P J F Ministries Inc

Words of Life Daily Devotion
April 5, 2024
“Forbidden Fruit”

Now Adonijah, the son of Haggith, went to Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother. Bathsheba asked him, “Do you come peacefully?” He answered, “Yes, peacefully.” Then he added, “I have something to say to you.” “You may say it,” she replied. “As you know,” he said, “the kingdom was mine. All Israel looked to me as their king. But things changed, and the kingdom has gone to my brother; for it has come to him from the Lord. Now I have one request to make of you. Do not refuse me.” “You may make it,” she said. So he continued, “Please ask King Solomon—he will not refuse you—to give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” “Very well,” Bathsheba replied, “I will speak to the king for you.” When Bathsheba went to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah, the king stood up to meet her, bowed down to her and sat down on his throne. He had a throne brought for the king’s mother, and she sat down at his right hand. “I have one small request to make of you,” she said. “Do not refuse me.” The king replied, “Make it, my mother; I will not refuse you.” So she said, “Let Abishag the Shunammite be given in marriage to your brother Adonijah.” (1 Kings 2:13-21, NIV)

There have always been different rules for family than anyone else. And mothers always get special privileges, just look at Mary the mother of Jesus (turning water into wine, special access, delegating John to see after her while hanging on the cross). So it made sense that Adonijah would seek out Bathsheba to make his special request. But Soloman, like his mother, recognized that what Adonijah asked was outrageous. Abishag was a member of David’s harem, one of his pseudo wives. After a king died his harem passed to the new king even though they would remain celibate for the rest of their life. And taking a wife of a departed king was a way to make legitimate the claim to the throng. Bathsheba’s cunning was on full display, she understood that Adonijah was making another attempted a coup. But because he claimed to have come in peace Bathsheba understood it was not her place to antagonize him. Even though Bathsheba kept her promise I imagine she did not conceal skepticism of his intention. And by his words it was clear that Adonijah was dilutional about his chances of taking to throne. His co-conspirators were few and quickly deserted when David played his hand. Making an unreasonable request to someone just because they might be a sympathetic ear does not entitle you to that which you do not deserve. This is a powerful message increasingly loss among Christians as we continue to seek for forbidden fruit.

, , , , ,