The Tupelo journal., 1907-11-29
n king remained at Mahana,m. And

Ell King remained AT MdldndIm. Anu
IL 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 over 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, 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 whith-
er he had brought the ark of the GOV.
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 1t for the
Lord. What glorious situation for
the city which should become in 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
superhuman effort the precipitous
walls and had after 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
| to 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 i'm the construc-
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 never more to
| dwell there? Thus in sorrow and
| doubt he waited But 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 l return" David cried
to his confidential advisers, after he
| had dismissed the delegation, while
the people of Judah, mine own breth-
rem, and while Jerusalem, the holy
city, speaks no word of invitation?"
So this proved a great sorrow to
David that no word had yet come to
| 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
affair, the priests at Jerusalem, say
| ing:
Speak unto the elders of Judah.
saying, Why are we the last to bring
I 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 we 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, I'VE 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 our city and
our land is desolate without it's king"
So they sent this word unto the
king:
Return thou and all thy servants. -
And the king returned, and came
| to Jordan. And judah came to Gilgal
to go to meet the king, to conduct the
king over Jordan.