Year 1, Week 42, Day 2 Bible Reading Observations

Year 1, Week 42, Day 2

I have a brief observation for today’s reading of 1 Kings 1; Psalms 116-118.

Today’s reading begins with the Book of Kings. The narrative of 1 Kings continues the storyline from 2 Samuel.  David is advancing in age and in need of continued attention. While 2 Samuel comes to a close with the assumption that Solomon would succeed David as king, 1 Kings opens with a twist in that plan. 1 Kings 1 reports that another son of David, Adonijah, who seeks to become the next king, as he eerily acts in a manner similar to his deceased older brother, Absalom: “Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him” (1 Kings 1:5). Adonijah consolidates enough power with men like Joab and Abiathar, a priest; but not everyone favors Adonijah: “But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah” (1 Kings 1:8). Nathan and Bathsheba develop a plan to let David know what is unfolding with a view to prompting David to officially install Solomon as king. Adonijah’s plans come to a crashing halt when it is reported to him: “Solomon sits on the royal throne. Moreover, the king’s servants came to congratulate our lord King David, saying, May your God make the name of Solomon more famous than yours, and make his throne greater than your throne.’ And the king bowed himself on the bed. And the king also said, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted someone to sit on my throne this day, my own eyes seeing it” (1 Kings 1:46-28). Today’s reading also includes three Psalms, which along with Psalm 113-116, from the previous day’s reading, are a particular collection of praise Psalms, commonly sung during Passover, known as the Hallel Psalms. It is most likely that the singing that Jesus and the disciples did after they departed from receiving the Lord’s supper, were from the Hallel Psalms (see Matthew 26:30).

One of the things that struck me from today’s reading was the LORD’s use of Nathan and the effect that Nathan had in David’s life at such a crucial moment: “You have said, “I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant: ‘I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations” (Psalm 89:3-4). It was the LORD who made a covenant promise to David, but the LORD would strategically use Nathan as an instrument in awakening David to actions. 1 Kings opens with a somewhat unflattering look at David. David is waning; “Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm…but the king knew her not” (1 Kings 1:1-2,4b). The account opens with the fact that David did not know Abishag, his attendant; but as things begin to unfold, it is implied that David doesn’t really know much of anything. He is clueless as to what is unfolding in his kingdom. But then David is brought to life, sort of speak. There is a turning point in the chapter that coincides with a turning point in David’s determined zeal: “Then King David answered, “Call Bathsheba to me.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before the king. And the king swore, saying, “As the LORD lives, who has redeemed my soul out of every adversity, as I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel, saying, ‘Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place,’ even so will I do this day” (1 Kings 1:28-30). David now knows what is going on and he knows what must be done. David gave decisive orders: “King David said, “Call to me Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada” (1 Kings 1:32). And in summoning Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah, David gave clear orders: “You shall then come up after him, and he shall come and sit on my throne, for he shall be king in my place. And I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah” (1 Kings 1:35). David was stirred to action for the sake of the Kingdom. 

The man that the LORD used to incite David to action was Nathan. As Nathan observed what Adonijah was doing and what his actions meant for the very survival of Bathsheba and Solomon, Nathan quickly went to work. First, Nathan mobilized Bathsheba: “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. Go in at once to King David” (1 Kings 1:11b-13a). Second, Nathan motivated David: “My lord the king, have you said, ‘Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne’? For he has gone down this day and has sacrificed oxen, fattened cattle, and sheep in abundance…Has this thing been brought about by my lord the king and you have not told your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?” (1 Kings 1:24-27). Nathan—the same Nathan who confronted David over his sin with Bathsheba—was once again playing a key role in David’s life and for the sake of the preservation of the kingdom. Whether it was the hard words that confronted David in his sin (see 2 Samuel 12), or these firm words that ignited David from his ignorance and lethargy, Nathan’s role, humanly speaking, was the hinge upon which the direction of the kingdom turned. The difference that Nathan makes is simply the difference that a faithful prophet makes when he stands and truthfully speaks a Word from the LORD. The kingdom actually hinges on the Word.

What struck you in today’s reading? What questions were prompted from today’s reading?

Pastor Joe