SOLOMON ANOINTED KING

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Sep 17, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 37.

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SOLOMON ANOINTED KING

“Take heed unto thyself; and unto the doctrine;” “that thy profiting may appear to all.”

Lesson I.—Sunday, October 4, 1896.

SOLOMON ANOINTED KING.

Lesson Scripture, 1 Kings 1:28–39.

28. Then king David answered and said, Call me Bath-sheba. And she came into the king’s presence, and stood before the king.

29. And the king sware, and said, As the Lord liveth, that hath redeemed my soul out of all distress,

30. Even as I sware unto thee by the Lord God of Israel, saying, Assuredly Solomon thy son shall reign after me, and he shall sit upon my throne in my stead; even so will I certainly do this day.

31. Then Bath-sheba bowed with her face to the earth, and did reverence to the king, and said, Let my Lord king David live forever.

32. And king David said, Call me Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And they came before the king.

33. The king also said unto them, Take with you the servants of your Lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon;

34. And let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel; and blow ye with the trumpet, and say, God save king Solomon.

35. Then ye shall come up after him, that he may come and sit upon my throne; for he shall be king in my stead; and I have appointed him to be ruler over Israel and over Judah.

36. And Benaiah the son of Jehoiada answered the king, and said, Amen; the Lord God of my lord the king say so too.

37. As the Lord hath been with my lord the king, even so be he with Solomon, and make his throne greater than the throne of my lord king David.

38. So Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, and Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, and the Cherethites, and the Pelethites, went down, and caused Solomon to ride upon king David’s mule, and brought him to Gihon.

39. And Zadok the priest took an horn of oil out of the tabernacle, and anointed Solomon. And they blew the trumpet; and all the people said, God save king Solomon.

Golden Text: “Keep the charge of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways.” 1 Kings 2:3.

NOTE.—The lessons for the fourth quarter continue the study of Old Testament history. The text is found chiefly in the first book of the Kings, tho an occasional lesson is drawn from other portions of the word. The present lesson text is preceded by the effort of Adonijah, son of David by Haggith, to have himself proclaimed king. The lesson itself is the final outworking of a plan hastily devised to frustrate Adonijah’s purpose. This prince, who was in the line of succession to the throne after Absalom, was joined by Joab and Abiathar the priest, with quite a company besides, including the sons of the king, except Solomon. A feast was made at En-rogel, and his plan confirmed. In the meantime Nathan the prophet, with Bath-sheba, apprised of the plot, come before the king, who is old and bed-ridden, and lay the matter before him, asking him if the plan is according to his will.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) Whom did David summon into his presence? Verse 28. (2) What did he swear to her? Verses 29, 30. Note 1. (3) What did Bath-sheba then do and say? Verse 31. (4) What further call did the king make? Verse 32. Note 2. (5) What special honor was to be shown Solomon? Verse 33. Note 3. (6) What was to be done at Gihon? Verse 34. (7) What further direction did David give? Verse 35. (8) What did Benaiah say? Verses 36, 37. Note 4. (9) How were the king’s commands carried out? Verse 38. (10) What did Zadok do at Gihon? Verse 39. (11) How did the people approve of the move? Verse 39. Note 5.

NOTES.

1. Solomon.—Solomon was the first son born to Bath-sheba after her marriage to David. He was ordained by the Lord to his high office, and his name was also designated by the same Ruler of nations, who said: “I will give peace and quietness unto Israel in his days.” 1 Chron. 22:6–9. The name Solomon signifies “The Peaceful.” This characteristic of his kingdom and reign was typical of the kingdom and reign of Christ, the seed of David, that should be set up in the fullness of time on this earth—an everlasting kingdom in which is to dwell righteousness, the effect of which shall be,—and is now,—“quietness and assurance forever.” Isa. 32:17. The plan of succession to the throne was of course known by Bath-sheba, and also by Nathan, the prophet of God, and at what appears to them a critical moment David’s attention is called to present occurrences and past promises.

2. Call me Zadok, etc.—In accordance with oriental custom, Bath-sheba retired when Nathan was called (verses 16, 22, 28), and Nathan in turn when another was announced. So these who were now called were in waiting without.

3. To ride upon mine own mule.—According to the rabbins it was an act punishable with death to ride upon the king’s mule without his permission. This, then, was not only an honor, but an indication to the people, as they should thus see him, with the king’s own servants, the Cherethites and the Pelethites (verse 38), that he it was, and not another, who was chiefest in the plans of the king. Gihon was “either the valley that ran from the Damascus gate between the temple hill and Mount Zion, or the valley west of Jerusalem.”

4. Benaiah.—Captain of the king’s hosts. His words in verse 37, that the Lord would make Solomon’s “throne greater than the throne of my Lord king David,” showed no disrespect to David, for it was always the chief wish of a king that his son’s throne and power and glory should exceed his own. This Benaiah well knew, and knew the wish would please David.

5. God save king Solomon.—This, and “Let the king live,” were anciently, as they are in modern times, customary salutes to the reigning king. In this case all really rejoiced, and the throne came peaceably to Solomon. Fear possessed the adherents of Adonijah, and they dispersed, while that ambitious prince himself fled to the horns of the altar, thus throwing himself upon the mercy of the ruler in the name of the Lord. He was pardoned for the time being, tho later, for a further offence and insult to the king, he was put to death, as was also Joab. Abiathar the priest was retired from his office. See 1 Kings 2:27, and read the entire chapter. Solomon reigned conjointly with David about six months, taking the throne when about twenty years of age. David reigned forty years. 1 Kings 2:11.