52. B.C. 1034 to 1015

B.C. 1034 to 1015

Chapter V

Timeline View:

1. The threatened troubles in the house of David were not long in breaking out. Amnon, his eldest son, dishonored his half-sister, Tamar, who was the full sister of Absalom. This injury excited in the mind of Absalom a resentment which only blood could satisfy. He said nothing for a time. But after two years, when all seemed to be forgotten, he invited all the royal family to a feast with which he celebrated the shearing of his sheep. Amnon was among the guests; and, at a given signal from their master, he was set upon and murdered by the servants of Absalom. On this, all the others mounted their mules, and fled in haste to Jerusalem; while Absalom himself lost no time in seeking refuge at the court of his maternal grandfather, Talmai, king of Geshur. He remained there three years; for although David, after the first burst of indignation and grief, would have been willing to recall him, he was prevented by the dread of public opinion and the demands of justice. At the end of the three years, however, the king, through the contrivance and intercession of Joab, was induced “to call home his banished;” but a regard for appearances excluded Absalom from the presence of his father until two years after his return to Jerusalem.

2. Absalom was now the eldest living son of David, and, in ordinary circumstances, might have been considered the heir-apparent to the throne. But it was already known to David that Solomon, his eldest surviving son by Bathsheba was destined by God to be his successor. The Lord, as we have already seen, reserved the right of appointing whom be pleased to the crown, although, in the absence of any special appointment, it was supposed to descend in the ordinary course of succession. It is more than probable that this destination of the crown of David was known to Absalom, and that the attempt to secure it in his father’s lifetime was made with the design of averting his own exclusion. Had he been sure of succeeding when his father died, he would probably have waited till then, for David was already old. At all events, he soon began to affect great state, made much display of his chariots and guards, and appeared in public with a splendid retinue of fifty men. All this pomp the more enhanced the condescension with which he behaved to the people, and the interest he took in the affairs of the suitors at the royal court. These arts of popularity, with his handsome person and engaging manners, quite won the hearts of the un discerning multitude; and when at length be ventured to raise the standard of open rebellion, and to proclaim himself king, at Hebron, the people flocked to him in crowds, and David was nearly deserted, except by his guards and some faithful followers. Confounded at this intelligence, David abandoned Jerusalem in haste, to proceed to the country beyond the Jordan, where the distance would allow him more time for collecting his resources and considering his course of action. Deeply humbled at what he considered as the punishment of God for his sins, David ascended the Mount of Olives, on the upper road to Jericho, as a mourner, weeping, barefoot, and with shrouded head.

3. On his way David was deeply wounded by false intelligence of the ungrateful desertion of Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, whom, for his father’s sake, he had treated with much kindness and distinction, and to whom be had restored the lands of Saul. These lands he now too hastily bestowed or the treacherous informant, Ziba, who had managed them for Mephibosheth. When he afterwards discovered his error, and found that it was only his lameness which prevented the Eon of his friend from following him, Ziba’s connections were too powerful to allow him to revoke the grant entirely, and he directed that the land should be divided between them. Among the remarkable incidents of this mournful journey was the abusive and insulting conduct of a man named Shimei, of the family of Saul, who manifested the most unseemly exultation at the forlorn condition of the king. Yet the chastened David would not allow his people to avenge this wrong.

4. The fugitives rested themselves in “the plains of the wilderness;” but soon crossed the Jordan, in consequence of information that Absalom had been advised to pursue them with 12,000 men, and smite them before an army could be collected. This, in fact, was the best course which Absalom could have taken to complete his enterprise at one stroke. It was the advice of David’s chief councilor, Ahithophel, who was renowned in all Israel for his sagacity, and whose desertion to Absalom seemed one of the most serious of the king’s disasters. Nevertheless, Hushai, the friend of David, who also had found a place in the council of Absalom, contrived to get this advice rejected in favor of the very different course recommended by himself. Finding his counsel thus neglected, and foreseeing the consequences, the traitorous Ahithophel went home and hanged himself.

5. Meanwhile David fixed his residence at Mahanaim, beyond Jordan, where Ishbosheth had formerly held his court. When Absalom heard where he was, he followed him across the river with a powerful army, under the direction of his cousin Amasa. David and his general had not been idle, but had collected a force, which, although small in comparison, seemed to men who trusted in the righteousness of their cause, sufficient for the contest. David divided his force into three battalions, and entrusted the command to Joab, Abishai, and Ittai; for the troops refused to allow him to risk his own valuable life in the battle. Still feeling all a father’s unreasoning love for his guilty son, the last words of David to his commanders charged them to respect the life of Absalom. This charge was but little regarded. The army of Absalom was defeated by the better disciplined troops of David, and the prince himself fled upon a swift mule; but as he passed tinder an oak, the long hair which he so carefully cherished became entangled in the projecting boughs, from which he was left suspended. In this situation be was found by Joab, who slew him on the spot. His death ended the war: the rebels dispersed, and went every man to his home. The king’s joy at the victory was greatly damped by the news of his son’s death. He shut himself up in the chamber over the city gate; and the returning warriors, who expected the reward of his presence and praise, heard only, as they entered, his loud and bitter lamentations for his lost Absalom. At length Joab went to him, and by representing the probably serious consequences of disgusting the troops by making them feel that their victory was a crime, he induced him to appear in public, and give his faithful soldiers the satisfaction they had earned.

Absalom’s Tomb

6. As the mass of the people had hailed Absalom as king, David, with commendable delicacy, abstained from resuming the crown as a matter of right; but resolved to tarry at Mahanaim until formally invited back by the tribes. The Israelites generally were, by this time, thoroughly ashamed of the rebellion, and quite ready to return to their allegiance. But the want of unanimity among the tribes, and other circumstances, occasioned such delay, that Judah was the first to invite the king to resume his throne at Jerusalem. He accordingly returned. This seems to have been a wrong step; for the other tribes were offended that he had returned on the sole invitation of Judah, without their concurrence; and at length the dissension became so great, that the Israelites as distinguished from the Judahites, refused to recognize the act, or to acknowledge David as king; and, appointing one Sheba of Benjamin, perhaps of Saul’s family, for their leader, they raised the standard of revolt, with the usual cry of civil war—“To your tents, O Israel!”

7. David, partly with the view of conciliating those who had followed Absalom, appointed Amasa his commander-in-chief, in the place of Joab. Him he now ordered out in pursuit of Sheba; but as be failed to assemble the forces of Judah within the limited time, David, who dreaded delay, sent out Abishai with the royal guards. With this force Joab went as a volunteer.[*] While they rested at Gibeon, Amasa came up with the force which he had at length got together. As he came on, Joab advanced to meet him; and. under the cover of a friendly salute, gave him a mortal stab, as he had formerly given Abner. Having thus treacherously removed his rival, and confiding in the attachment of the troops he had so often led to victory, he assumed the chief command, and the soldiers readily, perhaps gladly, followed their former general. The fact that they had to deal with so experienced a commander as Joab, appears to have helped to discourage the partisans of Sheba, who, finding himself abandoned by the greater part of his followers, as Joab approached, deemed it expedient to withdraw with his few remaining adherents into the fortified town of Abel-beth-maachah in Naphtali. But when Joab appeared under the walls, the inhabitants, to save themselves, threw over to him the rebel’s head; and the war being thus ended, Joab returned to Jerusalem. David detested his conduct, and was mortified at his presumption; but he dared not call him to account for the murder of Amasa, or remove him from the place which he had assumed.

[*] As these persons were all related to the king, it may be well to define the relationship. David had two sisters, Zeruiah and Abigail. Zeruiah was the mother of Joab, Abishai, and Asahel (whom Abner slew); and Abigail was the mother of Amasa. They were all therefore David’s nephews, and cousins of his sons.1Ch 2:13;1Ch 2:17

8. After these things a famine of three years afflicted the people: and is the principles of the theocracy, guaranteed to the Israelites prosperity and plenty as long as they continued in obedience, every public calamity was justly regarded as a punishment for sin. David, therefore, somewhat tardily, sought to know the cause of this famine. He was told that, although so long after the event, it was a punishment for innocent blood which had been left unatoned, namely, the blood of the Gibeonites, whose safety Israel had guaranteed by a covenant of peace; but who had been massacred by Saul, on some pretext or other, in considerable numbers. On learning this, David required the remnant of the Gibeonites to name the expiation they required; and they vindictively asked the death of seven of Saul’s descendants. The king could not gainsay them; and accordingly two sons of Saul by his concubine Rizpah, and the five sons of Merab, his eldest daughter, were yielded up to them. Thus were all the descendants of Saul destroyed, except Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, whom David had cherished, and now exempted for his father’s sake. The exposure of the bodies, beyond the day of execution, which the Gibeonites demanded, was contrary to the habits of the Israelites, and justly repugnant to their feelings. Rizpah, the mother of Saul’s sons, remained disconsolately, night and clay, watching the bodies of her children, to protect them from the birds and beasts of prey. When this came to David’s knowledge, be ordered the bodies to be taken down and deposited, with the bones of Saul and Jonathan, in the family sepulcher.

9. Now that the Israelites had been weakened by two rebellions and by three years of famine, the Philistines deemed the opportunity favorable for trying to shake off the yoke which they had borne with much impatience. They therefore renewed the war, but were defeated in four engagements, and finally subdued. Among the Philistines were some families of gigantic stature, and in this campaign they brought several of Goliath’s family into the field. One of them had nearly overpowered David; but he was rescued, and the giant killed by Abishai. After this the people would never allow David to go to the wars in person, “lest he should quench the light of Israel.”

10. The next year David, that he might know the real extent of his power, and that all competent Israelites should be enrolled for military service, ordered Joab to take a census of the adult male population. The schemes of enlarged dominion, with a view to which this census was probably ordered to be taken, were contrary to that divine policy which required Israel to remain a compact and isolated people; and the enrollment for such purposes seriously infringed the liberties of the nation. It also manifested great distrust of the Supreme King, who was known to be willing and able to give victory in every lawful enterprise, whether by many or by few. On these grounds the act was displeasing to God; and it was distasteful even to Joab, who, after a vain remonstrance, proceeded to execute the order with great reluctance. The return which he made of men twenty years old and upwards, was 900,000 in the tribes of Israel, and 400,000 in Judah alone—amounting in all to 1,300,000. By this we see that the population had more than doubled since the nation left Egypt and entered Palestine. The total numbers may be reckoned at considerably more than 5,000,000. When David received this account of the numbers of his people, “his heart smote him,” and he became alive to the heinousness of his offence. At that moment the prophet Gad came commissioned to offer him the choice of three punishments—seven years of famine—three months of defeat and loss in war—or three days of pestilence. He chose the last; and immediately the country was visited with a pestilence which in two days destroyed 70,000 men. David then vehemently interceded for his people, pleading that he alone had sinned, and praying that he and his might alone bear the punishment. His intercession prevailed, and the plague was stayed.

11. The eldest surviving son of David was Adonijah, who resembled Absalom in comeliness and in ambition. Provoked at the prospect of his younger brother Solomon being considered heir to the throne, he plotted to secure the crown before the king’s death, which his age and feebleness showed to be near at hand. He gained over Joab and Abiathar the high-priest to his cause; but the other high-priest, Zadok,[*] with the valiant Benaiah, the commander of the guards, and the great body of the “worthies,” remained faithful to the cause of Solomon, and thereby evinced their adherence to the great principle of the government—the supremacy of the Divine King, and his right to bestow the crown according to his pleasure. Having taken all the preliminary measures which seemed necessary, Adonijah invited his supporters to a splendid feast in one of the suburbs of Jerusalem, near the fountain of the king’s garden. Here he was proclaimed king, with great acclamation, by his adherents. The news speedily reached the city, and was communicated to the king by Bathsheba and the prophet Nathan. Now Adonijah was very dear to the heart of David; and it is more than likely that, if left to his own feelings, he would have been willing that his eldest son should reign. But he was too much alive to the principle of the government to consider that he had any will in the matter, after the will of the Lord had been declared. He therefore immediately issued orders to Zadok the priest, and to the officers of the court and army, to take Solomon, and anoint and proclaim him king. The prince was immediately mounted upon the king’s own mule, and escorted by all the court and the royal guards to the fountain of Gihon, where he was anointed by Zadok with the sacred oil; when the trumpets sounded, and the assembled concourse rent the air with shouts of “Long live King Solomon!”

[*] Abiathar will be remembered as the son of Ahimelech, who fled to David after the massacre at Nob. He naturally succeeded as high priest; but Saul gave that dignity to Zadok, thereby restoring the pontificate to the older line of Eleazer. When David succeeded to both kingdoms, he was unwilling to remove either and therefore gave them coordinate powers.

12. When Adonijah and his party heard of this prompt and decided procedure, they were struck with fear, and dispersed to their own homes. Adonijah himself fled to the altar, which was a sanctuary, whence none but murderers could be taken. Hearing of this, Solomon sent to tell him that his safety depended upon his future conduct, and directed him to retire to his own house. Soon after, in a general assembly of the nation, the election of Solomon was ratified by the assent of the people; and he was again solemnly anointed by the high-priest. On this occasion, David gathered up the remnant of his declining strength, and addressed the convention in a very forcible and touching harangue. He took pains to impress upon his audience the true character of the government, and its peculiar subservience to the Divine King. He then adverted to the temple, which had been so long before his view; mentioned his own extensive preparations for it; urged them to assist Solomon with heart and hand in the great work which lay before him; and recommended an adherence to the plans and models which he had provided. He concluded with a devout thanksgiving to the Lord for all his mercies to him and to the nation. Solomon then ascended the throne of his father; and his accession was celebrated with feastings and sacrifices.

13. On a subsequent occasion, David, feeling his end rapidly approaching, sent for Solomon, and earnestly impressed upon him the duty of obedience in all things to the Divine King. He had now done with life; and gave it up, at the age of seventy years, of which he had reigned forty-seven as king of Judah only, and thirty-three as king of all Israel. Amid the lamentations of all his people, the remains of David were deposited in a splendid tomb, which he had prepared for himself on Mount Zion.

Royal Tomb