DAVID’S DEATH,

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sacrifices upon it, and called upon | Heaven upon the offering, and com-
God; and God accepted David's sa- | manded the angel to take away the
crifice, and sent fire down from | sword, and destroy no more.

 

we

 

—

OXX XIII.

paAvin's

AVID was now an old
man, and he knew that

 

he must soon die. You
remember, that, some
years before, he had

wished to build a house for God;
but God had said, “ Thou shalt not
build it, but thy son Solomon shall
build it after thy death.” David
now thought much about this
temple, and began to get the stones,
and the wood, and the iron, ail
ready for Solomon. Then he called
Solomon, and said, “God has said,
thou shalt build His house, and He
will give thee knowledge and wis-
dom to do it. Trust in the Lord,
and then all will be well with thee.
I have prepared for the work. Here
are gold and silver, and brass, and
wood, and iron. Arise and work,
and God shall be with thee.”

Were David’s troubles all ended
now? No; he had a new sorrow
just before his death. Another
wicked son rebelled against him.
This was Adonijah. Solomon was
the right king after David; God
had chosen him; but Adonijah was
a wicked and ambitious man, and
he said, “I will be king.” David
knew nothing of this conspiracy till
Solomon’s mother, Bathsheba, went
to the king, and told him, and then
she asked if her son Solomon was
not the right king after David, be-
cause God had chosen him. David

 

 

DEATH.

was sorry to hear what Adonijah
had done; but he comforted Bath-
sheba, and said, Solomon should be
king. So David called Zadok the
priest, and Nathan the prophet, and
commanded them to take Solomon,
and make him king. Then they
put Solomon upon a mule, and
brought him to Gihon; and there
Zadok anointed him; and all the
people blew with trumpets, and
shouted, “ God save king Solomon.”

Where was Adonijah? He was
feasting with his friends. Two of
these were Joab and Abiathar
They had now forsaken David and
followed the rebellious Adonijah.
They were not true friends to David.
Adonijah and his company heard a
great noise, and wondered what it
was; and soon they were told, that
the people were shouting and re-
joicing, because David had made
Solomon king. ‘Then all the con-
spirators were afraid. They knew
they had done wrong; and were
frightened, as wicked people always
are when their crimes are found
out. They all ran away, and Adoni-
jah himself escaped to the altar for
safety. Solomon, though he was
now king, did not punish the wicked
conspirators. He called Adonijah,
and forgave him, and sent him
home; and all was quict again, and
Solomon reigned in peace.

And now the time came for David