“Then King David said, ‘Call in Bathsheba.’ So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him. The king then took an oath: ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the Lord, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.’ Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king and said, ‘May my lord King David live forever!’”—1 Kings 1:28–31 (NIV)

It’s a sobering thought: While Adonijah’s feast was roaring with shouts of “Long live King Adonijah!”, the true king had not spoken yet. Hundreds of people were eating, drinking, and celebrating a counterfeit throne. They thought they were on the winning side. They thought they were honoring the future. But in reality, they were aligning themselves against God’s chosen king.

Then David breaks his silence. After being passive, frail, and seemingly irrelevant, he suddenly remembers the Lord who had “delivered (him) out of every trouble.” And in the strength of that remembrance, he takes an oath: Solomon will be king. 

In that moment, everything shifts. Bathsheba bows in relief, worshiping the king whose word secures her son’s future. The throne is not Adonijah’s, no matter how loud the feast. It belongs to the one God has chosen. 

The contrast of the noisy rebellion of Adonijah versus the quiet oath of David should make us stop and think. Because as we’ve seen these last few days, the world is still full of Adonijah’s feasts. False kings are still being celebrated all around us every day. People still gather around counterfeit thrones, raising their glasses to wealth, power, pleasure, or ideology as if those things can rule forever. But their feasts are temporary, because the day is coming when the true King will speak, and His word will overturn every false throne.

The question is: Where will you be found when that day comes? Will you be at the wrong table, chanting the wrong name? Or will you be bowed at the feet of the true King, rejoicing in His promise?

This is where the gospel cuts deep. Like Israel in David’s day, we live in the tension between appearances and reality. Adonijah looks strong. His feast looks real and his throne looks pretty secure. And if we’re being honest, sometimes it’s tempting to join in. 

On the surface, the world’s celebrations look a lot more fun than waiting in faith for God’s promise to be fulfilled. But don’t be fooled! David’s oath reminds us that God’s word always has the final say. Solomon was the rightful heir because the king had sworn it. And we belong to Christ because the Father has sworn it, sealed by the blood of His Son.

Bathsheba’s response gives us a picture of where our hearts should land. She bows low, face to the ground, and worships. She doesn’t stand tall in her own strength. She doesn’t act like she was in control. She humbles herself before the king whose faithfulness has secured her hope. That’s what faith looks like. We bow before the King who has promised that nothing—not sin, not death, not the loud feasts of counterfeit kings—can steal our place in His kingdom.

Friends, this is an important warning for us. We don’t want to be caught worshiping the wrong king when the true King acts. We don’t want our allegiance to be found at Adonijah’s table when Jesus returns to set all things right. 

Revelation 19 paints the picture: the marriage supper of the Lamb, where Christ reigns and His people feast forever. That’s the banquet we were made for. Every other table is just a distraction on the way to ruin. 

David’s oath was frail and temporary, but God’s oath in Christ is eternal. Hebrews 6:18 (NIV) says His promise is secured with an oath so “we who have fled to take hold of the hope set before us may be greatly encouraged.” In other words: You can bank your life on it. Christ is King, His throne is secure, His return is certain . . . and when He speaks, no false king will stand.

So, let’s live now with that end in mind. Let’s not waste our worship on the wrong thrones. Let’s not raise our glasses at the world’s feasts. Let’s bow low like Bathsheba, trusting the King’s promise and rejoicing that our future is secure in Him. Because the day is coming when the true King will rise, speak, and set everything right. And on that day, we’ll want to be found at His feet, not someone else’s table. 

Pause: Whose throne are you tempted to bow to right now? What “Adonijah” in your life is trying to steal your worship?

Practice: This week, take one concrete step of loyalty to Jesus over the world. Maybe it’s saying no to a sin pattern, resisting cultural pressure, or carving out time to bow before Him in prayer and Scripture.

Pray: Lord Jesus, keep me from the counterfeit thrones that clamor for my allegiance. Fix my eyes on You, the true King. May my life be found at Your feet when You return to set all things right. In Jesus’ name, I pray. Amen.