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David 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, all ready for Solomon.
Then he called Solomon, and said, "God has said, thou shalt build His
house, and He will give thee knowledge and wisdom 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, because God
had chosen him. David was sorry to hear what Adonijah had done; but
he comforted Bathsheba, 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 rejoicing,
because David had made Solomon king. Then all the conspirators 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 Adonijah 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 quiet again, and Solomon reigned in peace. And
now the time came for David to die; so he called his dear son Solomon, to
give him his last commands, and to bid him farewell. David told
Solomon to remember that wicked man Joab, and punish him as a murderer,
because he killed Abner, many years before, and deserved to die. And
Shimei, too, who had cursed David, was to be punished as Solomon should
think right. But David charged Solomon to be kind to Barzillai, who
had been so kind to David when he was in sorrow and trouble. Did
David feel angry and revengeful when he was dying? No; but he knew
that wicked men must be punished, because this is God's command.
Good kings must be just; they must punish those who disobey God's laws. Did
David say anything more to Solomon? Yes; for David felt very anxious
about him. He wished him to
love and serve God, and to teach his people in the right way; and David
knew that Solomon could not reign well, if God did not help and bless
him. So David spoke very affectionately, and very solemnly to
Solomon, and said, "My son, know thou the God of thy fathers, my God
who has kept me all my life long. Serve Him with all thy heart,
sincerely and willingly; for God knows the heart. He knows who truly
love Him, and who only pretend to love him. He is ready to hear thy
prayer; and if thou seek Him, thou shalt find Him; but if thou forsake
Him, He will cast thee off for ever." Then David looked up to
Heaven, and sang a beautiful song of praise to God. All his troubles
were ended now; God was with him; he closed his eyes in peace, and his
happy soul went to be for ever in Heaven, far away from all sin and
sorrow. If we, like David,
are ready to die; if we are at peace with God through Jesus Christ, having
our sins all washed away, and our hearts made new by his Holy Spirit;
then, like David, we may look forward to death with happiness and
joy. Then we may say, as he did in one of his beautiful Psalms,
"Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear
no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod, and thy staff, they comfort
me." Psalm 33:4.
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