The Yale expositor., 1908-10-30
ABSALOM REBELS
AGAINST DAVID
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. !, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

home of David. CD Hebron. the oldest
town OF Palestine. 20 miles south of
Jerusalem, where Absalom began his open
! rebellion.
DAVID.-About GO or SO years old, in
the thirty-second year of his reign.
ENTHUSIASTICALLY eight or nine
years old
DAVID'S COUNSELORS. - ID The
prophet Nathan. who was also one OF
David's biographers q Chron. 1920. 90
Ahithophel, the grandfather of Bath
sheba, and man OF marvellous sagacity,
whose advice was like 1.-The oracles OF
God" e Sam. 1928. 60 Hushai, a wise
friend Of David.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Young Man INSTRUMENTATION
was the son of Maacah, a princess, the
daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur,
a region northeast of the Sea of Cali
lee in the foothills of the Lebanon
mountains. He was born soon after
David became king of Israel, and
hence was between 25 and 80 years
old at the time of his rebellion.
His Inheritance. Being the descend
ant of kings in both lines of descent,
of distinguished appearance and
princely manners, Absalom inherited
ing, and beauty of his fathers hand
some and manly house. The sacred
writer expatiates 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
even to the crown of his head there
ufDG fCh IN d fNa he hot
of his head is a proverb to this day."
Alexander Whyte.
But this was not all he inherited
From his mother he inherited all that
a corrupt court and heather tenden-
cies and environment had impressed
upon her nature. From his father he
inherited a great mind, a strong will,
a large nature, strong passions, but al
so a power of self-control, an enlight-
ened conscience, a religious nature,
and all that the training of his Beth
lehem home could impress upon his
character.
Conditions Favorable to a Change of
Government. /. II was a time of gen.
eral peace throughout the wide en-
an opportunity was given for internal
dissension, fault-finding, and opposi-
ton.
2. There was a growing dissatis-
faction with the king The business
of the law courts, over which the king
himself presided, had become too vast
to be attended to by one man. APP
peals from inferior judges and cases
brought directly before the king could
not all receive a fair hearing.
8. David was very busy preparing
materials and gathering money for a
future temple. Nothing was visibly
accomplished, yet the taxes were high.
4. David would naturally at his age
be less active, less in the peoples
eye, doing less for the outward glory
Of the kingdom.
5. 1t is possible that the events de-
scribed in the last chapter of Sam
uel took place before this time. The
enrolment would be unpopular. The
plague that followed would intensity
the discomfort.
6. In this case David was near the
end of life, and Absalom would try
not so much to take his fathers king
dom from him, as to insure that he
himself should be the successor.
V. 1. Prepared him chariots and
horses and so men to run before him"
The orientals are very fond Of such
display. DIR. Trumbull says when his
little party started from Cairo for the
pyramids a handsome young "Sais"
bedecked with scarlet and blue and
green and gold ran before them at the
top of his speed, calling out for clear
path among the camels and donkeys
and foot assengers.-Oriental Social
Life, p. 215.
V. 2. "Absalom rose up early" TO be
on hand when the people came to pre-
sent their cases to 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 we're not
in their houses for evening work
Kings therefore held courts in the
early morning. Beside the way of the
gate" There was usually an open
market place near the gates for bust
ness and public meetings.
We should inquire of our own
hearts whether we are grateful to
God for all his benefits to us, and
whether we are showing our gratitude
by our lives.
The story of King Lear Is a CON-
mentary on ingratitude,
v. Z. And It came to pass after 40
years" Some think this number is
counted from the beginning of David's
reign, but most regard IL as a tran
scriber's error for four. a mistake
easily made when numbers were des-
| ignated by letters often very similar.
The r. v. margin says: Some ancient
authorities read -four years So does
Josephus. let me so and pay my
vow, in Hebron" A place
conveniently distant for his purpose.
and at the beginning of David's reign
the capital of Jujea.
Far worse than ingratitude OF man
Is ingratitude of children to parents.