Chapter 1

First verse:

1 Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. [1Ki 1:1 ESV]

Just like Dad.  No amount of warm clothes could get him warm.

For David, they got a beautiful young woman to sleep in his "bosom", and so keep him warm.  And he knew her not.  It was just about body heat.

Adonijah, the next oldest son after Absalom and the fourth son born to David in Hebron, decides that he should be king instead of Solomon.  Adonijah's actions had never been questioned by David.  I believe the implication is that he'd always gotten his way, and it never occurred to him to consider his actions.  There is a lesson here in not correcting your children.  Even King's sons need correction.  We have a whole generation of spoiled children, and it is starting to show.

Adonijah recruits Joab - no longer a surprise - and Abiathar the priest.  But Zadok, Benaiah, and Nathan the prophet, along with all David's mighty men refuse to join in.  Also, Shimei refuses to join in.  Perhaps this is why David and Solomon attempt to spare him after David dies.  It is also interesting that the mighty men do not follow Joab this time.  So even up to the hour of his death, David's family is still at war with each other, there is still violence in his family.  This is still part of the curse that resulted from David's sin with Bathsheba.  She is still with him, but the consequences are ongoing.  The sin is forgiven, but its consequences continue.  Oh...Until nearly the day of his death, David's children disappoint him.  They turn on him, they count him as their adversary, they attempt to undermine all his ways.  What a terrible thing.

Adonijah and his rebels offer sacrifices at a place called "The Serpent's Stone".  This had previously been used by the Jebusites for snake worship.  What an ironic location to choose for a rebellion against the King, and against his own father.  Adonijah invites all his brothers except for Solomon, and all the royal officials.  Does not say whether they showed up or not.  Surely they were too smart for this after what Absalom had done when they were all invited to the same place?

Nathan recruits Bathsheba to go and tell David what is going on - that Adonijah has made himself King, and not invited Solomon to the celebration.  This clearly implied that Solomon, and likely his mother, were to be "counted as offenders".  They were to be murdered.

So David assures Bathsheba that Solomon will be King, and sends Solomon and those loyal to David to Gihon, and there they anoint Solomon King and blow a trumpet.  This might be the "second anointing" spoken of elsewhere.  I wondered why David had declared Solomon King in his place, and then later makes him King again.  This explains it.

40 And all the people went up after him, playing on pipes, and rejoicing with great joy, so that the earth was split by their noise. [1Ki 1:40 ESV]

Never saw this one before.  NKJV inserts "seemed" before to split.  MSB makes nothing of it.

Apparently the anointing of Solomon was done in the same city where Adonijah was celebrating.  Jonathan, Abiathar's son, brings word to Adonijah, Joab, and company.  Abiathar had joined Adonijah, along with Joab, so this son is on the rebel side.

That David has proclaimed Solomon King strikes fear into Adonijah's guests, and they leave.  Adonijah is now afraid that Solomon will have him killed, as he had planned to do to Solomon.  But Solomon lets him live.