natural heir of the kingdom, he arranged a plan for making the king believe that the hearts of all the people of the kingdom were longing for the recall of the youth, who had only struck to revenge his insulted sister. For this purpose Joab found a woman at the village of Tekoah, and instructed her in a story like enough to the king's own trouble to touch his feelings. She was to appear as a widow in mourning garments, and not anointed with the olive oil that was always the token of festivity and gladness, and to call herself the mother of only two sons, one of whom had struck the other to death in a chance quarrel. The relations, as revengers of blood, she said, insisted on her delivering up her remaining child to be put to death, and she appealed to the king to interfere, and prevent them from quenching the only light left to her hearth.* David's pity was moved, and he readily promised that her son should be spared; whereupon she came to the point. Did not the king, by his readiness to pardon the man who had slain his brother in a brawl, convict himself of unkindness towards his own son"his banished"?

She even brought the case still nearer home. We all are sinners, with our lives forfeit before God. He is no respecter of persons, and deals with all mankind alike. Yet He devises means to fetch home to His favour those who are banished from it. Perhaps the words were meant as an implied hint to David that he himself could not be hard on others. He had been banished from God's favour for many a long month, and at last it was God Himself who had deigned to devise means for fetching him home. But unconsciously the saying reaches far further, and brings before us those eternal counsels of the Almighty and All Merciful, when, to fetch home the banished race of man, the Son of God took the nature of man; and reminds us how even now the Good Shepherd is ever devising means to bring home His banished and lost sheep.

Probably Joab meant David to take this as a voice coming from the people, but the king saw through the manœuvre, and made the woman confess who had sent her, which she did, complimenting him on his wisdom as equalling that of an angel. However, the object was so far attained. He was convinced that the nation in

A coal in Scripture is never used to mean mineral coal, but always burning, or charred, wood.

general thought that Absalom ought to be pardoned, and he therefore consented to send Joab on a mission to bring the young man back from Geshur; but, with all his yearning love towards him, his sense of justice made him forbid the murderer to appear before him. So Absalom returned indeed to his own house, but was shut out from his father's presence.

LESSON CVIII.

ABSALOM'S TREASON.

B.C. 1027-24.-2 SAM. xiv. 25—xv. 6.

But in all Israel there was none to be so much praised as Absalom for his beauty; from the sole of his foot even to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.

And when he polled his head, (for it was at every year's end that he polled it because the hair was heavy on him, therefore he polled it :) he weighed the hair of his head at two hundred shekels after the king's weight.

And unto Absalom there were born three sons, and one daughter, whose name was Tamar: she was a woman of a fair countenance.

So Absalom dwelt two full years in Jerusalem, and saw not the king's

face.

Therefore Absalom sent for Joab, to have sent him to the king; but he would not come to him: and when he sent again the second time, he would not come.

Therefore he said unto his servants, See, Joab's field is near mine, and he hath barley there; go and set it on fire. And Absalom's servants set

the field on fire.

Then Joab arose, and came to Absalom unto his house, and said unto him, Wherefore have thy servants set my field on fire?

And Absalom answered Joab, Behold, I sent unto thee, saying, Come hither, that I may send thee to the king, to say, Wherefore am I come from Geshur? it had been good for me to have been there still now therefore let me see the king's face; and if there be any iniquity in me, let him kill me.

So Joab came to the king, and told him: and when he had called for Absalom, he came to the king, and bowed himself on his face to the ground before the king: and the king kissed Absalom.

And it came to pass after this, that Absalom prepared him chariots and horses, and fifty men to run before him.

And Absalom rose up early, and stood beside the way of the gate and

* Cut his hair.

it was so, that when any .nan that had a controversy* came to the king for judgment, then Absalom called unto him, and said, Of what city art thou? And he said, Thy servant is of one of the tribes of Israel.

And Absalom said unto him, See, thy matters are good and right; but there is no man deputed of the king to hear thee.

Absalom said moreover, Oh that I were made judge in the land, that every man which hath any suit or cause might come unto me, and I would do him justice!

And it was so, that when any man came nigh to him to do him obeisance, he put forth his hand, and took him, and kissed him.

And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

COMMENT.-All the fierce and ambitious passions within Absalom had grown during his exile in the heathen land of Geshur, where his mother's kindred would probably fill him with expectations of the throne, and inflame his discontent at the subjection in which he was kept. He had likewise grown in the perfection of manly beauty. Absalom was under a Nazarite vow, made in Geshur, and therefore wore long streaming hair. The Nazarites were permitted to poll, or cut this, at intervals, provided they burnt it on the altar and offered sacrifices with it. Absalom's hair is reckoned to have weighed six pounds! Meanwhile he became impatient of his exclusion from the king's presence, and the manner in which he forced Joab to come to him, and drove him to intercede with the king, shows all the savage overbearingness of his nature. It is likely that though he was reconciled to the king, he found that the succession to the throne was intended for his little brother Solomon, who had been Divinely pointed out as the heir of the promise (when God sent to call him His beloved), and, like Ishmael and Esau, he rebelled against the decree. He began to collect horses and chariots. The use of these was forbidden to the Israelite mountaineer (Deut. xvii. 16—20), and Absalom and his brothers had hitherto ridden mules. He likewise drew together a band of attendants, as if for mere show and vanity, but really with a treasonable intention. As appears afterwards, he set up a pillar in honour of himself, either because he was impatient at being long childless, or because he had lost his children. And, with secret designs of evil, he daily placed himself beneath the arched gateway of the city, the favourite place of resort, and as the people * Dispute.

came through on their way to the palace with their causes to lay before the king, he spoke to them affably, and pretended to lament that his father did not attend to matters of justice as formerly, and had appointed no one in his stead to hear such cases; sighing at having no power himself to act. It is likely that this is what David refers to in the 69th Psalm, when he says

For thy sake I have borne reproach;
Shame hath covered my face.

I am become a stranger unto my brethren,
And an alien unto my mother's children.

For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up;

And the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon

me.

When I wept, and chastened my soul with fasting,

That was to my reproach.

I made sackcloth also my garment;

And I became a proverb to them.

They that sit in the gate speak against me;

And I was the song of the drunkards.

From this we gather that the enemies of the Lord were already blaspheming and scoffing at the depth of David's penitence, so that the very drunkards made songs of derision at his humiliation. Moreover, as we shall find, David was collecting materials for the Temple to be built by Solomon, and this preparation was almost certain to be pointed out by Absalom as a grievance. An old feeble man, beset by priests, prophets, and women, heaping up treasures for a scheme of his own, fretting over a past failing, unheeding the duties of his station. Such did the son represent his great, holy, tender father!

[And already the likeness of the afflicted Saviour was moulding itself in David, whose words in future times should come to the disciples' minds, when the Son of David purified the Temple, and they bethought them of "the zeal of Thine house hath eaten me up."-John ii. 17.]

LESSON CIX.

ABSALOM'S REBELLION.

B.C. 1023.-2 SAM. xv. 7-29.

And it came to pass that Absalom said unto the king,

pray thee, let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed unto the LORD, in Hebron. For thy servant vowed a vow while I abode at Geshur in Syria, saying, If the LORD shall bring me again indeed to Jerusalem, then I will serve the LORD.

And the king said unto him, Go in peace. So he arose, and went to Hebron.

But Absalom sent spies throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, As soon as ye hear the sound of the trumpet, then ye shall say, Absalom reigneth in Hebron.

And with Absalom went two hundred men out of Jerusalem, that were called; and they went in their simplicity, and they knew not any thing.

And Absalom sent for Ahithophel* the Gilonite, David's counsellor, from his city, even from Giloh, while he offered sacrifices. And the conspiracy was strong; for the people increased continually with Absalom.

And there came a messenger to David, saying, The hearts of the men of Israel are after Absalom.

And David said unto all his servants that were with him at Jerusalem, Arise, and let us flee; for we shall not else escape from Absalom: make speed to depart, lest he overtake us suddenly, and bring evil upon us, and smite the city with the edge of the sword.

And the king's servants said unto the king, Behold, thy servants are ready to do whatsoever my lord the king shall appoint.

And the king went forth, and all the people after him, and tarried in a place that was far off. +

And all his servants passed on beside him; and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the Gittites, six hundred men which came after him from Gath, passed on before the king.

Then said the king to Ittai the Gittite, Wherefore goest thou also with us? return to thy place, and abide with the king: for thou art a stranger, and also an exile.

Whereas thou camest but yesterday, should I this day make thee go up and down with us? seeing I go whither I may, return thou, and take back thy brethren mercy and truth be with thee.

And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.

* The Brother of Folly.

† A house outside the walls.