Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also was a very goodly man; and his mother bare him after Absalom. And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped him. But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which is by Enrogel, and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants: But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. (1 Kings 1:5-10)
David was reaching the end of his life on earth and his health was failing. Adonijah, Absalom’s younger brother, grasped the opportunity to have himself declared king in David’s stead. He took those that followed him and had a great ceremony and pronounced that he was king of Israel. But, the men of David and those who should have made the announcement were not consulted nor present at the ceremony. David and his men would go on and anoint Solomon as the rightful king of Israel, properly and with great fanfare before the people. Adonijah’s men fled and Adonijah ran to the alter and persuaded Solomon to spare his life.
As David got older he was no longer in full control of himself, and Adonijah began to thing he was not in control of the kingdom. Thinking it was the right time, Adonijah, following his brother’s path, attempted to seize the throne of Israel. David was told of this, after his men were left out of the discussion and ceremony and proceeded to properly declare and install Solomon as king. Adonijah sought power and promotion through his own means just as Absalom had done and God promoted the rightful heir to the throne. Though he was of better character than Absalom, he still attempted to force the issue himself instead of allowing David to promote whom he would have as king as God had said. When his men fled in light of Solomon as king in David’s stead, Adonijah fled to the tabernacle and clung to the alter in fear for his life. Solomon declared that Adonijah could live if he lived righteously, but the moment that he acted wickedly his life would be forfeit and he would die.
We are all wicked and need Christ to live and make us righteous. For the Christian and their ministry, we must wait upon the LORD who is our life. Continuing to serve as He has called us while awaiting whatever He may have for us is a source of strength and power. Moving ahead of God and going in our own strength will lead to damage to our ministry of reaching the lost who are wicked and under judgment, teaching the nations all He has commanded, and preaching His Word that all may hear of Him. Walking in our own ways will lead to a loss of our witness as we stumble through this life outside the will and ways of God. Those that trusted Him for Salvation from sin and judgment through faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary must also trust Him and His timing in the lives we now live in Him and in the work He has us doing for the Kingdom of God. We are not our own, we have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and we have surrendered all to Him. Stepping outside of that to promote ourselves or to do that which we want to do instead of His will means taking back that which we ought to have given wholly unto the LORD. God wants us to be obedient in His ways, committed to His Word, and clinging unto Him alone for life. He will bless and provide, in His time and in His way, and we must wait upon Him who is our Creator, Redeemer, and King.
While we are here, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
As David got older he was no longer in full control of himself, and Adonijah began to thing he was not in control of the kingdom. Thinking it was the right time, Adonijah, following his brother’s path, attempted to seize the throne of Israel. David was told of this, after his men were left out of the discussion and ceremony and proceeded to properly declare and install Solomon as king. Adonijah sought power and promotion through his own means just as Absalom had done and God promoted the rightful heir to the throne. Though he was of better character than Absalom, he still attempted to force the issue himself instead of allowing David to promote whom he would have as king as God had said. When his men fled in light of Solomon as king in David’s stead, Adonijah fled to the tabernacle and clung to the alter in fear for his life. Solomon declared that Adonijah could live if he lived righteously, but the moment that he acted wickedly his life would be forfeit and he would die.
We are all wicked and need Christ to live and make us righteous. For the Christian and their ministry, we must wait upon the LORD who is our life. Continuing to serve as He has called us while awaiting whatever He may have for us is a source of strength and power. Moving ahead of God and going in our own strength will lead to damage to our ministry of reaching the lost who are wicked and under judgment, teaching the nations all He has commanded, and preaching His Word that all may hear of Him. Walking in our own ways will lead to a loss of our witness as we stumble through this life outside the will and ways of God. Those that trusted Him for Salvation from sin and judgment through faith in Him and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary must also trust Him and His timing in the lives we now live in Him and in the work He has us doing for the Kingdom of God. We are not our own, we have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus Christ, and we have surrendered all to Him. Stepping outside of that to promote ourselves or to do that which we want to do instead of His will means taking back that which we ought to have given wholly unto the LORD. God wants us to be obedient in His ways, committed to His Word, and clinging unto Him alone for life. He will bless and provide, in His time and in His way, and we must wait upon Him who is our Creator, Redeemer, and King.
While we are here, God has sent those of us who are His saints and know Him out into this world to reach the lost that they might be saved from sin. He desires that His people strive to be holy and obedient unto Him that we might minister to those around us who are hurting and in need as He provides. We serve others, equipped with the Word of reconciliation and righteousness, rightly divided and fitly spoken, that they may see Christ in us, the hope of Glory. Our God has commanded us to love one another with an unfeigned love, even as He first loved us, and to disciple one another in the Word of God so that we may all grow in grace and in the Knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our Lord has commissioned those who are His with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to go where He sends us in the power of the Holy Spirit. As we go, we are to proclaim the Good News of forgiveness through repentance and reconciliation with the Father through faith in His Son, that those who believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah of God might have life in His Name.
God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and the knowledge of the Truth. Jesus loves you and wants to establish a covenant relationship with you that is real and personal. Surrender to Him on His terms and He will give you a brand new life of discipleship and fellowship with Him that is abundant and everlasting. God calls you to faith in Christ and His finished and perfect work on the Cross of Calvary to pay your sIn debt. He has provided the only way of reconciliation with God, forgiveness from God, and Salvation through Jesus Christ, the Son of God who is God the Son, to give you a new life in Christ. Turn away from yourself and your sIn and turn to Him alone for eternal Life, now and always.
In Christ,
Jefferson Sweet
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