?

2. If you could have success without God, would you want it?

(2)The How? Question: How can I be successful?

Question: Will I try to be king or submit to God’s King?

This is the How question.

If I want to be successful in my eyes — according to my definition — I’ll need to be the king, like Adonijah.

I’ll need to call the shots.

I’ll need to whatever is necessary for me to accomplish my goals.

I’ll need to be the ultimate decider.

And I’ll need to treat the other people in my life as my subjects for me to do with as I please, whether that’s my spouse, my kids, my neighbors, my coworkers, my boss, my church, my pastors, my small group, etc.

Whoever is inconvenient I can eliminate or treat however I want.

I can use people for my own agenda.

BUT, If I want to be successful in God’s eyes — according to God’s definition — I’ll need to submit to God’s King.

This is what’s happening here in this passage. Notice how Bathsheba appeals to David.

1 Kings 1:17 ESV

17 She said to him, “My lord, you swore to your servant by the Lord your God, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne.’

1 Kings 1:29–30 ESV

29 And the king swore, saying, “As the Lord lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, 30 as I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day.”

God had said he would choose the king, God reveals to David that Solomon is his choice, David makes a promise to Bathsheba on the basis of God’s Word — so now the question is will David submit to God and God’s choice for His Anointed King?

And in the end, that’s what happens. David recognizes God’s right to choose the next king, even if its not the oldest surviving son, and He submits.

And even after Solomon is anointed and ascends to the throne, we have another question: Will Adonijah submit to God’s Anointed King?

The next chapter will show that Adonijah is not a completely changed man, but at least for now, he responds in temporary submission to God’s Anointed king.

I’m reminded of Psalm 2, a Messianic Psalm which describes the kings and rulers of the world who don’t want to submit to God and don’t want to submit to God’s Anointed King. And God is extremely clear with them what will happen if they don’t submit to God’s King: God will judge them in his wrath.

Psalm 2:4–5 (ESV)

4 He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord holds them in derision.

5 Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury

Psalm 2:9 (ESV)

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

Psalm 2:9–12 (ESV)

9 You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.”

10 Now therefore, O kings, be wise; be warned, O rulers of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled.

But listen to the last line of this Psalm:

Psalm 2:12 (ESV)

12 ...Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

That word “Blessed” means “How fortunate,” or “This is the good life.” Or, for our purposes, this is how you can be truly successful.

I think this is where this story directly intersects with our lives today.

Big Idea: “Success in God’s eyes comes through submission to God’s king.”

Listen to these verses again:

1 Kings 1:42–43 (ESV)

42 ...And Adonijah said, “Come in, for you are a worthy man and bring good news.”

43 Jonathan answered Adonijah, “No, for our lord King David has made Solomon king,

To whom is the news of God’s Anointed King good news?

To whom is it bad news?

It is bad news for rebels, but good news for the redeemed.

Judgement for the rebels, but life for the redeemed.

GOSPEL CALL

The problem with the world’s definition of success is that its too small. Earning a billion dollars through a successful business, having a loving family with a big house and lots of cars and having a high position and influence and esteem, all of that is so, so, small and wimpy compared with eternity.

Matthew 16:26 (ESV)

26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?

(1) If you could have success without Jesus, would you want it?

(2) If you can have the whole world at your disposal, if you could everything you ever wanted without Jesus, would you take it?

(3) If your definition of success doesn’t include a relationship with Jesus, can you think for a moment what that means. Have you ever thought about what you’re missing out on?

Listen to this quote from Richard Baxter, a Puritan pastor from the 1600s.

"Is it a small thing in your eyes to be loved by God – to be the son, the spouse, the love, the delight of the King of glory? Christian, believe this, and think about it: you will be eternally embraced in the arms of the love which was from everlasting, and will extend to everlasting – of the love which brought the Son of God’s love from heaven to earth, from earth to the cross, from the cross to the grave, from the grave to glory – that love which was weary, hungry, tempted, scorned, scourged, buffeted, spat upon, crucified, pierced – which fasted, prayed, taught, healed, wept, sweated, bled, died. That love will eternally embrace you." (Richard Baxter, 1615-1691)

Are you really ready to continue defining your success apart from the most precious, beautiful, committed, costly love in the universe — the love that God has within Himself, overflowing into His love for you?

That’s what at stake here.

(1) Success either means getting everything you want but losing your soul and experiencing God’s judgement forever

OR (2) having your soul filled to the brim and overflowing with love in the presence of Jesus forever.

Our passage this morning is not explicitly about eternity—that eternal horizon. It’s about real people who chose to either rebel or submit to an ancient king of Israel long ago. But when God made the promise all those years ago that David’s son would sit on an eternal throne, as we keep reading the Bible, the New Testament makes it clear that the way God fulfills that promise is through Jesus. This passage is about Solomon, yes, but more than that it points us to Jesus— God's Messiah, God’s Anointed King — who dies for our sins on the cross, who rises from the dead for our justification, who ascends into heaven to rule over his kingdom spiritually, who will never die again, and who will one day return to make all things new. He’s the firstfruits of the New Creation, which means, if you turn from your sins and trust in him, you can have all of your sins forgiven and you’ll have the promise of eternal life with Jesus so that you can be a part of that New Creation too, world without end.

Big Idea: “Success in God’s eyes comes through submission to God’s king.”

Application - There’s two ways we can apply this to our lives.

Maybe you’re living like Adonijah, pursuing your own kingship at any cost. You couldn’t care less about what God says about who is really the king of the world, namely, Jesus. Maybe you’re like the kings and rulers in Psalm 2, gnashing your teeth at God and doing everything in the world except bowing down before him. I think the way you apply this passage is pretty simple: you need to submit to Jesus, and that’s going to require a miracle. That’s going to require a King who shows the same kind of mercy that Solomon shows, here. You need to fall on the mercy of God and trust in Jesus and only Jesus, which means a new kind of life, where Jesus calls the shots, not you. You need to repent and believe the gospel, the good news that Jesus is King.

Maybe you’re living like David. You know that you’re God’s child because you’re trusting in Jesus, but there’s areas in your life that God is making it clear that you need to submit to Him and for whatever reason you have been dragging your feet. I don’t know what those areas are in your life, but the clear message from this passage is that success in God’s eyes comes through submission to God’s king.

What do you need to submit to King Jesus?

(1) Maybe its a sinful relationship that you’ve been putting off ending because you know it’ll be messy when it comes out and you don’t know what people will think. It doesn’t matter what people think. The only thing that matters is what God thinks. Submit to Jesus. End the relationship. Get help. This is not the end, this is the beginning.

(2) Maybe its an addiction that is getting worse and worse and you feel totally helpless. Submit to Jesus. Get help.

(3) Maybe its a hard conversation that you need to have to begin the process of repairing a broken relationship that you really don’t want to have because it will require a massive amount of humility. Submit to Jesus. Schedule the conversation.

(4) Maybe its taking the plunge and moving your family across the world to work to do business overseas so you can be a part of an English-speaking international church among people groups that are some of the hardest to reach, and you’ve been wrestling with God for months about whether or not to lose everything here so you can go do that, especially with all the unrest.

I don’t know how God is working in your life, but submit to Jesus. Do it. Trust and obey.

If there’s anything from this message that has resonated with you or there’s questions that you have or there’s anything you want to process someone, I would love to talk right after the service. I’ll be right here down by the front row, and I’d love to interact with you if you have anything you want to talk about or if there’s a step you think God is wanting you to take.

Big Idea: “Success in God’s eyes comes through submission to God’s king.”

May God help us to be truly successful.

Let’s pray.