Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1920-08-26

latter years were due to his sin.
whereas those of the first part of his
life were not. One of the things that
made his last years burdensome was
his failing health. AS life went in
| those days, David was a young man
when he died. But at seventy he was
an old man. One of the things that
was done to make his last years more
bearable was to get him another wife
"a young buxom Shananite girl,
Abishag, who was strong and Wig
orous. This was probably because
of the popular superstition that an
old person drawns strength from a
young person when the two sleep
together. There is nothing in the
superstition though.
born after Absalom. also. Adonijah
as the eldest son alive, thought the
kingdom would fall to him. And
since his father was in such feeble
health, he decided he would make
the matter sure; He was success
the commanding general of his
fathers forces, and of Zerniah, the
priest. But the old guard of the
Cherethites and Pelethites had not
| yet been gained.
Adonijah gave a big barbecue down
the valley of the Kedron, just south
east of Jerusalem. at Zapebeth. He
| invited Joab and Zerniah and all the
kings sons except Soloman. Nor did
| he invite Nathan the. nor Abiathan
| the priest, nor Benaiah the son of
| Joboida, who was general next in
command of Joeb.
Nathan realized what was up and
adroitly managed the plan. He knew
| the soft spot in David's heart of
Bethsheba, SO he sent her to tell David
of Adonijah's plans and to remind
| him of his promise to her that Solo
mon, her son, should succeed him.
| AS soon as she had finished Nathan
| appeared and corroborated her story.
as of his word, so feeble though he
| was he gave his orders to Nathan
and Zerniah and Beniah.
Solomon was to be placed on the
kings own mule, and followed
to Gibon. Now Gibon was only a
few yards away from Zopebeth, where
Adonajah's barbecue was in progress.
There Solomon was to be anointed
king and the trumpets blown as
the sign of a great rejoicing.
The matter was promptly carried
out; the procession was escorted BIZ
David's mightiest warriors, and there
was great rejoicing as they came
back into the city,
of. bed to see it; but he bowed him
self in bed in gratitude to God who
had called him to the kingdom and
had established it, by giving him
son to sit on the throne and let him
live to see it.
The noise at Gibon was heard at
Zo,peleth, and all the guests of Adoni-
jah wondered what he heant. A mes
senger finally gave them the news
summer cloud. Adoniiah, ran for the
alter and caught hold of the horns
of it for protection. He believed in
safety first. Later Joab did the
same thing, but lost out, as Solomon
ordered him slain, to avenge the
been slain by him in cold blood.
Solomon promised Adonijah his life
If he would behave like man; but
AdonJah got Bethsheba to ask Solo
mon to give him the young buxom
Shunamite girl who had nourished
his father in his last illness. Had
solomon granted this request, Adoni-
Jah would surely have used it, claim
ing since he had married his fathers
youngest wife, he should have his
was wise enough to see that, so he
ordered him slain.
Another's Choice
The point about this whole story,
aside from its mere historical in
terest, is the way in which solomon
came to the throne He had no claim
TO the throne. He was not the eldest
son, nor was his mother the earliest
wife. When we realize that his
mother was the co-partner in David's
others, he would be the last to sue
coed to the kingdom. But he came
to the throne purely because David
chose him. 1t was nothing that he
did himself and it was outside the
bounds of the probable, as we have
seen.
Why David chose him We do not
know. 1t may have ben to compen-
safe Bethsheba in ~ measure for the
great wrong he had done her, for
without doubt he was the greater
offender. Possibly Bethsheba was his
favorite wife; if SO it is strange that
She did not minister to him in his
last illness. But whatever the rea-
son 1t was David's choice rather than
Solomon's efforts that brought him
to the throne.
In fact, Solomon seems to have
Played a passive part throughout.
Everything was done for him-all he
a!d was to receive it. David chose
him. Bethsheba and Nathan worked
for him, Zenejah and the army nlac-
ed him on the mule and led him to
G1bon and Zerinah anointed him. It
was not until he had been placed on
the throne that he himself became
active, and in whose strength he act
ed we shall see later.
1t was by David's grace that he
succeeded to the throne. And back
OF DaV1d's grace was Gods grace:
for do you realize what grace it took
Tor God to choose David's and Beth
saepa,s son to the human ancestors
may get the full force of this look
again at the geneology of icons in
Matt. 1; and ponder over the names
OF Tamar, Pharez and of Rahab, and
OF her that had been the wife of
But there's further point to this,
Not only did Solomon come to the
kingdom because of the choice of
another and the grace of God, but
That is just, why you and 1 are
not chosen me, but I have C ch oaee
YOU, said Jesus to His disciples
on that never to-be-forgotten ThIrs.
cay evening in the upper room, And
Ills words are ringing in our ears
at this moment. We only love Him
choose Him but He chose us. And
there is nothing we can do to make
our position sure. 'Adonijah tried
and failed. Solomon just received
and succeeded. Which one will you
Nor oes Gods choice of you depend
no limits to His grace. If He chose
Pharez and Solomon there's nothing
IN heredity when Gods grace is on
The essential thing is just this:
Are you ready to receive, without
effort on your part, the place He has
chosen for you and in it to bring
forth fruit that He may be glorified?
When zerubba completed the, new
temple, SO Zechquariah prophesied,
the work was to be accomplished,
mot by might, nor by an army, but
by My spirit, said the Lord of hosts,
and the capstone was to be put on
with cries of Grace! Grace!' unto
it.
Some day We shall come into the
presence of the King Himself. The
strong pure light of His holiness
VIII reveal so much of sin in us that
we never realize that it was not be-
chose us; that what has been accom-
nllShGG hrAll OH h