How does 1 Kings 2:17 connect with the commandment to honor authority? Text in Focus “Please speak to King Solomon, since he will not refuse you. Let him give me Abishag the Shunammite as my wife.” (1 Kings 2:17) Setting the Scene • Adonijah, David’s older son, had already tried to seize Israel’s throne (1 Kings 1). • Solomon is now king by God’s decree through David (1 Kings 1:29-30). • Abishag was David’s attendant and, by custom, part of the royal harem (1 Kings 1:3-4). Claiming a deceased king’s concubine was a veiled claim to the throne (cf. 2 Samuel 16:20-22). • Adonijah sidesteps Solomon’s authority by recruiting Bathsheba to ask for Abishag. Why the Request Was Dishonoring • Disregarded God-ordained authority. Solomon had been publicly anointed king; resisting him was resisting God (Romans 13:1-2). • Violated the spirit of the Fifth Commandment—“Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12)—because: – “Father and mother” represents all divinely established authority structures. – Solomon, as reigning son, embodied the authority David once held. • Manipulated Bathsheba, exploiting maternal affection to undermine the king—an indirect rebellion (Proverbs 6:20; 30:17). • Sought royal privilege without submission, the opposite of honoring leaders (1 Peter 2:17: “Honor the king.”). Connecting to the Command to Honor Authority Honor means: 1. Submission to lawful rule (Ephesians 6:1; Colossians 3:20). 2. Upholding the dignity of leaders with words and actions (Proverbs 24:21; Hebrews 13:17). 3. Trusting God’s placement of authority even when imperfect (Daniel 2:21). Adonijah: • Subverted instead of submitted. • Masked ambition as an innocent request, eroding respect for God’s order. • Ignored Solomon’s God-affirmed kingship, showing contempt comparable to dishonoring parents. Lessons for Today • Honor is active—obeying, supporting, and speaking well of authorities (parents, church elders, civil leaders). • Seeking personal gain at authority’s expense invites discipline, as Adonijah experienced (1 Kings 2:23-25). • God defends the structures He ordains; honoring them brings blessing (Ephesians 6:2-3), dishonoring them brings loss. Takeaway 1 Kings 2:17 illustrates that true honor submits to God’s appointed authority rather than manipulating it for self-advancement. |
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