One of the things that struck me about 1 Kings 1 is how the original readers’ Bible knowledge would have made a great difference to their reading. To us, the story is full of colour and detail but it doesn’t really resonate with the 2 Samuel story as it should.

Take verses 5 and 6. Have a read. Familiar? Not really; and yet, if we knew our Bibles well, we’d be screaming out 2 Samuel 15.1, “Absalom, Absalom, Absalom.” This story drips with parallels – Adonijah was, after all, “born after Absalom”. And handsome? Well, we know what to make of that. And that’s just a couple of verses.

Many of the characters have a 2 Samuel history: Bathsheba, obviously, Nathan, Joab (oh, what a history!), Beraiah, Jonathan (not that one) – all are not newcomers on the scene. And yet, to most 1 Kings readers, it’s all brand new. And the 2 Samuel promise crops up again and again, as you would expect.

Now, the simple fact is that we don’t have the same Bible knowledge today. That’s a shame and you and I should be thinking about how we encourage folk in that area. But you’re not going to change it by next Sunday and griping about it is not going to make it better.
So, here’s the deal Mr Preacher. You’re going to have to preach in such a way that you help people see those links where they’re important, without letting that dominate your sermon.
It’s a tough gig, this preaching business.