Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;
fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way,
over the man who carries out evil devices!
— Psalm 37:7 —

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
and all these things will be added to you.
— Matthew 6:33 —

When I was in college, ministry became an idol. I had come to faith when I was 17, at a time when the kings of the court (Magic, Bird, Jordan, et al) were my gods. In college, those kings were replaced by the King of Kings, and Matthew 6:33 became my guiding light. To this day, seeking first Christ, his kingdom, and his righteousness, is the theme of my song. And yet to seek him truly, the Lord had to crucify many layers of ambition in my own heart. To various degrees, he had to do such work during my twenties, my thirties, and still today.

Encouragingly, I have learned along the way that God does this with all his saints. For Moses it was 40 years in the wilderness; before him Joseph rotted in a jail cell for thirteen years before his service as vice-regent in Egypt; for David it was years being chased by Saul that prepared him for the throne; and for the other Saul it was fourteen years before he began his missionary work. All in all, there is a pattern in Scripture of men waiting years before arriving at their appointed place. Just the same in the church, many fruitful saints have gone through years of barrenness, pruning, or pain before God planted them in the place of their greatest fruitfulness. And why would we think God has changed his methods with us?

So, when I come to the subject of seeking ministry, I am not unbiased. I have seen how God uses decades of obscure service to prepare men for faithfulness in the light. Equally, he has thwarted the vain efforts of earnest Christians in order to prepare saints the ministry that God wanted to give them.

And thus, in Scripture and church history, there is ample evidence for the way the Lord uses time to replace ungodly motivations for ministry with godly ones. In my own life this is certainly true, and I have seen it up close in the lives of others, too. But for today, I want to return to Adonijah and another lesson we can learn from his life. For review, here are the first three lessons, outlined in two parts of this series (one and two).

1. We should not seek positions in ministry; we should seek the righteousness to receive such a place of service. Instead, . . .
2. We should abide by the word, and wait for an invitation to serve.
3. When kingdom-seekers exalt themselves, their ambition follows a discernible pattern.

And now, here is a fourth lesson that relates to those who see others exalting themselves falsely.

4. When you see false ‘kings’ exalting themselves, humble yourself and seek the true King.

What Do You Do When Adonijah Exalts Himself?

When Adonijah set himself up as king, many in the kingdom knew this was wrong. But what should be done about it? That is the question that is answered in 1 Kings 1. As Nathan and Bathsheba turn their attention to the true king, his word, and his intervention, we are given an example to follow. Listen to how verses 11–14 report it,

¹¹ Then Nathan said to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king and David our lord does not know it? ¹² Now therefore come, let me give you advice, that you may save your own life and the life of your son Solomon. ¹³ Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’ ¹⁴ Then while you are still speaking with the king, I also will come in after you and confirm your words.”

From a certain angle, this conversation might look like sour grapes. Adonijah has invited many to be a part of his entourage, and Nathan the faithful adviser to David (see 2 Samuel 11) is left off the guest list (1 Kings 1:10). In response to this royal ‘snubbing,’ Nathan’s actions might be motivated by his own self-interest. After all, he was David’s royal associate, and maybe he is upset that Adonijah, the son of David, does not want to retain his services. Yet, what follows is not Nathan seeking his own position or a place in the court; he is instead seeking David’s will.

In tasking Bathsheba to bring a message to David, presumably because David’s wife had access to the bed chamber in ways Nathan did not, Nathan makes his case based upon David’s previous decree. He tells Bathsheba, “Go in at once to King David, and say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord the king, swear to your servant, saying, “Solomon your son shall reign after me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then is Adonijah king?’” In this way, Nathan is not lobbying for himself; he is not seeking his own kingdom; or his own place in the kingdom. He is seeking to ensure that the coming kingdom is established on words of the true king.

Indeed, David had declared Solomon to be his successor (cf. Psalm 110) and now Nathan is ensuring that his Word would be fulfilled. He recognizes the wickedness of Adonijah and he brings it to the attention of the true king. While ailing and near death, David still possessed the authority to rule in Israel. Importantly, Nathan did not attempt to combat Adonijah with his own party. Instead, submitting himself to King David, he brought the situation to David. And, in the rest of the chapter, David confirmed his word (1 Kgs. 1:11–27) and initiated the royal anointing of Solomon (1:28–48). In this way, the true kingdom was established by the sovereign words of the king.

And what happened to Adonijah? A number of things, actually. First, the followers of Adonijah trembled and departed (v. 49). Next, Adonijah feared Solomon and gave up the act of faux-kingship (vv. 50–51). He sought Solomon’s pardon and pled for the king not to kill him; he understood that his self-exaltation was a capital offense. To which, Solomon granted Adonijah a place in the kingdom, provided he was a worthy man who did not seek the throne again (vv. 52–53). More on that below.

Seeking the True King

For now, we can draw out the point that when someone seeks the kingdom falsely, the response is not a direct assault on that person. It would have been bad form, not to mention ineffective, for Nathan to confront Adonijah and his entourage. For this would have appeared as special pleading based on his own position. Nathan did not have authority in himself to defend himself or oppose David’s son, Adonijah. So, wisely, he did not go Adonijah.

Instead, Nathan pursued an audience with David the true king. And in conversation with him, David intervened and resolved the problem. Ironically, David who had never disciplined Adonijah (v. 6) came to his senses and did the right thing in the end. He appointed Solomon, so that the kingdom would advance with his true son on the throne.

By application, we can see that Nathan’s approach to the throne is the one we must take too. When others appear to be advancing themselves with unrighteous intentions, our first step is to approach the throne of grace, where Jesus Christ, the true David sits. Similarly, when it appears that God’s servants are advancing themselves in ways and means that contradict God’s Word, then we must return to Scripture too. In Nathan’s case, he pursue David with his Word in hand. So too, faithful Christians pray according to God’s will, which is revealed in his Word.

In ministry, God’s Word is what arbitrates disagreements. And sometimes those disagreements result in a church or church leaders dividing. Even more, there will be times when members want to serve in one way, but the church and its elders, who were appointed by the church, are convinced by Scripture to go another way. In such moments, what do you do? Who do you consult? And how do you move forward?

While the conflicts that occur in churches all across the globe are not as clear as the one in 1 Kings, the solution to the problem is the same: Take your concerns to Christ and to Christ’s Word. In a church that is regulated by Scripture (think: regulative principle), there will be increasing clarity as the people of God attend to the word of God and prayer. Moreover, because Christ walks among his lampstands, churches are best served when they go to the throne of God together.

In 1 Kings 1, Nathan and Bathseba, along with Benaiah and Zadok, all brought their needs to David. And David, the king, led his people to a solution. He established Solomon on the throne, which in turn displaced Adonijah. In David’s actions, we see a type and shadow of how Christ might work today.

Walking in the Wisdom of the Chief Shepherd

As the head of this church, Jesus is the true Chief Shepherd (1 Pet. 5:4), and he delights to give his people wisdom (James 1:5) and to grant them peace as they humble themselves before him (James 3:13–18). Knowing this, if we see members, or leader, or even pastors of the church exalting themselves in ungodly ways, we should seek the Lord and his Word. God has given us all we need for life and godliness, for ministry and motivations for ministry, and thus we are not ignorant of what pleases him. Nor are we blind to individuals who would exalt themselves, and the harm they can do to others. Certainly, such motivations may take time to be discerned, but we can trust that the Chief Shepherd who rules his church will hear our prayers.

This means that when Adonijah-like figures seek a place for themselves in the church, we should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. In so doing, Scripture gives us wisdom for responding to those who like to be first (3 John 9–10), for those who preach with selfish-motives (Phil.  1:15–18), and even for elders who sin against God and the church (1 Tim. 5:19–20). Equally, Scripture gives wisdom for urging the young to be humble (1 Pet. 5:5) and to learn from their elders (Titus 2). In this way, churches should be slow to lay hands on those who are racing to serve. As Paul tells Timothy, “Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure” (1 Tim. 5:22). In context, this verse addresses men who aspire to the office of overseer (cf. 1 Tim. 3:1). Yet, it may apply more generally too.

To anyone seeking ministry, the church has the responsibility to vet their theology, their actions, their attitudes, and their motivations. And who is best positioned to do that? The elders. Those who are themselves recognized and installed by the church are best prepared to know what ministry requires and who is ready to serve. In practice, the elders exercise the authority delegated to them to make sure that those who serve are doing so according to the word.

Accordingly, if there is any application for elders in 1 Kings 1 it is found in Nathan, who brings to the throne the words from the throne. In other words, he does not make a case from his own words, he brings David’s words back to him. So too, elders and those who lead the church must do so with God’s Word.

As the congregation gathers, elders speak from the throne of God, when they stand to preach God’s Word. And in prayer, they bring the word of God to the throne of God, petitioning Christ to work on behalf of his people. Indeed, the fruit of such mediatorial work usually takes weeks, months, and years. And this can often be missed as we read the Bible. First Kings 1 can be deceiving in that we can read the whole story—from crisis to resolution— in less than 10 minutes. In real life, the work of Christ takes longer. And the work of elders requires significant portions of time, too. But, always, when God’s people bring his God’s Word to God’s throne in prayer and from God’s throne to the people in biblical proclamation, God will work.

Just the same, church members can follow the same path. I can think of one woman who spent years praying for Christ to be preached for the pulpit of her church. Recognizing the absence of Christ-centered grace in the weekly sermons, she prayed for the church and for someone to bring God’s Word. In time, the Lord heard her prayers and brought a fresh message of grace and truth. Similarly, members can and should pray for those they see putting themselves forward in the body. Sometimes, such prayer will lead to gracious confrontations with other members. Sometimes it won’t. But from the model we find in 1 Kings 1, we do find the importance of going to the true king, asking for him to keep his Word, and to assist his people. And from the narrative with David, we can take comfort in knowing that the son who is greater than David is even more able and willing to help the humble and humble the proud.

The Lord Gives Grace to the Humble, So Let Us Pursue Humility

One of the things Christ does in sanctifying his saints and purifying his church is to humble the ambitious and raise up the humble. This is the overarching lesson that I am bringing out from 1 Kings 1. When we see others raising themselves up, we must not resort to our wisdom or our positioning. We must go to Christ first. And in going to Christ, we should ask for his help and we should look for every opportunity to do good and to instruct one another with his Word (Rom. 15:14).

Indeed, humility is not the same thing as passivity. In fact, to do what the Lord says requires humility, because it is often uncomfortable. Yet, harm comes to the church when we see others exalting themselves and we do nothing. At the least, we should pray, and we should avoid imitating them or trying to outdo them. Far better, because we are members one of another (Rom. 12:5), mature Christians can and should exhort others to walk in humility, to wait on the Lord, to rest in his works, and to work from the joy that is found in that rest.

Indeed, when we see others serving the Lord, we should give thanks to God for their zeal (Rom. 12:8), but in times when we see fellow members putting themselves forward and thinking of themselves more highly that they ought (Rom. 12:3), we should prayerfully consider how we can befriend our Christian sibling and encourage them to walk in God’s grace. And then, when others do the same for us, we should be equally willing to examine their words through the lens of Scripture.

As it goes, younger believers may not always be able to tell the difference between service motivated by self and service motivated by the Spirit, but older believers often can. And for elders, discerning the heart, desire, skill, and motivations for ministry is something that should become second nature. Elders  should make it a habit to encourage the ministry of the humble, for the humble do not promote themselves. And, just the same, elders (and mature members) should urge the urgent to slow down and walk with the Lord. Just as young ox is tied to an older, slower partner, so too the overzealous are well-served by learning to pace themselves by the pace of others. This is also true for the timid; they too need to be paired with those bold in faith.

There is a way to run too fast, like a horse, and too slow, like a mule (Psalm 32:8–9). And growing disciples must learn to avoid both errors. Faithful elders, too, must learn how to shepherd both kinds of people. Indeed, the church needs race horses and plow horses, but the church is best served when both the fast and the slow, the strong and the weak, learn how their personal tendencies impact others. For such self-awareness is a kind of humility that will enable ministry to flourish and last. But without such self-awareness, ministry will suffer and the person striving for ministry won’t even know why.

For that reason, individuals should strive to be humble and to receive correction as it comes from others. At the same time, we should pray for humility to blossom in others, and we should graciously encourage them to pursue this grace, even as we identify strengths and weaknesses in them. For indeed, God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble. And in the church, humility is something we should pursue together.

Cultivating Self-Control

Next time, I will outline what a pursuit of humility looks life. But for now, it is worthwhile to acknowledge that to faithfully serve the Lord, we must faithfully control ourselves. This, after all, is something the Spirit  of Truth wants to grow in us (Gal. 5:22). While overzealous competition with others is natural to fallen sinners, we must regularly guard our hearts from trying to exalt ourselves over others. We should also rejoice when others get to do some of the things we want to do, for this will help us put to death the ambitions that are fueled by a love of position.

Honestly, everyone who is zealous to serve the Lord should be measured in their zeal. For those who teach will be judged more strictly (James 3:1), and those who lead will have to give a greater account (Luke 12:48). And until the Lord puts us in his place of service, we should not pine for a position greater than we have. As Jeremiah once said to Baruch, his ministerial associate, “And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go” (Jeremiah 45:5).

In truth, we have no idea of what the future holds or what service will be most fruitful for us. And so, we should endeavor in all things to seek the Lord first and to serve him when, where, and how he enables. Such is the disposition that the Lord uses, and it one we should cultivate today. For indeed, today, as in the days of Adonijah, there are temptations to exalt ourselves. And when we see them in ourselves or in others, we should seek the true king. And ask him for the Spirit-given grace of humility and self-control.

Ultimately, we want what the Lord wants for us, which means we seek first his kingdom and his righteousness. Indeed, the only way to receive the kingdom, or a place of meaningful service in that kingdom, that is to wait upon the Lord and follow his lead. Graciously, he delights to give us the desires of our heart as we turn them to him (Psalm 37:4), and as David says a few verses later, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”

Those are good words at all times, but especially when we see others exalting themselves.

Soli Deo Gloria, ds

Photo by Timothy Eberly on Unsplash