1. And it came to pass after this, that David inquired of the Lord, saying, Shall I go up into any of the cities of Judah? And the Lord said unto him, Go up. And David said, Whither shall I go up? And he said, Unto Hebron.
2. So David went up thither, and his two wives also, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail Nabal’s wife the Carmelite.
3. And his men that were with him did David bring up, every man with his household; and they dwelt in the cities of Hebron.
4. And the men of Judah came, and there they anointed David king over the house of Judah. And they told David, saying, That the men of Jabesh-gilead were they that buried Saul.
5. And David sent messengers unto the men of Jabesh-gilead, and said unto them, Blessed be ye of the Lord, that ye have showed this kindness unto your lord, even unto Saul, and have buried him.
6. And now the Lord show kindness and truth unto you, and I also will requite you this kindness, because ye have done this thing.
7. Therefore now let your hands be strengthened, and be ye valiant; for your master Saul is dead, and also the house of Judah have anointed me king over them.
8. But Abner the son of Ner, captain of Saul’s host, took Ish-bosheth the son of Saul, and brought him over to Mahanaim;
9. And made him king over Gilead, and over the Ashurites, and over Jezreel, and over Ephraim, and over Benjamin, and over all Israel.
10. Ish-bosheth Saul’s son was forty years old when he began to reign over Israel, and reigned two years. But the house of Judah followed David.
11. And the time that David was king in Hebron over the house of Judah was seven years and six months.
Golden Text: “The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice.” Ps. 97:1.
NOTE.—The lessons this quarter are from Old Testament history, resuming where they were left six months ago, in the study of David’s career. It will be well in entering anew upon this study to note a few points in review concerning David’s experience to the time of this lesson: (1) Early life and training. (2) Anointing, when eighteen or twenty years old. (3) The battle with Goliath. (4) Life at court, his friendship with Jonathan, and Saul’s anger. (5) Life in exile, fleeing from Saul, seven years. (6) Death of Saul and Jonathan, and David’s grief. The time of the present lesson is about 1055 B.C.
SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.
(1) What inquiries did David make of the Lord, and what replies did he receive? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) Who went with David? Verses 2, 3. (3) What did the men of Judah do? Verse 4. Note 2. (4) What did they tell him? Same verse. (5) For what purpose did David send messengers to the men of Jabesh-gilead? Verse 5. Note 3. (6) What did he say concerning his feeling toward them? Verse 6. (7) In what words did he admonish them? Verse 7. Note 4. (8) What course did Abner pursue? Verses 8, 9. Note 5. (9) How old was Ish-bosheth at this time? and how long did he reign? Verse 10. Note 6. (10) How long did David reign at Hebron? Verse 11.
NOTES.
1. At the time of the death of Saul on Mt. Gilboa David was at Ziklag, a town in the southern part of the Philistine country, southwest of Hebron. He and his band of 600 had gone north with the invading Philistine army in their march against Saul. But the Philistine leaders distrusted him, and fearing that he might attack their rear, instead of fighting against Saul, sent him back to Ziklag. He found this town ravaged by Amalekite marauders, who had found the south country defenseless. David immediately pursued them, overcame them, and gained possession of the immense spoil they were carrying away. At this juncture news came of the death of Saul and Jonathan. He then inquired of the Lord as to his proper course, probably through the high priest Abiathar, who held to his cause. Hebron was well suited to be the capital of the new kingdom, situated as it was in an easily defended mountainous district, eighteen miles south of Jerusalem.
2. DAVID had already been anointed by Samuel, but this was his public, formal inauguration by the people.
3. DAVID’S course was a conciliatory one, most designed to bring about a desired state of peace, and create friendship with the various tribes and factions. Before coming to Hebron, he had sent presents to the local heads of districts throughout Judea, and he now sent friendly messages to the Jabesh-gileadites. These men had rescued the bodies of Saul and his three sons from the Philistines, who had hung them upon the wall of Beth-shan, and burned them, so that they could suffer no further indignity. David steadfastly honored the memory of Saul, because, as he said, he was “the Lord’s anointed.”
4. In the last clause note a suggestion of invitation to place themselves under his standard.
5. ABNER was the cousin of Saul, captain of his host, a great general, and a shrewd politician. In every way it would be to his advantage to retain the kingdom to the house of Saul. If he went to David, the captaincy was already filled by Joab. But if he could securely seat Ish-bosheth, the eldest surviving son of Saul, upon the throne, his own power would be almost absolute, as Ish-bosheth was a weak man, with no kingly spirit. Mahanaim was a walled city of Gilead, east of the Jordan, on the Jabbok. This was among the two and a half tribes. At this time the main part of the kingdom was in the hands of the Philistines, but gradually Ish-bosheth’s nominal sway was extended so as to include what afterwards formed the kingdom of Israel as distinguished from that of Judah.
6. The duration of his reign is probably reckoned from the time when Abner succeeded in establishing his authority over all Israel. Five years and a half were occupied altogether in the re-conquest. These two years synchronize with the last two of David’s reign at Hebron.
The Atonement
THE ATONEMENT. Part I, “An Atonement Consistent with Reason.” Part II, “An Atonement as Revealed in the Bible.” Pacific Press Pub. Co., Oakland, Cal. Cloth, $1.00.
NEWS AND NOTES
FOREIGN.
—Famine is said to prevail in Tonquin, owing to prolonged drought and the consequent failure of crops.
—It is announced that the pope has issued an encyclical on the unity of the churches and the supremacy of the see of Rome. Copies are to be sent to all the reigning sovereigns, the object being a union of Christendom with Rome.
—Another rebellion has broken out in Korea, owing to the protracted retreat of the king at the Russian Legation. The insurgents declare his action a disgrace to the country. The revolt is said to embrace already nearly 25,000 men.
—The leaders of the so-called Reform Commission of Johannesburg, convicted of attempting to overthrow the Transvaal Government, and sentenced to death, have been let off with a fine of $125,000 each, or fifteen years' banishment. John Hays Hammond, formerly of California, George Farrar, and J. F. Leonard have paid their fines, but Col. Francis Rhodes, brother of the famous Cecil Rhodes, has chosen the banishment.
—U. S. Consul-General Lee, now in Havana, says: “The war now being waged in Cuba is devastating the island. The destruction of property between the lines of the contending parties is enormous. Bodies of troops from both the Cuban and Spanish armies, and bands of men belonging to neither side, rob and burn between the lines because there is no authority to restrain them. The property of American citizens is suffering greatly, and will continue to suffer until peace comes.”
—Moscow’s great celebration in honor of the czar’s coronation has not passed without at least one frightful calamity, outranking in loss of life the visitation of the death-dealing cyclones of the past few weeks. Preparations had been made on the plain of Khodjinskoje, near Moscow, to banquet 500,000 people at the czar’s expense, and for distributing as many souvenirs. Early on the morning of May 30, about 300,000 people had gathered, and gradually pressed onto the reserved grounds. Just how the rush started is not known, but it is believed the few gendarmes on hand at that hour became alarmed and scattered some of the presents to the crowd in front. The cry spread that the souvenirs were being given, and the immense throng pressed forward to a center, demolishing booths and tables, and trampling to death those who fell, owing to obstructions and uneven ground. When the crush passed, the dead and wounded were removed. An official statement says that 1,336 were killed, and several hundred more wounded. It is believed, however, that many more than this were trampled or crushed to death. Some estimate the loss of life at 3,000. The greater majority of those who perished belonged to the peasantry. A sum of money was ordered by the czar to be given the families or relatives of the dead.
DOMESTIC.
—Santa Barbara, Cal., has been made a sub-port of entry by act of Congress.
—The Pacific Hotel at Oceanside, Cal., was burned on the 13th inst. Loss, $50,000.
—Congress adjourned sine die on the 11th inst. The appropriations for various purposes during the session amounted to $515,759,820.
—The California Winemakers’ Association has let a contract for the erection at Fresno of one of the largest distilleries in the United States.
—Congress has authorized the building of three new battle ships, to cost $3,500,000 each. One of the vessels is to be built on the Pacific Coast.
—John Craig, who murdered his wife and both her parents at Los Angeles, Cal., two years ago, was hanged at the Folsom Penitentiary on the 12th inst.
—A heavy wind and rain storm, accompanied by sharp lightning flashes, damaged the city of Newark, N. J., to the extent of $150,000, on the night of the 9th inst.
—Four hundred stone quarry workmen at Berea, Ohio, struck on the 11th inst. They demand that all non-union men be discharged, and that the union men heretofore discharged be reinstated.
—At the Railroad Building, junction of Market and Montgomery Streets, San Francisco, on the 13th inst., an elevator fell from the fifth floor to the basement, seriously injuring three of the five men riding in it.
—At Merced, Cal., on the night of the 13th inst., the explosion of a coal oil lamp in a dry goods store caused a fire that consumed property of the estimated value of $100,000. The managers of the store had just stopped the use of electric lights and returned to oil lamps as a matter of economy.
—Three of the men who started the “Bear Flag Rebellion” in California in 1846, still survive, and on the 13th inst., the anniversary of the raising of the famous flag at Sonoma; they again hoisted the identical banner.
—A despatch from Canton, Ohio, states that, on the 14th inst., a break in Congress Lake Dam caused the deluging of the towns of Middle Branch and Oval City. Two hundred people are reported to have been drowned.
—Captain Jansen, of the steamer Coos Bay, reports that six very much discouraged people are all now remaining of the colony from Vermont and Massachusetts, comprising several hundred persons, who emigrated eight years ago to Topolobampo, on the Pacific Coast of Mexico. The six who are left are there because they can not get away. The captain says that the colony site, which was so brilliantly pictured by the boomers, is “one of the most desolate spots on earth.”
—Our ambassadors abroad must be careful about their religious associations. Complaint is made of Ambassador Uhl at Berlin on this account. He is accused of showing a decided partiality to the church in Berlin supported by the English colony rather than that attended by the Americans, and for this it is said the minister of the American church has reported his case to several prominent Episcopal Germans in this country, with the request that the State Department be informed.
—Two little girls, named Hazel and Viola Bickford, aged 4 and 7 years, were burned to death in a barn in Los Angeles, Cal., on the 11th inst. They were playing in the barn, and one of them began lighting matches. One of the matches was dropped, and set fire to the hay, and before the girls could get out, they were caught in the flames. A little brother ran to the house for help, but the mother could not reach the girls, on account of the flames. She could only witness their agony and death.
—A Chronicle report of the Holiness camp-meeting in the suburbs of this city, under date of the 11th inst., says that the minister “worked his hearers into a state of wild excitement last night, and seventeen went into trances. Sixteen were women, and to-day five of them were unable to leave their beds. To-night eight more were overcome. It was a repetition of the scenes of the Woodworth meetings of four years ago, when Errickson predicted the destruction of Oakland and San Francisco, and sent the timid to the hills.”
—There is to be a great sparring contest, or prize-fight, or whatever else it may be called, in San Francisco on the 24th inst. It is to be a “great attraction,” even women are interested. The Civic Federation would like to stop it, but are at a loss in the matter of procedure. The terms are such that it can not be legally stopped until after it has been commenced, and then only if the law is technically violated. So says an attorney of the Federation, who admits that he is rather anxious to see the contest himself. This attorney says he took pleasure in football games when at college, and adds that in football “more men have been killed, more limbs broken, and more serious injuries sustained, than in prize-fights.”
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WASHINGTON, D. C., July 7th
Official Excursion to the Fifteenth International Annual Convention Young People's Society Christian Endeavor
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Leaving Los Angeles,
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