1

Adonijah was killed by pride

2

[1 kings 2:24-25]

And now, as surely as the LORD lives--he who has established me securely on the throne

of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised--Adonijah shall

be put to death today!"

So King Solomon gave orders to Benaiah son of Jehoiada, and he struck down Adonijah

and he died.

3

Solomon was the King of Israel after David.

After Solomon became king, Israel became stronger and stronger.

4

But there was a man who refused to admit Solomon as king.

He was Adonijah, one of David's sons.

Adonijah was the one who thought in order that he should have been king.

5

When King David was alive, Adonija had a conspiracy to

become a king and was found to fail.

He was a man who had already died because of it, but he could only survive

by begging King Solomon for his life.

6

But Adonijah did not acknowledge the king of Solomon,

whom God had set up, even though he had been through it.

He thought King Solomon had taken his place.

Adonija thought about how he could become king again.

7

One day Adonijah went to Bathsheba, Solomon's biological mother.

Adonija approached and said that he came for a good relationship with Solomon.

8

Adonijah said to Bathsheba: “You know, in fact, I should have been king.

So I expected that I would be king, but God chose Solomon, my brother, to be king.”

9

Adonijah made a request to Bathsheba, emphasizing that the throne was right to be himself. “Please ask King Solomon - he will not refuse you - to give me Abishag the Shunammite

as my wife.”

10

There was a custom in the royal tradition that the king's wife could be the royal concubine

of the deceased king. This request of Adonijah was a clever plot to take the place

of the king again using this royal custom.

11

But Bathsheba thought that if the Adonijah would do this favor,

he would no longer seek the throne of his son Solomon.

“Good. I will speak to the king for you.” Bathsheba did not notice the intention of Adonijah.

12

Bathsheba gave Adonijah's favor to King Solomon.

“There is one small favor, so do not refuse.”

King Solomon answered. “Mother, please tell me. I will not refuse.”

“Ask Abishag the Shunammite to be the wife of Adonijah, the brother of the king.”

13

King Solomon immediately recognized the intention of Adonijah.

Solomon told Bathsheba in a very strong tone.

“Why do you say to Adonijah to give Abishag?

He is my brother, and you tell me to give him the place of the king.”

14

Solomon swore to God on the spot and said:

“May God deal with me, be it ever so severely, if Adonijah does not pay with his life

for this request! And now, as surely as the Lord lives - he who has established me securely

on the throne of my father David and has founded a dynasty for me as he promised - Adonijah shall be put to death today!”

15

King Solomon's throne came from God. Therefore, he had a responsibility to keep the throne God had entrusted to him from unrighteous forces. Solomon commanded Benaiah the father of David, a faithful soldier, saying, “Go now and kill Adonijah, who said this evil thing.”

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Benaiah went to Adonijah in that way. And he killed Adonijah as King Solomon commanded. The end of Adonijah, who was greedy for a throne not permitted by God, was truly miserable.

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We must not fall into arrogance like Adonijah.

No matter how much you want, you must not covet anything that God does not allow.

It should not have an attitude that is against the word of God.

We, as children of God, should always live with humility and respect for what has been

given to us. Whenever a proud heart is born, let us be a person of faith

who remembers the following words and lives humble.

(Pr 16:18) Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

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