NOTES ON THE INTERNATIONAL LESSON.
By W. N. Glenn
THIS lesson begins so abruptly that it is necessary to go back to the beginning of the chapter to get a proper understanding of it. David was on his death-bed, and all effort to raise him had proved futile. He was but seventy years of age, but had suffered many afflictions, both physically and mentally, which, with an unusually exciting life, had made him prematurely old. Adonijah, the son of Haggith was now David's oldest son, at least he was older than Solomon (chap. 2:22), and he set about establishing himself in the kingdom. There was much in his case that resembled that of Absalom; he was good-looking, self-conceited, and his father "had not displeased him at any time" by requiring him to give an account of his conduct, and the result was much the same as in the case of Absalom, though not so aggravated. It is another illustration of how good men in other respects may bring trouble upon themselves and homes by a lack of family discipline. It is an unsettled question whether the original appointment of Solomon to the succession was generally known. David says, in verse 30,567that he had sworn to Bathsheba that her son Solomon should sit upon his throne, and Nathan seems to have been aware of the Lord's will in the matter. But some other circumstances are supposed to prove that no others were aware of the intention. The oath is nowhere previously recorded. Joab, and Abiathar, both of whom were loyal to David in Absalom's rebellion, were now with Adonijah; and the latter, as soon as he saw that Solomon was proclaimed king, immediately gave up the contest and sued for pardon, although a high priest and the commander of the army had espoused his cause and assisted in his pretension as king. Dr. Adam Clarke takes the view that "no man knew who was to succeed to the crown, and the minds of the people were as unsettled as the succession." ADONIJAH's omission to call the prophet Nathan, who was the king's counselor, and Zadok, a high priest, as also Solomon, to his inaugural feast, when all the rest of the king's sons were invited and present, would indicate that either he knew he was usurping Solomon's rights, or that he knew these parties would oppose his own rights. Again, Nathan's warning to Bathsheba to save the lives of herself and son, by appealing to the king, shows that for some reason Adonijah would have put them to death. He must have known that Solomon had been promised the kingdom or was fearful that Bathsheba and her son were intriguing for the throne as against his prerogative. If the latter, he would not, with his influential backing, have yielded his advantage so readily upon Solomon's success. It seems plain that Adonijah knew that he was doing wrong, which opinion is strengthened by his contradictory statement in chap. 2:15, where he says to Bathsheba, "Thou knowest that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me, that I should reign; howbeit the kingdom is turned about, and is become my brother's; for it was his from the Lord." ABIATHAR and Zadok have both been mentioned as high priests. They both acted in that capacity, the former having care of the ark at Jerusalem, and the latter ministering in the tabernacle at Gibeon. Abiathar was a high priest of the line of Eli, was the only one of the sons of Ahimelech who escaped the slaughter of his father's house by Saul for giving bread to David and his men. Zadok was of the house of Eleazar the son of Aaron, the eleventh in descent from Aaron. After Solomon's promotion to the throne, he banished Abiathar from Jerusalem, and placed Zadok in his place. THE ceremony of anointing the successor to the throne was quite imposing. No subject could use anything that belonged to the king without forfeiting his life, and of course a king would not use anything that had been previously used by a subject. Then when Solomon rode out publicly upon the king's mule, escorted by the king's guard under Benaiah, that of itself was evidence of his appointment. But he was taken to a public watering-place, where there were generally many people assembled, and there anointed by Nathan the prophet and Zadok the priest, whom everybody knew; and then a further proclamation was made by the sounding of trumpets. The honor attached to riding upon the king's mule, escorted as Solomon was, may be better understood by a reference to the reply of Haman, when king Ahasuerus asked him, "What shall be done unto the man whom the king delighteth to honor?" Esther 6:6. Haman, supposing the honor was for himself, of course chose the most distinguished consideration of which he could imagine, and that was, to wear the king's apparel, and to ride the king's horse through the city, escorted by one of the king's most noble princes. THIS ceremony of conducting the anointed one in public, shows the significance of the Saviour's entry into Jerusalem riding upon a colt "whereon yet never man sat," and all the attendant honors. The Lord had anointed him three years and a half before, and here was the formal public proclamation, in the capital, of his kingship. It was a veritable transaction; it meant much more than a mere demonstration of joy on the part of the people. They were looking for a temporal king, and here he came, proclaimed to them according to the ancient custom (2 Kings 9:13), and in exact fulfillment of prophecy. See Zech. 9:9. From these circumstances we can better realize the culpable nature of his rejection by the authorities, and the hardness of heart over which he so tenderly wept. There was probably nothing in his whole life that came so fully within the scope of the Jewish understanding, and so plainly fulfilled the Scripture before their eyes. It seems that just at the last, following right upon his bringing to life the decaying body of Lazarus, was the crowning evidence of his Messiahship brought home to their comprehension, and made so plain that even the children could understand it. Matt. 21:15.