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MAY 27
DAY 26:What does the healing of the blind man in John 9 teach us about unbelief?
In ancient times, severe physical deformities, such as congenital blindness (vv. 8,9), sentenced
a person to begging as the only means of support (Acts 3:1–7). The drastic change in the healed
man caused many to faithlessly believe that he was not the person born blind.
If you read through vv. 13–34, this section in the story of the healing of the blind man reveals
some key characteristics of willful unbelief:1) unbelief sets false standards;2) unbelief always wants
more evidence but never has enough;3) unbelief does biased research on a purely subjective basis;
4) unbelief rejects the facts; and 5) unbelief is self-centered. John included this section on the dia-
logue of the Pharisees with the blind man most likely for two reasons: 1) the dialogue carefully
demonstrates the character of willful and fixed unbelief, and 2) the story confirms the first great
schism between the synagogue and Christ’s new followers.The blind man was the first known per-
son thrown out of the synagogue because he chose to follow Christ (see 16:1–3).
Even though the neighbors had confirmed that the man had in fact been blind (v.9),that was
not evidence enough. So the authorities called the parents (v. 18).While neighbors may have been
mistaken as to the man’s identity,the parents would know if this was their own son.And the author-
ities considered the witness of the healed man worthless.

“Why have you done so?” He was also very
May 27 good-looking. His mother had borne him after
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Absalom.) Then he conferred with Joab the
son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest,
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and they followed and helped Adonijah. But
1 Kings 1:1–2:46
Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada,
Now King David was old, advanced in years; Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the
1 and they put covers on him, but he could not mighty men who belonged to David were not
get warm. Therefore his servants said to him, with Adonijah.
2
“Let a young woman, a virgin, be sought for 9 And Adonijah sacrificed sheep and oxen
our lord the king, and let her stand before the and fattened cattle by the stone of Zoheleth,
king, and let her care for him; and let her lie in which is by En Rogel; he also invited all his
your bosom, that our lord the king may be brothers, the king’s sons, and all the men of
10
3
warm.” So they sought for a lovely young Judah, the king’s servants. But he did not
woman throughout all the territory of Israel, and invite Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, the
found Abishag the Shunammite, and brought mighty men, or Solomon his brother.
4
her to the king. The young woman was very 11 So Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother
lovely; and she cared for the king, and served of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that
him; but the king did not know her. Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king,
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5 and David our lord does not know it? Come,
Then Adonijah the son of Haggith exalted
himself, saying, “I will be king”; and he pre- please, let me now give you advice, that you
pared for himself chariots and horsemen, and may save your own life and the life of your son
13
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fifty men to run before him. (And his father Solomon. Go immediately to King David and
had not rebuked him at any time by saying, say to him, ‘Did you not, my lord, O king,
swear to your maidservant, saying, “As-
suredly your son Solomon shall reign after
me, and he shall sit on my throne”? Why then
has Adonijah become king?’ Then, while you
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1:5 Adonijah. Adonijah was the fourth son of
David (2 Sam. 3:4) and probably the oldest liv-
ing son, since Amnon (2 Sam. 13:28,29) and
Absalom (2 Sam.18:14,15) had been killed,and
Chileab apparently died in his youth, since
there is no mention of him beyond his birth.As 1:13 Did you not…swear…? This oath was
David’s oldest surviving heir, Adonijah given privately (unrecorded in Scripture) by
attempted to claim the kingship.chariots and David,perhaps to both Nathan and Bathsheba.
horsemen. Like Absalom (2 Sam. 15:1), Solomon’s choice by the Lord was implicit in
Adonijah sought to confirm and support his his name Jedidiah, meaning “loved by the
claim to kingship by raising a small army. Lord” (2 Sam. 12:24,25) and explicit in David’s
declaration to Solomon (1 Chr. 22:6–13).
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