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Episode 548: In this episode, we dive into the intriguing narrative of 1 Kings 1, where the succession of King David is at stake. The episode focuses on the story of King David in his old age and the rise of his son Adonijah, who attempts to claim the throne for himself. We discuss how Adonijah, taking advantage of David's frailty, gathers support from key figures and throws a feast to declare himself king, all while excluding important allies like Nathan the prophet and Solomon. This sets the stage for a power struggle that echoes themes of ambition and betrayal reminiscent of modern political dramas.
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You're listening to The Bible Guys, a podcast where a couple of friends talk about the Bible in fun in practical ways. Hey, everybody, welcome to another episode of The Bible Guys. Here we are, we are right here, great here, and we are excited once again because we believe that the Bible is exciting. It is it is. Yeah, so we're going to talk about it in fun and practical ways. There you go. You remember you remember when that one guy said he thought for a very long time that it was fun, fun in practical ways. Yeah, impractical. Yeah, yeah, you thought we were talking about fun and impractical ways about the Bible, which may speak more to his view of how we do this podcast. So that's really funny. Hey, I was just told yesterday that by a friend, John Borgland, who is now attending our new campus, the Shelby Campus or no, the Stony. Rochester Hills in Rochester Hills. Oh it's in Rochester Hills. I thought it was in Shelby. No, Shelby, I know it's Stony Creek. Stony Creek High School is in Rochester Hills. Oh okay, but anyway, the Point Church, yeah, no doubt. But anyway, I was just informed by John that he is now a daily listener of the Bible guests. Oh good, well, welcome John. Yeah, and his wife Betsy. Okay, and Betsy. And by the way, just real quick trivia. When I first moved to Michigan in two thousand and four, I moved a month before my wife did, and I had nowhere to stay, and I had they had to find somewhere for me to stay. So I stayed in John's basement. Oh wow, and he had five kids. Wow at the time, five boys. And I was in his basement for a month. Okay, so then he had six boys. Right, he had six boys. That's right, that's right. Wow. Anyway, Okay, Well, so here we go. It says we haven't done this segment in a while, so we need to make sure that we really the two of us, really know each other. Well, okay, so I'm supposed to ask you five questions yep, about myself and see if you know the quick answer. Well, it's kind of a catch twenty two because then now you're searching for things that you think I won't know. Well, no, no, I'm I was searching for things I thought you probably did know that I've said before. So if I don't know them, then I'm really bad. Yeah yeah, yeah. Okay, well thanks for that. Thanks for that intro. These are things you probably don't know. Okay, okay, what village was I born in? Village? Well, it's it's it's. No, no, no, I'm sorry. I wasn't born in the village. What village did I grew up in? Sorry? Is it LaPier? No, that's the town I was born in. Okay, So there's a village. Wait a minute, I know this. I know this. You said this before, because I don't understand it. It's where it's it's the island where Napoleon was banished. Elba. There you go, Elba, Yeah, Elba, there you go. Oh, so have begun. So, so explain that to me. So there's a village in a town. So there's the city of LaPier in the county of LaPier. But I lived eleven miles outside of the city of LaPier, in the county of LaPier, in the village of Elba. Oh my goodness, gracious. Yeah, okay, all right, very good. That's a good one. Yeah, okay, So you know I like to grill. Yes, yeah, it's one of my favorite things. To do. What's my favorite kind of meat to grill? Favor kind of meat? Yeah? Oh wow, Okay, that's just tough. I'm not sure I know this, but I am going to say steak. Hmmm, pork. I was gonna say. Loud, yeah, that's okay. That's a good one, because because barbecue is your favorite. Yeah, I love it. I love it, yep, I love I love it. Okay, so there's two. How many brothers and sisters do I have? Oh? Wow, this is this is really I'll just say siblings. How about siblings? Siblings total? I know for a fact you have well I shouldn't say fact, you have at least three, So I'm gonna say I'm going to say three. Okay, I have ten siblings. Wait are these every step I have four? Yeah? Yeah, so I'm I'm only my mom's right, uh and my my biological fathers. That's it. But I have ten step siblings. Do you know? I'm not I'm not sure I've ever heard that before. Really yeah, yeah, no, I'm I mean, I'm trying to register my brain. I just mentioned to you that John Borgland had five kids. Yeah, right, so five boys is like, wow, that's a lot. I grew up in five boys right. To hear the word ten. Right, and then I would be the I'm the eleventh, I'm you know, so. I would make a total So to hear the word eleven then. Yeah, so it was kind of one of those yours mine and ours right is kind of one of those those deals. I think that would register my brain, so I won't forget that. Yeah, eleven, it's astounding. Yeah, it's truly astounding. Isn't that crazy? And by the way, I should have known that four years in. I should know that. And by the way, how many bathrooms did you have? One? I grew up in an eight hundred square foot house with eleven. No, no, eleven, so that the most we had, like three or four. Okay, so it's constantly shifting. Yeah, it's always shifting. Yeah, okay, all right. Wow. Bonnie's at home listening right now. She's like, she's like, oh. And Liz is going come on, Chris, Yeah, yeah, so what's that? I know these things? That's three, So I need to give you one more, don't I? Uh? Oh, okay, I think I said this one time maybe on the podcast. I'm actually or in conversation, do you know what my first car was. Now, I think you told me a story about like driving home and breaking down at Christmas or something. Car. Well, no, but yeah, that's a that's a story that happened. That was. That was our on our honeymoon. Okay, well that's what that's probably that was your car. Yeah, try to think of whether or not you told me a story about what your first car was. I don't think you have, but I'm going to take a guess. I'm going to say that your first car was a Chavette. It was not. No, I never got a Chavette. My first car was a Buick Skylark. It was it was like a tan Buicks car. I know. That's why. That's why I said it. I remember that you. You mentioned that was my first car. I would have remembered that. I wouldn't, so I didn't want it. So I had I had a a moped and I was fine with that. I was able to go to work do all those things, you know. And my sister wanted me to take uh this Skylark and she was going to give it to me. I didn't want it, so I don't want it. And then she's like, if you come and get it today. I'll give you a full tank of gas. And I was like, I really don't. As my second oldest sister, I said, I just I don't want to don't want to pay insurance, I don't want to take care of it. I'm not a mechanic. And she's like, no, it runs really good. Just coming get it. And then she goes, okay, i'll give you a full tank of guess and fifty bucks. So my sister filled the tank of guests and gave me fifty bucks to take this car. Wow, she want to get rid of it. They were moving. They used to live in Troy and they were moving. They sold their businesses and they were moving to Ohio and she wanted me to take the car. How were you at the time, Like seventeen? Wow, okay, that's funny. Okay, well it's just I remember that you had a Skylark. That's why I was. I was over that entire get Yeah. Yeah, that's all right. Now. I still feel loved by you, Chris, because you wanted to know and that's what's important. Yeah, well that is true. That is true. So eleven siblings total buick Skylark pork, which I by the way. I think I. Knew I have ten siblings. I'm I make That's why I said. Yeah yeah. And then and then what was the other one? Elba elba elba elba Yeah, yeah, yeah yeah. So my old oldest sister and my youngest brother are over thirty years apart. That's crazy. Ye isn't that crazy. I'm twenty years older than my youngest brother. That is super crazy. Amazing. Okay, here we go, we're going to jump into this. This is very exciting. This is there's so much intrigue in the next two days, right, it's it's a very big thing. Before these things happened, David had wanted to begin building the temple for God. Remember yep, and we're not reading this, and God. Said no, no, because there's too much blood in your hands. That's right, you're a killer, that's right. And so I'm not going to have you build my temple, but I will let your air build my temple. And so instead, David collected all the stuff. He began to reach out and get as much of the stuff as he could. Yeah. So he began to get the wood and the stone and all these things. He began to set up the priests and he began to set up the music and began to set up a lot of the structure, even though he wasn't allowed to build the temple. And then he's coming kind of towards the end of his life. He's an old man, and that's where we pick up is he's about to die, and then we're going to look into the succession. So we're going to read first King's chapter one, and we're going to read through verse twenty seven. It says King David was now very old, and no matter how many blankets covered, and he cannot keep you warm. So his advisors told him, let us find a young virgin to wait on you and look after you, my lord, and she will lie in your arms and keep you warm. And so they searched throughout the land of Israel for a beautiful girl, and they found Abishag from Shunam and brought her to the king. The girl was very beautiful, and she looked after the king and took care of him, but the king had no sexual relations with her. About that time, David's son Ada Nija, whose mother was Hagath, began boasting, I will make myself king. So he provided himself with chariots and chariot tears, and recruited fifty men to run in front of him, just like Absolom did right yep. Now, his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking him, why are you doing that. Adamnijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome. Ada and Nijah took joe Abs son of Zuriah, and Abiathar the priest into his confidence, and they agreed to help him become king. So Zadok the priest Benaiah son of Jehoeida, and Nathan the prophet shimii Reyi, and David's personal bodyguard refused to support Adamaija. Adanijah went to the stone of Zolath near the spring of Angrogol, where he sacrificed sheep and cattle and fat and calves. And he invited all his brothers, the other sons of King David, and all the royal officials of Judah. But he did not invite Nathan the prophet or ben Ayah, or the king's bodyguard or his brother Solomon. Then Nathan went to Bathsheba, Solomon's mother, and asked her, haven't you heard that Hageth's son Adanija has made himself king and our Lord David doesn't even know about it. If you want to save your own life in the life of your son Solomon, follow my advice. Go at once to King David and say to my lord the King, don't you make a vow and say to me your son Solomon? Or didn't you make a vow and say to me your son Solomon will surely be the next king and will sit on my throne? Why then, has ad Andaija become king? And while you are still talking with him, I will come and confirm everything you've said. So Bathsheba went into the king's bedroom and he was very old now, and Abhishak was taking care of him. Bathsheba bowed down before the king. What can I do for you, he asked, She replied, my lord, you made a vow before the Lord your God when you said to me your son Solomon will surely be the next king and I will sit on my throne. But instead Adanija has made himself king, and my lord the King does not even know about it. He has sacrificed many cattle and fat, and cabs and sheep, and he's invited all the king's sons to attend the celebration. He also invited Abiathar the priest and Joe Abb, the commander of the army, but he did not invite your servant Solomon. And now, my lord the king, all Israel is waiting for you to announce who will become king after you. If you do not act, my son Solomon and I will be treated as criminals as soon as my lord the king has died. While she was still speaking with the king, Nathan the Prophet arrived. The king's officials told him, Nathan the Prophet is here to see you. Nathan went in and bowed before the king with his face to the ground. Nathan asked, my lord the King, have you decided that Ada and Nija will be the next king and that he will sit on your throne? Today? He has sacrificed many cattle, fat and calves and sheep, and he's invited all the king's sons attend the celebration. He also invited the commanders of the army and Abiathar the priest. They're feasting and drinking with him and shouting long lean, long live King ad Inaijah. But he did not invite me or Zadok the priest, or ben a Ayah or your servant Solomon. Has my lord the king really done this without letting any of his officials know who would be the next king? And that's where we end, because tomorrow we find out what happens. Don't don't don't. And well, first of all, that's a long passage and a very good story. Yes it is. It's a cliffhanger of a kind of a thing. And by the way, this is very much like a Game of Thrones, Yeah, the type thing happening, because you could only imagine, you know, he's doing the same thing that his brother did, right, just pretending to be king when he's not king. Just hey, hire fifty bodyguards that run in front of him, and then just go out and just start announcing that you're king. And you could imagine back in the day, all you really had to do is persuade the people. As long as you persuade the people who didn't know any better, then all of a sudden, I'm. Still pretty much back in today's day, Isn't it just persuade the people who don't know any better? You are correct? I mean again, this is being recorded before our election. And I mean, you know, it's like you see commercials and you're like, unless you really know, why wouldn't you believe that. I literally had somebody come and ask me and say, hey, who are you going to vote for? Because you and I are shooting this before the election? Correct, And I said, wow, I don't ever tell anybody who I vote for. And this person said, if you made me a list, I'll just vote the way you vote. And I was like what, and the lady said, I just don't even know. Yeah, I don't know any of this stuff. I don't know these people. I don't know anything about them. I've never met ay these people. I don't know anything about this. And so I wonder how many people just check boxes on the things. Sure, I didn't know anything, they do any research or nothing. They just you know. Yeah, so it's pretty easy to fool the people. Well, did you ever see the movie with Michael Douglas the American President? No? Well, an At Benning, Oh my goodness, you would love this movie. I'm not even kidding. Okay, it's great. But anyway, during this speech, Michael J. Fox back then, you know, he was still able to act in things and anyway, Michael J. Fox was his advisor to Michael Douglas, and he's and he'd get this big speech, and what he was trying to say is he was trying to say to the leader, to his president, hey, please provide some leadership. And the comment that he used is he said, mister president, and he said, people are so desperate for leadership they will crawl through the desert just for a glass of water. And he said they'll drink the sand. And then Michael J. Fox looks back and says, he says, hey, he is. What you don't realize is people drink the sand not because they're thirsty, but because they don't know the difference. Well, and it was just a comment that is exactly like what we're saying now. And he's and he's like, yeah, you're right. I forget the guy's name in the movie, but he says, you're right. He says they'll drink the sand, but not because they're thirsty for real knowledge, they'll drink it just because they have no idea what they're drinking. And it was just it was just this comment that you know, sort of shines light and says, yeah, that's sort of the way it is. Well, that's I mean, think about it, how many thousands of years ago did this take place? And as much as as much as has changed, so much has remained the same, and not much has changed. You just have more technology. We're not any smarter. No, that's right, right, that's right. So I will say this, just to clarify for some of the surprise, I refused to give this person my my voting list, right, I said, hey, go look at some of this material. Right, as I said, here's here's where you can find some answers. But I wouldn't I wouldn't tell. So anyways, here you have David. He's so old he can't even regulate his own body temperature. So he has a nurse maid. He's not it's not an intimacy thing, but he has a nurse maid who helps take care of him Lewis And uh, well, no, her name is Abas Shagg, the. Guy's name in the movie, Michael J. Fox's character of Lewis. I thought you were saying Louis was the nurse maid keeping him warm. Just ki, her name is Abshag. But sorry, yeah, so, and then, uh so, basically that's letting you know he's so old at this point, he can't regulate his own body temperature. He's he's on his last legs. He's about to die, this great warrior. And adam Ija rises up man and he's like, man, I'm going to go get this thing. I'm going to take it. He sees a weak moment in David's life and he decides he's going to do the same thing that Abslom did, but this time he's not going to be able to fight because he doesn't have the strength to do it. But it's interesting to me. There's a couple of quick things. One ada Nija invites the people who agree with him, and he does not invite any feedback from the people who don't. Right. Right, And there's a lot of danger when you and I both know, and most of our listeners know. It's already been brought out on social media that they give you more of what you want. The algorithms give you more of what they know you are. They don't give you hardly any opposing views. The opposing views they give you are the ones you're going to get the maddest about to drive you more towards your opinion already, right, But they don't give. And so what's happening is we start living if we're not careful. We only watch certain news, we only read certain articles, we only pay attention to certain social media. We start isolating ourselves from anybody who's different from us or thinks different from us, and we start to live in this echo chamber that reaffirms every thought and opinion that we have have. And this is what you find an at a night you're doing is he's not listening to the Man of God, Nathan, right, he's not. You know. Alls he got was a soldier. He got a soldier and a couple of priests to come along with him. But he didn't get the most important people in the in the in the kingdom because he didn't want to hear what they wanted, what they were going to say. Yeah, he wanted affirmation for his opinion rather than to find out what's the best thing to do or what's the truth. Right, that's a temptation for us as humans. I had a person on staff on my previous staff that used to say, if you're on staff with a person who's exactly like you, then one of you is irrelevant. That's true. Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's the same thing in friendships. It's the same thing in marriage, right and everything. If you're exactly the same one of you's irrelevant. Yeah, And so we need people with opposing views in our lives. We need people to challenge us. I mean, that's what the Bible says. In fact, even in Corinthians, when it talks about the structure of the church, it says that we're different. Right, the hand needs the foot, and the ear needs the eye, and we're all different members with different functions with the same body. And you know, such as life, we're supposed to live our lives with people around us that have different and opposing views than us. Because when we want to do our selfish things and make our selfish choices and even sinful things that we don't want anybody to challenge us. Imagine if we were only to surround ourselves with people who are just yes men, or you know, people who are not going to say the right things or speak truth and love, Well, that's just a terrible life because then we have no accountability, we have no opportunity to grow, we don't become better people. You have to have people around you that are going to challenge you. And so that's what he's doing here. He's eliminating the people who are going to check him on this, right, the ones are going to say, man, what are you doing? So remember when we talked about it, so you can differentiate between you know, a little bit of self centered narcissism, you know, self inflicted echo chamber bubble that Abiathar decides to live in as or at ny jump sorry, decides to put himself in as opposed to if you look back to David, when David was kind of at his peak, he remember Abner had come gone against him with Absolom, and David had the guts to bring Abner back in right, remember that, and he protected Abner in that moment. So you got Joe ab going what in the. World, right? But David wasn't afraid of different opinions or different people coming from different places. And I think it's one of the things that made David great later on. When you look at some of the other kings, Solomon for instance, being you know, the wisest king ever, Solomon had a very diverse group of people that were advising him. I think that there's some advantage on that only if you are wise. Lots of opinions don't help if you don't have wisdom. And so you know, the Bible says that if anybody lacks wisdom, you have to ask of God, and he gives generously to everybody. Yeah, that will ask. And so I think that we where we get God's wisdom is from his word. So the Holy Spirit is our teacher as Christians. His word tells us what God thinks, it's it gives us his wisdom. And then Solomon also tells us in the Book of Proverbs there's wisdom and a multitude of counselors. And that doesn't mean having twenty five opinions about one idea. I think it's having the right counselors, a group of counselors that can count you in all the counsel you in all the specific areas. You need a really good financial advisor, you need a really good marriage counselor, you need a really good parenting advisor. You need a really good career advisor. You need you know, for me, I need somebody who can do maintenance and construction because I, you know, cut my fingers off when I work on stuff. Right, there's wisdom when you have a group of people around you that can advise you in every area. You know, I just saw You're gonna laugh the Broadway show Newsy's with Jeremy Jordan, and there's a line in there where it says where the lady challenged him as the leader and said, a good leader doesn't have to always come up with the good ideas. He just have to it has to be smart enough to recognize the good idea when he hears it. Yeah, and that is a principle that is like, first of all, it's incredibly insightful, but it's also this exact same thing with the advice that God gives us. What you're saying, godly counsel, surround yourself with godly counsel. And then also if that advice is based on God's word, right, so godly counsel has advice based on God's word. Sometimes advice is practical, yes, it's just it's a human advice, it's human wisdom. But the majority of the time, if we surround ourselves with people with godly counsel, all truth comes from God. That's what the Bible says, All truth comes from God. All if it is true, it comes from God. So therefore chances are it's like that guy. I'm quoting a bunch of movies now, but it's like that guy and my big fact Greek wedding when he goes, give me a word and I tell you where it comes from from the Greek, right, it's all truth. I could you give me a truth and I can tell you where that comes from, because all truth is God's truth, is God's truth, and so godly counsel can give you good advice, but chances are it is connected to what God already says is true, and it's it's the best piece of advice. We are to recognize God's word as the final authority in our lives. And if we're able as as wise people to recognize, oh, that's a Godly truth, then we need people around us to feed us that even when we're not thinking that way. It's good. So there's something to this where you can see the weakness of David's son, and I think it leads to his downfall. So hey, tomorrow, we're going to find out what happens. The rest of this super exciting, So you don't want to miss tomorrow's episode. All right, We'll see you then on the Baba Gus