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Patriarchs and Prophets
of his early wanderings, his many wars, the cares and afflictions of his
later years, had sapped the fountain of life. Though his mind retained
its clearness and strength, feebleness and age, with their desire for
seclusion, prevented a quick apprehension of what was passing in the
kingdom, and again rebellion sprang up in the very shadow of the
throne. Again the fruit of David’s parental indulgence was manifest.
The one who now aspired to the throne was Adonijah, “a very goodly
man” in person and bearing, but unprincipled and reckless. In his
youth he had been subjected to but little restraint; for “his father had
not displeased him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so?” He
now rebelled against the authority of God, who had appointed Solomon
to the throne. Both by natural endowments and religious character
Solomon was better qualified than his elder brother to become ruler
of Israel; yet although the choice of God had been clearly indicated,
Adonijah did not fail to find sympathizers. Joab, though guilty of many
crimes, had heretofore been loyal to the throne; but he now joined the
conspiracy against Solomon, as did also Abiathar the priest.
The rebellion was ripe; the conspirators had assembled at a great
feast just without the city to proclaim Adonijah king, when their
plans were thwarted by the prompt action of a few faithful persons,
chief among whom were Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and
Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. They represented the state of affairs
to the king, reminding him of the divine direction that Solomon should
succeed to the throne. David at once abdicated in favor of Solomon,
who was immediately anointed and proclaimed king. The conspir-
acy was crushed. Its chief actors had incurred the penalty of death.
Abiathar’s life was spared, out of respect to his office and his former
fidelity to David; but he was degraded from the office of high priest,
which passed to the line of Zadok. Joab and Adonijah were spared for
the time, but after the death of David they suffered the penalty of their
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crime. The execution of the sentence upon the son of David completed
the fourfold judgment that testified to God’s abhorrence of the father’s
sin.
From the very opening of David’s reign one of his most cherished
plans had been that of erecting a temple to the Lord. Though he had
not been permitted to execute this design, he had manifested no less
zeal and earnestness in its behalf. He had provided an abundance of the
most costly material—gold, silver, onyx stones, and stones of divers