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Page 38
When Saul died he was followed by David, the shepherd boy, now grown to
manhood and greatly loved by the people. He had many battles to fight
with the Philistines and was nearly always victorious. He was a warrior
king; but he was more than a warrior. He played on his harp and composed
many beautiful hymns and songs, which are collected in the book of
Psalms. He was a good king and tried to obey God's command. He had a
long reign and his people were happy and prosperous. He had many sons
and daughters and beautiful palaces for them to live in.
THE STORY OF SOLOMON AND HIS TEMPLE
During the later years of David's reign, he laid up great treasure of
gold and silver, and brass, and iron, for the building of a house to the
Lord on Mount Moriah. This house was to be called "The Temple"; and it
was to be made very beautiful, the most beautiful building, and the
richest in all the land. David had greatly desired to build this house
while he was king of Israel, but God said to him:
"You have been a man of war, and have fought many battles, and shed much
blood. My house shall be built by a man of peace. When you die, your son
Solomon shall reign, and he shall have peace, and shall build my house."
So David made ready great store of precious things for the temple; also
stone and cedar to be used in the building. And David said to Solomon,
his son: "God has promised that there shall be rest and peace to the
land while you are king; and the Lord will be with you, and you shall
build a house, where God shall live among His people."
But David had other sons who were older than Solomon; and one of these
sons, whose name was Adonijah, formed a plan to make himself king.
David was now very old; and he was no longer able to go out of his
palace, and to be seen among the people.
Adonijah gathered his friends; and among them were Joab, the general of
the army, and Abiathar, one of the two high-priests. They met at a place
outside the wall, and had a great feast, and were about to crown
Adonijah as king, when word came to David in the palace. David, though
old and feeble, was still wise. He said:
"Let us make Solomon king at once, and thus put an end to the plans of
these men."
So at David's command they brought out the mule on which no one but the
king was allowed to ride; and they placed Solomon upon it; and with the
king's guards, and the nobles, and the great men, they brought the young
Solomon down to the valley of Gihon, south of the city.
And Zadok, the priest, took from the Tabernacle the horn filled with
holy oil, that was used for anointing or pouring oil on the head of the
priests when they were set apart for their work. He poured oil from this
horn on the head of Solomon, and then the priests blew the trumpets, and
all the people cried aloud, "God save King Solomon."
All this time Adonijah and Joab, and their friends were not far away,
almost in the same valley, feasting and making merry, intending to make
Adonijah king. They heard the sound of the trumpets, and the shouting of
the people. Joab said: "What is the cause of all this noise and uproar?"
A moment later, Jonathan, the son of Abiathar, came running in. Jonathan
said to the men who were feasting:
"Our lord King David has made Solomon king, and he has just been
anointed in Gihon; and all the princes, and the heads of the army, are
with him, and the people are shouting, 'God save King Solomon!' And
David has sent from his bed a message to Solomon, saying, 'May the Lord
make your name greater than mine has been! Blessed be the Lord, who has
given me a son to sit this day on my throne!'"
When Adonijah and his friends heard this they were filled with fear.
Every man went at once to his house, except Adonijah. He hastened to the
altar of the Lord, and knelt before it, and took hold of the horns that
were on its corners in front. This was a holy place, and he hoped that
there Solomon might have mercy on him. And Solomon said:
"If Adonijah will do right, and be faithful to me as the king of Israel,
no harm shall come to him; but if he does wrong, he shall die."
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