About that time David’s son Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith, began boasting, “I will make myself king.” So he provided himself with chariots and charioteers and recruited fifty men to run in front of him. Now his father, King David, had never disciplined him at any time, even by asking, “Why are you doing that?” Adonijah had been born next after Absalom, and he was very handsome. (1 Kings 1:5-6)King David was always beset with family troubles. First Absalom, his son, took the kingdom from David and David had to run. Finally, Absalom was killed and it was all over.
The David became an old man and his next son decided that, since he was oldest, he would be king. But David was going to make Solomon, son of Bathsheba, the king of Israel.
Adonijah was a spoiled brat. The scripture above says that David had never told him no. He had never disciplined him, never even questioned him when he was doing something.
It is no wonder he decided he was king. He figured that whatever he wanted was automatically the will of everybody, he was the center of the universe, a special and unique little snowflake.
It was somewhat logical that he would be king. He was oldest. And it was somewhat logical that he would think so. But he just decided on his own that he would be.
He had always decided on his own to do things and no one would ever tell him no because, after all, he was the king’s son.
David was a man of the people. He had been a shepherd, he had been a warrior. Everybody like him because he was a prefect example of a commoner coming into kingship. The Israelites could relate to him because they understood him.
Unfortunately, his kids were spoiled rich kids. They had always had their own way and there was no one to stop them. So a lot of them died violent deaths that were their own fault.
In America today, we see this same thing. Men from an ordinary background will work hard for what they have and gain a fortune by extreme talent or hard work. Then their daughters will be the recipients of all this wealth.
Unfortunately, their daughters have been brought up in extreme wealth and are not worth much character-wise. They have been given everything and denied nothing.
The train wrecks that are their lives are evident. And they are sad.
The parents are to blame and at the same time, are not to blame. They were raised in ordinary circumstances and understand what it is like to be without. Their kids haven’t. The parents want their children to have the best and not have the deprivations they had as kids, and that is understandable.
They give these kids things because they love them. But it is their love that is killing the kids.
David’s love for Adonijah ended up with Adonijah’s death. He was so used to getting his own way that he ended up dying for it.
The word says, in Proverbs 13:24: Those who spare the rod of discipline hate their children. Those who love their children care enough to discipline them.
If you love your children, you will tell them no, or they will suffer for it.
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