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Who is Abishag the Shunammite? Where is Shunim? Her entry into this story at this point give us a hint of who the Virgin Mary will be. The women of Shunim were known as women of character. We have hints in Abishag the type of character the mother of Yeshua would later possess.
We are told that David’s health has deteriorated significantly at this point. The scripture tells us that he was very “cold,” he was frail, freezing and cold at 70 years old. The Psalms show us David’s mind. David was a man who was scared and worried for his life?
We also see that Yoab is still a powerful figure in David’s life. David has never dealt with Yoab’s crimes and at some point, David’s failure to deal with Yoab’s crimes placed those crimes on David’s head as well. David got old early due to the kind of life he led.
What solution did his servants come up with to “warm” David? They find a beautiful young lady to do this job, even though David had several wives who could have kept him warm.
Abishag the Shunammite was allowed to have free run of the palace as an attendant but David did not “know” her.
Even though that David did not know her, she is classified as a concubine and would not be allowed to have a husband and what we would consider a normal life. She would never become a mother or raise children. As a Shunammite, this kind of life is what was expected of her and for all we can see, she agreed to this life and accepted it. She was not forced into the king’s service.
Adonijah is the forth son of David but most likely, he is David’s oldest living son. Adonijah is probably in his early 40’s at this point and would most likely have significant military experience under his belt, too. Adonijah had powerful supporters including Yoab, the commander of the Army and Abithar the High Priest.
But David still had powerful support, too, including Zadok the priest, Benaiah the commander of the Army, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David, were not with Adonijah. These men were purposefully excluded from the party. Adonijah also invited all the brothers except Solomon.
Adonijah had to have known that Solomon was the promised heir to the throne yet he was going against God’s will.
Ex 21:12 tells us that if a man strikes a man they are to flee to a city of refuge but it also says that if the murdered comes to the altar, they are to remove the murderer from the altar and kill that person. That phrase about moving the person from the altar doesn’t seem to make sense since a killer was supposed to flee to a city of refuge, not to God’s temple or altar. Adonijah later fulfills this law (indirectly) and Yoab, too.
Adonijah slaughters all sorts of animals for sacrifice to celebrate. He doesn’t do this near the tabernacle, though. He performs this sacrifice and party at a place called Zoheleth, a serpent stone.
Bathsheba warns Daivd that if he doesn’t put a decisive end to Adonijah’s schemes that he will have her and Solomon killed. Bathsheba and Solomon are a figure of Mary and Yeshua. Bathsheba was considered a “sinner” by many and her son Solomon was considered the “son of a sinner.” Mary was also called a “sinner” and her son Yeshua was dismissed by many as a “son of a sinful woman.”
Bathsheba and Nathan both call upon David to fix this problem, which shows that David was not as frail as Adonijah counted on to get away with his plan.
David gives instructions of a large coronation ceremony for Solomon to make sure the people know who the real king is and who the usurper is. Solomon’s coronation is performed at God’s sanctified altar by the proper Levitical priests near Jerusalem.
Jonathan the son of Abithar brought the news of the coronation of Solomon to Adonijah. Why did Adonijah say that Jonathan brought “good news” when it was actually bad news for Adonijah? Jonathan was bringing the good news of the King of Peace was sitting on the throne and Adonijah’s authority would be taken away from him for good.
Solomon’s triumphant entry from his coronation in Gihon to Jerusalem was on a donkey. Solomon’s rode on his father’s mule. Yeshua rode in on His Father’s mule. Both of them were blessed and praised in song by the people of Jerusalem.
When Solomon becomes king, he kills a lot of people, he cleaned house for David. Yeshua also cleaned up God’s house.
Abishag the Shunammite, David’s last servant girl, who would be a virgin forever and never have a child. Mary, the virgin descendant of David, had a child through miraculous means.
Adonijah sacrificed to the serpent and tried to take authority that was not his just as the temple authorities in Yeshua’s day, which He referred to as a “brood of vipers” also usurped Yeshua’s authority.
Reader: Jeff. Summary: Tammy