1 Kings 2:26-35 | Bible Study Solomon Eliminates His Rivals Solomon’s First Moves After Solomon eliminates Adonijah (1 Kings 2:13-25), he moves to consolidate his power with two more political maneuvers. As readers, though, we must grapple with an important question: were Solomon’s actions necessay From a political perspective, Solomon’s moves make sense. From the […]

1 Kings 1:13-25 | Bible Study Adonijah’s Last Attempt Adonijah’s Strange Request After David’s final instructions to Solomon (1 Kings 2:1-12), the narrator turns our attention back to Adonijah. What follows is a strange story about the events that lead to Adonijah’s death. He approaches Bathsheba and asks to marry the last woman associated with […]

1 Kings 2:1-12 | Bible Study David’s mixed advice: Follow God and kill some people David’s Deathbed Advice With the events of 1 Kings 1 (read blog posts for that chapter here) barely in the rear-view mirror, 1 Kings 2 opens with David’s final instructions before he dies. And, oh my, are they a doozy! […]

1 Kings 1:41-53 | Bible Study Adonijah’s Coup Fails Adonijah is in Trouble 1 Kings 1 is a long chapter filled with drama. It begins with Adonijah seizing upon David’s old age (1 Kings 1:1-4), and attempting to take the throne for himself (1 Kings 1:5-10). Nathan and Bathshebe successfully undermine Adonijah’s attempted coup when […]

1 Kings 1:28-40 | Bible Study Solomon’s Rise to Power David Chooses Solomon A lot happens in 1 Kings 1. David is a naive, old, dying monarch (1 Kings 1:1-4). Adonijah, his oldest surviving son, seizes the opportunity to take the throne for himself (1 Kings 1:5-10). Realizing they’re desperate situation, Nathan and Bathsheba plot […]

1 Kings 1:11-27 | Bible Study Who will live? Who will die? SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE The Fight for Survival The first ten verses of Kings set the scene. David is old, cold, and near death (see 1 Kgs 1:1-4). Adonijah, his oldest surviving son, seizes the moment to take the throne. When Adonijah makes his […]