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Sons of the Flaming Throne 2 – Ch. 21 | KT OLLA

ADONIJAH’S talk with Joab was a smooth one.

The captain had always been waiting for the valiant among his master’s sons. The one who’d be the rebirth of the mighty king.

As he felt within himself that the war champion was dead.

Therefore, when the Fourth One met with him, it was quite easy for Joab to change sides. He vowed to support in every way possible. He also went on to win men for him.

That day that the two folk talked, the old soldier lent him his wise counsel. He advised the young man to involve his brothers also, the other sons of David.

He wanted Adonijah to win the princes over, so none of them would rise to rival him. So the man took the counsel, and followed it through.

Even still, there was one among the king’s sons whom Joab had told the boy to be wary of. And even Adonijah knew that that one had better be left out.

Yes, the Fourth Son knew of a brother whose existence itself was a threat to his great ambition. That ruddy young man was the First of the sons by the queen consort.

He was a boy who feared God a great deal; and though young and innocent, he seemed to own a beginning wisdom.

He was the young man that Joab told the prince to leave out of his plan. And he was the same one the Fourth Prince was afraid of.

Now after winning his father’s general to him, Adonijah proceeded to winning his priest. The man called Abiathar, assistant to Zadok the High Priest.

But that meeting wasn’t the smooth kind of talk like the one he had with Joab.

No, that meeting. It was a hard bone fight.

◙ ◙ ◙

Adonijah was met with surprise when he met Abiathar to talk.

He’d predicted that their talk would go the easy path. But the old priest didn’t appear the weak-willed sort of man he thought him to be.

Still the prince pestered more to win him over.

The forty-year-old had explained everything a couple of times, as it seemed the old priest just wouldn’t understand.

But then, after a few more rounds of explaining, the elder spoke up and bared his mind.

‘I know what you intend to do – you want to be King. That is good for you.

‘But I am a priest; I can’t follow just any prince because he has the power and nurses an ambition. No, I cannot do that, you should know.

‘So you tell me, Fourth One: how are you sure that God has chosen you to lead His people? How do you know that?’

Prince Adonijah was frustrated. He was glad for a moment that the old man understood him. Yet in the next instant, his joy had melted down as the question came hitting back.

The young man was frustrated as things were. Still he knew quite well that he needed the elder.

And so, he decided to give all it’d take. He decided to be patient until he reached his goal. The throne where no priest nor prophet could question him.

‘Sir,’ called the younger one, ‘you know we are not in the days of Moses, when God spoke to His servant face to face.’

Abiathar shot an intent eye. He was curious.

‘You are a priest of God,’ continued the boy. ‘If you can’t confirm my words by asking God, too; how then can I – who is no priest nor prophet – prove to you that God has willed it that I lead Israel.’

‘Mmm,’ the old man breathed as he sat back in his seat.

Adonijah kept talking. ‘Yet we have to be sure we shouldn’t do just what we want, so that we do not sin. Now, that is why I will tell you this.

‘God created us to live in this world. But He is far above in the heavens and we can’t see Him.

‘So, maybe He saw that the First Man could doubt the wonder of Creation; so He put him to sleep and formed the Woman out of him.

‘Now when Adam woke up and saw another human right beside him, it was easy to believe that he was also formed by God.’

Abiathar was puzzled at this point. He was hearing the account of Creation in another fashion. A strange, newer fashion.

But as a priest of God, the man had never read doubts into the scripture. So, right there he doubted the lad before him.

Could he be misleading me with this scripture, just to get me on his side?

He felt he should stop the whole conversation and send the prince away. He found his words a bit of a heresy.

Now at that moment, the priest was sure he’d had enough. And he would hear no more from his daring guest.

So he spoke to himself. This is the end of the whole talk.

But that talk, he did little to stop it.

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