Why did Adonijah seek refuge by grasping the horns of the altar? Setting the Scene • Adonijah, son of David, attempted to seize the throne (1 Kings 1:5-10). • David publicly installed Solomon as king (1 Kings 1:32-40). • “Then Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, got up and went to take hold of the horns of the altar” (1 Kings 1:50). The Horns of the Altar • The bronze altar had a horn at each corner (Exodus 27:2). • Blood for atonement was applied to those horns (Leviticus 4:7; Exodus 29:12). • Horns symbolize strength, salvation, and divine protection (Psalm 18:2; 118:27). Sanctuary Established by God • God provided places of refuge for the innocent who fled from vengeance (Numbers 35:9-15). • Specific mention of altar asylum appears in Exodus 21:12-14. “If anyone schemes and kills his neighbor deliberately, you are to take him away from My altar and put him to death” (Exodus 21:14). • The verse implies that, apart from premeditated murder, one seeking mercy could cling to the altar until judged. Why Adonijah Chose the Altar • Recognized place of divine mercy: the altar represented atonement and forgiveness. • Accepted tradition of asylum: even a treasonous claimant hoped the king would honor the sanctuary principle. • Public confession of guilt and submission: by entering the sacred precincts he admitted Solomon’s legitimate rule. • Desire to delay any hasty execution: grasping the horns forced Solomon to render a measured decision rather than immediate punishment. • Example later repeated by Joab, who also fled to the horns (1 Kings 2:28). Solomon’s Merciful Response “Then Solomon said, ‘If he is a worthy man, not a hair of his head will fall to the ground; but if wickedness is found in him, he will die.’ So King Solomon sent men, and they brought him down from the altar, and Adonijah bowed down before King Solomon, who said, ‘Go to your home’” (1 Kings 1:52-53). • Solomon honored the sanctuary appeal, granting conditional clemency. • When Adonijah later plotted again, mercy ended and justice fell (1 Kings 2:13-25). Spiritual Echoes for Believers • The altar foreshadowed the ultimate refuge provided in Christ, whose blood truly atones (Hebrews 6:18-20). • Just as the altar horns offered temporary safety, the cross offers eternal salvation. • God’s Word records these events with historical precision, underscoring both His justice and His readiness to extend mercy to the repentant. |
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