Stolen Valor and Stolen Thrones: Adonijah’s Ambition
Stolen valor is a serious offense. This is when people claim to have served in a military office that they did not actually fill. It is vile to those of us who admire and respect the sacrifices of those who risk their lives in service to their country.
That is what came to mind as I was reading about King Solomon’s ascent to the throne.
As the final days of David’s life were in progress, Adonijah saw an opportunity. In the apparent power vacuum, there was a chance to gather enough people together and see if he could steal the throne—even though it was not his to take. His goal was to take advantage of the compromised position of having a living King David who could not do much due to failing health. To gather all the right people and declare himself king seemed like a legitimate plan to Adonijah (1 Kings 1:5–10).
A Shaky History of Succession
To be fair to Adonijah, we have to note that the monarchy in Israel was still very new. Until King Saul, the Lord had ruled over His chosen people by raising up judges to be leaders when needed (Judges 2:16–19). Outside of those times, the people were to be ruled directly by the Lord, living according to the Law of Moses.
First Samuel tells the story of how the people demanded a king (1 Samuel 8:4–7). Interestingly, the Law of Moses had already allowed for this office, anticipating that kingship would one day be filled by God’s chosen representative in God’s timing (Deuteronomy 17:14–20). The ultimate Person who would fulfill that role was (and is) the Messiah.
But in Israel’s early history, this meant there was a shaky and turbulent pattern of royal succession. Saul lost the throne because he disobeyed the Lord (1 Samuel 15:22–28). David was then anointed as king, but did not fulfill that office for decades while Saul’s reign wound down—ending only when the Lord brought it to an end in His time (1 Samuel 16:12–13; 1 Samuel 31:4–6).
This was a wild transition of power when we think about it in modern terms. Saul still had power, allies, and the loyalty of many, and he refused to submit to the Lord and give up the position to David (1 Samuel 18:8–11; 1 Samuel 24:1–7). What’s more, plenty of people remained allied with Saul’s household and invested in keeping his house in power. Samuel accounts for this shift of power and the ultimate triumph of David as king over Israel.
The Lord even went so far as to make a covenant with David—promising that David’s line would be the line of all future legitimate kings of Israel, and ultimately of the Messiah (2 Samuel 7:12–16). That, however, still didn’t give a clear picture of exactly how succession should continue from king to king.
Absalom’s Warning—and Adonijah’s Gamble
Absalom made things far more complicated by leading a rebellion against his father David. It was very successful for a time, but ended in Absalom’s death (2 Samuel 15:10–14; 2 Samuel 18:9–15). His rebellion served as a warning to anyone in David’s line who might be tempted to seize the throne by cunning.
So how would succession be decided?
David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), and he had already decided—privately—that Solomon would reign after him (1 Kings 1:11–13). Yet that did not stop Adonijah from taking his shot.
In the end, Adonijah’s scheming did not have the result he wanted. The people who were part of David’s administration answered in force, and the transition of power occurred at the public coronation of Solomon—with all the right people present—in a way that honored the Lord and His great plan for Israel and the line of David (1 Kings 1:32–40).
Mercy Given… and Squandered
Amazingly, Adonijah got a pass.
First Kings describes how he humbled himself before Solomon and saved his own life by recognizing Solomon as king (1 Kings 1:50–53). Even then, he could not leave his scheming alone.
After the death of David, Adonijah made a seemingly innocent request: he wanted to take Abishag as a wife (1 Kings 2:13–17). But Solomon saw through it immediately. In that culture and context, this was not a harmless request—it was a political move, an attempt to position himself again for the throne (1 Kings 2:22). And with that final ploy, Adonijah’s ambitions came to their proper end: execution (1 Kings 2:24–25).
Such ends the ambition of the unrighteous Adonijah.
Lessons from a Stolen Throne
This account illustrates some important principles in life.
Adonijah was part of the royal family and certainly had power and influence in Israel—yet he wanted the throne. There is no indication that he sought the Lord’s will in the matter. In fact, the evidence suggests he knew he was defying the will of God: he deliberately excluded the priest Zadok, Benaiah, and Nathan the prophet (1 Kings 1:8–10). He did not care. He wanted more.
And that obsession brought about his death.
Many have fallen into this same trap: wanting to take over businesses, families, nations, and churches based purely on ambition. But the Lord offers a better way to think about power and authority.
The thought that we should have authority—or fight for what we want—seems to lay down a clear pattern: those who pursue power and authority are often those least qualified to have it. Scripture repeatedly warns about selfish ambition (Proverbs 16:18; James 3:14–16), and Christ Himself defines greatness in the opposite direction: not seizing power, but serving (Mark 10:42–45).
Perhaps instead of fighting for what we want, we would find ourselves doing more for the Lord by serving faithfully where we are.
The story of Adonijah could have been an amazing one—where he strengthened and supported the Lord’s chosen king. Instead, Adonijah stands as a cautionary tale: a warning against seeking our own glory rather than God’s glory (Jeremiah 9:23–24; 1 Corinthians 10:31).
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