Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-09-24

ARRANGED from Peloutet's Notes.1
Golden Text-Keep the charge of the
Lord thy God, to walk in His ways.-l
Kings 2:3.
The Section incluSes Kings 1 to s:s:
] Chronicles Is and %; and Psalm 49, de-
scribins the marriage, probably of Solo
mon, with a foreign princess; and Psalm
72. a psalm OF Solomon expressing his ideal
of the kingdom. Both psalms have typ
ical outlook to the Messiah and His king
dom.
Time.-Solomon became sole king in B.
c. 1ol5, having first reigned six months in
conjunction with his father.
Place.-His capital was at Jerusalem.
LESSON NOTES.
Three influences brought Solomon
to the throne. Cd His inheritance as
the son of David. (2) His fitness for
the place and the work, while the other
heirs, 'such men as Amnon, Absalom
and Adonijah-men of fierce passions
and naughty temperament-would be
singularly untitled to carry out the
peaceful and religious designs which
David wished to bequeath to his sue
cessor.'-Farrar. 90 His choice and
adoption by the people.
David was growing old, and the in
upon him. HE was not much more
/ than 40, and in modern times many
men at that age are full of vigor. But
the Jews at this period rarely outlived
/ the three score and ten of mans allot
/ ted time. Indeed Solomon and Manas-
sch were the only kings of Judah who
survived the age of CO., Farrar. The
question of his successor must have
been in everyone's thoughts.
Adonijah, the son of Haggith, who
had been born to David at Hebron, and
had become, by the death of Absalom,
the heir to the throne, if the success
sion were determined by sCrict descent.
Like his elder half-brcther. ne was
famous at once for his manly beauty
and by showing no fitness for the
throne, intellectually or otherwise.
1 Taking advantage of David's in
creased feebleness q King l:1), he re-
| solved to make himself king. When
| Adonijah thought his project ripe he in
! vited his adherents> with all tho kings
sons Except Solomon). who seem to
have shared his jealousy to a great
! banquet mt the rock of .Zoheleth near
! fnrogel, fountain close to Jerusalem
on the southeast. sin the royal garden
| according to Josephus, and probably
/ near Sitoam. Here. amid the mirtl Of
the festival the cry was raised: long
/ live King Adonijah" Joab, the pniehty
warrior, and Abiathar, one of the high
/ priests, We're among the aloettors
! But Solomon had been previously,
/ perhaps secretly selected by David as
his most fitting successor. Nathan, the
prophet. learning of the proceedings of
AdoniJah, Immediately set to work to
/ defeat the plan. He informed Bath
sheba of what was going on. and she
went tie David and told him; while
1 she WIS yet speaking Nathan himself
came in and confirmed her report
/ %. -'NThen King David said. call me
| Bathshcba," who had retired be-
| fore Nathan entered, in accordance
| with oriental ideas of propriety. So
| when Bathsheha was again sent fer
/ " .2s) Nathan retired (v 50. Cook.
20. And the king sware and said:"
| The king had no hesitation, but, with
4 his old-time energy and rapidity. from
4 his sicllbed he issued his orders Hath
redeemed my soul out of all Distress
4 The repeated del.verance ont of straits
and danger tout of the hand of his
enemies and out of the hand OF SAUL
was one of the most remarkable
features of Dayidis life. and IT is no won
der that he repeatedly commentaries
it, converting every admiration into an
act Of Thanksgiving. Pulpit Common
tary-
80. -'CaIH me Zadok the priest, and
Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the
son of Jehoida:" The order of names
marks the position of the persons with
respect to the matter in hand
So The servants of your Lord" The
Cherethites and pelethites, who formed
he royal 'hody-guarh (see v. .38). Per-
! haps also the Gibborim. or mighty
men, ''Cause Solomon to
1 ride upon mine own mule:" The Rab-
bins tell us that it. svas death to ride
on the kings mule without permisson;
| and TINS it would be more evident to
all that the proceedings with respect to
Solomon had Dayid's sanction. Bring
! him down to Gihon:" Either the val
/ ley that ran from the Damascus gate
between the temple hill and Mount
Zion called afterwards the Tyro-
poenm-or the valley west of Je1msa-
! lem
81. "Anoint him there:~ The anofnt-
ing was the most solemn portion of the
ceremonies connected with the installa-
| tion of new king. We only read of ms
being done or some very marked occa-
sions. blow We with the trumpet" to
proclaim to all the announcement that
Solomon was king.
35. THAT he may GOMEZ" up to Zion
! and the palace. 'And sit upon nv
throne" as Dayid's partner and sue
! cessor. He reigned about six months as
| coregent4
SO. "Beniah:" the commander in chief
Of Solomon's army, in place of Joab.
1 4