Gospel Reflections #1178: Just Cling on God

1 Kings 1:5 ‘Adonijah, the son of Haggith, became arrogant and declared, “I shall be king,” and he prepared a chariot, horses and fifty men to ride with him.’

This passage describes how Adonijah, the fourth son of King David, sought to seize the throne for himself by plotting a coup, taking advantage of his father’s advancing age and frailty.

Even the great King David was around 70 years old at this time and had grown so frail that even layering clothes could not keep him warm.

As his ability to govern and his judgement as king had significantly declined, the ‘question of succession’—who would become the next king—had become a matter of great urgency within the kingdom.

 Adonijah was David’s fourth son. As his elder brothers—Amnon, the eldest; Kileab, the second; and Absalom, the third—had already died or been deposed, he regarded himself as the de facto eldest son and harboured a sense of entitlement, believing that ‘it was only natural that he should become the next king’.

The Bible records that he ‘became arrogant’ and declared that he would become king.

This highlights his self-centred arrogance: he acted relying solely on his good looks and advantageous position, without seeking confirmation of God’s will or his father David’s intentions.

The ‘chariots, horsemen and fifty men running ahead of him (as his escort)’ that Adonijah prepared were not merely a means of transport.

This was exactly the same course of action taken by his elder brother Absalom when he had previously rebelled against their father David.

It was a military demonstration intended to signal to those around him that ‘I am the next ruler’.

By displaying overwhelming force, he sought to win over influential figures such as General Joab and the priest Abiathar, and to create a fait accompli.

God had already chosen Solomon as the next king.

However, Adonijah ignored God’s plan and attempted to seize the throne through human political manoeuvring and brute force.

This fifth verse serves as a crucial introduction, symbolising the overarching theme of the entire Book of Kings—‘whether to obey God or not’—namely, that ‘human ambition, which seeks to exalt itself by disregarding God’s sovereignty, ultimately leads to ruin’.

In our daily lives, too, we unconsciously make choices regarding whether to obey God or not; yet God works within us and speaks to us to ensure we do not stray onto the wrong path.

We should accept and respond to God’s call before our hearts become hardened.

God will never give up on us.

Therefore, let us not give up on God or on ourselves, but let us cling to Him.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.