Choosing Sides

Choosing sides can be tricky. You weigh your options, review the line-up and make your best guess.

In 1 Kings chapter 1, King David is old and dying. The time has come for him to pass on the kingdom to his chosen prince. For some reason, it appeared that David was delaying this event (the Bible doesn’t say if he was or was not).

His oldest living son, Adonijah, was the rightful heir to the throne and he couldn’t wait any longer for his father to declare his successor. He also knew that he wasn’t his father’s choice, but the rumors were circulating that Solomon would take over the kingdom.

So Adonijah, with Joab (Davids military commander and one-time friend) and Abiathar the priest plan to take over the kingdom.

Now a choice has to be made. Whose side will you be on? The stakes are high, the losing side will likely face death or imprisonment or banishment.

How do you make your choices? Do you sometimes let impatience drive your choices? Or does pride cause you to make choices too fast? Seeking God for our choices is the best way to ensure that we make the right choice.

When you are faced with tough choices, take the time to pray to God and read His Word. The Bible has everything you need to give you the answers and the Holy Spirit will guide you to a godly answer.

Adonijah, Joab and Abiathar chose pride, position and agenda.

Zadok, Benaiah, Nathan, Shemei and David’s mighty men choose to follow God’s choice, Solomon. Adonijah and his followers ended their campaign for the throne in disaster. Solomon’s followers were not just following him, but they were following God. They experienced the will of God for their lives and this brought tremendous peace and prosperity to their nation.