Pastor Rusty Milton
1 Kings 1:1-10 ESV
The untrained heart demands to be king until it encounters the grace off Christ.
What vision do you have for your children? What vision for their life? To be married? Successful careers? Be a born again believer and men and women of faith? Is your idea for their outcome in line with your parenting? In 1 Kings 1, we see that David's permissive parenting had resulted in Adonijah's rebellious heart, leading him to a military coup. If our parenting teaches our children that they are the "kings" of their longings, they will become tyrants. But, if our parenting teaches are children that only Christ is the king of their unmet longings and desires, then they will be more likely to see their need to submit their lives to God.
How can we ensure that we parent in a way that instills godliness and self-control? There are two things to consider.
1) The untrained heart demands to be king (vs. 1). In the narrative of 1 Kings, David was old and weak. During this time, Adonijah was about 35 years old. Seeing that his father is old and unhealthy, he says in his own heart, "I will be king," and publicly proclaimed himself to be the ruler. He was so used to getting his own way, he demanded that he become king ahead of his brother, Solomon. We must teach our children that they are not the kings of their own lives, but that they must submit their desires, feelings, and ideals to God.
2) In the absence of boundaries, an indulged heart will seize any opportunity to take control (vs. 2; 9). Seeing his opportunity to seize the throne, Adonijah sought out men of authority who would support him, but avoided going to the prophet, Nathan. Indulgent children are only restrained by boundaries and the lack of opportunity to sin. In Godly parenting, we must set boundaries around our children that reflect truth and point them to Christ.
Discipline prepares the heart to be taught by taking our children to a place of repentance so they can see their need for grace. The goal is not to shame or hurt our children. It is to prepare the heart for the seed of the Word, which comes about through intentional Gospel training, which shows our children their need for Jesus. We, too, should recognize that we are rebels. We rebel against God every day in our sin. His response is not to bring out the legion against us, but to respond in grace. As parents, we should live out regular repentance, confession, and submission to God to our children.
David in His Old Age
1 Now King David was old and advanced in years. And although they covered him with clothes, he could not get warm. 2 Therefore his servants said to him, “Let a young woman be sought for my lord the king, and let her wait on the king and be in his service. Let her lie in your arms,[a] that my lord the king may be warm.” 3 So they sought for a beautiful young woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought her to the king. 4 The young woman was very beautiful, and she was of service to the king and attended to him, but the king knew her not.
