A Ruse? Or a Promise?

1 Kings 1; Psalm 124; Proverbs 16:24

 

In one brief chapter, two brothers are declared to be king. One brother, Adonijah, claims King David's throne as his own. The second brother, Solomon, is promoted to the throne by King David himself. By the end of the chapter, there is no question as to who will be king. Solomon is and will remain king.

 

But the basis for his reign might still be questionable. After Adonijah declared himself to be king, the prophet Nathan and the queen Bathsheba conspired together to have Solomon placed on the throne. In the story, the make some claims:

 

Nathan (speaking to Bathsheba): Go in to King David and say to him, 'My lord the king, did you not swear to me your servant: "Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne"? – 1 Kings 1:13

 

And then Bathsheba (speaking to David): She said to him, "My lord, you yourself swore to me your servant by the Lord your God: 'Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne.' " – 1 Kings 1:17

 

They both claim that David promised to make Solomon king. What's the problem? The problem is that this promise is not recorded in any of the prior history. Could it have happened? Surely, yes, it could have. But then we might ask ourselves why such an important promise was not written down earlier. So was it really a promise? Or is this a ruse?

 

I believe that David actually made this promise based on the following clues in the text:

• Nathan has always been trustworthy in the text. The prophet of God would not be likely to lie about such an important issue.
• Bathsheba dared to approach the king with this claim. Although David was physically weak, it would be unlikely that anyone would dare to manipulate him with such a bold lie as their premise. So it was almost certainly not a lie.
• The text looks at Solomon's coronation approvingly; Adonijah's self-coronation received textual disapproval. And if we believe that God wrote these words, then surely His approval on Solomon's coronation counts for something.
• Solomon was the only one of Adonijah's brothers not invited to Adonijah's coronation. The most likely reason for this would be that Adonijah knew that the throne was already meant for Solomon. The other brothers were not a threat. Solomon was.

 

These points support the idea that David had actually promised the kingdom to Solomon. But what really seals the deal, for me, are God's promises.

 

For one, God's promise to establish David's house: 'The Lord declares to you that the Lord himself will establish a house for you: When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' – 2 Samuel 7:11-16

 

We know that this promise is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ. However, notice what God says about David's offspring who will succeed him on the throne: God will be his father, David's offspring will be God's son, and – in a context that cannot be applied to Jesus Christ, who never sinned – even when this offspring does wrong, God's love will never be taken away from him. Keep that in mind, then, when you read about Solomon's birth:

 

Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah. – 2 Samuel 12:24-25

 

I find the language intriguing. God had already promised to raise up a son to fill David's throne. And part of that promise was that God would always love him. And then, when Bathsheba gave birth to Solomon, God sent word through Nathan the prophet that this was the son God loved. None of David's other children received a name from God, but Solomon did. And his name means, "Loved by the LORD."

 

Not only is the language of this passage tied to the language of God's promise, but the characters in this passage are the same characters we see in 1 Kings 1: David, Bathsheba, and Nathan. Even if David had told no one else in the kingdom that Solomon was God's choice for the throne, Nathan and Bathsheba were there for God's announcement! They knew!

 

So when Nathan and Bathsheba came to David to remind him of his promise, they were really reminding him of much more than a human promise. They were reminding David that his God had personally chosen Solomon. Although David was weak and his health was failing, this was one time where he must take a stand and act decisively. He knew God's choice. As king, it was his duty to make God's choice clear and put Solomon on the throne.

 

Father, thank You for choosing and loving Solomon. I am comforted by Your work to set him on the throne. It reminds me that You are in control even when other people do their best to steal Your blessings away from Your children. Thank You that You have set that same love on me through Jesus Christ, that when You look at Jesus You include me in Your blessings for Him. Thank You that You plan to restore me, love me, exalt me, provide for me, include me – all through my relationship with Your sinless, chosen, dearly loved Son Jesus Christ – and that Your plans cannot be frustrated.