Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-07-08
INTERNATIONAL
LESSON
(By E. q. SELLERS. Acting Director Of
Sunday School Course. The Moody Bible
Institute OF ChicagOD
LESSON FOR JULY II
SOLOMON AMOUNTED KING.

SOLOMON AMOUNTED KING.
LESSON TEXT Kings 1850
GOLDEN TEXT-Know thou the God OF
thy father, and serve him with q perfect
heart and a willing mind. / ChrOn, 2s:s.
1.-THE king is dead; long live the
king" Old and decrepit at seventy
years Of age, a successor must soon
take the shepherd kings seat OF
power.
Dayid's record ID a wonderful n
as an empire builder, an organizer and
an accumulation Of wealth. Read care
fully | Chron. 1928. Three characters
are the most outstanding for our con
sideration in this lesson.
1. David. (a) He had to make a
selection wv. 20, 27) but God used Da'
vid to make his own choice Of Solo
mon. %Jedidiah, "the beloved of Jeho-
vah," e Sam. II: 25), was he whom
Jehovah desired to sit upon the throne.
OBJ David had a promise he must
needs fulfill wv. II, 800. While his
second son, who sought to usurp his
throne, Is engaged with his fellow con-
spirators wv. 8, All in feasting and
rejoicing in their supposedly easy vic
tory over the aged father, David raj
lies and gives direction for the public
proclamation of Solomon as king,
thereby redeeming his promise. Many
professed Christians treat their prom.
ises far too lightly. Bath-sheba EN-
boldened by her need ". 16) enters
the kings chamber where now another
ministers in her stead, and lays the
facts of Adonijah's rebellion before
David, concluding her petition with the
dramatic words of verse twenty. Bath
sheba's petition is REINFORCED by the
words of David's mentor, Nathan wv.
90, 27). Turning again to Bath-sheba
David emphatically r~eiterates his de-
termination to carry out to the full
Gods commandments relative to his
successor. Even in the hour of his de-
parture David remembers that 1t Is
Jehovah that hath redeemed my soul
out of all distress" ". 29). (c) David
then gives careful command relative
to the public proclamation of the new
king wv. 80, 35). Calling to his help
his trusted and tried friends, Zadok
the priest, Nathan the prophet (see 2
Sam. 1924, 25) and Benaiah the sol
dier Il Chron, ~11:22.25), he directs
them to place Solomon upon his own
mule ". 33) and take him to Gihon
there to be anointed and proclaimed
king in David's stead. Contrast Da-
vid's scrupulous obedience regarding
the use of horses (Deut. 1870 with
that of Absalom e Sam. 15:1) and
Adonijah ". 81. Note also it was the
priest and the prophet alone who were
to anoint the king ". 34). In this we
see a parable of the establishment of
the everlasting kingdom OF righteous
ness by the Prince of Peace and not
by means, OIL use, of the sword.
This amounting was a symbol OF
dedication to God CLev. S:19-l2) and
the oil of our amounting by the Holy
Spirit which is all essential and suf-
ficient for the subjects of his king
dom luke "a: 40. Acts 1859. But as
these were only outward form n
symbol, they must petition Jehovah to
keep the new king ". S4). ID David
took no chances but steps aside fully,
while he yet lived, that all question OF
Solomon's right should be removed
". 35).
CAA ln GnH-rhnnan IL
Chron. 2S:5; 29:1). Solomon was the
first son Of David and Bath-sheba after
their legal marriage. His name means
Peaceful (see ! Chron. 22:9) and
may suggest the fact that David had
found the peace of forgiveness. Solo.
mon inherited the strength of David's
maturity and Christening also, and
through his mother, the wisdom OF
| Ahithophel, whose advice was as If q
man had inquired at the oracle OF God"
e Sam. 1929. Oh He was chosen be-
cause of %intercession (ch. 1:lO. The
standing of the Christian is what 1t is
in the sight of God because of II who
mercedes on our behalf John 10.
(c) He was chosen in the midst of con-
troversy and as against antagonists
". 81. So the Christian, chosen be.
fore the foundation of the world in
Christ, also has great opposition and
a dangerous antagonist and, like Solo
mon, he Is secure in spite of the as
saults of the evil one Il Cor. 1913,
Jude 2a). I'D Solomon was chosen
for q definite work q Chron. 2S:1O).
The sad spectacle presented today is
to see so many professed Christians
who seem to have no sense OF respon.
sibility much less an appreciation Of
their privileges in Christ Jesus. (e)
Solomon was promised help Il Chron.
2S:9) so are we and according to each
days duty $50 shall thy strength be-"
81 can do all things through Christ
which strengthened me" (Phil. 4:lS).
M. Adonijah. (a) He was a self-se-
lected king ". 81 and as such lacked
not only the approval of God but the
ability to execute his designs. He had
Joab the bloody soldier and Abiathar
the jealous priest as his conspirators,
yet all combined could not set aside
the decree of God. (b) He was a
spoiled child. His father had not
displeased him at any time" (all his
life, V. g.. True he was David's eldest
living son, yet he was not in the line
Of Gods selection. Throughout the