Contemplative Bible Reading

1 Kings 1:28-33 (New International Version 2011)

²⁸ Then King David said, “Call in Bathsheba.” So she came into the king’s presence and stood before him.

²⁹ The king then took an oath: “As surely as the LORD lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, ³⁰ I will surely carry out this very day what I swore to you by the LORD, the God of Israel: Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he will sit on my throne in my place.”

³¹ Then Bathsheba bowed down with her face to the ground, prostrating herself before the king, and said, “May my lord King David live forever!”

³² King David said, “Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.” When they came before the king, ³³ he said to them: “Take your lord’s servants with you and have Solomon my son mount my own mule and take him down to Gihon.

David is in the last days of his reign as King of Israel. He has declared that among all his sons, Solomon will be the next king.

David calls the appropriate officials and tells them what to do. Prepare my mule? There must be something wrong here. Solomon is supposed to ride in on David’s horse or chariot or something. Mule? Is he kidding?

Nope, that is the custom. In a time of peace, a new king arrived on an animal used in time of peace. Note how in his entry into Jerusalem, Jesus rode a donkey. Only conquering kings arrived on vehicles of war.

Sometimes we become infatuated with the idea that we succeed by overcoming incredible obstacles and opposition. In truth, we had a pretty easy path. Instead of arriving in shining armor on a white horse, we would be better served by casual clothes and a mule – like Solomon and Jesus. When I read that last sentence, a humble entrance would put us in pretty good company.