The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1907-11-30

them. many years longer. He had
lost his grip on things. He had been
driven out of the royal city. Why
again saddle the aged king upon
them? Let him remain in exile.
They would seek out another who
should rule.
This new conspiracy was strongest
among certain of the tribes Of Ben
jamin, prominent among whom was
Sheba, the son of Blchri. But among
all the tribes of Israel there were NAL
contents, who were only waiting the
call of a leader to make fresh rupture
in the nation. IS ~~s
Such was the chaotic state OF the
nation while the old and sorrow-strick
,en king remained at Mahanaim. And
If in the hearts of the people the mem
DRY of David's greatness and goodness
and power came crowding, into his
heart there came likewise the mem
Dry of other days. Now that the first
poignant grief ove the death OF Alb
salon was passed and he had time to
contemplate his state and think on
what the loss of the nation and the
royal city meant to him, a deeper
more crushing sorrow came upon him.
Jerusalem, the holy city Of God, the
place where with joy he had set up
the tabernacle of the Lord and width
er he had brought the ark of the COW
enant of the Lord.
When first he came upon the strong
hold years before while it was still in
the hands of the enemy the inspiration
had come to him to conquer it for the
Lord. What a glorious situation for
1.-THE city which should become in a Pc
/ culiar sense the habitation of the
Lord, he had thought. And so in the
strength of the Lord and at the peril
of his life he had assembled by almost
s%uperhuman effort the precipitous
walls and had after a fierce hand-to-
hand conflict subdued the city.
And because of what that city had
cost him, and because of what it had
become in his thought and ambitions
he longed with an intense longing to
be back there once more. 1t was in
that city he had planned and purposed
20 build the Lord a splendid temple,
but God had said him nay, and had
given him the promise that his son
should build the Lord a house. And
this thought of the future had made
bright the late years of his life as
! he had set about gathering material
which would be used in the GOnstruc-
ton of such a temple as he longed to
see built.
But now he was an exile from his
beloved city. Were his dreams for
the future of the city never to be
realized? Was he v more to
dwell there? Thus in sorrow and
doubt he waited. Put no word came
from his people looking to his re-
turn.
But one day a delegation came to
Mahanaim from the northern tribes,
bringing words Of good cheer to the
king and urging his return.
while thou art absent, Sheba, the
son of Bichri, and others are busy
striving to cause further trouble"
they said. Come with us, and we
will establish thy kingdom"
But how can | return" David cried
to his confidential advisers, after he
had dismissed the delegation, while
the people of judah, mine W breth-
rem, and while Jerusalem, the holy
city. speaks no word of invitations"
So this proved a great sorrow to
| nox,iJ TINT M word had vot COmp RI
him from Jerusalem, and those who
served near to the king discerning the
grief of his heart over this thing, sent
messengers secretly to Zadok and Abb
athar, the priests at Jerusalem, say
ing:
Speak unto the elders of Judah,
saying, Why are We the last to bring
the king back to his house? Seeing
the speech of all Israel is come to the
king, even to his house. Ye are his
brethren, We are his bones and his
| flesh: wherefore then are ye the last
to bring back the king?"
Now when this word was repeated
in the ears of the elders by Zadok and
Abiathar, after they had summoned
them into their presence, deep sorrow
seized their hearts that they had so
forgotten and neglected their king.
why" they said, 1--WE had feared
his anger, and thought that he would
return but to punish us for our dis
loyalty"
NAY, but thou. hast misjudged our
king. for his heart is towards his peo-
pie and Jerusalem, continually"
YEA, and the tribes to the north
have been first to send word to the
king ~beseeching his return. How
! ever, if thou shalt send speedily and
ask the king to return he will for.
give thy neglect and return with JOY
to his land urged the priests.
Then we will send at once" they
all exclaimed. For Jul city and
our land is desolate without its king"
So they sent this word unto the
king:
Return thou and all thy servants"
And the king returned, and came
Al T,,I1h n oy,n IN NiIOoI