1

Adonijah tried to elevate himself and become king

2

[1 Kings 1:5]

Now Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, put himself forward and said, “I will be king.”

So he got chariots and horses ready, with fifty men to run ahead of him

3

King David was a valiant man who defeated Goliath at a young age in the name of God.

Even after he became king, he was the king who made Israel strong by winning numerous battlefields. However, even such King David could not overcome the time.

4

King David, who was old, was so old that he did not feel warm even if he covered a lot of blankets. However, even then, it was not decided who would succeed King David.

5

Among David's sons, there was a prince who thought he should succeed David and become king. That person was Prince Adonijah, who was strong and handsome.

6

Adonijah usually acted to exalt himself.

From time to time, he told the people that he would succeed David and became king.

To prepare to become king, he carried 50 soldiers to escort him and prepared chariots and horses.

7

David did not say anything about Adonijah's actions.

Adonijah misunderstood as if his father admitted to being king.

Adonijah decided to act in order to become king in earnest.

8

Adonijah gathered people to help him.

Representatively, the people who helped Adonijah were “Joab,”

who was King David's military chief, and “Abiathar,” the priest.

They made plans to make Prince Adonijah king.

9

At last, the appointed day came.

Adonijah slaughtered sheep, cattle, and fat calf and offered sacrifices on a rock called ‘Zoheleth’. Adonijah used sacred sacrifices to announce that he would become king.

10

And he had all the princes gather there. He also invited Judah's leaders and elders.

However, “Nathan”, “Benaiah” and “Solomon” who oppose becoming kings,

did not invite them there.

11

The prophet Nathan was a man who knew that God made Solomon the next king of David.

When he heard that Adonijah wanted to be king, he quickly informed Solomon's mother Bathsheba. The two decided to inform King David about this to prevent Adonijah from becoming king.

12

Bathsheba went to King David and said, “My lord, the king has promised me, in the name of the Lord your God, 'Your son Solomon will succeed me as king.

Solomon will sit on my throne and rule.' But now Adonijah is the king.

How come you don't know what happened?”

Bathsheba told David all that Adonijah was planning to become king.

13

Then Nathan also told King David about what is happening.

King David heard everything Bathsheba and Nathan said and only then knew that a great event had happened. King David immediately took Solomon to the Fountain of Gihon and ordered him to perform the ceremony of making him king.

14

At the king's order, Nathan took Solomon on a mule and took him to the fountain of Gihon.

There, Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed Solomon and made him king over Israel. When they saw Solomon be anointed as king, the people shouted out loud,

"Long live King Solomon.“

15

This sound was heard to the place where Adonijah was gathered to be king.

All those gathered there ran away when they heard that Solomon had become king.

Adonijah, who had just been proud of being a king, realized that his life was also at risk.

16

Adonijah rushed to the tabernacle, grabbed the horns of the altar at the tabernacle,

and begged King Solomon for his life. Adonijah's thoughts,

who tried to exalt himself and become king regardless of God's will, were shattered.

God hates people who exalt themselves and act proudly.

17

Adonijah, brought before King Solomon, fell down to the ground and bowed.

King Solomon forgave Adonijah's fault. That day, Adonijah was sent home without punishment. However, Adonijah, who could not give up his pride,

was later killed in the punishment for another pride.

18

Today, there are times when we also have a feeling of “pride,”

who made Adonijah go the wrong way. We who believe in Jesus and are saved must seek the help of the Holy Spirit so that we can abandon such pride. I hope you will become children of the humble faith that pleases God by relying on Jesus, who practiced humility until death on the cross.

(This is the sample conclusion provided by CTM. Please feel free to change the conclusion to best suit the listeners of your sermon.)