Nathan was the prophet God had sent to confront King David when he committed\u00a0 adultery with Bathsheba. And here, years later, at a very critical time for the nation of Israel, Nathan was again called into service by the Lord. David was approaching the end of his life, and his son, Adonijah, jumped at the opportunity to claim the throne for himself.<\/p>\n
But it was David\u2019s second son with Bathesheba, Solomon, who was to reign after David. So the prophet Nathan acted quickly, directing Bathsheba to go to David and tell him that Adonijah had proclaimed himself king. Nathan then followed her and confirmed her words to David. Nathan was careful to warn Bathsheba of her own peril. In the ancient mid-east, potential claimants to the throne and their families were put to death.<\/p>\n
This was a strange twist in the road of life for this prophet. Nathan was sent to the same woman he had confronted David about, but this time to save her and her son Solomon. This man of God, who had brought a message of judgment, now brought mercy and grace. Nathan had correctly foretold that because of David’s sin, “the sword [would] never depart from” his family, but here God sent Nathan to soften the blow of that very prophecy. Under the blessing of God, David and Bathsheba’s son, Solomon, would reign as Israel’s king. The God of justice is the very same God of blessing. How we need to stay close to the Lord as we travel through this journey called life.<\/p>\n
“LORD, please give us mercy, forgiveness, and grace this day.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n =============================================================<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 Kings 1 KJV<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1<\/sup>\u00a0Now king David was old\u00a0and\u00a0<\/em>stricken in years; and they covered him with clothes, but he gat no heat.\u00a0\u00a02<\/sup>\u00a0Wherefore his servants said unto him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin: and let her stand before the king, and let her cherish him, and let her lie in thy bosom, that my lord the king may get heat.\u00a03<\/sup>\u00a0So they sought for a fair damsel throughout all the coasts of Israel, and found Abishag a Shunammite, and brought her to the king.\u00a04<\/sup>\u00a0And the damsel\u00a0was\u00a0<\/em>very fair, and cherished the king, and ministered to him: but the king knew her not. 5<\/sup> Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, I will be king: and he prepared him chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him.\u00a0\u00a06<\/sup>\u00a0And his father had not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so? and he also\u00a0was a\u00a0<\/em>very goodly\u00a0man;\u00a0<\/em>and\u00a0his mother\u00a0<\/em>bare him after Absalom.\u00a0\u00a07<\/sup>\u00a0And he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah, and with Abiathar the priest: and they following Adonijah helped\u00a0him\u00a0<\/em>.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a08<\/sup>\u00a0But Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and Nathan the prophet, and Shimei, and Rei, and the mighty men which\u00a0belonged\u00a0<\/em>to David, were not with Adonijah.\u00a09<\/sup>\u00a0And Adonijah slew sheep and oxen and fat cattle by the stone of Zoheleth, which\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>by En-rogel, and called all his brethren the king\u2019s sons, and all the men of Judah the king\u2019s servants:\u00a010<\/sup>\u00a0But Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother, he called not. 11<\/sup> Wherefore Nathan spake unto Bath-sheba the mother of Solomon, saying, Hast thou not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith doth reign, and David our lord knoweth\u00a0it<\/em>not?\u00a012<\/sup>\u00a0Now therefore come, let me, I pray thee, give thee counsel, that thou mayest save thine own life, and the life of thy son Solomon.\u00a013<\/sup>\u00a0Go and get thee in unto king David, and say unto him, Didst not thou, my lord, O king, swear unto thine handmaid, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne? why then doth Adonijah reign?\u00a014<\/sup>\u00a0Behold, while thou yet talkest there with the king, I also will come in after thee, and confirm thy words.\u00a015<\/sup> And Bath-sheba went in unto the king into the chamber: and the king was very old; and Abishag the Shunammite ministered unto the king.\u00a016<\/sup>\u00a0And Bath-sheba bowed, and did obeisance unto the king. And the king said, What wouldest thou?\u00a0\u00a017<\/sup>\u00a0And she said unto him, My lord, thou swarest by the\u00a0LORD\u00a0thy God unto thine handmaid,\u00a0saying\u00a0<\/em>, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne.\u00a018<\/sup>\u00a0And now, behold, Adonijah reigneth; and now, my lord the king, thou knowest\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>not:\u00a019<\/sup>And he hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the sons of the king, and Abiathar the priest, and Joab the captain of the host: but Solomon thy servant hath he not called.\u00a020<\/sup>\u00a0And thou, my lord, O king, the eyes of all Israel\u00a0are\u00a0<\/em>upon thee, that thou shouldest tell them who shall sit on the throne of my lord the king after him.\u00a021<\/sup>\u00a0Otherwise it shall come to pass, when my lord the king shall sleep with his fathers, that I and my son Solomon shall be counted offenders.\u00a022<\/sup>\u00a0And, lo, while she yet talked with the king, Nathan the prophet also came in.\u00a023<\/sup>\u00a0And they told the king, saying, Behold Nathan the prophet. And when he was come in before the king, he bowed himself before the king with his face to the ground.\u00a024<\/sup>\u00a0And Nathan said, My lord, O king, hast thou said, Adonijah shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne?\u00a025<\/sup>\u00a0For he is gone down this day, and hath slain oxen and fat cattle and sheep in abundance, and hath called all the king\u2019s sons, and the captains of the host, and Abiathar the priest; and, behold, they eat and drink before him, and say, God save king Adonijah.\u00a0\u00a026<\/sup>\u00a0But me,\u00a0even\u00a0<\/em>me thy servant, and Zadok the priest, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and thy servant Solomon, hath he not called.\u00a027<\/sup>\u00a0Is this thing done by my lord the king, and thou hast not shewed\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>unto thy servant, who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him? 28<\/sup>\u00a0Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king\u2019s presence, and stood before the king.\u00a0\u00a029<\/sup>\u00a0And the king sware, and said,\u00a0As\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0LORD\u00a0liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,\u00a030<\/sup>\u00a0Even as I sware unto thee by the\u00a0LORD\u00a0God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.\u00a031<\/sup>\u00a0Then Bath-sheba bowed with\u00a0her<\/em>face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my lord king David live for ever. 32<\/sup> And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.\u00a033<\/sup>\u00a0The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon:\u00a0\u00a034<\/sup>\u00a0And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel: and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.\u00a035<\/sup>\u00a0Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead: and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.\u00a036<\/sup>\u00a0And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen: the\u00a0LORD\u00a0God of my lord the king say so\u00a0too\u00a0<\/em>.\u00a037<\/sup>\u00a0As the\u00a0LORD\u00a0hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.\u00a038<\/sup>\u00a0So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David\u2019s mule, and brought him to Gihon.\u00a039<\/sup>\u00a0And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.\u00a040<\/sup>And all the people came up after him, and the people piped with pipes, and rejoiced with great joy, so that the earth rent with the sound of them.\u00a041<\/sup>\u00a0And Adonijah and all the guests that\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>with him heard\u00a0it\u00a0<\/em>as they had made an end of eating. And when Joab heard the sound of the trumpet, he said, Wherefore\u00a0is this<\/em>noise of the city being in an uproar?\u00a042<\/sup>\u00a0And while he yet spake, behold, Jonathan the son of Abiathar the priest came: and Adonijah said unto him, Come in; for thou\u00a0art\u00a0<\/em>a valiant man, and bringest good tidings.\u00a043<\/sup>\u00a0And Jonathan answered and said to Adonijah, Verily our lord king David hath made Solomon king.\u00a044<\/sup>\u00a0And the king hath sent with him Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, and they have caused him to ride upon the king\u2019s mule:\u00a045<\/sup>\u00a0And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet have anointed him king in Gihon: and they are come up from thence rejoicing, so that the city rang again. This\u00a0is\u00a0<\/em>the noise that ye have heard.\u00a046<\/sup>\u00a0And also Solomon sitteth on the throne of the kingdom.\u00a047<\/sup>And moreover the king\u2019s servants came to bless our lord king David, saying, God make the name of Solomon better than thy name, and make his throne greater than thy throne. And the king bowed himself upon the bed.\u00a048<\/sup>\u00a0And also thus said the king, Blessed\u00a0be\u00a0<\/em>the\u00a0LORD\u00a0God of Israel, which hath given\u00a0one\u00a0<\/em>to sit on my throne this day, mine eyes even seeing\u00a0it<\/em>.\u00a049<\/sup>\u00a0And all the guests that\u00a0were\u00a0<\/em>with Adonijah were afraid, and rose up, and went every man his way. 50<\/sup> And Adonijah feared because of Solomon, and arose, and went, and caught hold on the horns of the altar.\u00a051<\/sup>\u00a0And it was told Solomon, saying, Behold, Adonijah feareth king Solomon: for, lo, he hath caught hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear unto me to day that he will not slay his servant with the sword.\u00a052<\/sup>\u00a0And Solomon said, If he will shew himself a worthy man, there shall not an hair of him fall to the earth: but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die.\u00a053<\/sup>\u00a0So king Solomon sent, and they brought him down from the altar. And he came and bowed himself to king Solomon: and Solomon said unto him, Go to thine house.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Nathan was the prophet God had sent to confront King David when he committed\u00a0 adultery with Bathsheba. And here, years later, at a very critical time for the nation of Israel, Nathan was again called into service by the Lord. David was approaching the end of his life, and his son, Adonijah, jumped at the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_s2mail":"yes","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6685"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6685"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6685\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":16228,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6685\/revisions\/16228"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6685"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6685"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/packinghouseredlands.org\/devotional\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6685"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}