1 KINGS LESSON 1


     The first and second book of Kings are sometimes thought of as
one book. They originally were one book. It is not known who the
penman was. It is well accepted that they are both from one pen. We
see the rise and fall of Solomon in these books. We, also, see the
building of the temple by Solomon. In 2 Kings, we will see the
division of Israel and Judah. The highlight of 1 Kings is the prayer
of Solomon at the dedication of the temple in chapter 8. We will,
also, get acquainted with Elijah and Elisha.

     We will now begin in I Kings 1:1 "Now king David was old [and]
stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no
heat."

     This is just another way of saying that David was extremely sick
with old age diseases. He was cold, because the circulation in his
body was poor. The cover did not help him, because the heat of his
body was not enough to warm him up.

     I Kings 1:2 "Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be
sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before
the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that
my lord the king may get heat."

     In this particular instance, the servants are, possibly, speaking
of his physicians. The youth of this virgin would cause her to be
vitally alive. When she lay under the covers with David, her body
would put off heat. A person in the condition of David, here, would
welcome death to this old worn out body. This vibrantly, alive, young
girl, prescribed by David's physician was supposed to revitalize
whatever life was left in David.

     I Kings 1:3 "So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the
coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to
the king."

     Abishag was from the tribe of Issachar. She was there to nurse
David back to health. She had no choice in the matter. The king needed
her, and she came. She slept with him to warm his body up.  He never
knew her in a personal relationship, however.  The name, "Abishag"
means father of error.

     I Kings 1:4 "And the damsel [was] very fair, and cherished the
king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not."

     She was there as his nurse. She did sleep with him, but had no
sexual relations with him.

     I Kings 1:5  "Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself,
saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and
fifty men to run before him."

     Adonijah was the fourth son of David and the oldest living son.
He was in line to be king, he thought. With the Hebrews, the king was
whoever God chose to be king. God had not spoken of him being king,
however.  He elevated himself to that position.  David is not even
dead, and he wants to be king, now.  He got support from some of the
people, and was doing the very same things that Absalom had done. The
runners, and the chariots, and horses were to make him appear to be
the next king.

     I Kings 1:6 "And his father had not displeased him at any time in
saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also [was a] very goodly [man];
and [his mother] bare him after Absalom."

     We can understand why he wanted to be like Absalom, since he was
the younger brother of Absalom. David, either had not heard of what he
had done, or was too sick to pay much attention to it. He had not told
him not to do this. Adonijah was not an evil man. "Adonijah" means my
Lord is Jehovah. Amnon was his older brother, too.

     I Kings 1:7 "And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and
with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped [him]."

     They automatically assumed that he would be the next king,
because he was the oldest living son of David. Joab has decided, if he
is to be accepted by the new king, he must help establish him now.
Joab had been faithful to David in the past, but had not always done
things exactly as David had commanded, if he thought it would help his
position to do otherwise. Abiathar had been loyal to David, as well.
It is difficult to understand why he would follow Adonijah, against
the wishes of David. At this point David had not made it clear that
this was against his wishes, however. Abiathar could have been jealous
of the relationship Zadok had with David.

     I Kings 1:8 "But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of
Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty
men which [belonged] to David, were not with Adonijah."

     Nathan had been there, and actually named Solomon Jedidiah. He
knew Solomon was to be the king after David. Usually there was just
one high priest, but at the time this is speaking of both Zadok and
Abiathar were priests. The mighty men had been with David through most
of his trials. They were loyal and stayed with David against Adonijah.
Benaiah was a Levite, and his father had been high priest. He was
David's bodyguard, however. It is believed that Shimei and Rei were
brothers of David.

     I Kings 1:9 "And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by
the stone of Zoheleth, which [is] by En-rogel, and called all his
brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's
servants:"

     This was very similar to what Absalom had done. This was for
sacrificing and the sacrificial feast that went along with it. This is
a way of getting his men to vow their loyalty to him. It appears, the
other sons of David are invited to the feast, except Solomon.

     I Kings 1:10 "But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty
men, and Solomon his brother, he called not."

     The main reason he did not call them, is because he was aware of
their loyalty to David. He was aware that Solomon would be his rival
for the kingdom. He had, probably, heard about Nathan giving Solomon a
special name. He, probably, had heard talk, also, that David would
name Solomon king. Perhaps, that is what the rush is all about here.

     I Kings 1:11  "Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother
of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of
Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth [it] not?"

     Nathan knew the great love that David had for Bath-sheba. He
knew, if anyone could influence David, it would be Bath-sheba. She was
the mother of Solomon, so it would be to her advantage for Solomon to
be king. Probably, she had not heard about Adonijah trying to seize
the kingdom. David would let Bath-sheba approach him and tell him
this, when he, possibly, would not allow Nathan, or anyone else, to
tell him.

     I Kings 1:12 "Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee
counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son
Solomon."

     Since Solomon had not been invited to the feast of Adonijah, it
is obvious he is counted a rival. If Adonijah were to become king, he
would kill Solomon and Bath-sheba. This was done many times, to keep
the brother from seizing control.

     I Kings 1:13 "Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto
him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid,
saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall
sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?"

     This oath that David had made to Bath-sheba, had obviously been
well known by Nathan. It had, possibly, been known by Adonijah, too.
Nathan knows that David will keep his oath, if he can remember it.
David was so feeble, it seemed it had not come to his attention what
was going on.

     I Kings 1:14 "Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king,
I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words."

     Nathan had been afraid to go in unto the king, without Bath-
sheba. The plan is, that he will confirm the things that Bath-sheba
tells David.

     I Kings 1:15  "And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the
chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite
ministered unto the king." I Kings 1:16 "And Bath-sheba bowed, and did
obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?"

     David was so feeble, that he could not leave his chambers.
Abishag was nurse to him, because of his terrible weakness. He,
possibly, was too weak to dress himself, or do any of the ordinary
things a person must do. The bowing, here, was just a sign of great
respect for David. She loved and respected him as her husband, but
she, also, respected his authority.

     I Kings 1:17 "And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the
LORD thy God unto thine handmaid, [saying], Assuredly Solomon thy son
shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne." I Kings 1:18
"And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou
knowest [it] not:" I Kings 1:19 "And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle
and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and
Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy
servant hath he not called."

     We see, in this, Bath-sheba makes David aware of exactly what his
oath had been to her, and also, the fact that Adonijah is trying to
take the kingdom, even before the death of David.

     I Kings 1:20 "And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel
[are] upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the
throne of my lord the king after him."

     In a sense, Bath-sheba is reminding David of the power within his
hands to stop this struggle for power, before there is bloodshed among
his sons. She says, the entire nation is looking to you, to name a
king. She feels if David would announce who the king is to be, the
entire nation would be loyal to him. She reminds David, that the
Hebrew throne does not necessarily go to the oldest son, but to the
one God has chosen through David.

     I Kings 1:21 "Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the
king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be
counted offenders."

     Bath-sheba knew of David's love for her. He would not let her and
her son be destroyed. Bath-sheba's plea to David touches on that
point. She feels that Adonijah would have her and David killed, if he
becomes king. It is in the power of David to change this.

     I Kings 1:22  "And, lo, while she yet talked with the king,
Nathan the prophet also came in."

     Probably, Nathan had been in the hall waiting. He, now, comes in
to confirm what Bath-sheba has said.

     I Kings 1:23 "And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the
prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself
before the king with his face to the ground."

     Nathan is a man of God. He had spoken boldly to David, when he
had sinned before the LORD. David was aware that the words that came
from Nathan were not Nathan's words, but the words of the LORD, so he
was not angry with Nathan. Nathan is showing respect for David as king
by bowing.

     I Kings 1:24 "And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said,
Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?" I
Kings 1:25 "For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat
cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king's sons,
and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold,
they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah."  I
Kings 1:26 "But me, [even] me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and
Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not
called."

     Nathan has given him an accurate explanation of what has
happened. Nathan knows that David has the power to change this.
Adonijah has neglected to include these people, because he knows their
loyalty is not with him.

     I Kings 1:27 "Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou
hast not shewed [it] unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of
my lord the king after him?"

     Nathan is absolutely assured that David would have told him, if
Adonijah had been his choice for king in his stead. He says, have you
chosen Adonijah and not told me?

     We will see David's answer to this in the next lesson.


























                        1 Kings 1 Questions


1.  Who was the penman of Kings?
2.  What are some of the things contained in Kings?
3.  Describe the condition of David in verse 1?
4.  What suggestion did his servants make to improve his condition?
5.  Who are the servants of verse 2?
6.  Who was the young virgin girl they found?
7.  Did David know her as a wife?
8.  What does "Abishag" mean?
9.  Which son of David took advantage of David's feeble condition, and
    exalted himself, saying he would be king?
10. How many men did he prepare to run before his chariot?
11. What made Adonijah think he should be the next king?
12. What is wrong with this?
13. What would the chariots, and the runners before him, make him
    appear to be?
14. Who were Adonijah's brothers?
15. Why had David not stopped Adonijah before now?
16. Who were two of David's men, who followed Adonijah?
17. Why had Joab followed him?
18. Who were some, who had not followed him?
19. What name had Nathan given to Solomon?
20. Who was David's bodyguard?
21. What did Adonijah do, when he met with his followers?
22. Who were not invited to the feast?
23. Who did Nathan get to go and talk to David about, what was going
    on?
24. What did Nathan tell her to say to David?
25. How did Bath-sheba show her respect for David?
26. In verse 20, how does she explain to him the importance of his
    decision?
27. When did Nathan come in and speak to David?
28. What did Nathan tell David?
29. What question did Nathan ask David in verse 27?