Interesting Green: Reflection - King David and Abishag

Source Website: https://mylordkatie.wordpress.com/tag/david/
Posted by My Lord Katie on 10 January 2015

PHOTO: Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.” (1 Kings 1:1-2)
Painting by Pedro Américo - King David and Abishag (1879)
Posted by Arrant Pariah on Tuesday, 15 April 2014 at 7:14 PM
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgew2PvOAhC8CwLZf0aYxOfOit4U-df9NLLnPojrMQ5ntj4eI1Vm7MjiIHyrI0lRL7sPBSzpPsVtXF2W692CfufCUJgE-tZuG4vePfWdZ4PkKeU-3QHTPtZRY0HgzTcf5AuQJ4nV0GrCJ8/s1600/Pedro+Americo-492389.jpg
http://www.fineart-china.com/upload1/file-admin/images/new25/Pedro%20Americo-492389.jpg
http://sexualobjectification.blogspot.sg/2014/04/sexual-objectification-in-art.html

[1] Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms, that my lord the king may be warm.” (1 Kings 1:1-2)

So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king had no sexual relations with her (1 Kings 1:3-4).

PHOTO: Abishag the Shunammite
The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king had no sexual relations with her (1 Kings 1:3-4).
Picture posted by phargo
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkChe6_7pYBg3KBVxv_AeW7GYsRwocJhX4xBW5BIIpF9xzvZ8R07nmgRdyHePwYnmD63cmtWUqA7llDsociKlqdDTtDgGYBaeND9NK38enRTf0usG5xjvRrk-QsekOHjs0PU6frsVP7vY/s1600/f5a38d0257ab06c04ce9f8b3634cae4c8d37.jpg
https://d5w4uv416ie49.cloudfront.net/quip_images/85/94/f5a38d0257ab06c04ce9f8b3634cae4c8d37.jpg
https://quip.io/q/mkn6

[2] The years rolled by and when David was really old and close to death, one of his sons decided not to wait for him to die but to have himself declared king. Adonijah, the son of one of David’s other wives, called together all of his other brothers except Solomon and threw a party. Those who attended celebrated with eating and drinking and exclaiming, “Long live King Adonijah!” (1 Kings 1:25).

PHOTO: Adonijah Declared a Usurper
Adonijah and his followers celebrated with eating and drinking and exclaiming, “Long live King Adonijah!” (1 Kings 1:25).
Picture obtained from Index of /picturesjpeg
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin1-I7YoqUHVm4wz10XUEpSj8__TnEI2ZkXshypXzoIiwk3E8LHE3tyVuHyWf0ZZNRSlQvTpjNk8cU3zd7MbPEoDrAVXJbKxQHUQr_jhPKiHWuRUiPH0u2IBZu2OSqJLNnQ8Lxh5yXRyo/s1600/Adonijah_becomes_king_1124-179.jpg
http://bibleencyclopedia.com/picturesjpeg/Adonijah_becomes_king_1124-179.jpg
http://bibleencyclopedia.com/picturesjpeg/

Nathan the prophet, who was not invited to the party either, went to Bathsheba and told her to hurry to the king before it was too late. David assured Bathsheba that Solomon was his choice (and God’s!) to inherit the throne. David gave orders for Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to anoint Solomon as king and have him sit on David’s throne immediately. The people watched as Solomon was anointed. Trumpets blew and the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!” (1 Kings 1:39).

PHOTO: David gave orders for Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet to anoint Solomon as king and have him sit on David’s throne immediately. The people watched as Solomon was anointed. Trumpets blew and the people proclaimed, “Long live King Solomon!” (1 Kings 1:39).
Picture posted by Æ™Aeragon®
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF2OIHDyhHwPMlP9TlWYxmyYMJKHym_-e8zpJaUwQaGia0ciWn8sqdPReu-pL2aOZQK8XtFjY-12eWjakuaNV-vWby6LuNJqk09aefkb2cEegh7plThq6yViZzu5oVPUSpRxxeNE98Nqo/s1600/solomon_made_king-02.jpg
http://www.aeragon.com/00/itz/06/solomon_made_king-02.jpg
http://www.aeragon.com/itz/06/06-0101-0109-00.html

Adonijah and his followers fled. Solomon showed Adonijah mercy and let him return home. Solomon was safely on the throne now. Adonijah unfortunately would not learn his lesson. He believed that it was his right as the older brother and he thought of a way to usurp Solomon’s rule. In those days, a new ruler would often take the wives of the previous king to prove that he was now the reigning king.

PHOTO: Adonijah, in fear of Solomon, went and took hold of the horns of the altar and pleaded for his life. When Solomon heard about this he said, ‘If Adonijah shows himself to be worthy, not a hair of his head will be harmed; but if evil is found in him, he will die.’
Picture posted by freebibleimages.org
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1hSfwaKT_Lg_XeK0bC3P2nnv-90hFqXKdKE_3Y7oDFDF7mZt3VtvYqYEpo3Fvs36D6vymVmtgNJYig2d6bimYKDE6XtChGqjNxUXXlpMVQ_TCQOfBxC9zmOEsVhuPRMOrXQrPWtOxuwA/s1600/011-solomon-king.jpg
http://media.freebibleimages.org/stories/FB_Solomon_King/overview_images/011-solomon-king.jpg?1436948277
http://www.freebibleimages.org/illustrations/solomon-king/

And so Adonijah approached Bathsheba and asked her to get Solomon to give him David’s concubine, Abishag. Though David had not cohabited with Abishag, she was still considered a concubine. Whether or not Bathsheba knew what Adonijah was really asking, Solomon did. The king sent one of his men to execute Adonijah immediately.

PHOTO: Adonijah petitions Bathsheba to help him get Abishag as his wife
In those days, a new ruler would often take the wives of the previous king to prove that he was now the reigning king.
Picture posted by Bible Study Resource for Women in the Bible
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFGzHFYjKlDns6cSbrnQIC_3n_Xt7258nSCSavTPIZWUD8_IRsKQvtdIlVg5GDYzIlsUsYgfFqCVB-CQ5XLuZ-G190rLOWyMOMBFjmWItJ0jOxKSijI1NmEvF1FO-ygXX39lUnlzAN4TY/s1600/Adonijah-bathseba.jpg
http://www.womeninthebible.net/Adonijah-bathseba.jpg
http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.11.Bathsheba.htm

Either Bathsheba was fooled by Adonijah or perhaps she just had a very tender heart. It is difficult to see why she would even think that Solomon would grant Adonijah’s wicked request. Perhaps she really hoped that Adonijah meant the best. After all, when he greeted her he assured her that he had come “peacefully”. Others have suggested that Bathsheba was wise enough to know that Adonijah had not repented and would always be a threat to Solomon. Perhaps Bathsheba took his request to Solomon so that Solomon would have an excuse to remove this rival and consolidate his throne. I guess we’ll have to wait until we get to Heaven to know for sure, but I believe that Bathsheba was a kind and forgiving woman. She certainly showed that in her relationship with David. She raised her sons the same way.

PHOTO: This is the last we hear of Bathsheba. Her son was secure on the throne and her own position was safe. She could rest on her laurels (be so satisfied with what one has already done or achieved that one makes no further effort).
Painting by Moritz Stifter (Austrian Painter , 1857 -1905 ) - The Rhamazan Bride
Picture posted by Bible Study Resource for Women in the Bible
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhF9oapjb0ofC5kmTFWzuH5SNwJd0cJi4d8mZZ4fDuYccaRlenEH8GclT5wdIASsAshmbOxEkcasKSvyu31Rs56hx9598vppUgPy5_6zK5nZ7nSYf0LaYFhmmj9QQCUN5f7jcrCN0XeLIg/s1600/Bathsh1.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/72/28/a6/7228a6f246f6da2dd08efb16bca36ae3.jpg
http://www.womeninthebible.net/images/Bathsh1.jpg
http://www.womeninthebible.net/1.11.Bathsheba.htm

PHOTO: Judgement and Wisdom of King Solomon
A Wise Ruling (1 kings 3:16-28)
16 Now two prostitutes came to the king and stood before him. 17 One of them said, “Pardon me, my lord. This woman and I live in the same house, and I had a baby while she was there with me. 18 The third day after my child was born, this woman also had a baby. We were alone; there was no one in the house but the two of us.

19 “During the night this woman’s son died because she lay on him. 20 So she got up in the middle of the night and took my son from my side while I your servant was asleep. She put him by her breast and put her dead son by my breast. 21 The next morning, I got up to nurse my son—and he was dead! But when I looked at him closely in the morning light, I saw that it wasn’t the son I had borne.”

22 The other woman said, “No! The living one is my son; the dead one is yours.”

But the first one insisted, “No! The dead one is yours; the living one is mine.” And so they argued before the king.

23 The king said, “This one says, ‘My son is alive and your son is dead,’ while that one says, ‘No! Your son is dead and mine is alive.’”

24 Then the king said, “Bring me a sword.” So they brought a sword for the king. 25 He then gave an order: “Cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.”

26 The woman whose son was alive was deeply moved out of love for her son and said to the king, “Please, my lord, give her the living baby! Don’t kill him!”

But the other said, “Neither I nor you shall have him. Cut him in two!”

27 Then the king gave his ruling: “Give the living baby to the first woman. Do not kill him; she is his mother.”

28 When all Israel heard the verdict the king had given, they held the king in awe, because they saw that he had wisdom from God to administer justice.
Art by Gustave Dore - Judgement of Solomon
Picture is posted by Ancient Bible Truths
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSPlQLbpqZNMskouiyn2ZkzszRnhvuFmlSymRzKIBPQzXtDhY7HZVEQ7-l2m_oQCVlQ88VwwIozrX50xDCaEowUePPdx_kzWHWqpDS3Z4d7k07bujQ5zfD1LldhYtW-tXBPxzJnVLxgAY/s1600/Dore+-+Judgement+of+Solomon.jpg
http://www.ancientbibletruths.com/Resource-980/Dore%20-%20Judgement%20of%20Solomon.jpg
http://www.ancientbibletruths.com/kings1.htm

PHOTO: Prayer for Faith During this Day
"Dear God, I am weak, and sometimes the way grows fearsome; for this world is filled with evil, hiding at every corner, ready to steal my precious joy in You, craving to destroy my soul. Help me to keep my faith today, through every trial and doubt I face. Stay close to me; Holy Spirit, abide in me and make your presence known in everything I see and do. Give me strength the whole day through, mighty God, in the name of Christ I pray, Amen!"
Painting by Pedro Américo - King David and Abishag (1879)
From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository
https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxHvFtfuygwt9fHlX6_92_19eorKmyQaoVXqaIPIebYj1547UmJYmUjjdZE9-zWMe10qu-i_p-P4ZzWe0O9YWD2CKavDfhao_fWXE5cfJMYsymc7hyziG4BnBpWiueJTq8HSBjbrect7M/s1600/Pedro_AM%25C3%25A9rico_1879_Davi_e_Abisag.jpg
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bb/Pedro_AM%C3%A9rico_1879_Davi_e_Abisag.jpg
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Pedro_AM%C3%A9rico_1879_Davi_e_Abisag.jpg

Reflection - King David and Abishag
Posted by My Lord Katie on 10 January 2015

Reference

[1] The Story of Solomon (1), Posted by Daily Prayer , 1 Kings 1:1-9, http://dailyprayer.us/daily_devotion.php?day=1755

[2] Bathsheba, Part 2, posted by My Lord Katie on 10 January 2015, https://mylordkatie.wordpress.com/2015/01/10/bathsheba-part-2/

NIV, New International Version, Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

1 Kings 1:1-2 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+1%3A1-2&version=NIV

1 Kings 1:1-9 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+1%3A1-9&version=NIV

1 Kings 1:3-4 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+1%3A3-4&version=NIV

1 Kings 1:25 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+1%3A25&version=NIV

1 Kings 1:39 - https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Kings+1%3A39&version=NIV