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Chapter 73
The Last Years of David
[This chapter is based on 2 Samuel 24; 1 Kings 1; 1 Chronicles 21; 28;
29.]
THE overthrow of Absalom did not at once bring peace to the kingdom. So
large a part of the nation had joined in revolt that David would not
return to his capital and resume his authority without an invitation
from the tribes. In the confusion that followed Absalom's defeat there
was no prompt and decided action to recall the king, and when at last
Judah undertook to bring back David, the jealousy of the other tribes
was roused, and a counterrevolution followed. This, however, was
speedily quelled, and peace returned to Israel.
The history of David affords one of the most impressive testimonies ever
given to the dangers that threaten the soul from power and riches and
worldly honor--those things that are most eagerly desired among men. Few
have ever passed through an experience better adapted to prepare them
for enduring such a test. David's early life as a shepherd, with its
lessons of humility, of patient toil, and of tender care for his flocks;
the communion with nature in the solitude of the hills, developing his
genius for music and poetry, and directing his thoughts to the Creator;
the long discipline of his wilderness life, calling into exercise
courage, fortitude, patience, and faith in God, had been appointed by
the Lord as a preparation for the throne of Israel. David had enjoyed
precious experiences of the love of God, and had been richly endowed
with His Spirit; in the history of Saul he had seen the utter
worthlessness of mere human wisdom. And yet worldly success and honor so
weakened the character of David that he was repeatedly overcome by the
temper.
Intercourse with heathen peoples led to a desire to follow their
national customs and kindled ambition for worldly greatness. As the
people of Jehovah, Israel was to be honored; but as pride and
self-confidence increased, the Israelites were not content with this
pre-eminence. They cared rather for their standing among other nations.
This spirit could not fail to invite temptation. With a view to
extending his conquests among foreign nations, David determined to
increase his army by requiring military service from all who were of
proper age. To effect this, it became necessary to take a census of the
population. It was pride and ambition that prompted this action of the
king. The numbering of the people would show the contrast between the
weakness of the kingdom when David ascended the throne and its strength
and prosperity under his rule. This would tend still further to foster
the already too great self-confidence of both king and people. The
Scripture says, "Satan stood up against Israel, and provoked David to
number Israel." The prosperity of Israel under David had been due to the
blessing of God rather than to the ability of her king or the strength
of her armies. But the increasing of the military resources of the
kingdom would give the impression to surrounding nations that Israel's
trust was in her armies, and not in the power of Jehovah.
Though the people of Israel were proud of their national greatness, they
did not look with favor upon David's plan for so greatly extending the
military service. The proposed enrollment caused much dissatisfaction;
consequently it was thought necessary to employ the military officers in
place of the priests and magistrates, who had formerly taken the census.
The object of the undertaking was directly contrary to the principles of
a theocracy. Even Joab remonstrated, unscrupulous as he had heretofore
shown himself. He said, "The Lord make His people a hundred times so
many more as they be: but, my lord the king, are they not all my lord's
servants? why then doth my lord require this thing? why will he be a
cause of trespass to Israel? Nevertheless the king's word prevailed
against Joab. Wherefore Joab departed, and went throughout all Israel,
and came to Jerusalem." The numbering was not finished when David was
convicted of his sin. Self-condemned, he "said unto God, I have sinned
greatly, because I have done this thing: but now, I beseech Thee, do
away the iniquity of Thy servant; for I have done very foolishly." The
next morning a message was brought to David by the prophet Gad: "Thus
saith the Lord, Choose thee either three years' famine; or three months
to be destroyed before thy foes, while that the sword of thine enemies
overtaketh thee; or else three days the sword of the Lord, even the
pestilence, in the land, and the angel of the Lord destroying throughout
all the coasts of Israel. Now therefore," said the prophet, "advise
thyself what word I shall bring again to Him that sent me."
The king's answer was, "I am in a great strait: let us fall now into the
hand of the Lord; for His mercies are great: and let me not fall into
the hand of man."
The land was smitten with pestilence, which destroyed seventy thousand
in Israel. The scourge had not yet entered the capital, when "David
lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the Lord stand between the
earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out
over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders of Israel, who were clothed in
sackcloth, fell upon their faces." The king pleaded with God in behalf
of Israel: "Is it not I that commanded the people to be numbered? even I
it is that have sinned and done evil indeed; but as for these sheep,
what have they done? let Thine hand, I pray Thee, O Lord my God, be on
me, and on my father's house; but not on Thy people, that they should be
plagued."
The taking of the census had caused disaffection among the people; yet
they had themselves cherished the same sins that prompted David's
action. As the Lord through Absalom's sin visited judgment upon David,
so through David's error He punished the sins of Israel.
The destroying angel had stayed his course outside Jerusalem. He stood
upon Mount Moriah, "in the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite."
Directed by the prophet, David went to the mountain, and there built an
altar to the Lord, "and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings, and
called upon the Lord; and He answered him from heaven by fire upon the
altar of burnt offering." "So the Lord was entreated for the land, and
the plague was stayed from Israel."
The spot upon which the altar was erected, henceforth ever to be
regarded as holy ground, was tendered to the king by Ornan as a gift.
But the king declined thus to receive it. "I will verily buy it for the
full price," he said; "for I will not take that which is thine for the
Lord, not offer burnt offerings without cost. So David gave to Ornan for
the place six hundred shekels of gold by weight." This spot, memorable
as the place where Abraham had built the altar to offer up his son, and
now hallowed by this great deliverance, was afterward chosen as the site
of the temple erected by Solomon.
Still another shadow was to gather over the last years of David. He had
reached the age of threescore and ten. The hardships and exposures of
his early wanderings, his many wars, the cares and afflictions of his
later years, had sapped the fountain of life. Though his mind retained
its clearness and strength, feebleness and age, with their desire for
seclusion, prevented a quick apprehension of what was passing in the
kingdom, and again rebellion sprang up in the very shadow of the throne.
Again the fruit of David's parental indulgence was manifest. The one who
now aspired to the throne was Adonijah, "a very goodly man" in person
and bearing, but unprincipled and reckless. In his youth he had been
subjected to but little restraint; for "his father had not displeased
him at any time in saying, Why hast thou done so?" He now rebelled
against the authority of God, who had appointed Solomon to the throne.
Both by natural endowments and religious character Solomon was better
qualified than his elder brother to become ruler of Israel; yet although
the choice of God had been clearly indicated, Adonijah did not fail to
find sympathizers. Joab, though guilty of many crimes, had heretofore
been loyal to the throne; but he now joined the conspiracy against
Solomon, as did also Abiathar the priest.
The rebellion was ripe; the conspirators had assembled at a great feast
just without the city to proclaim Adonijah king, when their plans were
thwarted by the prompt action of a few faithful persons, chief among
whom were Zadok the priest, Nathan the prophet, and Bathsheba the mother
of Solomon. They represented the state of affairs to the king, reminding
him of the divine direction that Solomon should succeed to the throne.
David at once abdicated in favor of Solomon, who was immediately
anointed and proclaimed king. The conspiracy was crushed. Its chief
actors had incurred the penalty of death. Abiathar's life was spared,
out of respect to his office and his former fidelity to David; but he
was degraded from the office of high priest, which passed to the line of
Zadok. Joab and Adonijah were spared for the time, but after the death
of David they suffered the penalty of their crime. The execution of the
sentence upon the son of David completed the fourfold judgment that
testified to God's abhorrence of the father's sin.
From the very opening of David's reign one of his most cherished plans
had been that of erecting a temple to the Lord. Though he had not been
permitted to execute this design, he had manifested no less zeal and
earnestness in its behalf. He had provided an abundance of the most
costly material--gold, silver, onyx stones, and stones of divers colors;
marble, and the most precious woods. And now these valuable treasures
that he had collected must be committed to others; for other hands must
build the house for the ark, the symbol of God's presence.
Seeing that his end was near, the king summoned the princes of Israel,
with representative men from all parts of the kingdom, to receive this
legacy in trust. He desired to commit to them his dying charge and
secure their concurrence and support in the great work to be
accomplished. Because of his physical weakness, it had not been expected
that he would attend to this transfer in person; but the inspiration of
God came upon him, and with more than his wonted fervor and power, he
was able, for the last time, to address his people. He told them of his
own desire to build the temple, and of the Lord's command that the work
should be committed to Solomon his son. The divine assurance was,
"Solomon thy son, he shall build My house and My courts; for I have
chosen him to be My son, and I will be his Father. Moreover I will
establish his kingdom forever, if he be constant to do My commandments
and My judgments, as at this day." "Now therefore," David said, "in the
sight of all Israel the congregation of the Lord, and in the audience of
our God, keep and seek for all the commandments of the Lord your God:
that ye may possess this good land, and leave it for an inheritance for
your children after you forever."
David had learned by his own experience how hard is the path of him who
departs from God. He had felt the condemnation of the broken law, and
had reaped the fruits of transgression; and his whole soul was moved
with solicitude that the leaders of Israel should be true to God, and
that Solomon should obey God's law, shunning the sins that had weakened
his father's authority, embittered his life, and dishonored God. David
knew that it would require humility of heart, a constant trust in God,
and unceasing watchfulness to withstand the temptations that would
surely beset Solomon in his exalted station; for such prominent
characters are a special mark for the shafts of Satan. Turning to his
son, already acknowledged as his successor on the throne, David said:
"And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve
Him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth
all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if
thou seek Him, He will be found of thee; but if thou forsake Him, He
will cast thee off forever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee
to build a house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it."
David gave Solomon minute directions for building the temple, with
patterns of every part, and of all its instruments of service, as had
been revealed to him by divine inspiration. Solomon was still young, and
shrank from the weighty responsibilities that would devolve upon him in
the erection of the temple and in the government of God's people. David
said to his son, "Be strong and of good courage, and do it: fear not,
nor be dismayed, for the Lord God, even my God, will be with thee; He
will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."
Again David appealed to the congregation: "Solomon my son, whom alone
God hath chosen, is yet young and tender, and the work is great: for the
palace is not for man, but for the Lord God." He said, "I have prepared
will all my might for the house of my God," and he went on to enumerate
the materials he had gathered. More than this, he said, "I have set my
affection to the house of my God, I have of mine own proper good, of
gold and silver, which I have given to the house of my God, over and
above all that I have prepared for the holy house, even three thousand
talents of gold, of the gold of Ophir, and seven thousand talents of
refined silver, to overlay the walls of the houses withal." "Who then,"
he asked of the assembled multitude that had brought their liberal
gifts--"who then is willing to consecrate his service this day unto the
Lord?"
There was a ready response from the assembly. "The chief of the fathers
and princes of the tribes of Israel, and the captains of thousands and
of hundreds, with the rulers of the king's work, offered willingly, and
gave, for the service of the house of God, of gold five thousand talents
and ten thousand drams, and of silver ten thousand talents, and of brass
eighteen thousand talents, and one hundred thousand talents of iron. And
they with whom precious stones were found gave them to the treasure of
the house of the Lord. . . . Then the people rejoiced, for that they
offered willingly, because with perfect heart they offered willingly to
the Lord: and David the king also rejoiced with great joy.
"Wherefore David blessed the Lord before all the congregation: and David
said, Blessed be Thou, Lord God of Israel our father, forever and ever.
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the
victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth
is Thine; Thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and Thou art exalted as head
above all. Both riches and honor come of Thee, and Thou reignest over
all; and in Thine hand is power and might; and in Thine hand it is to
make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore, our God, we
thank Thee, and praise Thy glorious name. But who am I, and what is my
people, that we should be able to offer so willingly after this sort?
for all things come of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee. For we
are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as were all our fathers: our
days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. O Lord our
God, all this store that we have prepared to build Thee an house for
Thine holy name cometh of Thine hand, and is all Thine own. I know also,
my God, that Thou triest the heart, and hast pleasure in uprightness.
"As for me, in the uprightness of mine heart I have willingly offered
all these things: and now have I seen with joy Thy people, which are
present here, to offer willingly unto Thee. O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac
and of Israel, our fathers, keep this forever in the imagination of the
thoughts of the heart of Thy people, and prepare their heart unto Thee:
and give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart, to keep Thy commandments,
Thy testimonies, and Thy statutes, and to do all these things, and to
build the palace, for the which I have made provision. And David said to
all the congregation, Now bless the Lord your God. And all the
congregation blessed the Lord God of their fathers, and bowed down their
heads, and worshiped the Lord."
With deepest interest the king had gathered the rich material for
building and beautifying the temple. He had composed the glorious
anthems that in afteryears should echo through its courts. Now his heart
was made glad in God, as the chief of the fathers and the princes of
Israel so nobly responded to his appeal, and offered themselves to the
important work before them. And as they gave their service, they were
disposed to do more. They swelled the offerings, giving of their own
possessions into the treasury. David had felt deeply his own
unworthiness in gathering the material for the house of God, and the
expression of loyalty in the ready response of the nobles of his
kingdom, as with willing hearts they dedicated their treasures to
Jehovah and devoted themselves to His service, filled him with joy. But
it was God alone who had imparted this disposition to His people. He,
not man, must be glorified. It was He who had provided the people with
the riches of earth, and His Spirit had made them willing to bring their
precious things for the temple. It was all of the Lord; if His love had
not moved upon the hearts of the people, the king's efforts would have
been vain, and the temple would never have been erected.
All that man receives of God's bounty still belongs to God. Whatever God
has bestowed in the valuable and beautiful things of earth is placed in
the hands of men to test them--to sound the depths of their love for Him
and their appreciation of His favors. Whether it be the treasures of
wealth or of intellect, they are to be laid, a willing offering, at the
feet of Jesus; the giver saying, meanwhile, with David, "All things come
of Thee, and of Thine own have we given Thee."
When he felt that death was approaching, the burden of David's heart was
still for Solomon and for the kingdom of Israel, whose prosperity must
so largely depend upon the fidelity of her king. "And he charged Solomon
his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong
therefore, and show thyself a man; and keep the charge of the Lord thy
God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments,
and His judgments, and His testimonies, . . . that thou mayest prosper
in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself: that the
Lord may continue His word which He spake concerning me, saying, If thy
children take heed to their way, to walk before Me in truth with all
their heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said He)
a man on the throne of Israel." 1 Kings 2:1-4.
David's "last words," as recorded, are a song--a song of trust, of
loftiest principle, and undying faith:
"David the son of Jesse saith,
And the man who was raised on high saith,
The anointed of the God of Jacob,
And the sweet psalmist of Israel:
The Spirit of Jehovah spake by me: . . .
One that ruleth over men righteously,
That ruleth in the fear of God,
He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth,
A morning without clouds;
When the tender grass springeth out of the earth,
Through clear shining after rain.
Verily my house is not so with God;
Yet He hath made me an everlasting covenant,
Ordered in all things, and sure:
For it is all my salvation, and all my desire."
2 Samuel 23:1-5, R.V.
Great had been David's fall, but deep was his repentance, ardent was his
love, and strong his faith. He had been forgiven much, and therefore he
loved much. Luke 7:48.
The psalms of David pass through the whole range of experience, from the
depths of conscious guilt and self-condemnation to the loftiest faith
and the most exalted communing with God. His life record declares that
sin can bring only shame and woe, but that God's love and mercy can
reach to the deepest depths, that faith will lift up the repenting soul
to share the adoption of the sons of God. Of all the assurances which
His word contains, it is one of the strongest testimonies to the
faithfulness, the justice, and the covenant mercy of God.
Man "fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not," "but the word of our
God shall stand forever." "The mercy of Jehovah is from everlasting to
everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto
children's children; to such as keep His covenant, and to those that
remember His commandments to do them." Job 14:2; Isaiah 40:8; Psalm
103:17, 18.
"Whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever." Ecclesiastes 3:14.
Glorious are the promises made to David and his house, promises that
look forward to the eternal ages, and find their complete fulfillment in
Christ. The Lord declared:
"I have sworn unto David My servant . . . with whom My hand shall be
established: Mine arm also shall strengthen him. . . . My faithfulness
and My mercy shall be with him: and in My name shall his horn be
exalted. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the
rivers. He shall cry unto Me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock
of my salvation. Also I will make him My first-born, higher than the
kings of the earth. My mercy will I keep for him forevermore, and My
covenant shall stand fast with him." Psalm 89:3-28.
"His seed also will I make to endure forever,
And his throne as the days of heaven." Psalm 89:29.
"He shall judge the poor of the people,
He shall save the children of the needy,
And shall break in pieces the oppressor.
They shall fear thee while the sun endureth,
And so long as the moon, throughout all generations. . .
In his days shall the righteous flourish;
And abundance of peace, till the moon be no more.
He shall have dominion also from sea to sea,
And from the river unto the ends of the earth."
"His name shall endure forever:
His name shall be continued as long as the sun:
And men shall be blessed in him:
All nations shall call him blessed."
Psalm 72:4-8, R.V., 17.
"For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given: and the government
shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
"He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the
Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His father David: and He
shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of His kingdom there
shall be no end." Isaiah 9:6; Luke 1:32, 33.
THE END
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