1 Kings 1
Vs. 1-4 This is letting us know that David was getting to the end. If this was his last year, he was 69 or 70. Since David became king at 30 and reigned 40 years, the math is easy, even for me. There will be some overlap with Solomon; because, as we will see, he has a lot of instructions to pass on to him.
David was an old 70, even by standards today and back then. The weight of ruling might have done this to him, but I think it was the weight of the damage he had caused in the lives of others. If any of us had to bear the body count of those who died for his sin, the one son raping a daughter, the other son killing the other son, etc., etc., etc., it would have aged us too.
We don't hear this until later, but, obviously, Abishag became David's wife, yet the fact that they never "knew" each other added an interesting technicality that will appear later.
Vs. 5-53 I'm not sure what happened here, because it was common for a king to make his son king or co-regent and they would reign together for a while. Sounds like discipleship to me. David apparently didn't do this and in the absence of his leadership and guidance, people looked at the tottering old guy (with his human hot water bottle) and took the leadership into their own hands. It would seem that David’s decline in his late 60’s was pretty severe. None of what Adonijah did could have happened in a short time. It all took planning. Also it is obvious from what is said here and later, that it was known that Solomon had been chosen. It seems then that God allowed, and would use, this situation to expose Solomon's enemies and remove them.
V. 6 Notice, it is the Spirit who is making this editorial judgment. You wouldn’t call David a model father. It seems to me that once David had the promise that one of his sons would sit on the throne, and then after the sin with Bathsheba and Uriah, his hope for his sons, Amnon, then Absalom and now Adonijah, became kind of dysfunctional. I wonder if in his regret and guilt he doubted that God would fulfill the promise. His desire for his sons to follow him on the throne seems more of the flesh than of the Spirit, especially when it keeps mentioning that they were tall and handsome. He didn’t seem concerned with their spiritual qualifications?
Vs. 7-8 This leadership vacuum allowed sides to become visible. Joab wasn't listed among the mighty men; he was dishonest, and he was very self-serving. I don't know what is going on with Abiathar, but his family was destroyed, partly because of David's lie, not telling them what danger they would be in if they helped him.
Notice that the mighty men, including Joab's own brother, were not part of this. It shows that THE THIRTY were deeply loyal to David.
Vs. 9-10 This was Adonijah's own coronation/rebellion just outside of the city. Everyone not invited was in danger. If this event went unanswered, there would be no way to undo it.
Vs. 11-31 Where Adonijah's plan took some time and counsel, this plan got David’s blood moving and progressed very quickly. Solomon was in danger. Talk about cutting through all the red tape.
Vs. 32-40 They called the city together. Solomon rode to the tabernacle and the official trumpet that designated holy days was used. After this Solomon went to David's throne. Although this coronation was thrown together, it was and looked fully official.
Vs. 41-53 The fact that this was a rebellion is shown by how everyone with Adonijah reacted when they knew that Solomon had been made king. Oops! They knew they had been discovered and judged.
V. 50 In the tabernacle was the altar where they burned the sacrifices to obtain mercy from God. Adonijah went in and grabbed the corners of the altar at one end and sent word that he wanted to receive mercy.
Vs. 51-53 Solomon's answer and actions show that he was ready to rule and that he knew that this had been rebellion. Adonijah deserved to die, but Solomon showed him mercy.
This was one of those situations where you see neglect and a lack of leadership and wonder if it really makes sense to wait on God. But here, Solomon did the right thing by waiting, even though his life was in danger, and suddenly, one afternoon, boom, he was king. God is sovereign. That's a good thing for disciples to learn.
Acts 4
V. 1 At this time, the priests were of the party of the Sadducees. The double irritant was not only the preaching of Jesus, but the preaching of the resurrection. The Sadducees didn't believe in the resurrection and that's why they were sad, you see.
V. 4 This appears to be 5000 additional believers. That would make about 8000 men (plus women and children?) or about a third of the population of Jerusalem. Again, with the baptisms and all, this would have been a very public, visual and exciting happening in the city.
V. 9 Notice that Peter and the Spirit put the emphasis on what caused a lame man to be healed. This lame man had been a fixture at the temple and all the priests, Sadducees, Pharisees, everyone knew him. This wasn't a discussion about opinion; it was obvious that a miracle had taken place.
V. 12 The declaration of salvation in Christ alone. This one is worth memorizing.
Vs. 13-22 Luke makes a point in Acts to show how often the disciples are (Christianity is) pronounced innocent. This is the first public trial of the disciples, and the leaders have nothing to say. You can bet that word of this got around town. This would almost be the same as the authorities approving what they did.
Vs. 23-31 What a great prayer and understanding of how the Lord was using them.
V. 31 I've never been in a prayer meeting where we had an earthquake. They already had the Spirit dwelling in them. This filling of the Spirit is like what we've seen with Samson, a special, temporary empowering to do the task before them.
Vs. 32-37 So Jerusalem had been filled with pilgrims, people who had come to the Feast of the Harvest. Now, apparently the week-long feast was over, but those who had come to Christ wanted to stay and learn more about Christ from the apostles. They couldn't do it online, and they had only brought so much money and there were no ATMs. It was primitive. This is where the great need came from.
Again, we wonder today why this isn't always happening, but if 3000 people from some primitive land, like Canada, came to your church this weekend and all trusted in Christ so that everyone in your church was somehow involved and moved by it, and if these 3000 people couldn't go back to their land, because beavers took over or something like that, and you had to put them up, you and your church would do the same. Eh? It would be because of the Spirit and because of the mission. Take away the Spirit and the mission and the bearing of fruit and this call to unity becomes contrived. No one really gets unified around fellowship dinners and worship services, but that's practically the primary focus of some churches. Eh?
V. 36 Enter Barnabas. There are lots of little things going on here. He is a Jew with a good pedigree from the tribe of Levi, but he is from Cyprus, meaning unlike the Jews in Jerusalem, he lives with and rubs shoulders with Gentiles.
What Barnabas does here leads to a situation that will become the first instance of discipline in the church.
Psalm 124
This was a good reminder to the people coming to worship in Jerusalem, leaving their homes and fields unguarded, that the hope of protection is in the Lord.
David knew this, forgot it during the taking of the census, but lived his last days knowing that God had delivered him out of every danger.
As disciples, we can think our actions make things happen, and that how we zig or zag saves us from danger. It is really all in the Lord's hands.
Proverbs 16:24
I keep trying to learn this one. And then Paul and the Spirit say in Ephesians 4:29, "Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear." So often my words are about myself.
If you’re reading along and don’t have a One Year Bible, click on this link Every Day in the Word. If that doesn't work, go to http://www.gnpcb.org/esv/devotions/ and click on “Every Day in the Word.”
I'm writing these comments to and for those who are following a One Year Bible and interested in growing deeper as a disciple, following Jesus in the harvest. My hope is to see the growth of a discipleship culture in the church. Groups of 3-4 disciples, meeting weekly, encouraging each other to follow Christ and work to reach out and make disciples who make disciples. The Bible itself is the most universal manual we have and key to our growth and service in Christ. Nothing keeps us more focused on why we are here or what we are to be doing. My comments are only meant to provide some explanation of the events or to show the flow of God's plan of redemption. My comments are in no way exhaustive, but are designed to keep us focused on Christ and our role in His harvest. My hope is that the people in these groups will grow in Christ and be willing, after a year, to find 3 others to meet with and encourage in their growth as disciples, disciples making disciples in the harvest.
If you would like a more descriptive commentary that is still readable and concise, I'd recommend the Bible Knowledge Commentary. It's keyed to the NIV, so the result is, the commentators are constantly telling you what the Greek or Hebrew is. That never hurts.
I am not endorsing any particular One Year Bible; in fact, I read something you don't, die revidierte Lutherbibel 1984.
Anyone reading along with us is welcome to do so and is encouraged to take their own notes and make their own observations. If the comments made do not agree with your particular tradition or understanding, that's OK. Nothing I've written is meant to criticize any point of view, but only to express the truth of what God has written to us, as I understand it.
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