There are three things that stand out prominently in this history of Adonijah, namely, his person, his pride, and his doom; and there are lessons which both parents and children may well lay to heart and take warning from, and profit thereby.
We have no elaborate and detailed history as to the person of Adonijah; it is simply a short sentence of eight words, but it contains much, and suggests more to the thinking mind. It says, "And he also
was a very goodly man" Then we are told, "And his mother bare him after Absalom " (ver. 6). Thus we learn he came next to Absalom in the family of David, and partook very largely of the handsome and attractive appearance of his half-brother, and evidently was highly conscious of it, and traded on it. His self-will was as great and unbounded as his pride', and he knew how to trade on the patience of a weak and doting father. Such is Adonijah as we see him march across the stage-very handsome -very vain-excessively proud and self-willed.
A very sorrowful testimony is given of David his father in a brief sentence in the same verse. It reads, "And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so ? " Oh, how that short sentence tells its own tale of David's special weakness, and sets the wise king and valiant soldier before us in a new light! What mixtures men are of wisdom and folly, strength and weakness ; of preponderating vices or virtues! Earth has seen only one man that was perfect; in whom no one quality preponderated over another-the man Christ Jesus. In view of David's general character as a warrior and a king, how little one would expect to find in hint the weakness and failings of a doting father! And yet, when once we see that trait in his character, we soon find there are more instances of that kind in his history than we had thought of-the greatness of the public man overshadowing the failings of his private life.
David could command his soldiers or his servants, but he could not command his children! He was an indulgent father, who could not say No to them. He let them do just what they pleased, and never
said, "Why hast them done so?"What a lack of moral strength does this manifest! How different the word spoken of Abraham in Gen. 18:19:"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment." The contrast between the two men is indeed a striking one. Alas, how David had to suffer from his family through this great failing of his! How far better would it have been for him to have kept them under restraint, even at the expense of being stigmatized as hard and severe to his children! How well for him had he acted on the wise counsel of his wise son, set forth in Prov. 13:24; 29:15 ; 23:13, 14, when it was necessary! All his trouble in this case was caused through his own weakness and neglect. He had himself to blame for the way he had allowed Adonijah to grow up. Alas, how many Davids there are in these days of boasted enlightenment, whose Adonijah’s will cause them many a tear, many a bitter pang, and many a sore heart, before they reach the end of the journey! How one is constantly witnessing such cases! What a beacon for the saints of God! 'How well for them if it warns them and turns them ere yet it be too late!
Adonijah had now reached that stage of his self-willed career when he determined to aim at a high place. He aspired to nothing short of the throne. Hence we read, he " exalted himself, saying, I will be king," and prepared accordingly (ver. 5). He knew he had no right to the position, and doubtless was well aware of his father's will and intentions as to who was to sit on the throne. But self-will, then as now, cared not for right. It wants might.
It is evident too that he had laid his plans with some measure of skill, for he privately and secretly made himself sure of the support of the commander-in-chief of the army, and of the high priest, ere he made his public effort. How sad, we may well say again, to see these aged and experienced men, Joab and Abiathar, so deluded as to be carried away by this proud, rebellious youth ! How true is that word, "Great men are not always wise; neither do the aged understand judgment" (Job 32:9); and here we see an illustration of it.
Adonijah "exalted himself." Better would it have been to let God do it for him, if it had been His mind, than to climb so high only to be cast down so low. It is "he that humbleth himself that shall be exalted." "I will be king," he said; but he was reckoning with his will only. God had His purposes about that throne (2 Sam. 7:12-16), and who was to sit on it. It was simply Adonijah's pride and self-will that said, "I will "-not "If God will." Alas, the man who aspires to get so high has a long way to fall, and the more awful the crash when he does slip! How little like his father David Adonijah was in this matter!
It is refreshing to turn away from all this wickedness, if even for a moment, and let the mind and eye rest on true and loyal men at such a time, and in such a crisis. Thank God, there were such; and thank God, He will always have such, however great the darkness or difficulty, till we reach the end. And so we read, ''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 " (ver. 8) They had clung to David in his adversity, through all his wars and successes, and their hearts remained true to their king, and they had no desire to be found in the train of the would-be rising star. It is in times like this, that the heart is tested and true loyalty is seen. How good to think of those who are true to great David's greater Son-our Lord Jesus Christ-and refuse to follow with that or those who seek to displace Him in any way ; who are " overcomers" where all is in revolt! They hold fast His Word, and deny not His name (Rev. 3).
But, to return. It was not the hasty action of an ignorant enthusiast. It was a deep-laid and well-planned scheme. Adonijah "slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle . . . and called all his brethren the king's sons, and all the men of Judah the king's servants"(ver. 9). "But"-ah, that "but"!-" Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not" (ver. 10). All those who were likely to be influenced, and favorable to his designs, were invited and feasted; while all those likely to be adverse to them were overlooked. Ah, these feasts of designing people, how much they have to answer for in turning men away from the truth, even in these modern and ought-to know-better days! What tales the judgment-seat of Christ will unfold of the corruption of otherwise honest hearts by the teas, and dinners, and feasts, and gifts, of the party-makers, to gather and consolidate followers to their cause! Truly "a gift blindeth the eyes of the wise."
What an illustration we have of that word in Job 20:5-9 "The triumphing of the wicked is short, and the joy of the hypocrite but for a moment. Though his excellency mount up to the heavens, and his head reach unto the clouds; yet he shall perish for ever." It was not long ere the tidings of Adonijah's rebellion reached the king's ears. David was reminded of his promise and oath to Bathsheba, that her son Solomon should sit upon the throne, and he says, " Even as I sware unto thee . . . even so will I certainly do this day" (ver. 30); and Solomon is taken, anointed and made king in his father's stead, while the people rejoice and shout, " God save king Solomon! " (ver. 39), How sweetly that reminds us of the certainty of God's promises to us in Christ! They are all "yea, and in Him Amen.
But what of Adonijah and his deluded followers ? They had been tardy in their action, and overindulging themselves at their feast, till startled by the sound of the trumpet and the rejoicing shouts of the people at the coronation of their lawful king. Then, when the truth is forced home upon them,-for the time comes when it will be forced home on men whether they will or not,-then we read, "And all the guests that were with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up and went every man his way " (ver. 49). Their feast was spoiled. Their mirth as well as their hope is brought to a sudden end. Silently each traitor slips away, and leaves the proud, rebellious, self-willed young man to himself!
It makes us think, what will it be by and by for all those who set themselves against God's King ? What can it end in but utter confusion and disaster ? The forbearance of Solomon might allow Adonijah to live a little longer, if perchance he would redeem his character, and "show himself a worthy man," though even that failed in his case; but for those who set themselves against Christ, there is no altar for them to flee to-no forbearance, and no one to stand by them to the bitter end. They must face the awful and eternal consequences alone-each one for himself. Oh that men would be wise, and repent, and turn themselves to Christ, in this the day of grace! "Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him" (Ps. 2:12). And seeing God's King is God's Son, to whom all must submit, how well for each and all to do it now.
Well might Adonijah fear, and flee to the altar, when he found himself deserted by his so-called friends, and left to face the wrath of the king alone. Fear had seized on each of them when they found that Solomon was established as king; and we behold their contemptible conduct as we watch each one steal away, solicitous for his own safety only, and leave the poor, terror-stricken usurper to shift for himself. But even God's altar is no place of security for presumptuous sinners, as we see in the subsequent history of Joab (chap. 2:28-34). Righteousness will take presumptuous sinners even from there (Exod. 21 :14). And so Adonijah, in his terror, fled, and laid hold on the horns of the altar, and begged for mercy from the one he had sought to injure. What else could he do ? His only hope lay in the mercy of Solomon. Guilt, high-handed rebellion, called for judgment on the culprit. Fear and terror compelled him to cry for mercy; while grace on the part of Solomon spared his life for the time being. If he showed himself a worthy man, he would live; if wickedness further showed itself, he would die.
Alas for the human heart! it is incurable. "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked:who can know it ? I the Lord search the heart" (Jer. 17:9, 10). How we see the truth of this statement in Adonijah's case, and daily in our own and the hearts of those around us! Baffled and defeated, yet spared from the doom he so richly merited, poor Adonijah manifests that his repentance had not been real, and he falls under the righteous judgment of Solomon and meets his doom (chap. 2 :25). Nothing will change the human heart but the grace of God. "Ye must be born again"! Men must experience a new birth, or else the second death; and that new birth is only effected by the soul's look of faith to the Saviour on the cross (John 3:14, 15).
What a sad, sad history! we may well say. Sad, as we look at the father's side; sad, as we look at the son's side; sad on every side; and the only bright spot in it is the faithfulness and loyalty of the devoted men who had followed David, and are found true to David's son Solomon, the- true king. What solemn lessons for all weak and doting parents who allow their children to do what they please without correction, like Absalom and Adonijah! What a warning to all self-willed children who think they know better than their parents and elders! How it says to each one, "Children, obey your parents in the Lord"; "Honor thy father and thy mother"! And how it says to all parents, '' Bring up your children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord " ! May these lessons be learnt by all!
Wm. Easton