The Tupelo journal., 1903-10-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
lesson in the International Series
for November l., 19O3-David
and Absa1om.
H LESSON TEXT.
q Sam. 15:1-12.l

L. <hiid ~ am " pass dLtCl tuiS, IHdL
Absalom prepared him chariots and horses,
and 50 men to run before him.
q And Absalom rose up early, and stood
beside the way of the gate; and 1t was
so, that when any man that had a cen
troversy came to the king for judgment,
then AbsalomN called unto him, and said,
OF what city art thou? And he said, Thy
servant Is one of the tribes of Israel.
g. And Absalom said unto him, See, thy
matters are good and right; but there is
no man deputed OF the king to hear thee.
4. Absalom said moreover. Oh that I
were made judge in the land, that every
man which hath any suit or cause might
come unto me, and / woul do him justice!
s. And 1t was so. that when any man
came nigh to him to do him ob~eisance, he
put forth his hand, and took him, and
kissed him.
G. And on this manner did Absalom 10
all Israel that came to the king for judg-
ment; so Absalom stole the hearts of the
men of Israel.
Z. And II came to pass after 40 years.
that Absalom said unto the king, ! pray
thee. let me go and pay my vow, which
/ have vowed unto the Lord, in Hebron.
S. For thy servant vowed a vow while
l abode at Geshur in Syria, saying. If the
Lord shall bring me again indeed to Jeru-
salem. then l will serve the Lord.
8. And the king said unto him. Go in
peace. So he arose, and went TO Hebron.
10. But Absalom sent spies throughout
all the tribes of Israel, saying. AS soon
as ye hear the sound Of the trumpet, then
ye shall say, Absalom reigneth In Hebron.
II. And with Absalom went 800 men out
OF Jerusalem, that were called: and they
went in their simplicity, and they knew
not anything.
IL. And Absalom sent for Ahithophel the
Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city,
even from Giloh, while he offered sacrI-
fees. And the conspiracy was strong; for
the people increased continually with Alb
SALON..
TEXT.-Honour thy ia
Their and thy that thy days
may be long upon the land which the
Lord thy God giveth thee.-Ex. 2O,12.
OUTLINE OF SCRIPTURE SECTION.
Absalom, David's Traitor Son. 2 Sam. 1914.
Absalom's Conspiracy: The Prepara-
tlon Sam. I5:l-6.
open Rebell1on................2 Sam. l6:7-l2.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
e Sam. 13, 14.) Absalom, the third
son of David, was sall and handsome,
winning in his manner, and as friendly
with the poorest of the people as he was
with the members of the ~aristocracy.
He was an ideal prince so far as graces
and accomplishments were concerned.
His first prominence in the story is In
connection with his murder of the
crown prince Ammon. Ammon was the
son of one of David's wives, and Absa-
lom of another, and there was constant
jealousy between the children of the diff
ferent wives of the harem. Ammon
wronged Absalom's sister lamar in a
most outrageous way, and as David,
who should have punished the offender,
weakly did nothing about it, Absalom
vowed vengeance, and, after waitingtwo
years for the opportunity, killed his half
brother, whom he had invited to be his
guest at a feast in his country house.
Instead of being third in the order of
succession he was now second (or per-
haps first, for strangely enough, David's
second son drops out of the history en-
tirely, though his death is not recorded).
He probably has his eye on the throne
at this time. But however that may
have been, he had killed the heir to the
throne, and, fearing the indignation of
the people, fed to Syria. After three
years he was recalled by David, and in
two years more restored to full favor at
court. But his respect for his father had
weakened, and during the years of exile
he lost what little love he may have had
for him.
(Ch. 15:1-6.) From the very day of
his reinstatement, Absalom seems to
have been plotting to seize the throne.
His motives were probably four: ~ A
desire to become king at once without
waiting for David to die; ca contempt
for the way in which his father had
fallen under the influence of Bathsheba,
the latest addition to his harem, and
suspicion that David would make her
child rather than himself the next king;
60 a feeling that David had wronged
him in banishing him for avenging the
outrage to his sister, which according to
immemorial custom was a kinsman's
duty TO do; ca a feeling not wholly self
ish that he could and would govern bet
ter than his father, whose sensual life
had greatly weakened his character and
made him lax in the performance of
duty.
Absalom's methods were those of the
demagogue. His chariots and footmen
correspond to the ward politicians silk
hat, etc. "Stood beside the gate"
on the road by which, those having
claims to present before the king would
go to the palace. "Thy matters are
good" Flattery. But there is no man
deputed:" An attempt to poison the
minds of the people against the king.
(Ch. 15:7-12): after forty years."
Some manuscripts read four years. If
forty is correct it would refer to the
years of David's reign; if four, to the
years of Absalom's plotting. "Thy
servant vowed a VOW" .Absalom's lone
is dutiful to his father, and pious in the
extreme. He has been called the Judas
Of the Old Testament. "Spies:" Sc
cret emissaries. Two hundred men
. that were invited" Probably prom
inent men. They mad not taken sides
with Absalom, but the general public
would suppose they had, and the effect
would be the same. The plot was
worked out in a mastery a and at
the close of this lesson seems almost
certain to succeed.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
Weak indulgence and partiality to the
child may result in bitter fruitage for
the parents.
The son who is not compelled to obey
and respect his father may come to hate
him.
Any mans motives may well be sus-