10 - Bible Commentary | Karuna Sadan

And King David was old and advanced in years; they covered him with [bed]clothes, but he could not get warm.

So his servants [the physicians] said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin, and let her wait on and be useful to the king; let her lie in your bosom, that my lord the king may get warm.

So they sought a fair maiden through all the territory of Israel and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. (1 Kings 1:1-3)

From ancient times, many have wanted to associate this beautiful young woman with the Shulamite addressed in the Song of Solomon (Song of Solomon 6:13 and throughout).

“According to the theory, as she ministered to David, she became romantically involved with his son Solomon and was later the subject of his love poem.”

Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. (1 Kings 1:5)

Adonijah violated a basic principle in the Scriptures – that we should let God exalt us and not exalt ourselves.

For exaltation comes neither from the east

Nor from the west nor from the south.

But God is the Judge: He puts down one,

And exalts another. (Psalm 75:6-7)

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up. (James 4:10)

As the Lord has been with my lord the king, even so may He be with Solomon and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord King David.(1 Kings 1:37)

On a human level, Solomon’s reign was indeed greater than David’s. But on a spiritual, eternal level, it was not.

So Bathsheba went into the chamber to the king. (Now the king was very old, and Abishag the Shunammite was serving the king.) And Bathsheba bowed and did homage to the king. Then the king said, “What is your wish?” (1 Kings 1:15-16)

Though Bathsheba was his wife she did not take his position for granted

So Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, the Cherethites, and the Pelethites went down and had Solomon ride on King David’s mule, and took him to Gihon. 39 Then Zadok the priest took a horn of oil from the tabernacle and anointed Solomon. (1 Kings 1:38-39)

Solomon’s coronation ceremony was held at Gihon springs

This is the same place where we visited in Israel - Hezekiah’s tunnel.

Chapter 1