Sat.’s Devo - The Next King

Read: 1 Kings 1:1-53; Acts 4:1-37; Psalm 124:1-8; Proverbs 16:24 David was getting old and could not get warm. His servants proposed they find a young woman to take care of him and lie with him to keep him warm. They found Abishag who was young and beautiful. She attended after David and kept him warm till he died. *** Adonijah, David’s fourth son born in Hebron. He exalted himself and planned to be the next king. He made himself look like a king by having chariots and horsemen and fifty men to run in front of him wherever he went. *** Adonijah conspired with Joab and Abiathar the priest to help him become the next king. Zadok the priest, and Benaiah, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah. *** Adonijah invited all his brothers and the king’s sons to come to the Serpent’s Stone were he made a great sacrifice of sheep and oxen. He didn’t invite the important people on David’s side. *** Nathan told Bathsheba to go tell King David that Adonijah had declared himself king without his knowledge. She was to remind David that he had promised that Solomon would be the next king after him. Nathan would come in after her and confirm what she had said. *** When David heard from both of them, he immediately called for Zadok, Nathan and Benaiah. He told them to take Solomon on his own mule and all the servants to Gihon. The priests were to anoint him with oil and blow the trumpet and say, “Long live King Solomon!” Then they were to bring him back and place him on his throne. *** Zadok and the others did just what David said to do and when the people rejoiced, the earth split by their noise. Adonijah and his crew had just finished eating when they heard the sound of the trumpet. When they found out what had happened and the response of the people in the city, all the people with Adonijah left fearing for their lives. Adonijah, especially feared for his life and went and took hold of the horns on the altar for mercy. King Solomon sent people to get him. He wouldn’t let go till he was promised he would not be killed. He was told as long as he proved himself honorable he would live, but if he didn’t, he would die. Adonijah came and paid homage to King Solomon and Solomon sent him home. *** In Acts, Peter and John had just finished speaking to the people about Jesus when the Saddusees came in. They were most upset that they were speaking of the resurrection of Christ since they didn’t believe in any kind of resurrection. They arrested them and put them in prison for the night. But, about 5,000 had come to believe what Peter and John had preached to them. *** The Sanhedrin met the next day and brought in Peter and John and asked them who had given them the authority to heal the cripple and say what they said. Peter, now filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, answered. He told them they did all this by the name of Christ Jesus, who they crucified. He was the stone that they rejected and now has become the cornerstone. Only in his name, may people be saved. *** The men in the Sanhedrin were amazed at their boldness and knowledge, since they were common and uneducated. The man who had been healed was standing beside them as a witness so they had no rebuttal. *** The men reasoned among themselves that they were between a rock and a hard place. All Jerusalem had witnessed the miracle. They couldn’t deny what had happened so they called Peter and John in and banned them from speaking in Jesus’ name. *** Peter and John answered and said that it they couldn’t deny what had happened nor stop speaking about it. God was their judge. The Sanhedrin were losing their power. They had no other recourse than to threaten them and let them go free. *** Peter and John returned to their friends and fellow believers and reported all that had been said. They prayed that God would see their threats and give them boldness to continue to speak the truth. They prayed that Jesus would continue to heal and do signs and wonders. As they prayed, the place they were in shook and all were filled with the Holy Spirit and boldness. *** The believers became a family who took care of one another’s needs. They continued to witness the power of Jesus’ name and his resurrection. One of the believer’s name was Barnabas who was a Levite. His given name was Joseph. He sold a field he owned and brought all its proceeds and gave it to the apostles. *** We are coming into that kind of fellowship where we will consider all we have to be the Lord’s. We will freely give to help others in their needs. We will be bold and see the power of God heal and do signs and wonders in our midst. It will be glorious! *** Lord, may we hunger and this for the Holy spirit to be alive and active in our lives. May we be good stewards of all you give us.