Closing out our rather in-depth look at the second book of Samuel, we now begin to progress into the first book of the Kings, which begins with an account related to the fact that David was coming to the end of his life. Consideration of this fact gives us pause so that we may revisit what it was that thrust us into this study, which was the Lord’s powerful promise to His people, found in the book of Jeremiah. The Lord promised that “When the time for them to be rescued comes… I will rescue you from foreign subjugation. I will deliver you from captivity. Foreigners will no longer subjugate them. But they will be subject to the Lord their God and to the Davidic ruler whom I will raise up as king over them” (30:8-9). It is this promise of a Davidic ruler that is so crucial and determinative for Israel. It is, of course, undoubtedly connected to the promise reported to have been given to David in the seventh chapter of second Samuel, in which the prophet Nathan speaks to David on behalf of Israel’s God, saying “The Lord declares to you that He Himself will build a dynastic house for you… Your house and your kingdom will stand before Me permanently; your dynasty will be permanent” (7:11b,16).
It is this promise that has forced us to take a meaningful and in-depth look at the life of David, as it is a promise upon which David (and others) heavily rely during the time of his kingship. Absalom relies upon this promise, justifiably seizing upon David’s clear failures and oppressive actions, to peacefully take the throne of Israel. As we saw, David, through failing to execute justice in the event of his daughter’s rape, and through the events surrounding Bathsheba and Uriah, was ruling in a way that stood contrary to what was expected of Israel’s king. As the representative of God’s people, David was leading them down a path that was going to result in exile, and Absalom believed himself, according to God’s promises to David concerning his sons, to be called upon to restore Israel to the path of exodus in accordance with what must have been an oft-recounted promise by God to David. It was in this light that Absalom was able to recognize that his father, in some ways, was faring no better than did Saul; so Absalom acted in the context of God’s promise to David, which also provided a reminder of God’s love being removed from Saul.
Absalom was not the only one attempting to operate according to the Lord’s promise to David. As first Kings commences, “Adonijah, son of David and Haggith, was promoting himself, boasting, ‘I will be king!’” (1:5a) Along with this, he attempted to partially emulate Absalom’s eminently successful approach to taking the throne, as “He managed to acquire chariots and horsemen, as well as fifty men to serve as his royal guard” (1:5b). Additionally, “He collaborated with Joab… and with Abiathar the priest, and they supported him” (1:7), which is also reminiscent of Absalom’s efforts. Though there are parallels here, they are slight, as Adonijah is merely taking advantage of his father’s age and deteriorating condition, rather than pointing out the injustices (and therefore the increasingly illegitimate and possibly exile inducing rule) of his father, as had Absalom. Adonijah, though seizing upon the covenantal promise to David, is not doing so within the exile and exodus narrative, and therefore his efforts, unlike Absalom’s, with had actually served to secure the throne in what temporarily appeared to be within the will of God (until he agreed to raise his hand against David after God had already clearly vindicated him), proved to be futile.
Like both Absalom and Adonijah, we will find that Solomon also relied upon the promise made to David, expecting his kingship to be established, strengthened, and extended, based upon that promise and a record of divine faithfulness. This extended beyond Solomon himself, as in the midst of the power struggle that commenced with Adonijah’s attempt to establish himself as king, we hear David speaking to Bathsheba (Solomon’s mother), saying “I will keep the oath I swore to you by the Lord God of Israel: ‘Surely Solomon your son will be king after me; he will sit in my place on the throne.’” (1:30) Now, this is the first we are hearing of this promise concerning Solomon as king, though its recitation here seems to signify that it is supposed to be relatively well known. If it is known, then it serves to explain Adonijah’s efforts to elevate himself as king in the eyes of the people before David’s death and the natural handing over of the throne that would take place at that point. Up until now, all we know of Solomon is that “the Lord loved the child” (2 Samuel 12:24), which does not provide any direct indication that he is to be king, unless we connect this statement with the promise to David and the “loyal love” of the Lord in connection with the permanent dynasty that God is establishing through David and his sons.
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