KING David is now old and dying. "Adonijah David's son whose mother was Haggith began boasting "I will make myself king" ( 1 Kings 1:5)" Adonijah took Joab son of Zeruiah and Abiathar the Priest into his confidence and they agreed to help him become king" ( 1Kings 1:7).
The verses above give you a picture of Adonijah's evil plan to grab power from Solomon. Here, we learn that though this event happened in the past, yet in many ways it is still repeated in our modern time. Take some time to read and reflect and hopefully, at the end of your reading, some timely realizations will be made, along with timely applications of biblical insights to the reality of daily living.
It all started when Adonijah committed the sin of presumption. Without a doubt, he positioned himself to become powerful. Quickly learn this . . . at the moment power is desired, its curse is unleashed. It is no wonder that God allows some people to be powerful. What is dangerous is when one personalizes this too much; leaving no room that such a presumption could be a great mistake.
The sin of presumption is not an overnight phenomenon. It starts small and subtly grows until the big collapse is inevitable. This sin looks so harmless that others who commit the same may find themselves unsuspectingly in conspiracy. Joab was David's military adviser, Abiathar was a man of the clothe. What more evidence would you want to prove that power addiction respects neither ethics nor religion? Wise and blessed is a person who can detect this sin early and repent before it is too late.
Let us see how this sin of presumption evolves from a seemingly harmless dream into a devastating shame. Hopefully, like a cancer, we can detect it at an early stage so that cure is still possible. Pay attention to this timeless pattern... this sin treads along unnoticed. It starts with arrogance or a high-minded view of self... "I will make myself King" is a loaded statement. Then, it reveals a deep addiction to control: No respect for others; no patience to wait; no mercy for those who will not come along. No sin is singular... it gives birth to more wickedness. Adonijah attracted those whose hearts had been infected by this virus. It is no surprise that they would be in one team... for now. It is comparable to the "friendship" of gold diggers or treasure hunters—it only lasts until the treasure is found... then they kill each other. The wisdom here is to be careful with people who are greedy—like you.
Hmmmm, I think this is too much to chew for now. Information overload diminishes space for reflection. Let us stop here and continue next issue. Should you want to read the entire story, it is found in the bible... 1Kings 1—the whole chapter. Go ahead... read the book and reflect. To learn and apply the lesson is life-changing....we will continue next issue. Thanks for reading.
I always write straight from my heart.