The Complications of Neglect
(I Kings 1)
Reception Grade (how my people responded; alertness, compliments, relevance, etc.): A+
1. One of the lowest feelings in life is when we create problems for other people.
2. Back when I was in college…ECAP…Jim typed up key punch cards….one computer for entire college…..was supposed to ask for values in increments of 1,000…instead asked for values in increments of 1…tied up the computer for 20 hours (massive paper)
3. Sometimes we create problems for others unintentionally, as above; other times we do so intentionally; but sometimes we do so by default, by neglect.
4. Such was the case of King David.
5. Today we are beginning a series about the life of King Solomon. based mostly in I Kings. But, since David was Solomon’s father, David’s behavior affected Solomon.
6. As we pick up with King David, he is an old man. Goliath, when a youth; Saul’s military hero….rival….King of Judah, then all Israel…David and Bathsheba…son dies…Solomon born later….revolt of Absalom….a great plague….
7. So let’s look in on David as an elderly man who is more or less bed ridden…
I. David’s Inaction Created PROBLEMS for Others (1-10)
A. He was PERSONALLY selfish
1. He grasped the reigns of power when he should have retired
2. He selfishly ruined a young woman’s life
B. He was relationally NEGLIGENT
1. David was a passive father, evidenced by how he never corrected his son, Adonijah (6)
--He had not learned from the incident with Ammon, Tamar, and Absalom
2. Because he waited too long, Adonijah exploited the situation by attempting to seize power (7—10), thus polarizing David’s cabinet
3. Adonijah held a public event, declaring himself king, and offering sacrifices
C. Some of David’s strongest leaders allied themselves with Adonijah because they had waited long enough
1. Joab, David’s general; David was scared of Joab and David would not cross him
--- Adonijah declared himself king at the advice of Joab; Joab could control Adonijah as he did David, but he probably knew he could not control the assertive Solomon…
2. Abiathar, the leading priest
3. Adonijah invited all the leading families and his many brothers except for Solomon and those close to Solomon: Bathesheba, his mother; Nathan, the prophet, and Zadok, the second highest priest
II. Others Had to Force David to Take INITIATIVE (11-53)
A. Nathan, the godly prophet, caught wind of what was happening
B. He schemed with Bathsheba, Solomon’s mother; they would enter David’s chamber a few minutes apart (11-14)
C. Bathsheba informs David of what Adonijah as done and rehearses the promise David had made, namely, that Solomon would be heir to the throne (15-21)
Note verse 20 and Bathsheba’s urging…
This was in accord with Nathan’s prophecy was Solomon was born in 2 Samuel 12:24ff
D. Then Nathan comes in and asks the king if he changed his mind and wanted Adnonijah to become king (22-27)
E. David takes Action (28-53)
1. oath
2. Zadok, Nathan, Elite guard, anoint with oil from sacred tent, blow shofar, ride on my mule, sit on my throne, and shout, "Long Live King Solomon!"
3. People followed, played flutes and rejoiced…
F. Word gets to Adonijah that David is being congratulated on Solomon’s ascension to the throne….Adonijah flees to the altar….allowed to live only if he behaves himself faithfully….
• he bows down to Solomon and is allowed to live
• after David died, Adonijah started to plot to get the throne and Solomon nips it in the bud and has him killed….
• David advised Solomon to put to death most of those who sided with Adonijah, as well as people he feared or had a grudge against
MAIN IDEA: Although doing nothing can sometimes be the best choice, more often people do nothing, not out of choice, but out of fear, neglect, or procrastination; as a result, others needlessly suffer.
III. Let’s Consider How This Mess Could Have Been Avoided Had David Been RESPONSIBLE
What should David have done?
1. Announced earlier that Solomon was the heir to the throne.
2. Had a transfer of power while David was still able to walk and get out
3. Been there as Solomon’s advisor for a year or two
4. This would have spared Adonijah’s life and the lives of all those who sided with Adonijah
IV. Let’s Consider How Our Passivity Works Against Us
A. When do we tend to be passive?
1. When we consider something UNIMPORTANT
• parents do not teach their children manners or do not screen what they watch…
• individuals who do not save for a rainy day; never get round to it
2. When we are UNSURE what to do or feel INADEQUATE
• fail to confront a problem
• sometimes we have to take our best shot
• we let others abuse or exploit us
3. When the issue seems BORING or DISTASTEFUL
• many of us have closets that need to be cleaned out, but it the price tag of boredom or decision making is too high
• if the consequences are minimal, evasion is not always wrong…
• in Feb. or 2003, for the first time ever, I had a slow month in ministry…had files that needed to be organized, closets I needed to clean….hated it…so what if they are unorganized or cluttered?
4. When we are AFRAID: fear of failure, success, stress, or change
• Sometimes we are in denial or refuse the face the realities of the human condition
• We afraid of giving our kids a negative attitude, so we look the other way when we should be disciplining
• We are afraid to start an argument, so we do not address an issue that is creating a wedge between our spouses and us…
5. When are priorities are misplaced and other things DRAIN our energies
• We are afraid of opening a can of worms in light of our full plates…
B. Although sometimes passivity is the right response, we need to consider what is really IMPORTANT and be controlled by conviction and reason, not fear…
C. The question to ask: what are the potential consequences? If I forget to take out the trash, is it the end of the world? If I forget our wedding anniversary…IMPACT ON OTHERS IS CRUCIAL…
Years later, Solomon wrote: “Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap…” (Eccl. 11:4).
Although doing nothing can sometimes be the best choice, more often people do nothing, not out of choice, but out of fear, neglect, or procrastination; as a result, others needlessly suffer.
Accepting what we cannot change is a good mentality, but passivity is no approach to life.
Some years ago a former American astronaut took over as head of a major airline, determined to make the airline’s service the best in the industry. One day, as the new president walked through a particular department, he saw an employee resting his feet on a desk while the telephone on the desk rang incessantly. “Aren’t you going to answer that phone?” the boss demanded.
“This isn’t my department,” answered the employee nonchalantly, apparently not recognizing his new boss. “I work in maintenance.”
“Not anymore you don’t!” snapped the president.
Today in the Word, MBI, December, 1989, p. 35
