And he has sacrificed oxen and fatted cattle and sheep in abundance, and has invited all the sons of the king and Abiathar the priest and Joab the captain of the host; but Solomon thy servant has he not invited.
Commentary for this Verse
Bathsheba stands at the bedside of a dying king. She tells him that a coronation feast is already under way, with sacrifices, guests, the priest and the army commander. Her last clause carries the whole weight of it: Adonijah left Solomon off the list — the son David had sworn would reign.
A feast built to exclude one guest
The meal had the look of worship, and the guests included the king's own household. One writer notes that leaving Solomon out was not an accident. Adonijah's plan required it.
H. L. RossierAdonijah gives the meeting at En-rogel the false appearance of a peace offering. He follows in the footsteps of his brother Absalom, who had said he wanted to pay a vow to the Lord. He invites his brothers, the sons of the king, and even the servants of the king... But Adonijah is too shrewd to invite those whose faith or whose testimony keeps them close to David. He invites all his brothers but one. He leaves out Solomon, the only son with a right to the throne by the will of God and of his father — the son who is to become the king of glory. He has to leave him out. Solomon's presence would judge that feast and condemn it, and would ruin every plan and ambition Adonijah had. The world invites Christ last of all; more than that, the world does not want to invite Him at all.
The three names that made it look legitimate
Bathsheba names Abiathar the priest and Joab the commander alongside the king's sons. One writer sees in those three names a picture of the forces that combine against God's chosen King.
The Bible TreasuryIn these three men we see three powers combined against Christ. Adonijah is the authority of the world, Joab the power that carries out orders, and Abiathar the religious power. They are the representatives of the three great moral forces of the world. While they were feasting, they heard the people shouting. Fear seized them, and destruction soon followed. So it will be at the end.
Why the loyal men were missing
Nathan, Benaiah and David's mighty men had nothing to gain at that table. Each of them was looking somewhere else.
H. L. RossierThe priest looks to God, the prophet to the Spirit of God, the servant to David, to Christ. Do they need anything else? Those mighty men found their strength in David. Will they now go after Adonijah, who cannot give it to them?
A rebellion that looked like a success
On the surface, the numbers were all on Adonijah's side. One commentator warns that early success proves nothing.
William KellyTurning away from the mind of God almost always looks successful at first. Every step of unfaithfulness gets big results in the world where there is talent, and where everything that works on people's minds is drawn up in order. This plan was certainly well calculated. Joab would influence a certain set. Abiathar the priest would have his religious name and reputation. And above all there were the king's sons — all of them except Solomon... It was a widespread rebellion, and it seemed a carefully arranged one. "But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother." And that is where faith can rest — on God's word.
How Bathsheba spoke
Her report is not flattery and not panic. She lays the facts and the consequences in front of David, and Nathan follows with the same emphasis.
H. L. RossierBathsheba speaks with respect and boldness. She shows David that he does not know the danger he is in (v. 18). She reminds him that he had settled on a successor, a king after the heart of God (v. 17). She also points out his responsibility towards herself, her son, and the people... Nathan comes in next. In his own conversation with the king he stresses two things: Adonijah invited none of the Lord's faithful servants, and, above all, he set Solomon aside on purpose. What must one expect from a man who gives no place to the Lord, to the true King, in his purposes or in his life?
The plan that failed
The plan was carefully arranged. That careful arrangement is what collapsed.
J. N. DarbySolomon, the chosen of God, who held his rights from God, did not suit them. But in the end, human cleverness fails before the judgment of God. Sooner or later God arranges events so that the cleverest are shown for what they really are. On the surface everything is going well. The king's eldest and best-loved son is there. So is the captain of the army, whom David himself could not resist, and the priest who had always stayed with David. All the king's sons are there too — all except the one God had chosen. Yet no one there gave a thought to God or His will.
Summary
- Excluded. Adonijah invited everyone but Solomon. Solomon alone had a God-given right to the throne, and his presence would have condemned the whole feast.
- Disguised. The sacrifices made the rebellion look like worship. Adonijah was copying his brother Absalom, who had once claimed he was going to pay a vow to the Lord.
- Allied. Adonijah, Joab and Abiathar stand for three powers: the world's authority, the power that carries out orders, and religion. All three joined against God's King.
- Absent. The priest, the prophet and the loyal servants stayed away. Their eyes were on God, on His Spirit, and on David — Adonijah had nothing to give them.
- Overturned. The plan looked well-arranged, and for a moment it worked. But human cleverness collapses before God's judgment. Faith rests on His word, not on the size of the crowd.