1 Kings 1:5-10
5 Now Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted himself, saying, “I will be king.” And he prepared for himself chariots and horsemen, and fifty men to run before him. 6 His father had never at any time displeased him by asking, “Why have you done thus and so?” He was also a very handsome man, and he was born next after Absalom. 7 He conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest. And they followed Adonijah and helped him. 8 But Zadok the priest and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada and Nathan the prophet and Shimei and Rei and David's mighty men were not with Adonijah.
9 Adonijah sacrificed sheep, oxen, and fattened cattle by the Serpent's Stone, which is beside En-rogel, and he invited all his brothers, the king's sons, and all the royal officials of Judah, 10 but he did not invite Nathan the prophet or Benaiah or the mighty men or Solomon his brother.
Adonijah was David's fourth son. Amnon and Absalom, the first and third were now dead, and Chileab, his second, is not mentioned significantly in the sacred record and may also have died in battle, so that Adonijah would have had some right, by succession, to the throne. But it is clear enough that natural succession was not a foregone conclusion, even in Adonijah's mind, for why otherwise would he have attempted his coup d’état? This kingdom was not like the kingdoms of the world; God's sovereign purposes were being worked out in it, and His appointed successor was Solomon, the fore-shadower of Christ the great King of peace. It is in this light that we should view Adonijah's attempt to seize the throne. It was a rebellion not only against his father David, but also against the purposes of God. There is a remarkable similarity between Adonijah's course of action and that of Absalom's, and one wonders at the blindness of men in their determination to do evil. He should surely have been warned by the fate of his brother, but no, he must needs tilt at the Lord's anointed and suffer a like humiliation. It seems he was possessed of considerable personal charm and persuasiveness - how otherwise could he have beguiled so many of David's trusted counsellors? But many charming rogues have learned to their cost that it is dangerous to pit their strength against the mighty hand of God. This, however, is a lesson but slowly learned in human experience and - sadly enough usually learned the hard way.