Who would be king after David died? He had promised Bathsheba that her son Solomon would succeed to the throne, but Adonijah thought he should be the next king since he was David’s oldest surviving son. The result of this rivalry was severe. Adonijah arranged for his own informal succession ceremony: he invited many members of the royal court to attend, while carefully excluding others (I Kings 1:5-10). Soon they were all eating and drinking and shouting “Long live King Adonijah!” (1:25).

Bathsheba reported this to King David, supported by Nathan the prophet, and David immediately ordered the coronation of Solomon (1:32-35). All of Adonijah’s followers ran away in fear for their lives (1:49). And David gave his final admonition to Solomon: “Be strong, be courageous, and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his ordinances, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you turn” (2:2-3).

Yet David tempered this piety by advising Solomon to kill off his enemies (2:5-9). Solomon tried to give those enemies the possibility of submission and survival: but before long Joab, Shimei, and Adonijah had all been executed, and Abiathar had been removed from the priesthood (2:28-34; 2:36-46; 2:23-25; 2:26-27). Even the greatest of the biblical kings, David and Solomon, find their hands covered with blood. Like Solomon, our efforts to follow God’s way often go awry: not usually in quite so deadly a fashion, but often in ways that are quite emotionally wrenching.

* * * * *

We long to keep to your revealed will, O Lord: yet even our best efforts fall short and turn into trouble, baffling us and leaving us torn and ragged. We so desperately need your grace: lift us up, raise us from the deadliness of this messy world, that we may live forever in your presence.