Transcript

Podcast Introduction

In our reading today is  Luke 9-10.  I’m calling today’s episode “You Gotta Be Kidding.”

Comments on Luke 9

12Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”13He replied, “You give them something to eat.”They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14(About five thousand men were there.)But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”15The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.Luke 9:12-17 NIV

The NKJV has a very good translation of verse 10: "And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida."

Jesus had sent the apostles on a ministry outing, and when they got back they gave him a report. And Jesus wanted to take them someplace where they could get some alone time. He was known to go off alone from time to time after ministering to the people, so I think He wanted to show them the benefits of getting away. 

But the crowd found out where they were, so they followed them. And of course, Jesus ministered to them. He taught them, and He healed them. How could he do anything else?

And when it began to get late, the apostles suggested to Jesus that He should send them away to find food and shelter, since there was nothing for such a large crowd in this deserted place. 

I can just imagine Jesus' reaction when they came to Him with this suggestion. I'll bet he got just a hint of a mischievous smile on his face as he said to Himself, "Time for another lesson."

And He said to them, "You give them something to eat.” 

And I'll bet Peter thought... No. I'll bet Peter *said* something like, "Are you out of your mind?!? Look at all those people! There are thousands of them!"

The apostles told Jesus they had five loaves and two fish. And I think Jesus, with that same mischievous smile said, "So what's the problem? That's plenty!" And He had the apostles seat the crowd in groups of fifty.

I'll leave it up to you to think about what reactions the apostles had to this.

And you know the rest of the story. Jesus took the loaves and fishes, said a prayer, blessed them, and distributed the food to His disciples to give to the crowd. And the leftovers filled twelve baskets.

I want to go back to Jesus' statement, “You give them something to eat.” 

Jesus is in the process of teaching the apostles that He will work through them. Remember that just before this time outside of Bethsaida, Jesus had sent them on a ministry trip where they had preached and healed people. Without Him being there. 

And now this. 

They brought the five loaves and two fish to him. We aren't told here in Luke, but I think after Jesus offered His prayer of blessing, He broke only the loaves and fish and handed just that amount to the disciples. And the miracle happened in their hands as they went out in faith to feed the c...

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

In our reading today is  Luke 9-10.  I’m calling today’s episode “You Gotta Be Kidding.”

Comments on Luke 9

12Late in the afternoon the Twelve came to him and said, “Send the crowd away so they can go to the surrounding villages and countryside and find food and lodging, because we are in a remote place here.”13He replied, “You give them something to eat.”They answered, “We have only five loaves of bread and two fish—unless we go and buy food for all this crowd.” 14(About five thousand men were there.)But he said to his disciples, “Have them sit down in groups of about fifty each.”15The disciples did so, and everyone sat down. 16Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke them. Then he gave them to the disciples to distribute to the people. 17They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.Luke 9:12-17 NIV

The NKJV has a very good translation of verse 10: "And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done. Then He took them and went aside privately into a deserted place belonging to the city called Bethsaida."

Jesus had sent the apostles on a ministry outing, and when they got back they gave him a report. And Jesus wanted to take them someplace where they could get some alone time. He was known to go off alone from time to time after ministering to the people, so I think He wanted to show them the benefits of getting away. 

But the crowd found out where they were, so they followed them. And of course, Jesus ministered to them. He taught them, and He healed them. How could he do anything else?

And when it began to get late, the apostles suggested to Jesus that He should send them away to find food and shelter, since there was nothing for such a large crowd in this deserted place. 

I can just imagine Jesus' reaction when they came to Him with this suggestion. I'll bet he got just a hint of a mischievous smile on his face as he said to Himself, "Time for another lesson."

And He said to them, "You give them something to eat.” 

And I'll bet Peter thought... No. I'll bet Peter *said* something like, "Are you out of your mind?!? Look at all those people! There are thousands of them!"

The apostles told Jesus they had five loaves and two fish. And I think Jesus, with that same mischievous smile said, "So what's the problem? That's plenty!" And He had the apostles seat the crowd in groups of fifty.

I'll leave it up to you to think about what reactions the apostles had to this.

And you know the rest of the story. Jesus took the loaves and fishes, said a prayer, blessed them, and distributed the food to His disciples to give to the crowd. And the leftovers filled twelve baskets.

I want to go back to Jesus' statement, “You give them something to eat.” 

Jesus is in the process of teaching the apostles that He will work through them. Remember that just before this time outside of Bethsaida, Jesus had sent them on a ministry trip where they had preached and healed people. Without Him being there. 

And now this. 

They brought the five loaves and two fish to him. We aren't told here in Luke, but I think after Jesus offered His prayer of blessing, He broke only the loaves and fish and handed just that amount to the disciples. And the miracle happened in their hands as they went out in faith to feed the c...

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

In our reading today we will complete the book of Jeremiah with the reading of Jeremiah 47-52.  We will also begin the book of Lamentations with the reading of chapters 1 and 2. I’m calling today’s episode “The Weeping Prophet.”

This is a long reading today because of the fact that we are catching up from the missed episodes caused by my unexpected hospital stay. Next Friday’s episode will be a bit long as well, and then we will be caught up and be back to the regular schedule. Thanks for your patience.

I’ll read the final chapters from Jeremiah, then I’ll have a brief introduction to Lamentations before reading chapters 1 and two, then I will have some brief comments on the closing chapters of Jeremiah. After this, I’ll have an “On this day in church history” about a very important figure that you should know about. Then we’ll have a brief time of prayer to close the episode.

Comments on Jeremiah

In the book of Jeremiah, much of what we read was God warning the people of coming judgement, and does not make for “fun” reading, does it? But imagine how difficult it was to be in Jeremiah’s shoes, being the one chosen to deliver these messages. No wonder he is known as the weeping prophet. It’s so much better to talk about the love of God, His faithfulness, His love, His forgiveness, His grace. But for there to be forgiveness and grace, there must be a turning away from sin. There must be repentance. And often, the people who were under judgment showed that they had no interest in following the will of the Lord.

In Genesis 6:3 God said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever.” God is patient, but He does not wait forever. This is true for nations, and it is true with individuals.

It would be a good thing for each of us, if there is something in our life that we know is not pleasing to God, to come to grips with it and ask for forgiveness and His strength to leave it behind…to get it out of our life.  How terrible it would be to continue to ignore His pleading to turn to Him. How terrible it would be to come to the end of God’s patience. 

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Francisco Gonzalez on Unsplash

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Jeremiah Ch. 47-49 NLT; Ch. 50-52 HCSB

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Transcript

Download transcript

Steve Webb 0:00But he doesn't wait forever

Steve Webb 0:10Hello, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I'm your OG God caster Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast and we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. How's your day going? I'm happy to see you. Welcome. In our reading. Today we're going to complete the book of Jeremiah with a reading of chapters 47 through 52. And we'll also begin the book of Lamentations with the reading of chapters one and two. I'm calling the episode The weeping prophet. Now this is a long reading today because of the fact that we're catching up from the missed ep...

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

In our reading today we will complete the book of Jeremiah with the reading of Jeremiah 47-52.  We will also begin the book of Lamentations with the reading of chapters 1 and 2. I’m calling today’s episode “The Weeping Prophet.”

This is a long reading today because of the fact that we are catching up from the missed episodes caused by my unexpected hospital stay. Next Friday’s episode will be a bit long as well, and then we will be caught up and be back to the regular schedule. Thanks for your patience.

I’ll read the final chapters from Jeremiah, then I’ll have a brief introduction to Lamentations before reading chapters 1 and two, then I will have some brief comments on the closing chapters of Jeremiah. After this, I’ll have an “On this day in church history” about a very important figure that you should know about. Then we’ll have a brief time of prayer to close the episode.

Comments on Jeremiah

In the book of Jeremiah, much of what we read was God warning the people of coming judgement, and does not make for “fun” reading, does it? But imagine how difficult it was to be in Jeremiah’s shoes, being the one chosen to deliver these messages. No wonder he is known as the weeping prophet. It’s so much better to talk about the love of God, His faithfulness, His love, His forgiveness, His grace. But for there to be forgiveness and grace, there must be a turning away from sin. There must be repentance. And often, the people who were under judgment showed that they had no interest in following the will of the Lord.

In Genesis 6:3 God said, “My Spirit will not contend with man forever.” God is patient, but He does not wait forever. This is true for nations, and it is true with individuals.

It would be a good thing for each of us, if there is something in our life that we know is not pleasing to God, to come to grips with it and ask for forgiveness and His strength to leave it behind…to get it out of our life.  How terrible it would be to continue to ignore His pleading to turn to Him. How terrible it would be to come to the end of God’s patience. 

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Francisco Gonzalez on Unsplash

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Jeremiah Ch. 47-49 NLT; Ch. 50-52 HCSB

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Transcript

Download transcript

Steve Webb 0:00But he doesn't wait forever

Steve Webb 0:10Hello, this is the Lifespring family Audio Bible coming to you from Riverside, California, podcasting since 2004. I'm your OG God caster Steve Webb. This is a daily podcast and we're reading through the entire Bible in a year. How's your day going? I'm happy to see you. Welcome. In our reading. Today we're going to complete the book of Jeremiah with a reading of chapters 47 through 52. And we'll also begin the book of Lamentations with the reading of chapters one and two. I'm calling the episode The weeping prophet. Now this is a long reading today because of the fact that we're catching up from the missed ep...

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is Proverbs 1-3. I’m calling today’s episode “ No Leaning Here ”

The show notes page for today’s episode is /s12e155

Also, I’m still looking for someone to help with the episode transcripts. If you’d like to participate in the v4v model of donating Time, Talent or Treasure to help support the show, and would like to donate some time, let me know at [email protected].  

Introduction to Proverbs

The book of Proverbs was written by Solomon, King David’s son. Solomon is commonly thought of as the wisest man, and the richest man who ever lived. His wisdom was a gift given to him by God as a result of the prayer he made upon his ascension to the throne at the death of his father, David. Instead of asking for wealth or victory over his enemies, or power, he prayed a simple prayer asking for wisdom to lead God’s people. God was so pleased by Solomon’s prayer that He not only granted him great wisdom, but He gave Solomon the things he could have asked for but didn’t. 

The book of Proverbs is primarily a collection of short, often just single sentence teachings, or nuggets of truth. They are thoughts and ideas that God revealed to Solomon. Remember, it has long been the belief by orthodox Christianity, and it is my belief, that the Bible was written by men as they were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. So these are not merely the thoughts of a wise man, but they are from the mind of God Himself. 

The first chapter’s introduction tells us that these proverbs will benefit anyone who heeds their teachings, and anyone who does not is a fool who will come to destruction. It tells us that we will learn wisdom if we put them into practice in our own lives. 

It also introduces a character who will be recurring throughout the book. And that is the personification of wisdom as a woman. In verse 20 we see Wisdom shouting in the streets and marketplace, chiding those who refuse to listen to her teaching and encouraging those who will, to listen.

Comments on Proverbs 2-3

Chapter 2 encourages us to pursue wisdom, because in so doing we will come to know God. If that is not a worthy endeavor, I don’t know what is. 

Much of the teaching seems to be directed at one of Solomon’s sons, so the teaching is especially applicable to a young person just starting out in life, but the lessons (as noted earlier) are good for everyone.

Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Here’s a guy who could very easily be tempted to lean on his own understanding, but he had evidently learned that it’s better to “trust in the Lord with all your heart.”

Let’s face it, sometimes it is *so* hard to trust God with our whole heart. Sometimes the bills pile up and we don’t see any way out. Sometimes we’re misunderstood or mistreated. Tragedy strikes us or our family. We lose our job. 

Bad things happen, even to good people. And sometimes we look up and say, “God. Are you there? Do you see what I’m going through? Why don’t you help me? I need you *now*!” And sometimes it seems as though our prayers are not heard. It seems as if God has turned a deaf ear.

Beloved, those are the times when we tend to lean on our understanding. Right? We take the wheel. I mean, after all something’s got to be done!

We’ve all been through times like that, haven’t we? But it’s when life gets hard that God is givin...

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is Proverbs 1-3. I’m calling today’s episode “ No Leaning Here ”

The show notes page for today’s episode is /s12e155

Also, I’m still looking for someone to help with the episode transcripts. If you’d like to participate in the v4v model of donating Time, Talent or Treasure to help support the show, and would like to donate some time, let me know at [email protected].  

Introduction to Proverbs

The book of Proverbs was written by Solomon, King David’s son. Solomon is commonly thought of as the wisest man, and the richest man who ever lived. His wisdom was a gift given to him by God as a result of the prayer he made upon his ascension to the throne at the death of his father, David. Instead of asking for wealth or victory over his enemies, or power, he prayed a simple prayer asking for wisdom to lead God’s people. God was so pleased by Solomon’s prayer that He not only granted him great wisdom, but He gave Solomon the things he could have asked for but didn’t. 

The book of Proverbs is primarily a collection of short, often just single sentence teachings, or nuggets of truth. They are thoughts and ideas that God revealed to Solomon. Remember, it has long been the belief by orthodox Christianity, and it is my belief, that the Bible was written by men as they were verbally inspired by the Holy Spirit. So these are not merely the thoughts of a wise man, but they are from the mind of God Himself. 

The first chapter’s introduction tells us that these proverbs will benefit anyone who heeds their teachings, and anyone who does not is a fool who will come to destruction. It tells us that we will learn wisdom if we put them into practice in our own lives. 

It also introduces a character who will be recurring throughout the book. And that is the personification of wisdom as a woman. In verse 20 we see Wisdom shouting in the streets and marketplace, chiding those who refuse to listen to her teaching and encouraging those who will, to listen.

Comments on Proverbs 2-3

Chapter 2 encourages us to pursue wisdom, because in so doing we will come to know God. If that is not a worthy endeavor, I don’t know what is. 

Much of the teaching seems to be directed at one of Solomon’s sons, so the teaching is especially applicable to a young person just starting out in life, but the lessons (as noted earlier) are good for everyone.

Proverbs 3:5: Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

Here’s a guy who could very easily be tempted to lean on his own understanding, but he had evidently learned that it’s better to “trust in the Lord with all your heart.”

Let’s face it, sometimes it is *so* hard to trust God with our whole heart. Sometimes the bills pile up and we don’t see any way out. Sometimes we’re misunderstood or mistreated. Tragedy strikes us or our family. We lose our job. 

Bad things happen, even to good people. And sometimes we look up and say, “God. Are you there? Do you see what I’m going through? Why don’t you help me? I need you *now*!” And sometimes it seems as though our prayers are not heard. It seems as if God has turned a deaf ear.

Beloved, those are the times when we tend to lean on our understanding. Right? We take the wheel. I mean, after all something’s got to be done!

We’ve all been through times like that, haven’t we? But it’s when life gets hard that God is givin...

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is Psalms 63-68. I’m calling today’s episode “I’m With Him.”

Because I missed last week’s Psalms episode, we’re reading those three missed chapters as well as the three originally planned for today. I’ll give you an introduction to each chapter, and after we’ve read them all, I’ll have a few comments for you.

Comments on Psalm 63

Scholars believe that this was written by David during the time that Absalom was pursuing him. This is a time when David had been betrayed by those he trusted, he feared for his life, and he felt all alone. 

And yet, this is a beautiful psalm of devotion and praise. 

God, you are MY God! I will have no other.

God, YOU are my God! 

God, you are my GOD!

I much prefer verses 3 and 4 in the KJV, because in 1974, Calvary Chapel’s Maranatha! Singers had a song called Thy Loving Kindness, based on these verses. I can’t read these verses without hearing the song in my head. "Thy loving kindness is better than life. My lips shall praise Thee. Thus will I bless Thee. I will lift up my hands unto Thy name."

This was the first album of the worship music of the Jesus movement, and the songs from this album were sung for years and years by churches and youth groups around the world. I still have my copy of the vinyl album from 1974.

But I digress. We were talking about David’s psalm, weren’t we?

He says that at night as he lies on his bed, he meditates on the Lord. Remember, this is during the time that Absalom is after him, to kill him. But instead of worrying about that, David meditates on the Lord. How many of us lie in bed and worry about the bills, whether we’ll be able to keep our jobs, or if our kids will be okay, or on and on and on? 

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” Easier said than done, I know, but when we put this in context with the way we started… God, you are my God…the focus shifts from us to Him. And then, we can, like David, meditate on the Lord.

Dropping down to verse 8, David says, “Your right hand holds on to me.” The right hand, in Scripture, represents the hand of strength. And so David is saying that God’s strong hand holds on to him. He is safe, and nothing can take him from God’s strong grip. That’s security, beloved.

He talks about how his enemies will be destroyed, but the king (David himself) will rejoice in God, and all who swear by Him, or who believe in Him, will boast for the mouths of the liars will be shut. 

Those who trust in God will be vindicated, while their enemies will be shown to be liars, and they will be silenced.

When God is on your side, what is there to worry about? Or as Paul said in Romans 8:31, "...If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Brianna R. on Unsplash

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 63 HCSB; Ch. 64 NLT; Ch. 65 ERV; Ch. 66 GWT; Ch. 67 NLV; Ch. 68 GWT

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is Psalms 63-68. I’m calling today’s episode “I’m With Him.”

Because I missed last week’s Psalms episode, we’re reading those three missed chapters as well as the three originally planned for today. I’ll give you an introduction to each chapter, and after we’ve read them all, I’ll have a few comments for you.

Comments on Psalm 63

Scholars believe that this was written by David during the time that Absalom was pursuing him. This is a time when David had been betrayed by those he trusted, he feared for his life, and he felt all alone. 

And yet, this is a beautiful psalm of devotion and praise. 

God, you are MY God! I will have no other.

God, YOU are my God! 

God, you are my GOD!

I much prefer verses 3 and 4 in the KJV, because in 1974, Calvary Chapel’s Maranatha! Singers had a song called Thy Loving Kindness, based on these verses. I can’t read these verses without hearing the song in my head. "Thy loving kindness is better than life. My lips shall praise Thee. Thus will I bless Thee. I will lift up my hands unto Thy name."

This was the first album of the worship music of the Jesus movement, and the songs from this album were sung for years and years by churches and youth groups around the world. I still have my copy of the vinyl album from 1974.

But I digress. We were talking about David’s psalm, weren’t we?

He says that at night as he lies on his bed, he meditates on the Lord. Remember, this is during the time that Absalom is after him, to kill him. But instead of worrying about that, David meditates on the Lord. How many of us lie in bed and worry about the bills, whether we’ll be able to keep our jobs, or if our kids will be okay, or on and on and on? 

1 Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.” Easier said than done, I know, but when we put this in context with the way we started… God, you are my God…the focus shifts from us to Him. And then, we can, like David, meditate on the Lord.

Dropping down to verse 8, David says, “Your right hand holds on to me.” The right hand, in Scripture, represents the hand of strength. And so David is saying that God’s strong hand holds on to him. He is safe, and nothing can take him from God’s strong grip. That’s security, beloved.

He talks about how his enemies will be destroyed, but the king (David himself) will rejoice in God, and all who swear by Him, or who believe in Him, will boast for the mouths of the liars will be shut. 

Those who trust in God will be vindicated, while their enemies will be shown to be liars, and they will be silenced.

When God is on your side, what is there to worry about? Or as Paul said in Romans 8:31, "...If God be for us, who can be against us?"

Design: Steve Webb | Photo: Brianna R. on Unsplash

Today's Bible Translation

Bible translation used in today's episode: Ch. 63 HCSB; Ch. 64 NLT; Ch. 65 ERV; Ch. 66 GWT; Ch. 67 NLV; Ch. 68 GWT

Support

Please remember that this is a listener supported show. Your support of any amount is needed and very much appreciated. Find out how by clicking here.

When you buy through links on this site, we may earn an affiliate commission, and you will earn our gratitude.

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is 1 Kings 1-4. I’m calling today’s episode “Another Pretender To the Throne.”

Comments on 1 Kings 1-2

Once again we see a member of David’s family trying to grab the throne. 

Adonijah knows that David is near death, and he thinks that by being proactive he can take the throne. He knows that Solomon is the one chosen to succeed David, and once David dies it will be too late because Solomon will immediately become king. Solomon was God's choice to become king.

So Adonijah, too clever for his own good, gathers all of his brothers (except Solomon), Joab (the general of the army) and Abiathar (the high priest) and all the other men of Judah to his coronation party. He figures that with all of these men in attendance he’ll have the throne.

But the prophet Nathan is a wise man, and he short circuits Adonijah’s plan by letting Bathsheba know what’s going on. There is good evidence that Bathsheba was David’s most loved wife, and she had no problem getting immediate access to David to let him know what was happening.

So David told them what to do to squash Adonijah’s plan and make Solomon king post haste.

Once Adonijah heard that Solomon was crowned, he rightfully feared for his life, but Solomon showed him grace.

King David is dead. Long live King Solomon.

David was king for forty years, many of them turbulent. And on his death bed, he gave his young son words of advice. We’re not sure how old Solomon was when he became king, but some scholars believe he might have been as young as twelve years. Others think he was in his twenties. I tend to go with the second opinion.

Either way, David told him to stay close to God and follow his commands so that his kingdom would be lasting.

And then David give Solomon some directions about some specific people. Joab, who had killed innocent men; the family of Barzillai, who had given David shelter when he was being pursued by Absalom; and Shimei, who had cursed David even though he knew that David was God’s anointed king.

Because of our limited time, I’m not going to talk about these folks, but about Adonijah’s request to have Abishag the Shunammite as his wife.

Why did Solomon have Adonijah killed for this request?

You remember that Adonijah had tried to snake the throne away from Solomon before David died, right? Do you also remember that Abishag was the young girl that had been brought to David to keep him warm? She was his concubine. Sort of a second level wife. We’re told in 1 Kings chapter 1 that David did not have sexual relations with her, but she was his concubine and they had slept together.

Adonijah made this request as a play for the throne yet again. He thought that if he could have one of David’s wives as his, this would give him a step up to usurp the throne. 

Bathsheba must have known that this was an outrageous thing for Adonijah to ask. Why didn’t she reject Adonijah’s request out of hand? Maybe she thought this would be a way to assuage Adonijah’s disappointment over losing the throne. More likely though, is that she wanted Solomon to know what Adonijah was thinking. She was warning Solomon.

And Solomon saw right through Adonijah’s scheme. As long as Adonijah lived, Solomon was in danger, so he ordered Adonijah’s death that very day. Remember that in chapter one, Solomon said, “Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that,

Transcript

Podcast Introduction

Our reading today is 1 Kings 1-4. I’m calling today’s episode “Another Pretender To the Throne.”

Comments on 1 Kings 1-2

Once again we see a member of David’s family trying to grab the throne. 

Adonijah knows that David is near death, and he thinks that by being proactive he can take the throne. He knows that Solomon is the one chosen to succeed David, and once David dies it will be too late because Solomon will immediately become king. Solomon was God's choice to become king.

So Adonijah, too clever for his own good, gathers all of his brothers (except Solomon), Joab (the general of the army) and Abiathar (the high priest) and all the other men of Judah to his coronation party. He figures that with all of these men in attendance he’ll have the throne.

But the prophet Nathan is a wise man, and he short circuits Adonijah’s plan by letting Bathsheba know what’s going on. There is good evidence that Bathsheba was David’s most loved wife, and she had no problem getting immediate access to David to let him know what was happening.

So David told them what to do to squash Adonijah’s plan and make Solomon king post haste.

Once Adonijah heard that Solomon was crowned, he rightfully feared for his life, but Solomon showed him grace.

King David is dead. Long live King Solomon.

David was king for forty years, many of them turbulent. And on his death bed, he gave his young son words of advice. We’re not sure how old Solomon was when he became king, but some scholars believe he might have been as young as twelve years. Others think he was in his twenties. I tend to go with the second opinion.

Either way, David told him to stay close to God and follow his commands so that his kingdom would be lasting.

And then David give Solomon some directions about some specific people. Joab, who had killed innocent men; the family of Barzillai, who had given David shelter when he was being pursued by Absalom; and Shimei, who had cursed David even though he knew that David was God’s anointed king.

Because of our limited time, I’m not going to talk about these folks, but about Adonijah’s request to have Abishag the Shunammite as his wife.

Why did Solomon have Adonijah killed for this request?

You remember that Adonijah had tried to snake the throne away from Solomon before David died, right? Do you also remember that Abishag was the young girl that had been brought to David to keep him warm? She was his concubine. Sort of a second level wife. We’re told in 1 Kings chapter 1 that David did not have sexual relations with her, but she was his concubine and they had slept together.

Adonijah made this request as a play for the throne yet again. He thought that if he could have one of David’s wives as his, this would give him a step up to usurp the throne. 

Bathsheba must have known that this was an outrageous thing for Adonijah to ask. Why didn’t she reject Adonijah’s request out of hand? Maybe she thought this would be a way to assuage Adonijah’s disappointment over losing the throne. More likely though, is that she wanted Solomon to know what Adonijah was thinking. She was warning Solomon.

And Solomon saw right through Adonijah’s scheme. As long as Adonijah lived, Solomon was in danger, so he ordered Adonijah’s death that very day. Remember that in chapter one, Solomon said, “Adonijah must show that he is a man of honor. If he does that,