The Grands Letter

Dear Grands,

1 Kings 1:39-50, “Zadok the priest then took the horn of oil from the tent and anointed Solomon. Then they blew the trumpet, and all the people said, ‘Long live King Solomon!’
40 All the people went up after him, and the people were playing on flutes and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth shook at their noise.
41 Now Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they finished eating. When Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, ‘Why is the city making such an uproar?’
42 While he was still speaking, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came. Then Adonijah said, ‘Come in, for you are a valiant man and bring good news.’
43 But Jonathan replied to Adonijah, ‘No! Our lord King David has made Solomon king.
44 The king has also sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites; and they have made him ride on the king’s mule.
45 ‘Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon, and they have come up from there rejoicing, so that the city is in an uproar. This is the noise which you have heard.
46 ‘Besides, Solomon has even taken his seat on the throne of the kingdom.
47 ‘Moreover, the king’s servants came to bless our lord King David, saying, “May your God make the name of Solomon better than your name and his throne greater than your throne!” And the king bowed himself on the bed.
48 The king has also said, ‘Blessed be the LORD, the God of Israel, who has granted one to sit on my throne today while my own eyes see it.’”
49 Then all the guests of Adonijah were terrified; and they arose and each went on his way.
50 And Adonijah was afraid of Solomon, and he arose, went and took hold of the horns of the altar.

I know you were thinking I was going to reprint the whole Book of First Kings. But, we need to give some background information in order to understand the focus of the passage.

David the King had died. Who was going to replace him? As with such situations today, there were sons who earnestly desired to suceed their father as king. One of them (the fourth) was named Adonijah. He was born of David and Haggith when they lived in Hebron.

Prior to his death, however, David had nominated Solomon to succeed him on the throne. Solomon, you will recall, was the son of David and Bathsheba –the son that followed their first son, who died seven days after his birth. It was then that Adonijah grasped the horns of the Altar and demanded that Solomon not put him (Adonijah) to death.

All too often, we react to “positions” like Adonijah. He spoke too soon, too often, and to too
many. Then we’re embarrassed when the position is given to someone else. Adonijah needed humility.

Humility would have served Adonijah well. It would have been a blueprint for the whole of the congregation for many years. Yet, it was not to be. Being a member of Christ’s Church should be sufficient for all of us. It is His Church, and He appoints pastors of His own selection. We
need to be supporters of the leadershiip the LORD has selected, and pray earnestly for them.
There will come a day when we will be glad we did.

Heartily in Christ Jesus,

(Dado III)

Gene L. Jeffries, Th.D.
Springdale, Arkansas 72764
United States of America

“We never know that Christ is all we need until He becomes all that we have.” – Corrie ten Boom