SERIES SUMMARY
The Bible is the story of God as King and becoming King in Jesus. And we are his image bearers, created for royal reflection. But we don’t live in a monarchy, so “kingship” and “royalty” can feel like foreign ideas to us. Yet, we’re still called to recognize and submit to God as King. In the Old Testament, it was God’s desire for a king to reign over his people as a reminder of these things. Specifically, God promised David a son who would reign forever, and we see glimpses of this promised king in Solomon. Through his story, we’re reminded that there should be a royal wisdom that defines us as God’s kingdom of priests, the church. But ultimately, Solomon failed in his royal reflection. So, the question is, what does Solomon’s story teach us about ourselves and God? How can the life of Solomon be instructive to us as God’s people today? And most importantly, how does King Solomon (a son of David) point us to King Jesus (the son of David)?
PASSAGE GUIDE
This passage centers on the sovereignty of God, illustrated through the opening scenes of 1 Kings 1, where the transfer of Israel’s throne from David to Solomon unfolds amid human ambition, political scheming, and apparent divine silence. It begins with David in frail health, a stark contrast to his earlier vigor, creating a vulnerable moment for the kingdom. Adonijah, David’s son, assumes he should be king and moves to seize power, gathering military and priestly support while excluding key figures like Nathan and Solomon. This sets the stage for a leadership struggle marked by pride, self-promotion, and a lack of godly character—reminding us that in God’s kingdom, leadership is grounded in humility and service, not ambition and position.
Nathan and Bathsheba intervene, motivated by the promise David had made—rooted in God’s covenant—that Solomon would succeed him. Their coordinated plan prompts David to act quickly, naming Solomon as co-regent and arranging a public coronation. This decisive move undercuts Adonijah’s coup and secures the line of succession in alignment with God’s purposes. Though the narrative is filled with human plotting, God’s covenant promise undergirds the outcome, showing that divine purposes prevail even when God’s hand seems hidden.
A key theme emerges: God sustains His plans in what appear to be the most precarious moments, whether those moments are circumstances we face or the situations we ourselves create. The account ties the theological truth of God’s sovereignty to the felt reality of instability by pointing back to His promises. Even in seasons when God’s activity isn’t overtly visible, His covenant faithfulness is steady and unshakable. Nathan’s earlier prophecy in 2 Samuel 7—that David’s line would endure—anchors this moment in a broader redemptive plan, one that ultimately points forward to Christ, the true and eternal King.
The passage closes with a pastoral reminder: in God’s kingdom, there is no “plan B.” Even when we make missteps, encounter suffering, or face unexpected turns, God recalibrates our journey within His sovereign plan. His promises remain true, His purposes unstoppable, and His commitment unbreakable. For believers, this means living in trust that God is both in control and intimately present, working through and in spite of human weakness to fulfill His redemptive purposes in the world and in our lives.
*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace, passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.
SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS
Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. You do not need to listen to both sermons at both campuses to participate in the discussion.
OPENING PRAYER
Give thanks to God for working all things together for His purposes and Kingdom. Thank Him for being a sure and firm foundation that we can stand on as we face the difficulties and uncertainties of life.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
- What big ideas or takeaways did you have from the scripture or from the sermon?
- How do we see God’s sovereignty in this chapter of 1 Kings?
- How does David’s physical weakness in 1 Kings 1 create an opening for Adonijah’s attempted takeover?
- In what ways can we learn from both David’s weaknesses and his final decisive actions in this transition?
- How does the story illustrate God’s sovereignty in the midst of human scheming and political instability?
- How does God’s faithfulness remain evident even when His activity is not visibly present?
- What does the phrase “there is no plan B in God’s kingdom” mean in the context of this passage?
- How can believers today draw comfort from God’s ability to work through and in spite of human weakness?
- How did David’s pattern of failing to discipline his children contribute to the succession crisis?
- When have you wrestled with God’s sovereignty during a precarious time in your life?
- How has God’s sovereignty been a comfort in your life as a follower of Jesus?
- How does God’s sovereignty relate to other things in your life that God has been teaching you?
Life with Jesus: Spend time praying through one of the verses on God’s sovereignty listed below.
Life in Community: Ask a friend when God’s sovereignty has been most encouraging or challenging.
Life on Mission: Ask the Lord to show you someone you can encourage with God’s sovereignty, then go and share it with them.
CLOSING PRAYER
Ask your group who is struggling in life and in a hard situation. Spend time together praying for that group member that they might be encouraged and find comfort in God’s “plan A”.
ADDITIONAL VERSES
Psalm 103:19 — The Lord has established His throne in heaven and His kingdom rules over all.
Psalm 115:3 — Our God is in the heavens; He does all that he pleases.
Isaiah 46:9-10 — Remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purposes….’
Ephesians 1:11 — In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will,
Proverbs 21:30 — No human wisdom or understanding or plan can succeed against the LORD.
Jeremiah 32:17 —Ah, Sovereign Lord, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for You.
Daniel 2:21 — He changes times and seasons; He sets up kings and deposes them. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.
Pete Greig: "Whenever my way in life is blocked by circumstance or sickness, or when I misunderstand the Lord's plan and try to make it happen on my own terms, or when I take some disastrous wrong turn away from God's best, he never, ever leaves me stranded. Instead, he recalibrates, like a GPS, to find the new best route to wherever I need to be.
It's easy to fear missing out on God's best for my life, to worry that my destiny has been divinely downgraded to some second-best version of its original design. But in the kingdom of God, there is no plan B. There is only ever a new, redeemed, redefined, recalibrated plan A.”