1 Kings 2:13-46 – Choosing a Kingdom

Introduction:

Having any other king but the God-given King Christ is the heart of sin.  In our day and age we don’t have real kings any more so this notion might fall on deaf ears.  But the portion before us reminds us that there are many things that we serve as kings that are not necessarily flesh and blood.  We are looking at the succession of Solomon to the throne.  David has just died, and David’s closing words to Solomon were about dealing with those subversive elements which were challenges to his reign.  The portion before us records four men who chose their own kingdoms over God’s, their own king instead of God’s.  In this portion we want to focus on the three main characters mentioned who chose an idol of their own hearts over the king they ought to have served.  This portion is not merely a look into some bloody Ancient Near Eastern politics, we see the choices men and women make and what they choose in the place of Christ.

First up we want to look at Adonijah who chooses the idol of power and sex over submitting to the king.  Secondly, we want to view Joab’s choices for power in the place of God’s choice, and finally we want to look at Shimei who chooses the prosperity and security of his own house rather than submitting to the king.  Money, sex and power are among the choices these men made.