The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1903-12-04
"Davids Charge to Solomon"
BY MIL.LIAM Z ELLIS

BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
The crcwning of two kings and the
thwarting of one usurper's designs have
already been studied by Sunday schools
within The past five months. The present
lesson includes another princely rebellion
and the GROWING OF ~Israel's third king,
together with the valedictory OF King
David.
David had grown old and somewhat
broken in spirit. The death of Absalom
mad so affected him that Joab, voicing a
common sentiment, complained that the
KING grieVed more for the death of his
migrate son than he would have grieved
over the defeat of his own army. At this
hme there was danger of dlsaffcction in
the kingdom, but David's return to the
capital caused the tribe to rally about
him once more, after the ringleader of
another incipient rebellion had been pun
ished by death.
IN king gave himself, heart and soul,
to the project Of the new temple. neglect
ing lesser duties because of his interest
III the greater. His oversight of the tom
poral affairs of the kingdom was not as
keen and careful as ii should nave been,
ana the same was true also of his family
affairs. So before he knew it he had an
other rebellion brewing beneath his I'M
seeing eyes. Absalom's next younger
brother was Adonijah, and both had many
TRAITS in conmon-they were handles, fond
W. I.;+ h"7p,aS, ioHins auuiatlon. ana SO lliied
- tne SPilit OF Sei-Seehlns that they
80 SS"iVep an clalHls OF nllal ana pa
uutS' me ueath OF Apsaiom ielt
AdonJah the Oldest son of the king. He
wanted to succeed to the throne, but
80" 'ndt 'he succession mao oeeh prom
iSed to young Solomon.
A SECOND REBEL PRINCE.
So, undeterred by his elder brothers
fate. he began to foment n rebellion win
ming to himself the three classes Of fol-
lowers who everywhere can generally be
counted upon to be against the established
order. First We're the unsettled, unstable
crowds who were ever seeking something
new, and ready to follow any leader who
promised them excitement. Second, were
those with grievances against the admin
Istfatlon; and, thirdly, the men whose
private ambitions would be furthered by
d change. Among the latter were those
sly old faces, Joab and Abiathar, strong,
orliilant and constituencies men. These
encouraged Iflnce Adonijah, and when
lhey We're gathered together, including all
the kings sons except Solomon, drinking
AdonlJah'S wine and eating his food and
painting rosy pictures of success to him,
ne thought that the kingdom surely was
with him. Nor was he the first man to be
iecelNed INTO linking that noise was
= tttN' t4iItt. net NV "GtiilSu " lliNcl
happen was to happen
10 hEa sorrow he learned that these
teastlng, ttattering friends would flee be-
TORE the first storm. There Were many
men, strong men, whom this DETECTION
couii not fudge from avid. Then, rs in
every on1munity now, there was a pow
arful element which believed in law and
order and established procedure; and who
were altogether unwilling to cast aside a
tried sovereign for this handsome young
upstart.
GROWN SCLCMON.'
na.iltnepl' mother OF solomon, ana the
ploPieL tSa.hal' carried to the. KING the
1--WE VI tne piot' the lirst' from desire TO
lihNe sure ol the throne Tor her son, and
Ine second from Zeal ior God way.
DaVlus actlon was prompt. Without Civ
.h5 tHe conspiracy tme TO grow further,
ne suliiloneu the hatlonal assembly and
presented solomon as KING. Prompt, de-
terfnlred action was required by the cir
'u~iiStahces, ana the old Warrlor-klng,
once aroused, proved himself equal to the
emergency. Decision wins most battles.
Nlahy q man zen swept to death by
an on-rushlng tram, because he hesitated
On lAe track, as to whether to go forward
Or backward. David quickly went ahead,
and save the people a new reason to sup
port him and to be interested in the king
dom. By browning Solomon he more eff
tectuaiiS oeleated AdonlJah than by TAX
ing an army out against him. In this he
Illustrated a divine law:.the coronation of
The good overcomes the evil. Temptations
are best met by becoming intensely en-
gagged in noble pursuits. The way for each
life to overwhelm it's Adonijahsais simply
to crown Solomon.
Before David's wise ctratagem the con-
splracy disappeared like a burst bubble.
Each conspirator sought cover for his own
guilty head, and Adonijah found sanctu-
airy at the horns of the altar.
A STATESMAN,s spFFcH
Tho addrass of Daw.d - 49, Iaaaar.
Israel. which is Tho taxt Of the nrasaut
study. showed marked sa@acttr, md
statesmansbip. He gave 70 tbe ooo, sion
nossihle Ea s+nnd 80 . caih go as
inp the ,n,fs,,a1 ~ : spsah' Sicily
m tones t,1a xsar ,,@ natar, = ~. ms nlessase.
mar were ,aa+rs;otio p ho da,a atp9 IN words