1 Kings 1:11-14: Nathan Tells His Plan To Bathsheba
“Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth it not? Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon. Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign? Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.”
- 1 Kings 1:11-14 (KJV)
“And David our lord knoweth it not:” This shows both the wrong of Adonijah's attempt to take the throne and how far removed from power David really was. He didn't know what was going on around him in the kingdom.
“That thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.” Nathan knew that if Adonijah became king he would immediately kill every potential rival to his throne, including Bathsheba and Solomon.
“Solomon thy son shall reign after me.” David made this promise to Bathsheba.Though the specific promise is not recorded we know from The First Book of Chronicles, that David intended for Solomon to follow him to the throne:
“And David said, Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the Lord must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it. So David prepared abundantly before his death.Then he called for Solomon his son, and charged him to build an house for the Lord God of Israel. And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build an house unto the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight. Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest; and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about: for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.”
- 1 Chronicles 22:5-9
This was a remarkable display of grace; that a son of the wife David took through adultery and murder in the most infamous scandal of his life should become his heir to the throne.
“While thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.” Nathan knew that David was generally indulgent towards his sons and would find it hard to believe that Adonijah would do such a thing. He arranged it so the message would be presented in a convincing way.
Christian brothers and sisters, remember, King David was God’s chosen one!
“And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.”
- Acts 13:22 (KJV)
God bless!
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