March 2, 2025 – 1 Kings 1 – 2

Lesson Date: March 2, 2025

Focal Scripture Passage: 1 Kings 1:5-13, 16-21, 28-30, 38-40, 49; 2:1-4, 10, 15-17, 22-25

AIM: To lead students to discover the results of Abiathar’s blind ambition, and to encourage them to humble themselves to God’s will.

 

Before class: Read the notes on 1 Kings 1 – 2 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Write the word “Ambition” on the board or screen.

 

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct everyone’s attention to the word “Ambition” written on the board or screen.  Ask: “What is ambition?” (the desire to get ahead or achieve higher rank or status).  Ask: “Is ambition a bad thing?” (no; the desire to better oneself is the reason America was settled and explored, and the reason people own and operate businesses).

Tell the following to the class:

In June of 2023, a submersible owned and operated by the private company OceanGate violently imploded while carrying tourists to view the wreck of the Titanic.  The accident killed all five people on board, including OceanGate’s CEO, who was piloting the craft.  It was later revealed that the submersible was not certified and was outfitted with off-the-shelf equipment, such as video game controllers used to steer the craft.  Five years before the deadly accident, OceanGate was warned that such practices could lead to a catastrophic result.  In spite of such warnings, they continued carrying passengers two-and-a-half miles down to the ocean floor, charging them $250,000 each.[i]

Tell the class that the desire for profit and the ambition to be viewed as an industry leader caused OceanGate to be careless, and the result of that ambition proved to be deadly.

Tell the students that the title of today’s lesson is Deadly Ambition.  Tell them we will learn about some people whose ambition for power blinded them to God’s plan and purpose.

 

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Important Words; at the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul shared some important words of encouragement, warning, and blessing).
   • Ask: “Have you had an opportunity to encourage, warn, or bless someone this week?”
   • Be sure everyone has a copy of the new Sunday School Member Quarterly.
   • Tell them this quarter we will study the Old Testament book of 1 Kings.
2. Adonijah Plotted to Seize the Throne.
   • Tell the class that King David was very old, feeble, and bed-ridden.
   • Read 1 Kings 1:5-6.
   • Explain that Adonijah was probably David’s oldest living son at the time, born to his wife Haggith (2 Sam. 3:4).
   • Ask: “According to verse 5, what did Adonijah say?” (I will be king).
   • Ask: “What did he do?” (he prepared chariots, horsemen, and fifty men to run before him).
   • Explain the following:
     • These were the trappings of a king, designed to give the appearance of being the king.
     • Adonijah’s older brother Absalom did the exact same things years earlier when he rebelled against David (2 Sam. 15:1).
     • Absalom’s rebellion resulted in his death (2 Samuel 18:14-15).
   • Ask: “What does verse 6 tell us about Adonijah?” (he was undisciplined, handsome, and younger than Absalom).
   • Read 1 Kings 1:7-10.
   • Ask: “What did Adonijah do in verse 7?” (gathered some powerful men to join in his ambitious conspiracy to seize the throne).
   • Explain the following:
     • Joab was Israel’s general and Abiathar was the priest.
     • Verse 8 says that Adonijah did not try to enlist any of David’s trusted inner circle.
   • Ask: “What did Adonijah do in verse 9?” (hosted a big dinner).
   • Tell the students this celebration dinner was what a king would do when he began his reign.
   • Ask: “According to verse 10, who was NOT invited to the dinner?” (King David’s trusted prophet, his top general, his military guards, and his son Solomon).
   • Summarize: Adonijah’s ambition drove him to try to seize the throne of his father David. He made himself look like a king, gathered powerful men in his conspiracy, and hosted a celebration as if he really was the king.
3. Adonijah’s Ambitious Plot was Exposed.
   • Read 1 Kings 1:11.
   • Ask: “What did Nathan ask Bathsheba?” (if she had heard that Adonijah had made himself king without David’s knowledge or approval).
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 1:12-13.
   • Ask: “What did Nathan tell Bathsheba to do?” (go tell David what Adonijah was doing).
   • Ask: “Why do you think he said in verse 12 that this would save their lives?” (because it was common in ancient times for newly crowned kings to execute any family members or others who might try to challenge their right to the throne).
   • Read 1 Kings 1:16-21.
   • Ask: “According to verse 17, what did Bathsheba remind David about?” (that he had sworn to her by the Lord that her son Solomon would reign after him).
   • Ask: “What did she say in verse 20 that Israel was expecting David to do?” (tell them who would be the next king).
   • Tell the class in verses 22-27 Nathan went to David and confirmed everything Bathsheba had told him.
   • Summarize: Bathsheba and Nathan exposed Adonijah’s ambitious plot, telling King David everything he was doing to try to seize the throne.
4. Solomon Was Anointed as King.
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 1:28-30.
   • Ask: “What did David do?” (repeated his previous promise to Bathsheba that Solomon would be the next king, and said he would make Solomon king that very day).
   • Read 1 Kings 1:38-40.
   • Ask: “What did David’s trusted advisors do?” (put Solomon on King David’s own mule, took him to the Gihon Spring, and anointed him as king of Israel).
   • Ask: “According to verse 40, how did the people react?” (they rejoiced and celebrated).
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 1:49.
   • Ask: “What happened when the guests at Adonijah’s celebration dinner learned that David had made Solomon king?” (they were afraid of retribution for supporting Adonijah, so they quickly ran away).
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 2:1-4.
   • Tell the class that David was nearing death.
   • Ask: “What did he tell Solomon in verse 3?” (walk in God’s ways and obey His commands, and God would bless him).
   • Ask: “According to verse 4, how did David know this was true?” (because God had promised him that if his children followed God wholeheartedly then his dynasty would continue).
   • Tell the students that David also warned Solomon about two unfaithful men and urged him to execute them.
   • Ask a volunteer to read 1 Kings 2:10.
   • Ask: “What happened?” (David died and was buried).
   • Summarize: To thwart Adonijah’s ambitious plot to seize the throne, David quickly had Solomon anointed as king. Before David died, he also warned Solomon about two unfaithful men.
5. Rebellious Ambition Resulted in Death.
   • Read 1 Kings 2:15-17.
   • Ask: “What did Adonijah say to Bathsheba in verse 15?” (he had successfully seized the throne and all Israel was ready to follow him as king, before David made Solomon king).
   • Ask: “What did Adonijah ask Bathsheba to request of Solomon?” (to give him one of David’s concubines as his wife).
   • Explain the following:
     • In ancient times, the concubines of a king became the property of the next king.
     • Taking one of the former king’s concubines was tantamount to seizing the throne.
     • Adonijah’s selfish ambition drove him to try another tactic to become king.
   • Tell the class that Bathsheba brought the request to her son, King Solomon.
   • Read 1 Kings 2:22-25.
   • Ask: “What was the result of Adonijah’s selfish ambition?” (Solomon had him executed).
   • Explain the following:
     • Solomon then removed Abiathar from the priesthood (v. 26-27), because he had helped Adonijah in his attempted coup.
     • Following David’s deathbed advice, Solomon executed Joab (v. 28-34), who also helped Adonijah in his failed coup.
     • Also following David’s deathbed advice, Solomon executed Shimei (v. 36-46), who had rebelled against and cursed David.
     • After these things were done, “the kingdom was established in the hand of Solomon” (1 Kings 2:46).
   • Summarize: Adonijah’s selfish ambition ultimately led to his death. Those whose ambition drove them to aid in his failed coup also paid dearly for it.

 

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Direct everyone’s attention once again to the word “Ambition” written on the board or screen.  Remind them that the ambitious desire to get ahead and better ourselves is a good thing, but when ambition becomes so self-centered that the person doesn’t care who they hurt or if they disobey God, it can be deadly.

Remind the class that the title of today’s lesson is Deadly Ambition.  Remind them that Adonijah’s selfish ambition and lust for power drove him to hurt others and disregard God’s plans.  Ask: “What ultimately happened to Adonijah?” (he was brutally and unceremoniously executed).  Remind the students that those who helped Adonijah try to seize the throne also suffered for it.

Tell the class that this type of deadly ambition stems from discontent with God’s will.  Tell them that Adonijah wasn’t satisfied with his lot in life and thought he deserved to be king, so he tried to steal the throne from Solomon.

Ask: “Are we ever dissatisfied or jealous of others?” (yes).

Tell the students that the answer to dissatisfaction and jealousy is found in 1 Peter 5:6, which says, “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time.”  Stress the fact that humbling ourselves under God’s hand and submitting ourselves to God’s will is the only way to have victory over dissatisfaction and jealousy.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Ask: “Are you dissatisfied with where God has you right now?  Are you jealous of others who seem to have it ‘better’ than you?”  Tell them to confess their sin of discontent and jealousy, and to humble themselves under God’s mighty hand.  Allow a moment for silent prayer and then voice a prayer of confession and submission.

 

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to memorize 1 Peter 5:6 and recite it whenever they’re tempted to rebel against God’s will for their life.  Tell them to follow the Daily Bible Reading Guide in their quarterly.

 

 

[i] https://www.reuters.com/world/after-titanic-sub-disaster-industry-faces-scrutiny-2023-06-23/