Good Morning!
Today’s readings are 1 Kings 1-2

Click here to read today’s passages at BibleGateway.

Rabbit Trails 

Today we begin 1 Kings!

A few quick bullet points about our reading:

Author- We don’t know the author of 1 and 2 Kings. Some think it could have been Ezra, Ezekiel, or even Jeremiah.

At one time, 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings, and 2 Kings were all one book. Then they were separated into two books (Samuels and Kings) and finally into four.

1 & 2 Kings covers a time period of about 450 years.

Author Thomas Constable once said “First Kings was written to record history but more importantly to teach the lessons of history.” So much of the Bible is that way! Let him who has ears, hear (Shema).

Very Important: In 1 and 2 Kings we will see each King evaluated and judged by how he treats YHWH’s covenants and law. These two things will serve as the litmus test on whether or not YHWH considered them to be evil or righteous in His eyes.

The first 11 Chapters revolve around King Solomon and his reign of 40 years.

While Moses was described as being full of vigor and health when he died at 120, David is 70 and frail, in poor health. 1 Kings 1:1

I apologize, we have more “A” names! But lets see if we can keep them straight by learning a bit about them.
Avishag – is the young lady brought to be a servant to David to help keep him warm. She is not a prostitute and is not becoming a wife, her purpose is merely to help keep him warm. Her name means “my father strays” so that doesn’t help us much. But if I may share my little way of keeping her straight, bear with me. She was known for her beauty so in my mind she is the opposite of her name. I remember her by
Avishag = she is not a hag. 

Adoniyah is David’s fourth born son. Keep in mind Amnon was killed by Avishalom and Avishalom was killed by Joab. Chileav is another son but died very young. This leaves David’s fourth son, Adoniyah as the next in line for the throne. If his names seems to ring familiar it is because it is a combination of “Adonai” and “Yah”. Yah is a shortened version of God’s personal name, YHWH, which many pronounce Yahweh or Yahovah, etc.
So this son’s name means just as you might have guessed, “My Lord is Yah”.
Adoniyah = My lord is Yah.

Note: Depending on your translation, some will say Adonijah, some Adoniyah. Either way, the last syllable is pronounced “yah”. There was no J sound in the Hebrew language. Some of you may have just thought “But Jesus!”. Recall that He was not named that at birth and did not hear that in His lifetime here, Jesus is the Greek translation of His name.

1 Kings 1:6 tells us a lot about David’s parenting style and how Adoniyah ended up how he did:

1 Kings 1:6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?”

Patterns – YHWH has an established pattern of choosing His servants over the birth order when it comes to lines of succession. We saw this with Isaac being chosen over Ishmael, Jacob (Israel) over Esau, and Judah over Benjamin. Here, we see Him choose Solomon over Adoniyah.

Adoniyah crosses a line 1 Kings 2:13-17 Now keep in mind that if a man had relations with a king’s wife or concubine, it was generally understood to mean that he had taken that man’s place. However, Avishag was still an innocent and had not been added to David’s harem – likewise she was also not added to Solomon’s harem. Therefore, technically, she was available for marriage.
Why did Bathsheba entertain the thought? It is possible that she thought this might help mend fences between Solomon and his brother. But Solomon saw it for what it was. Despite Avishag not having been intimate with the king, she was clearly known by all to be the last woman he had shared his bed with and it is likely they assumed she was his concubine, by asking for her hand in marriage Adoniyah was asserting, once again, his right to the throne.

Let’s close today by reading David’s final words to his son. He is about to die and his son is to take his place. You know last words are the most precious to a man, let’s read how David uses his:

When David’s time to die drew near, he commanded Solomon his son, saying, 2 “I am about to go the way of all the earth. Be strong, and show yourself a man, 3 and keep the charge of the Lord your God, walking in his ways and keeping his statutes, his commandments, his rules, and his testimonies, as it is written in the Law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn,4 that the Lord may establish his word that he spoke concerning me, saying, ‘If your sons pay close attention to their way, to walk before me in faithfulness with all their heart and with all their soul, you shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.’ 1 Kings 2:1-4

Sidenote: Did Moses write the law? While he taught it and wrote out those books, the commandments given to him were given to him by YHWH. We must be careful not to attribute them to Moses as they were not authored by a mere man, but the almighty God of Israel, of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, and of you and me.

I look forward to hearing your thoughts and insights below and THANK YOU to everyone who just takes time to say Good Morning each day! I love seeing your face and name pop up on my computer!

Notes to members:
1. If you get behind dive back in where we are!
2. If you aren’t reading daily with us or feel overwhelmed and aren’t comfortable taking part in our discussions – YOU ARE STILL WELCOME HERE! You are family and we are proud to have you any way we can get ya so don’t waist a single second feeling guilty. 

Test everything, hold tight to what is good.~ 1 Thess 5:21

We are saved by Grace alone: Obedience is not the root of our salvation, it is the fruit!

May YHWH bless the reading of His Word!

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Christy Jordan
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