When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son. – 1 Kings 2:1

Today's Scripture Reading (November 20, 2025): 1 Kings 2

In a royal system where ascension to the throne is determined by family ancestry and birth order, the reality is that most monarchs have known for their entire lives that one day they will become King. It is definitely true for the men who are likely to be the next kings of England. King Charles was four when his mother became queen. But even before his fourth birthday, it had already become clear that his mother (Elizabeth II) would reign, and that meant that, as her eldest male child, he too would have his time on the throne. In the end, the only doubt for Charles was whether he would live long enough to inherit the crown. There is no doubt that Prince William has been groomed to assume the crown of the United Kingdom from birth, including his late mother's insistence when he was a baby that he would never be called "King Billy." Next in line is George, who seems to be quickly becoming a young man — a twelve-year-old who sometimes appears much older, as twelve-year-olds often can. One day, he will, in all likelihood, become George VII, King of the United Kingdom. Monarch is a position for which each of these three men has or will spend a lifetime in preparation. And in all likelihood, none of them will assume the throne at a young age. None of them will have a chance to match the longevity of being the supreme monarch that Elizabeth II enjoyed; Elizabeth spent almost 70 years on the Throne of the United Kingdom.

David ascended the throne when he was about 30 years old. And he reigned for 40 years. He had many sons, and among them were those who believed that one day they too would assume the throne of Israel. But one by one, his sons seemed to disqualify themselves from the position. Finally, the decision was made that it would not be the oldest son who would receive the mantle of leadership from his Father, but rather a younger son, the son of Bathsheba, a young man named Solomon. The news sent shockwaves through the family dynamics, especially among those who believed they should be the next King. By the time that David was ready to die, at least two of his older sons had already preceded him in death: Amnon (the oldest) and Absalom (the third oldest). So, David sends for Solomon to give him some advice, one King to another. Dating this event is somewhat problematic, but this action likely occurred around the time of Adonijah's rebellion (David's fourth-oldest son), as he attempted to seize the throne of his Father. David's charge to Solomon was either the precipitating event that caused Adonijah to rebel and crown himself King, or David crowned Solomon as King in response to Adonijah's rebellion. The real mystery is what Chileab (the second-oldest and heir apparent) was doing throughout all of this. We know very little about David's second son.

However, David had decided to go outside the birth order to crown Solomon as King. And it was not the first time in the biblical narrative that such a thing had happened. God seems to have a way of ignoring what we think is important and moving in a totally different direction. God has a more intimate understanding of the way we have been created and the things that we need to accomplish in life.

The challenge for us is trusting God when events do not go our way. We sometimes have to decide to be faithful through the struggle, saying to God once and for all, "Have Thine own way."

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 37

See also 1 Chronicles 23:1