One of the most unsettling moments in a society is when power transfers from the present ruler to his or her successor. Even when there’s clarity about who will rule next, there’s still uncertainty about how that ruler will rule, and what they’ll be like as they take the throne. In the first chapter of 1 Kings, we see the final, uncertain days of King David’s rule.

Jodie is the Rector of Jamberoo Anglican, a regional and rural parish in the Diocese of Sydney, Australia