Kings, A Donkey, And Palm Branches

Would you rather listen than read? Listen here.

As we continue reading through the Bible, we meet the different kings of Israel. 1 Kings introduces us to the first coronation as the crown passes from father to son. In this post, let’s read how God uses kings, a donkey, and palm branches points us to the cross.

Palm Branches

When we lived in Florida, our yard was full of a variety of palms. We had a tall date palm in the front yard, and lots of palmetto bushes in the backyard. I loved their tropical look after living among oaks and cypress trees in southeast Texas. Both landscapes were nice, but the change in scenery was refreshing.

Until Spring…

In the spring, the date palm would produce large pods and when they would crack open, massive amounts of pollen would fill the air. If I had not prepared with Claritin, and a saw on the end of a long pole to cut it down, weeks of sinus pressure would soon follow.

The palmetto bushes were prickly, but they supplied ample amounts of palm branches. Many parishioners may not know where their Palm Sunday palm branches come from, but if you were part of our church, all of those beautiful fanned limbs came from our backyard.

My husband would go back with his clippers the Saturday before and do a lot of trimming. They were not the smoothest of bushes, so he would come in with a few cuts and sores. The next morning, though, the kids would fan those palm branches as they strolled down the center aisle of the church.

Solomon Anointed King

In 1 Kings, we see King David pass the crown to his son Solomon. His other son, Adonijah, who in birth order should have been king, had tried to take advantage of David and his failing health and make himself king. David found out of Adonijah’s plan and remembered his promise to Bathsheba of making their son Solomon king. As Matthew Henry states, “He (Solomon) was made king by a divine appointment.” God always ignites a spark in my heart when He takes away the expected and natural order of things, and replaces them with the unexpected and miraculous.

God always ignites a spark in my heart when He takes away the expected and natural order of things, and replaces them with the unexpected and miraculous. Click To Tweet

“The king then took an oath: ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who has delivered me out of every trouble, 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.’”

1 Kings 1:29-30 NIV

This is the first time in Israel’s history that we will see the crown pass from father to son in full ceremony. David calls upon his three most trusted people to carry out this task.

“King David said, ‘Call in Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet and Benaiah son of Jehoiada.’ When they came before the king, 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. There have Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him king over Israel. Blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Then you are to go up with him, and he is to come and sit on my throne and reign in my place. I have appointed him ruler over Israel and Judah.’”

1 Kings 1:32-35 NIV

They are told to get David’s mule and take him to Gihon and then Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet will anoint him king. After they anoint Solomon, David tells them to blow the trumpet and shout, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ Solomon rides the mule into the City of David as the newly anointed king of Israel. The people shouted and rejoiced over their new king. They shouted so loudly the ground shook.

“Zadok the priest took the horn of oil from the sacred tent and anointed Solomon. Then they sounded the trumpet and all the people shouted, ‘Long live King Solomon!’ And all the people went up after him, playing pipes and rejoicing greatly, so that the ground shook with the sound.”

1 Kings 1:39-40 NIV

The Triumphal Entry

Does this story sound familiar to you? Jesus enters Jerusalem, the City of David, the same way. Jesus comes riding on a donkey. The people are cheering for Him and giving Him the same welcome they would have to any newly anointed king over Israel.

“The next day the great crowd that had come for the festival heard that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. They took palm branches and went out to meet him, shouting, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!’ Jesus found a young donkey and sat on it, as it is written: ‘Do not be afraid, Daughter Zion; see, your king is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.”

John 12:12-15 NIV

A Mirror Image

The stories are almost mirror images of one another. However, when Solomon rode in, it made all the men that were coming against David and Solomon look like impostors. They had in their own power tried to make Adonijah king, but God, through David and Bathsheba, made Solomon king. It showed David, even from his sickbed, was still in control.

Jesus fulfilled multiple prophecies when He came into Jerusalem on a donkey. You can read more of that in my post, “The Triumphal Entry” here. In this fulfillment, Jesus made the Pharisees and other religious rulers of that time look like imposters. Jesus, in the same lineage as David, also came riding as a son of David (Matthew 21:9 NIV)

“Hosanna!”

Jesus followed the same path as Solomon and I am sure many other kings during their coronations. When He arrived, Israel accepted Jesus as King. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”

In this replication of Solomon’s coronation, we see Jesus, accepted by the people and then quickly turned on by them. He came into the City of David as their King, whom they hoped would save them from the heavy rule of the Romans. He wanted more for them, but they could not see it. Jesus came to release them from more than just the political power of the day.

Free From Bondage

Jesus came to save each one of us from ourselves. As Solomon found a love for foreign women and idolized them, we create our own idols and fall into our own sinful traps. Jesus hung on the cross, sinless, and did it so we could be free from the bondage we find ourselves enslaved in.

Live In Peace

Solomon lived in peace because his father David fought many battles and established the borders of Israel. We can live in the peace that surpasses all understanding because Jesus fought the ultimate battle against all evil when He hung on the cross. He conquered sin and death when He looked death in the face, and took His last breath. He rose three days later from the grave and ascended into Heaven and gives us the opportunity to join Him. All we have to do is believe He did all of this for us.

We can live in the peace that surpasses all understanding because Jesus fought the ultimate battle against all evil when He hung on the cross. He conquered sin and death when He looked death in the face, and took His last breath. Click To Tweet

Prayer Of Salvation

If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, I invite you to pray this prayer. “Lord, thank you for sending Your Son to Earth to live as a man and experience everything I have experienced. Thank you that Jesus went to the cross and died for me. In His death, He took away all of my sin. Thank you that after three days, He rose again from the dead and now sits at the right hand of God. Thank you that in Jesus’ death and resurrection, I am forgiven and I have life. In Jesus Name, amen.”

If you already know Jesus, remember to never take for granted all He has done for us. I know I get comfortable in my walk with Him and don’t remember the magnitude of what He did for me. There are many who have not yet heard of Him and I never want to take for granted that I have had this opportunity and I must share it with others.

If you prayed this for the first time or have any questions, please reach out to me through the form below.