Throughout the Bible we find a divide between wisdom and folly, righteousness and sin, givers and takers, children of God and children of the devil. As Jesus said, he did not come to bring peace, but a sword (Matt. 10:34–35). And that sword not only divides humanity, which provides the context of his words in Matthew’s Gospel, it is also a sword that judges the thoughts and intentions of men. Indeed, God’s Word does more than declare behavior right and wrong; it does surgery on the heart, exposing why we do what we do.

In the Bible, and in the church, few things are more difficult to discern than motivations for ministry. For truly, as many good motivations as there are, there are also bad motivations. There is ambition that is godly and ambition that is anything but godly. And in every child of God who serves faithfully, there will be both impulses.

Just consider the Apostle Peter, who could confess Jesus as the Christ at the same time that he would deny him his cross (see Matt. 16:13–23). Indeed, at one time or another, all the disciples had a mixture of true and false ambitions, which is why Jesus had to correct their views on greatness (Mark 10:42–45). Truly, we are fickle creatures. And the best of men is both taught by God and tempted by the devil. Again, read Matthew 16.

So, knowing that, we should always be open to examining our motivations for ministries, and that is what this series is about. It aims to address false ambitions and to set a course towards true ambitions for ministry.

In Part 1, I offered two lessons from the life of Adonijah.

1. We should not seek positions in ministry; we should seek the righteousness to receive such a place of service.
2. We should abide by the word, and wait for an invitation to serve.

And now, in Part 2, I will suggest a third lesson from Adonijah’s life:

3. When kingdom-seekers exalt themselves, their ambition follows a discernible pattern.

This pattern consists of five actions that Adonijah pursued in his attempt to be king in Israel. And, as the story goes, he nearly succeeded. What ultimately prevented him from claiming the throne illicitly is that genuine servants of God stood to oppose him. His false ambitions were thwarted because the ambitions of others were rooted in God’s Word.

Sadly, this sort of conflict continues today.

In truth, only when righteous men and women stand against falsehood will truth prevail. Yet, this is exactly why it is vital to learn the pattern of those who exalt themselves. For in ministry, when good works are pursued with bad motives, it can be very difficult to discern. Often, the falsehood of good works takes years, even decades, to discern. Yet, Scripture does give us light, if we are willing to look. And that is what we find in Adonijah’s play for David’s throne.

Adonijah’s Ambition

When Adonijah exalted himself to a position of royal authority, he followed a pattern of action that many have followed before and since. Indeed, this pattern of self-exaltation is the exact opposite of Christ’s self-effacing, self-sacrificing service (see Phil. 2:5–8). Instead of humbling himself and waiting to be exalted, Adonijah used his resources to collect a following. And then, he attempted to build a kingdom with his followers. From his sinful example, we are warned of an ambitious nature that seeks ministry by means of self-promotion.

Now, of course, the pursuit of gospel ministry does not look like glory-seeking for most people. Yet, among those who worship in David’s rebuilt house (i.e., the church), there remains a temptation to self-exaltation. And tragically, those most skilled for ministry are most easily tempted. As with any good thing, it can become a god-thing (an idol). And that is one of the warnings that the story of Adonijah offers. For those seeking ministry and for anyone who might encounter someone promoting themselves in ministry. (And I would put myself in the camp of those who have had to learn to put selfish ambitions to death.)

Indeed, self-promotion is often covered by words of truth and acts of service. As a result, recognition of such self-serving can be missed or dismissed. Even more, many in the church can be deceived by zealous “servants” who exalt themselves with their service in ministry. This pattern of selfish ambition in God’s kingdom is not easily spotted, but it does have certain discernible patterns. For nothing is new under the sun, and in Adonijah we can see at least five steps to such self-promotion.

By examining his life, may we learn to seek new life in Christ.

Five Steps of Self-Promotion

1. Self-actualization.

In Adonijah’s case, he not only exalted himself, he vowed to himself, “I will be king” (v. 5).

The power of a self-made man is in his secret vow to do great things. In truth, not everyone who achieves great things is self-seeking, but many are. And when they are, they are often driven by some inward compulsion.

That compulsion may come from any number of family situations (e.g., the absence of a father, the neglect of a mother, competition with a sibling), or it may come from somewhere else. But wherever it comes from, the need to actualize self is not a godly motivation to serve from a heart overflowing with God’s love. It is profoundly human motivation, one that comes from a heart needing to find love or praise or glory from others.

And thus, the first step of self-promotion is a subterranean urge to be great. This urge may come forth viscerally in verbal statements marked by pride, competition, envy, or self-glorification. Or, it may be more subtle. It may be hidden and only seen in promises made to self or hidden in a diary.

Either way, the self-promoter is driven by a commitment to make something of themselves. “I will be _______” is the theme of their song. And unless this inward desire for self-actualization is cut off at the root, it will harm that individual and anyone who stands in his or her way.

2. Self-reliance.

Driven along by this vow to greatness, the self-promoter will secure for themselves an army of resources. In Adonijah’s case, the would-be king secured chariots, horseman, and fifty runners (v. 6). This is no small feat. And it explains why most people are not burdened with greatness.

Most people do not aspire to greatness because they are not tempted by the resources to be great. Moreover, others do not seek such self-actualization because they are content in their station in life. Nevertheless, for those who have connections, education, money, strength, or beauty, the temptation is often hard to resist.

Unless the Lord intervenes with sanctifying grace or providential hinderances, the self-promoter will take every chance they can to improve their lot. To some, the strategic use of resources may simply look like faithful stewardship or honest generosity. But as with any great gift, stewardship can be spoiled too.

When resources are scant, all eyes are on the Lord. When resources are great, we are tempted to forget God. This was the warning God gave to Israel (Deut. 8:11–20), and it is one that remains today. God in his grace often fills our coffers, only to make them run low again. Yet, in both instances, the reason is the same: that we would be a people who refuse to trust in our own strength, but instead to trust in him and the provisions he gives.

3. Self-deception.

In addition to self-reliance in his rise to the throne, Adonijah also deceived himself into thinking there was nothing in his way. This comes to the forefront when we discover that this would-be king never had anyone oppose him. Indeed, if humility comes by way of fatherly discipline or by personal disinterest (i.e., not thinking of oneself more highly than they ought), then Adonijah had neither. As 1 Kings 1:6 reads, “His father had never at any time displeased by asking, ‘Why have you don thus and so?’” And, “he was also a very handsome man.

Growing up in David’s house, his father never confronted Adonijah and put a check on his desires. As a result, the pride of life consumed him, because no one opposed him. While we may think that affirmation is the truest sign of a parent’s affections; it is not.

Loving fathers say ‘no’ to their children and protect them from a world of harm. And ironically, when a neglectful father doesn’t say ‘no,’ it opens a door for children to feel as though they must prove themselves. Indeed, there are many “self-promoters” who are recovering from the loss of security that comes a father’s love, especially love that disciplines.

As Hebrews 12 indicates, fathers are supposed to discipline their children and to hold them back from the follies of youth—follies that include self-exaltation. Yet, David didn’t do this. And as a result, Adonijah grew up with money in his pocket and beauty on his face. Yet, he had no one to stop him from seeking his own glory or promoting himself.

In a word, he was self-deceived. Thinking that he could claim the throne for himself, he refused to humble himself and to seek the requisite righteousness that kings need to establish their rule. Instead, he deceived himself by trusting in himself, as he collected a retinue of supporters to make himself look great, which is a fourth step to self-promotion.

4. Self-selection.

After organizing his chariots, Adonijah secured a military leader and a priest. Verse 7 reads, “He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest.” Building an alliance with them, these two men “followed Adonijah and helped him.” In truth, Adonijah’s self-promotion could not have occurred without the support of two men who also should have opposed him.

As a soldier in David’s army, Joab should have directed Adonijah to David, but instead he enjoyed the benefit afforded to him for being in Adonijah’s presence. Similarly, as priest, Abiathar should have taught Adonijah the law (Deut. 17:14-20), but he didn’t. Like his father before him, Abiathar did not challenge Adonijah. Rather, he joined in his parade.

In this accumulation of supporters, we see how self-promoters make their mark. Using their resources, they secure a committee who will stand behind them without question, even as the self-promoter deftly avoids others who would raise questions. In Adonijah’s case, this avoidance included the non-selection of “Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David’s mighty men were not with Adonijah” (1:8). In other words, those men who might have raised suspicions about Adonijah’s self-exaltation were left off the guest list. And therefore, he was able to proceed with his plan.

Unfortunately, this plan would result in a division between those who followed this self-promoting king and those who questioned his rise to power. And the same thing happens today. When skilled self-promoters gain a following for themselves, those who might question them are left off the guest list. And this is especially true if the self-promoter is resourced well enough with gifts and positions to secure the alliance of others.

Self-selection is a key part of self-exaltation, and those who are skilled at promoting themselves know the alliances to make and the alliances to break. Sadly, the result of such a self-promotion is a division of the people. Even if the group of followers grows large and influential, it does not change the fact that rise to the top required dismissing others.

5. Self-enlargement.

The final step for false ambition in the story of Adonijah is the service of worship that he leads at the Serpent’s Stone. Verses 9–10 read, ^“Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent’s Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king’s sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.”

Here Adonijah enlarges his rule and again he does so by inviting the right people to the party. As Paul House has noted, “His brothers are included so they can relinquish their right to the throne. The ‘men of Judah who were royal officials’ are invited so that the most prestigious leaders in David’s court can give Adonijah’s claim more validity.”^[1]

While Adonijah doesn’t reveal his schemes to his guests, the intentional absence of Solomon stands as evidence that he is seeking to gain the throne over against the true heir. His selection of some and not others is evidence of the way that Adonijah aims to enlarge himself at the expense of others. Moreover, his willingness to promote himself without the authorization of his father or the knowledge of his brother, the true king, is telling.

Today, the same thing occurs. Those who promote themselves without God’s authorization (i.e., recognition granted to them by the church – see Acts 13:1–3), gain position by giving it to themselves or taking it from others. Instead of waiting on the Lord to receive a ministry at the right time in the right way, those who are committed to making themselves great are unconcerned for how their ministry might impact others. They see a path to service and the popularity found from others is sufficient cause for continuing.

Yet, such ministry by popular opinion is a false way of seeking the kingdom, even if it might not be immediately apparent, especially to those who are enamored with Adonijah’s beauty. But for those who are seeking the kingdom according to God’s Word and not the flash of a self-promoter, it will become apparent that such a place of service established by self-authorization cannot stand. Even more, it will become necessary to expose and even oppose those who seek ministry falsely.

And why? Because seeking ministry falsely does not honor the true king. And next time (next week?) I will outline what it looks like to serve the true king and stand for his kingdom. Additionally, I will offer a few reflections on what to do while you wait for that place of service. But here’s a preview: Look to Jesus and learn to imitate his humility. As Psalm 37:3, “Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.” These are the basic true steps towards faithful service in the Lord’s house. Yet to seek ministry rightly, we must put to death false any and all false ambitions.

To that end, let us walk in faith.

Soli Deo Gloria, ds

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^[1] Paul R. House, 1, 2 Kings, vol. 8, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1995), 89.