The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-07-06
: PLOT, A COUNTERPLOT-A KING
The International Sunday School Les
son for July II is Solomon AnOint-
cd King i King III: 2:12.
(By WILLIAM II. ELLISO

(By WILLIAM Il.
Here comes the son, to stand on
the fathers shoulders. holding the
ola torch higher. Does not the real
test of a father come in rearing sons
who are greater than himself? Solo
mon outshone David, by David's help. |
That line of reasoning must not
b. insisted upon too strongly, for
there was Absalom and Adonijah.
Eral life has a way of confounding
orr simple rules. Still. we know
that one reason why these two sons
~ David failed SO t~ragically (aside
from any part their mothers may
have mad to do with the case) was
that their father let them have their
own way. They were spoiled" as
arr significant colloquialism has it.
U~ndisciplined, they grew wilful and
vain and selfish beyond reason.
These g~ood-looking. cgotistical tops
stand, like Lots wife, as pillars OF
remembrance. to warn others against
their fate. There never was a selfish,
pnrestrained and INDUCED boy wno
did not reap bitterness in his own
spirit.
Action and excitement abound in
our lesson story. Old King David
was in his dotage. His oldest son,
Adonijah began to plot for the
throne. although everybody knew
that David had promised it to Bath
sheba. How the friends of Solomon
circumvented the scheme of Adoni-
jah 10y another plot. completes the
story.
M Plotting Of Princes.
Taking advantage of the secluSiOn
OF King David, in his growing fee
hleness. and indifference to public
affairs, Adonijah began to put him
self more prominently in h public
eye. He rode forth in state, with royal
~trappinss and outrunners. Unwarn-
ed by the example of his brother
AbSalom, he tried to steal the hearts
Of the people. Like many another
politician since, he mistook the fiat
ferries of the self-seekers nearest him
as "A voice of the people. That willy
warrior, old Joab and shrewd Alba
thar the priest. used the young mar
as their tool: for they had evidently
entertained the ambition to be king
makers. There was nothing in Adoni
jah's selfish life to teach him to Sc
through the designs of these traitor
80 the king.
Coached by these courtiers, tn,
plotting prince planned a great feas
a short distance below the city. Al
the princes were invited except Solo
mon. and most Of the leading me
of the nation. ZadOk, the priest
Nathan. the prophet and Benaiah, tn
captain Of the host, n others Q
David's famous heroes were not bid
den because their loyalty to the kin
was known to be unsuitable. A
this great feast it was planned tha
the cry should rise, Long live Kin
A~donijah." The whole affair was
be given the appearance OF a sponta
neous outburs of popular opinion
and on this wave Adonijah was I
ride TO the throne. Everything wer
according to schedule, except ths
prompt action by Solomen's part
was not looked for.
The Prophet Who Was q Minute Ma
Often the criticism is made tn
good men are not practical; ar
that preachers cannot put throug
their own programme OF reforI
Here was Nathan the fearless proph
who mad rebuken King David for h
sin; surely he was merely a fear1es
unsafe dealer in abstract righteOu
ness. Not a bit OF it. When it can
10 real efficiency he proved hinSe
superior to Joab and Abiathar and {
the rest of the gang OF court po
ticianS.
His programme was simple. Fin
Bathsheba. the mother Of SOlOm1
OF the plot to deprive her son of I
promised throne. Then, with her '
added to his they arranged that be
OF them should go in to the king
succession. and stir him to a rec
lection Of his promise. They trust
the aroused spirit of David to do t
rest.
And it did. Once awakened to
knowledge OF the plot, the king ga
swift orders for the immediate CO.
nation OF Solomon, on that very d;
The thing was done king fashion,:
And King David said, Cal
nae ZadOk the priest, and Ma
than the prophet. and Benaiaf
son OF Jehoiada. And thes
came before the king.
The king also said HRt<
them, Take with you the servant:
of Vo,lr 1avd MA oas,CA Co3n"ny