The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1907-09-06

I and that is that thy opportunity hath
| come to spread thy rule and thy king.
dom over all Israel. Bid me-" Joab
| went on rapidly and with increasing
| enthusiasm, bid me go, and promise
| thee ere fortnight hath passed to
| have all Israel under thy banner"
| DaVid'S eye flashed and he took a
| step toward Joab.
Think you for moment" he thun-
| dered, that David would take mean
] advantage of the misfortunes of his
brothers in Israel? Does Dayid's king,
! dom increase through unholy in.
trlguGs? Has God left the heavens
that David cannot still trust him."
5 But it is now or never" protested
Joab. Israel needs a leader If il
fnd not such in thee they will choose
one from among themselves to lead
them. There are many ambitious
souls among the men of Israel"
But this thing is not of God If
Israel seek me not as king, then will
not reach out for the kingdom"
Further protest on the part of
Joab was prevented by the hurried
entrance Of servant who announced
the arrival of two messengers from
Israel who demanded to see King
David at once, and at a sign from the
King they were admitted
BoWing low before the king, they
waited until he bade them rise, when
they addressed him as follows:
We be thy servants, O king. We
are Rochab and Baanah, the sons Of
Rlmmon the Beerothite, and are come
with tidings of good things for our
Lord. Behold the head of Ishbosheth,
the son of Saul thine enemy, which
sought thy life"
And as they spoke they unrolled be.
fore the startled eyes of David and
Joab the CHASTITY head of the dead
king of Israel.
David turned away his head in hor
ror, while Rechab and Baanah con.
tinued:
The Lord hath avenged my lord
the king this day of Saul, and of his
seed"
But they got no further, for David {
turned upon them and in voice
which cut like steel he said: 6
AS the Lord llveth, who hath re. a
deemed my soul out of all adversely,
when one told me saying, Behold,
saul Is dead, thinking to have brought
good tidings, I took hold of him, and "
slew him in Ziklag, who thought that
would have given him a reward for al
lis tidtngs. How much more, when tC
wicked men have slain a righteous til
'erson in his own house upon his he'd to
snail | not therefore now require his
1000 OF your hand, and take YOU
way from the earth?" IN
And turning to his young armor m
carers standing near he commanded =
lem TO seize ReChab and Baanab and
take them out and Stay them, which
hen they had done they cut off their
ands and their feet and hanged them
p over the pool in Hebron.
But David had the head of Ish.
'sheth taken and buried in the sep.
cher of Abner in Hebron.
Now, when tidings of these things
ached the ears of the people of Is.
el' they knew that David had not
zen concerned in the wicked plot
"a that he was not trying in anv
~ TO force an extension of his
ngshlp over Israel For this rea.
when the people from all the
bes had come together it was quick.
agreed that they should seek David
at Hebron and there request that
become king over Israel as well
Judah.
AND so 1t came to pass that a few
VS. after, even while Joab was
'aking to his intimate friends of the
Iy OF King David by which he had
his chance of winning control
# all of Israel, that the elders from ,
the tribes sought audience with !
'id at Hebron, saying to him: I
Behold, we are thy bone and thv
h. Also in time past when San,
King over US, thou vast he that
lest out and broughtest in Israel.
the Lord said to thee, Thou shalt
my people Israel, and thou shalt
captain over Israel"
nd David made league with them
hebron before the Lord, and there
anointed David king over Israel,
the rejoicing of the people ex,
ed the morning which had filled
land because of the wars which
been Waged between the king.
& or IU61h and IurooI