Tues.’s Devo - Solomon Comes to the Throne

Read: 1 Kings 1:1-53; Acts 4:1-37; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 16:24 David was getting old and couldn’t get warm at night, even though he had many blankets. His advisors offered to find a young virgin for him to sleep with him and keep him warm. They found Abishag who slept with David but never had sexual relations with him1. *** Adonijah was David’s fourth son born in Hebron. I can’t help but remember the curse David put on the rich man who had taken the lamb from the poor man (2 Samuel 12). He said that he had to restore the lamb fourfold. Nathan had told him that he was the man. David lost that baby, his first born son Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah was the fourth. *** Adonijah saw that his father was getting old and had not yet proclaimed the next king so he decided he should be king. He invited all the other sons, except Solomon to the Stone of Zoheleth where he sacrificed and proclaimed himself the next king. He also didn’t invite Nathan and Benaian the kings body guard. This Stone of Zobeleth means “the serpentine one.” *** Nathan sent Bathsheba to tell David what Adonijah had done and to ask him if this was his will. Nathan would come behind her and confirm it. David had promised Bathsheba that Solomon would be the next king long ago. *** David called his priest, prophet and body guard to take Solomon to Gihon Spring riding on his own mule. There, they were to anoint him king over Israel. They were to blow the ram’s horn and shout, “Long live King Solomon!” Then they were to escort him back and place him on the throne. *** When the people who had assembled for Adonijah heard all the celebration over Solomon they scattered. Adonijah ran to the Temple and took hold of the horns of the altar for mercy. Solomon had him brought before him and told him that he would not kill him as long as he didn’t cause any trouble. He set him free to go home. *** In Acts, Peter was still preaching to the crowds about Jesus and his resurrection. The leaders of the Temple came and arrested Peter and John but by now 5,000 of the people had become believers. The religious leaders met to decide what they should do to Peter and John. *** Then next day they called Peter and John in to hear their testimony. Peter told them that they had healed the crippled man by the power of Jesus’ name - the one they crucified. The man who had been healed was standing there so they could not deny it. They told Peter and John not to speak or teach in Jesus’ name again. Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you or him? We can’t stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.” *** All they could do was to threatened Peter and John so they set them free. They went back to where the believers were meeting and prayed for more boldness to preach the truth. The place shook and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began preaching about the resurrection with boldness. Because of the many needy people, others were selling property to give to the apostles to help those in need. One particular man who did this was Joseph, nicknamed Barnabas which means “son of Encouragement.” Lord, may we receive the power of your Holy Spirit to preach the power of God with boldness and manifest your power. May we be sons and daughters of encouragement to the body.