When You Know Who Your True Friends Are

1 Kings 1:41-53   (CLICK HERE FOR BIBLE VERSES)

Hi GAMErs,

Today’s passage is 1 Kings 1:41-53.  As usual, I encourage you to open your Bible and read the passage yourself first.  See what you can glean with the Holy Spirit’s help. Then read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

1 Kings 1:41-49 (NIV)
⁴¹  Adonijah and all the guests who were with him heard it as they were finishing their feast. On hearing the sound of the trumpet, Joab asked, “What’s the meaning of all the noise in the city?”
⁴²  Even as he was speaking, Jonathan son of Abiathar the priest arrived. Adonijah said, “Come in. A worthy man like you must be bringing good news.”
⁴³  “Not at all!” Jonathan answered. “Our lord King David has made Solomon king.
⁴⁴  The king has sent with him Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah son of Jehoiada, the Kerethites and the Pelethites, and they have put him on the king’s mule,
⁴⁵  and Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king at Gihon. From there they have gone up cheering, and the city resounds with it. That’s the noise you hear.
⁴⁶  Moreover, Solomon has taken his seat on the royal throne.
⁴⁷  Also, the royal officials have come to congratulate our lord King David, saying, ‘May your God make Solomon’s name more famous than yours and his throne greater than yours!’ And the king bowed in worship on his bed
⁴⁸  and said, ‘Praise be to the LORD, the God of Israel, who has allowed my eyes to see a successor on my throne today.'”
⁴⁹  At this, all Adonijah’s guests rose in alarm and dispersed.

On verses 41-49:  Having heard that King David has officially made Solomon king instead of Adonijah, all of Adonijah’s guests — who were supposedly Adonijah’s closest friends and supporters — disperse and flee from Adonijah.

What can we learn from this?  It’s in the tough times when you can especially tell who your real friends are.  When things are going well for you, everyone is happy to be your friend.  But it’s in the tough times that you notice which of your friends are truly loyal and truly love you for you versus which friends are friendly toward you for a more selfish reason.

1 Kings 1:50 (NIV) 
⁵⁰ But Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar. 

On verse 50:  Up to this point Adonijah has shown no hint of being a God-fearing man.  Yet now, fearing for his life, Adonijah runs to the house of God and grabs hold of the altar as a way to shield himself from Solomon’s wrath.

What can we learn from this?  For many people, the only time they consider going to God is when they have no one else to turn to and are absolutely desperate.  But godly people know a secret that the ungodly don’t, which is this: every day we are in desperate need of God.  Don’t be fooled into thinking that you need God only once in a while, when things are not going well.  Instead remind yourself every day that you are desperate for Him every day and that apart from Him you can do nothing. 

1 Kings 1:51-53 (NIV) 
⁵¹ Then Solomon was told, “Adonijah is afraid of King Solomon and is clinging to the horns of the altar. He says, ‘Let King Solomon swear to me today that he will not put his servant to death with the sword.'” 
⁵² Solomon replied, “If he shows himself to be a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if evil is found in him, he will die.” 
⁵³ Then King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar. And Adonijah came and bowed down to King Solomon, and Solomon said, “Go to your home.” 

On verses 51-53:  Adonijah pleads with Solomon for his life and asks Solomon to swear not to strike him down.  Solomon wisely makes no promises.  Rather he says: if he shows himself to be a worthy man, he will not be harmed; but if evil is found in him, he will die (v52).  (In saying this Solomon is in some ways leaving the outcome up to God.)  Solomon tells Adonijah to go home (v53).

What can we learn from this?

1. Like Solomon here, do not be quick to make promises.  That’s the flipside of keeping your word: don’t make promises you can’t keep.  When someone asks you, “Can you do me a favour?” don’t say “Sure” before you know what they’re asking for.  As Solomon would later say, “he who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin” (Proverbs 13:3) and “it is a trap for a man to dedicate something rashly and only later to reconsider his vows” (Proverbs 20:25).

2. Solomon’s statement in verse 52 is very much our predicament before God.  If we can show ourselves to be worthy in the King’s sight, then we will be spared, and if evil is found in us, we will die.  The problem is: contrary to what many religious and irreligious people believe, none of us can show ourselves to be worthy in God’s sight.  Evil can be found in all of us, for all of us have sinned.  We all deserve to die and to be separated from the King’s presence.  But in the King’s great mercy, He spared us.  God took the only one who is worthy to be in His presence — Jesus Christ His Son — and sacrificed him in our place.  The only One worthy to be in God’s presence — Jesus — was sacrificed for us who are evil, so that we could become worthy in God’s sight.  It’s not through our own effort that we become worthy, but through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross.

Holy Spirit, thank You for every lesson and insight we can learn from Your Word today.  May I not be quick to make rash promises, but wisely guard my lips.  And may I always remember that in both good times and bad times, I am always desperately and constantly in need of You.  Thank You for being my most loyal and faithful friend, the One who is there for me in the good times and in the bad.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!