Year of the Bible: Part Five of Twelve Uzorak

Solomon’s Coronation

King David was known as a man after God’s own heart, but one thing he was not known for was his parenting prowess. His children’s attitude toward their father and his kingdom tells us a lot about David as a parent. With Absalom, he was undermined and did nothing about it. The discipline that was given to his children seemed more absent than anything. In today’s reading, David is old and in need of a caregiver, so Adonijah, David’s next oldest son after Absalom, declared himself king. As Adonijah gathered supporters from among his father’s servants and hosted a coronation celebration, we see a lot of underhanded actions taking place and a child who has not received discipline from his father. The Scriptures even tell us, “His father never once reprimanded him saying, ‘why did you act this way?’”

We do not know why David didn’t reprimand Adonijah, but we do know that David had chosen Solomon as his successor. Bathsheba and Nathan made it known to David that Adonijah had appointed himself as King, and David took action. He called his most trusted servants and told them how and where to anoint Solomon as king. They made such a ruckus that the earth split open.

Adonijah heard about Solomon’s coronation and knew his father had overruled him. His guests got scared and scattered. Everyone knew that they had been in the wrong. Adonijah was afraid and went to take hold of the altar’s horns. This was likely a sign that he sought asylum and indicated that he wanted mercy from the new King Solomon. Solomon wisely stated that he would wait and see how Adonijah acted and decide his fate! Solomon made no promises and sent Adonijah home.

No one is perfect! David did not voice his expectations regarding who his successor would be until he was forced to do so, and he had to make a scene to ensure his wishes were fulfilled! Isn’t it also interesting that such a notable king as David was not such a noteworthy parent?

Question: What expectations have you failed to communicate in your relationships? Where are the blind spots in your life?

Prayer: We all want to find favor in God’s sight, and we all have blind spots in areas of our lives that may not be glorifying God. Ask God to show you some of your blind spots and how to begin making them better. He alone can guide us in reconciling areas of weakness.