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prophet. The ceremony ended, the blast of the trumpets proclaimed the accession of the
new monarch, and the people burst into a ringing shout, "God save King Solomon!"
The enthusiastic demonstrations of joy were truly Eastern.
There were music of pipes and acclamations of the people, until the ground beneath
seemed to rend with the noise. As the procession returned, the city rang with the
jubilee, until it reached the royal palace, where King Solomon seated himself in solemn
state on his father's throne, and received the homage of the court, while David gave
public thanks that he had lived to see that day.
Meanwhile, out in the king's gardens, the strange shouts from the city had reached
Adonijah and his guests. Joab had grown uneasy as he heard the well-known sound of
the trumpet. The tidings traveled quickly, and already one was in waiting to explain its
meaning. But it was not as Adonijah had hoped against hope. The son of Abiathar had
come to inform the conspirators of what had just taken place in Gihon and in the royal
palace. And now sudden terror seized those who had but lately been so confident in
their feasting. Every one of the conspirators fled, foremost among them Adonijah; nor
did he deem himself safe until he had reached the sacred precincts, and laid hold on the
horns of the altar. This asylum he refused to quit, until Solomon had assured him by
oath that his life would be spared - though on condition that his future conduct should
give the king no cause for complaint.
The events just recorded, which are only briefly indicated in 1 Chronicles 23:1, were
followed by a great assembly of the chief dignitaries in Church and State (1 Chronicles
28, 29.), when the accession of Solomon to the throne was formally confirmed, and he
was anointed a second time (1 Chronicles 29:22). We remember, that similarly both
Saul and David were anointed a second time, on publicly receiving the homage of their
subjects (1 Samuel 11:15; 2 Samuel 2:4; 5:3). It was in this great assembly that the
aged king, speaking, as it were, from his death-bed, laid before his people the deepest
wishes of his heart, and told his inmost thoughts concerning the character, the stability,
and the object of royalty in Israel. Beginning with an evident reference to the great
promise given to him and his house, David first solemnly owned, that the appointment
to the royal office - more particularly his own election and that of Solomon as his
successor - was of God as Israel's supreme King, and that the stability and welfare of
the kingdom depended upon faithful allegiance to Jehovah, to which he accordingly
admonished Solomon and the people (1 Chronicles 28:2-10).
Then, following further the line indicated in the covenant-promise, David pointed out
that the grand object of his son's reign must be to build an house unto the LORD. This
would be the initial typical fulfillment of that to which the prophetic promise pointed.
So deeply had the king this work at heart, that he had already prepared all the plans for
the Temple; and that he dedicated to this work the vast treasures which during his long
(^)