1 Kings 1:9-14: a reflection

9Adonijah killed sheep, cattle, and fatlings by the stone of Zoheleth, which is beside En Rogel; and he called all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of Judah, the king’s servants; 10but he didn’t call Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah, and the mighty men, and Solomon his brother. 11Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Haven’t you heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith reigns, and David our lord doesn’t know it? 12Now therefore come, please let me give you counsel, that you may save your own life and your son Solomon’s life. 13Go in to King David, and tell him, ‘Didn’t you, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Assuredly Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then does Adonijah reign?’ 14Behold, while you are still talking there with the king, I will also come in after you and confirm your words.”

When Adonijah moves to seize the throne that God had promised to Solomon, the prophet Nathan does not stand by and let the wrong prevail; he acts, and acts in time. He goes to Bathsheba with counsel and a plan, coordinating with her to go to the aged King David and secure the throne for Solomon before Adonijah's move can succeed. Nathan saw the danger, and rather than waiting until it was too late, he intervened wisely and promptly, acting in time to prevent the wrong from prevailing. His timely, wise action secured what was right before the wrong could take hold.

Notice Nathan's timely, wise intervention. He did not assume God's promise would fulfill itself while he did nothing, nor did he wait until Adonijah's usurpation was accomplished; he saw the danger and acted, and acted in time, coordinating a wise plan to secure the throne for Solomon before it was too late. His action was both wise and timely: wise in its planning, timely in its promptness, intervening before the wrong could prevail. To have waited would have let Adonijah's move succeed; but Nathan acted in time, and the wrong was prevented. There is a place for timely, wise action to prevent wrong from taking hold, for stepping in before it is too late rather than waiting passively. Nathan's prompt wisdom secured what was right.

That is worth taking to heart, for there is a place for timely, wise action to prevent wrong from prevailing, rather than waiting until it is too late. We can wait passively when a wrong is about to prevail, assuming things will work out, or hesitating until the moment has passed; but Nathan acted wisely and in time to prevent Adonijah's usurpation, securing what was right before it was too late. There is a place for prompt, wise intervention. When a wrong is about to prevail and timely action could prevent it, do not wait passively until it is too late; act wisely and in time, as Nathan intervened to secure Solomon's throne. Act wisely and in time to prevent wrong from prevailing, rather than waiting passively until it is too late, as Nathan intervened promptly to secure the throne for Solomon before Adonijah's move could succeed; for there is a place for timely, wise action, and hesitating until the moment has passed can let a wrong take hold that prompt intervention would have prevented.

Lord, when Adonijah moves to seize the throne that you had promised to Solomon, the prophet Nathan does not stand by and let the wrong prevail; he acts, and acts in time. He goes to Bathsheba with counsel and a plan, coordinating with her to go to the aged King David and secure the throne for Solomon before Adonijah's move can succeed. Nathan saw the danger, and rather than waiting until it was too late, he intervened wisely and promptly. Show me Nathan's timely, wise intervention. He did not assume your promise would fulfill itself while he did nothing, nor did he wait until Adonijah's usurpation was accomplished; he saw the danger and acted, and acted in time. His action was both wise and timely: wise in its planning, timely in its promptness, intervening before the wrong could prevail. To have waited would have let Adonijah's move succeed; but Nathan acted in time, and the wrong was prevented. There is a place for timely, wise action to prevent wrong from taking hold. Take that to my heart, for there is a place for timely, wise action to prevent wrong from prevailing, rather than waiting until it is too late. I can wait passively when a wrong is about to prevail, assuming things will work out, or hesitating until the moment has passed; but Nathan acted wisely and in time. When a wrong is about to prevail and timely action could prevent it, keep me from waiting passively until it is too late; help me act wisely and in time, Lord, as Nathan intervened to secure Solomon's throne before Adonijah's move could succeed.