DAVID'S CHARGE TO SOLOMON.

[1095-975 B.C.

'Lo, I

thousand men. And when the angel stretched out his hand upon Jerusalem to destroy it, David spake unto the Lord, and said, " have sinned, and I have done wickedly but these sheep, what have they done? let thine hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house." At the command of God, David reared up an altar unto the Lord in the thrashing-floor of Ornan, the Jebusite; there the king offered burnt-offerings and peace-offerings, and the plague was stayed. The Tabernacle of the Lord, which Moses had made in the wilderness, and the altar of the burnt-offering, were then at Gibeon.

Zelah-a town of Benjamin in which was the family sepulchre of Saul. Gibeon—' hill;' the chief city of the Gibeonites, which was built on an eminence about five miles from Jerusalem.

LESSON 64.

1 CHRON. xxii & 1 KINGS 1-5-53.

Charge to Solomon. Adonijah's Rebellion.

And David said, "Solomon my son is young and tender, and the house that is to be builded for the LORD must be exceeding magnifical, of fame and of glory throughout all countries: I will therefore now make preparation for it." So David prepared abundantly before his death: he set masons to hew stones; he prepared iron in abundance, for nails for the doors of the gates, and for the joinings; and brass, and cedar trees in abundance. He then called Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the Lord. He told him that because he had shed blood abundantly, and made great wars, the Lord would not permit him to build his house, but he had promised that Solomon should build it. He then said, "Now, my son, the LORD be with thee; and prosper thou, and build the house of the LORD thy God, as he hath said of thee. Only the LORD give thee wisdom and understanding, and

PERIOD V.]

ADONIJAH'S REBELLION.

give thee charge concerning Israel, that thou mayest keep the law of the LORD thy God. Then shalt thou prosper, if thou takest heed to fulfil the statutes and judgments which the LORD charged Moses with concerning Israel: be strong, and of good courage; dread not, nor be dismayed." He also told Solomon of all that he had prepared for the house of the Lord; and he commanded the princes of Israel to help Solomon, saying, "Is not the LORD your God with you? and hath he not given you rest on every side? for he hath given the inhabitants of the land into mine hand; and the land is subdued before the LORD and before his people. Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God; arise therefore, and build ye the sanctuary of the LORD God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and the holy vessels of God, into the house that is to be built to the name of the LORD."

66

Adonijah was probably the eldest living son of David. He was a goodly man, and had many servants. He made Joab and Abiathar his friends, and he said he would be king. Nathan informed Bathsheba of all that Adonijah had done, and sent her to make it known to the king. Nathan also confirmed her tidings. David said to Bathsheba, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne." He then sent for Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, Benaiah, and his own guards, and told them to take Solomon and anoint him king at Gihon. Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, carried these tidings to Adonijah and his friends, who became afraid, rose up, and went away. Adonijah feared, and ran to the altar. Solomon said, "If he will show himself a worthy man, there shall not a hair of him fall to the earth; but if wickedness shall be found in him, he shall die." Solomon then sent to fetch Adonijah from the altar, and when he came he bowed himself before king Solomon; and Solomon said to him, "Go to thine house."

Gihon a fountain or brook near mount Sion at which Solomon was anointed king.

PREPARATIONS FOR THE TEMPLE.

[1095-975 B.C.

LESSON 65. 1 CHRON. XXviii. 9-21; xxix; 1 KINGS ii. 1-12. 2 SAM. xxiii. 1-5.

Preparations for the Temple. Last Words and Death of David.

David assembled the princes of the tribes, and all his officers, and mighty men, and told them that God had appointed Solomon to build a house for God. He said to Solomon, " And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind . . . if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the LORD hath chosen thee to build a house for the sanctuary; be strong, and do it.” David then appointed three divisions of the Levites, and stated their occupations; twenty-four divisions of priests, the number of the singers, the porters, the gatekeepers, the treasurers, and all the other officers required for the temple. He gave to Solomon the patterns of the different parts of the temple, and of the vessels to be made. At a second assembly David asked the princes, "Who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the LORD?" Then the chief of the fathers and the princes gave much gold, and silver, and brass, and iron, and precious stones. They gave willingly, and the people and David rejoiced with great joy. Then David blessed the Lord for his goodness, and prayed for the people, and for Solomon, his son. And the whole congregation blessed the Lord God and worshipped; they also offered great sacrifices in abundance for all Israel; and they did eat and drink before the Lord on that day with great gladness: and they made Solomon king the second time, and anointed him unto the Lord to be the chief governor, and Zadok to be priest.

When David was about to die, he again admonished Solomon to keep the commandments of the Lord. He warned him of Joab, who had "shed the blood of war in peace," by slaying Abner and

PERIOD V.] DAVID'S LAST WOrds.

SOLOMON'S SACRIFICES.

Amasa. He also warned him of Shimei, who had cursed him; but he enjoined him to show kindness to the sons of Barzillai. Now these be the last words of David. "David the son of Jesse said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said, The Spirit of the LORD spake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me, He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. And he shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, even a morning without clouds; as the tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house be not so with God; yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all things, and sure."

David reigned seven years in Hebron, and thirty-three in Jerusalem; he died in a good old age, full of days, riches, and honour. He was buried in the City of David.

LESSON 66.

1 KINGS ii. 13-iii.

Solomon's Sacrifices, Vision, &c.

Solomon and the congregation of Israel went to Gibeon. There he offered a thousand burnt-offerings to God. God appeared to him in a dream by night, and said, "Ask what I shall give thee." And Solomon said, "Thou hast showed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. And now, O LORD my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor

:

THE CHOICE OF SOLOMON. HIS WISDOM.

[1095-975 B.C. counted for multitude. Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?" And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. And God said unto him, "Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days. And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days."

Two women came to Solomon for judgment. They lived in one house and they both had infants. One of the infants died in the night. The woman to whom it belonged took the other woman's child, and put her dead child by the side of the mother of the living child. In the morning the mother of the living child knew that the dead child was not hers, and that the children had been exchanged. So they came before Solomon, and made their complaint. Solomon then said, "Bring me a sword....and the king said, Divide the living child in two, and give half to the one and half to the other." But the mother of the living child cried out, "Give her the living child, and in no wise slay it." The other woman said, " Let it be neither mine nor thine, but divide it." Then Solomon knew which was the real mother of the living child, and he commanded it to be given to her.

Adonijah again conspired against Solomon, and he sent Benaiah to put him to death. Abiathar and Joab had joined in his conspiracy. Solomon banished Abiathar to Anathoth; he would not