Greedy for Power
Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. -1 Kings 1:5
Here’s a lesson that, knowing how God and His moral principles work, we ought to be able to see coming from a mile away. What’s the tip-off? Two words: exalted himself. That’s a big no-no, and it’s bound to have its consequences: as we’ll see in just a bit.
The source of promotion
The reason why we ought to see that this man Adonijah in the above verse is doomed is because he sought to exalt himself to a position higher than where God wanted him. This was the very same thing that caused the downfall of Satan, who was once named Lucifer. “How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer . . . For thou hast said in thine heart . . . I will exalt my throne above the stars of God” (Isaiah 14:12, 13).
In Scripture we see how God can appoint authority as He sees fit:
For promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south. But God is the judge: he putteth down one, and setteth up another. -Psalm 75:6-7
In our story, David had been appointed king by God, and even though many men sought to kill him and prevent him from taking the throne, God’s promises came true, and through God’s providence David obtained the throne of the king of Israel.
In Adonijah’s case, he wanted to be the successor of David: for king David was getting very old and was about ready to pass away. Yet David had promised his throne to another one of his sons: namely, Solomon. So here we have a critical conflict of interests, and Adonijah was taking matters into his own hands, and proclaiming himself to be the next king: against the wishes of both God and the current king.
What goes up, must come down
It really is true, that if we are behaving against God’s will, in the end, everything we do, every supposed “glory” that we attain, and every height that we reach, will invariable come crashing down. And the greater the height, and harder the fall. If Adonijah has taken upon himself to ascend to such a great and dizzying height as that of king, how dismal shall be his fall!
And in the Bible story of king David, he was eventually notified of Adonijah’s intentions, and immediately made his son Solomon king. Whereupon Solomon put Adonijah back down in his rightful place. Yet Adonijah’s greed for power could not be contained for long, and soon he was caught in another plot, and Solomon promptly judged him: having already given him a second chance shortly before.
Then king Solomon sware by the LORD, saying, God do so to me, and more also, if Adonijah have not spoken this word against his own life. Now therefore, as the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death this day. -1 Kings 2:23-24
And in Adonijah’s death, we ought to learn a lesson from his greedy and power-hungry intentions: be patient, and wait on the Lord. When we seek to take shortcuts, we are really just stealing something that the Lord has intended to give to someone else. Any ill-tempered shortcuts to the top will undoubtedly result in a subsequent fall downward.
For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted. -Luke 14:11
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