Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1903-12-03
Hoavias Charge to Solomon
by WILLIAM 4. ELLIS.

BY WILLIAM Il. ELLIS.
The crcv.ning Of two kings and the
.hwarting of one usurpcr's designs lave
already been studied by Sunday schools
within the past five months. The PRESENT
lesson includes another princcly rebellion
ard the crown,lg ~ 'srael's third kfg,
together with the valedictoty az '9ns
David.
I, David had grown old and somewhat
broken in spirit. The death of Absa pm
had so affected him that Joab. voicinl Il
! common sentiment. complained that lhc
king rfioved more for the death of bis
migrate son than ne ":ould have grictcd
over the defeat of his own army. At 1is
time there was danger of disaffccticnIin
The Kingdom, but Dayid's return to tlr
+, capital caused the tribe to rally ABOUT
him orce more. after the rlngieaderl ot
another incipient rebellion had been PIN
,.lled by death.
The king gave himself. heart and soil,
to the project of the new temple. neglect
iny lessor duties because OF his interest
II the greater. His oversight of the tenn
,otal affairs OF the kingdom was not as
Keen aud careful as ii should lave beer.
and the SAME was true also OF his family
affairs. So before he knew II he had an
cther rebellion brewing beneath his I'M
eceing eyes. Absalom's next younger
brother wis Adoniiah. and both had many
traits In cC~mm6n-thcy were daIidics, tcnh
of display. loving adulation, and so filled
with the spirit of self-seck!ns that they
lisrcgarded all claims of tilial and pa
triotic duty. The death of Absalom left
! Adonijah the oldest son of the king. He
wanted to succeed TO the throne. hut
knew that the Succession had been prom
iSed to young Solomon.
A SECOND REBEL FRINGE.
So. uudeterred by his elder brothers
tate, he began TO foment a rebellion. win
ming to himself the three classes of fol-
lowers who cver3 where can generally be
counted upon to be against the established
order. First We're the unsettled, unstable
,rowds who were ever seeking something
now. and ready to follow any leader who
promised them excitement. Second. were
those with grievances against the admin
i-tration: and, thirdly. the mon whose
private ambitions would be furthered by
a change. Among the latter were those
! sly old faces, Joab and Ahlaihar, strong.
brilliant and constituencies men. lhese
encouraged Prince Adonijah. and when
.:,ey We're gathered together. including a'l
the kings sons except solomon, drinking
%hdonijah's wine and eating his food and
rainting rosy pictures OF success TO nm.
he thought that the kingdom surely was
with him. Nor was he the first man to be
deceived into thinking thai noise was
mower. and that what he wanted to have.
'iappen was to happen.
10 his sorrow he learned that these
reosting, nattcring friends would flee be-
fore the first storm. There We're many
men, strong men. whom this detection
sould not bulge from avid. Then, as In
very community now. there was a pow
srful element which believed in law and
order and established procedure: and VINO
we're altogether unwilling to cast aside a
. ~. w So 1T p,,,,r
arstart.
GROWN SOLOMON
l3athsheha. mother of Solomon, and the
:, nrnnhat Nathan. carried to the king the
news of the plot: the first. from desire 10
make sure of the throne for her son. and
the second from zeal for Gods way.
David's action was prompt. Without CIV
.ng the conspiracy time to grow further,
ae summoned the national assembly and
PRESENTED Solomon as king. Prompt, de-
.ermined action was required by the cir
,umstances, and the old warrlor-king,
,nce aroused, proved himself equal to the
emergency. Decision wins most battles
Many Il man Been swept to death by
an on-rushing Train. because he hesitated
IN the track. as to whether TO go forward
> Dr. backward. David quickly went ahead
and ave the people a new reason to sup
eort him and to be Interested in the king
icm. BY browning Solomon he more eff
eectually defeated Adonijah than by TAX
ing an army out against him. In this hs
illustrated a divine aw: the coronation o.
! The good overcomes the evil. Temptation.
( ire best met by becoming intensely Ell
: saged in noble pursuits. The way for eacl
: life to overwhelm its Adontjahs is simpi.
!. 10 crown Solomon
> Before David's wise .tratagem the con
. sriracy disappeared like a burst bubble
3 Each conspirator sought cover for his owl
: guilty head. and Adonijah found sanctu
airy at the horns Of the altar.
A sTATEsMAN's SPEECH.
. Tho address of Dav to the leaders o
!, Israel, which Is the text of the presen
! study, showed marked sagacity an
= craftsmanship. He v to the occasio'
az official and important a character a
POSSIBLE. He stood up to speak. signify
: ing the unusual nature of his message
IN tones that were patcrnal and in word
: that were patriotic he delivered his mas
= cage. taking his people right into his cor
J, ndence. and appealing to their deepes
u sentiments.
He made much of the new temple
, which great project had been CONSTANT
: In the peoples thought for years. The
y national pride and religious spirit wel
4 both touched as the king dwclt upon h
y. desire to uild a suitable house for j,
hovah.
= Then he reverted to his own call to II
Is throne. He had been made king by i
~ rect appointment of Jehovah: he was n,
= even of the royal family. and he was Il
~ youngest OF his fathers sons. But j
III hovah had named him: and SO Jehova
u had named his son. Solomon, to sit {
: lsrael's throne n to build the gre,
temple. TO do anything else than
II iecognixe Solomon as king would .nte
ne fere with the divine arrangement.
u, AnsSn rpnfty Ad0uOiob o,rj III. ,,oA -.