Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1908-10-29
ABSALOM REBELS
AGAINST DAVID
Sudsy School Lesson for Nov. I, 1905
Specially Arranged for This Paper


and thy mother. that thy days may lie
long upon the land which the Lord thy
God givcth thee" I;Sodus 20;i2.
TIME The exact time is uncertain.
TIN" following dates are ~ exact no can
well he obtained. David begins To reign
at ago OF 80. II. e. 1868 1912. David'a sin
ana repentance. u. e. 1882 99l. Amnon's
crime, one ycnr later. u g. 1911 800. Alb
snlom Kills hIa brother. two years later.
w.. {, 1893 oSS. Absnlom's exile. three
years. u &. 1896 $50. Absaiom two years
In Jerusalem. u. q. 1904. os3. hbsnloin's
plotting, tire" or four years. -. &. 1890.
y0. Death OF David, -. G.. 1903 -y72.
PIA'E.-D Jerusalem. the capital nnl
home OF David. CD Hebron. the oldest
town of Palestine, 20 miles south Of
Jerusalem. where hbsalom began his open
rebellion.
DAVID About G. or 3 years old. In
the thirty second year OF his reign
MISUNDERSTANDING eight or nine
years old.
DAVID'S cOUNSfLORS. -- % Tho
prophet Nathan. who was also one OF
Dnvid'a biugrHphcrs q Chron. - 90. go
Ahithoph"i. the grandfather OF Bath
siiebn. ana n man OF marvellous snghcity.
Whose ndviCc Was like the oraclcs OF
Cod G. Sam. lG:23. go IIushni, II wise
friend Of David.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Young Man Absalom. -AbsalOm
was III" son of Maacah, n princess, tho
daughter OF Talmai. king OF Goshur.
"A region northeast OF the Sea of Gall.
Ice In the foothills Of the Lebanon
mountains. He was born soon after
David became king Of Israel, and
hence was between 90 and 80 years
old At the time OF his rebellion.
Ills Inheritance. Being the descend.
ant of kings In both lines of descent,
Of distinguished appearance and
prinCcly manners, Absalom inherited
all the handsomcncss, manly bear.
Ing, and beauty of his fathers hand.
some and manly house. The sacred
writer %cNpa,iatcs with evident relish
upon AbsalOm's extraordinary beauty.
In all Israel there was none to be so
much praised as Absalom for his
beauty. From the sole Of his foot
vcn to the crown Of hiB head there
was no blcmish In him. And the hair
Of his head Is a provcrb 10 this day"
Alexander Whyt".
But this was not all he inherited.
From his mother he inherited all that
a corrupt court and heaihcn tcndcn.
cics and environment had impressed
upon her nature. From his father h"
inherited "A great mind. IA strong will.
Il large nature. strong passions, but al
30 z power Of self control, an cnlight-
"n"d conscience. n religious nature.
and all that the training Of his Beth
l"hcm home could impress upon his
character.
Conditions Favorable to n Change OF
Government. !. II was "A time of gen.
"ral peace throughout tn" wide en-.
piro. For all restless, warlikc spirits
an opportunity was given for internal
dis8cnsion. fault finding. and oppoBi.
tlOn.
2 There was n growing dissaiis
faction with the king. The business
OF the law courts, over which the king
himself presided, had become too vast
10 be attended To by n man. Ap.
pcalB from inferior judges and cases
brought directly before tn" king could
not all receive "a fn r hearing.
3. David vas very busy preparing
materials and gathering money for n
IulUI' I'Illbl'. .N'lIilIB Nib NINlIIlJ
accomplished. yet tie taxes were high.
4. David would naturally at his 4
be less active, less In the peoples
eye, doing lcBs for the outward glory
OF The kingdom.
r. II liz possible that the events de.
scribcd in the last chapter Of 2 sam
mel toOk place before this time. The
...lI..-A .,.tl l. .l.. n'LD
plague that followed would intensity
the discomfort.
4. In this case David was near the
end Of life. and Absalom would try
not 80 much to take his fathers king,
dom from him. nH TO insure that no
himself should DO the successor.
V. /. %"prcparcd him chariots and
"Ors"B and 80 men TO run before him"
rhc oficnialB are very fond Of such
display. DR.. Trumlnll says when his
little party started from Cairo for the
pyramids a handsome young SAILS"
icdcckcl with scarlet and blue and
green and gold ran before them at tho
top Of his speed. calling out for a clear
path among the cnmcls and dOnkeya
and foot pasBcngCrB-Oricntai Social
Ltfe. p. 2l5.
V 2. "Absalom rose up early" to be
on Land when the people came to pre-.
sent their cases 10 the king. Business
In the east is held early. In order to
escape the heat Of The day. They re-
tired early. for modern lights were not
Ia their houses for evening work.
Kings therefore held courts In the