Adonijah vs. Solomon -- From Knowing the Father to Knowing the Son

The names in the Bible reveal types and shadows of God's grace, contrasting the New Covenant from the Old Covenant, but also outlining the growth in grace which everyone child of God receives through Christ, throwing reading God's Word, through receiving a growing revelation of the Truth who sets us free (John 8: 32).

First, a full reference in the First General Epistle of John:

"12I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name's sake. 13I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father. 14I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one." (1 John 2: 12-14)

We are all children of God because our sins are forgiven for Jesus's sake. This status of "child of God" is the same for every member of the Body of Christ.

New believers in the Body of Christ know the Father. That is both good and wonderful. Yet even God the Father wants us to grow in grace and knowledge of Him through His Son:

"If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." (John 14: 7)

and then

"Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?" (John 14: 9)

God the Father wants His Son to have full preeminence:

"17And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. 18And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. 19For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell; 20And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." (Colossians 1: 17-20)

So, we grow in grace as we know Jesus! To be a young man, we see that Jesus has defeated every enemy in our lives, and the Word of God abides in us. To be a father, we see Jesus as all in all, Him who has been from the beginning:

"1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2The same was in the beginning with God. 3All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4In him was life; and the life was the light of men. 5And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not." (John 1: 1-4)