whom David called Solomon, and who ultimately succeeded him on the
throne (2 Samuel 12:24, 25).
Peace. After the successful termination of all his wars, David formed the
idea of building a temple for the ark of God. This he was not permitted to
carry into execution, because he had been a man of war. God, however,
sent Nathan to him with a gracious message (2 Samuel 7:1-16). On
receiving it he went into the sanctuary, the tent where the ark was, and sat
before the Lord, and poured out his heart in words of devout thanksgiving
(18-29). The building of the temple was reserved for his son Solomon, who
would be a man of peace (1 Chronicles 22:9; 28:3).
A cloudy evening. Hitherto David’s carrer had been one of great
prosperity and success. Now cloudy and dark days came. His eldest son
Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam of Jezreel, was guilty of a great and
shameful crime (2 Samuel 13). This was the beginning of the disasters of
his later years. After two years Absalom terribly avenged the crime against
Tamar, and put Amnon to death. This brought sore trouble to David’s
heart. Absalom, afraid of the consequences of his guilt, fled to Geshur
beyond Jordan, where he remained for three years, when he was brought
back through the intrigue of Joab (2 Samuel 14).
After this there fell upon the land the calamity of three years’ famine (2
Samuel 21:1-14). This was soon after followed by a pestilence, brought
upon the land as a punishment for David’s sinful pride in numbering the
people (2 Samuel 24), in which no fewer than 70,000 perished in the space
of three days.
Rebellion of Absalom. The personal respect for David was sadly lowered
by the incident of Bathsheba. There was a strong popular sentiment
against the taking of the census, and the outburst of the plague in
connection with it deepened the feeling of jealously that had begun to
manifest itself among some of the tribes against David. Absalom, taking
full advantage of this state of things, gradually gained over the people, and
at length openly rebelled against his father, and usurped the throne.
Ahithophel was Absalom’s chief counsellor. The revolt began in Hebron,
the capital of Judah. Absalom was there proclaimed king. David was now
in imminent danger, and he left Jerusalem (2 Samuel 15:13-20), and once
more became a fugitive. It was a momentous day in Israel. The incidents of
it are recorded with a fulness of detail greater than of any other day in Old