B. C. years, and it is two years longer before his father becomes | 2 Sam. xiv, so reconciled as to admit him to his presence.
Soon after this, by studying the arts of popularity, Absa- 2 Sam. xv. lom steals away the affections of his father's subjects, and next year he breaks out into open rebellion against him; but 1023 being defeated, in flying he is caught by his hair in the boughs of a large oak tree, and there thrust through by Joab. 1017 David, tempted no doubt by pride, commands Joab to number the people, which he reluctantly performs. Upon this, three judgments are offered to David's choice, and he wisely choosing to fall into the hands of God rather than men, a heavy pestilence destroys 70,000 men in one day; but David discovering a proper spirit of sorrow and repent- ance, the angel of death is arrested in his course, and the pestilence ceases.
Rehoboam born to Solomon by an Ammonitish woman.
David being now turned of seventy years of age, and worn out with continual cares and wars, is reduced to the lowest state of weakness and debility. Adonijah, with the help of Joab and Abiathar, makes himself king; but David, upon being informed of this, orders Zadok the priest, and Nathan the prophet, to proclaim Solomon king. Adonijah flies to the sanctuary and is pardoned, but afterwards slain for another offence.
David having given advice and instruction to his son So. lomon, dieth, after having reigned in Hebron seven years and a half, and thirty-three years in Jerusalem, over all Israel.
1 Kings xiv. 21. 1 Kings i. 1-49.
Soon after Solomon's accession to the throne, Pharoah 1 Kings iii. gives his daughter to him in marriage. God also gives him, at his own request, wisdom for government, and adds thereto both riches and honours beyond any of his predecessors.
1012 Solomon lays the foundation of the temple of Jerusalem, in the 480th year after the departure of the children of 1005 Israel out of Egypt, and in the 4th year of his reign, and finishes it in the 11th year of his reign, having been seven years and a half in building.
Next year (being reckoned the 9th Jubilee) Solomon, with great magnificence, dedicates his temple to Jehovah, who honours it with the appearance of the divine Shechi- nah, the special token of his sacred presence.
Solomon's wisdom became now celebrated in all the sur- rounding lands, and particularly by the queen of Sheba; but his foreign connexions greatly increasing, tempted him. to take an extraordinary number of wives and concubines from foreign countries, who being idolaters, drew his heart from the Lord; and induced him, first to tolerate idolatry for their sakes, and afterwards to unite in it; forming establish- ments in honour of most idols of the surrounding nations. "And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had ap- peared unto him twice, and had commanded him this thing,
2 Chron. viii. 11. 1 Kings iii. 5-12.
1 Kings vi.
1. 2 Chron. iii. 1.
1 Kings vi. 38. 1 Kings viii.
2 Chron. v. vi. vii.
B. C. that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded, as did David his father," who 1004 in no case fell into idolatry.
The Lord, therefore, foretold him, that his kingdom 12, 13, 1. should be divided, and that one tribe being reserved for Solomon's son (i. e. Rehoboam), the other tribes should be given unto his servant, Jeroboam, the son of Nebat.
Our translators, however, believe, and so do we, that Solomon's apostacy was not final; but that some time be- fore his death, he forsook his lusts and vanities, of which we think we have sufficient evidence in the book of Eccle- 975 siastes. See our introduction to that book. He reigned forty years, and died a feeble and infirm old man, before he was sixty years of age!
§ VII. FROM THE DIVISION OF THE KINGDOM, TO THE BABYLONISH CAPTIVITY.
42, 43.
2 Chronis. 30, 31.
The people assembling at Shechem, to crown Rehoboam 1 Kings king of all Israel, they apply, by means of Jeroboam, for the removal of some grievances which they had suffered during the reign of his father, Solomon. His father's counsellors suggest a wise and prudent answer, but the rash compa- nions of his youth persuade him to return a harsh one, which alienates from him ten of the twelve tribes of Israel. These choose Jeroboam to be their king, who had doubtless kept his eye upon this object for some time. From this period, the nation must be considered as divided into two king- doms-Judah and Israel.
975 Rehoboam, highly offended 1 Kings at the revolt, meditates an at- tack upon the ten tribes, to reduce them to obedience; but the attempt being forbidden by a prophet, he wisely re- 974 frains. The priests, however, xi. 17. generally, and many pious Is- raelites, withdraw from Jero- boam, induced, no doubt, by a desire to enjoy the temple worship uninterrupted. But Rehoboam gives up himself 971 to impiety and vice; Shishak, xiv. 25. King of Egypt, comes to Je- rusalem, and plunders both the temple and the king.
Rehoboam and the princes xiv. repent on the preaching of the prophet Shemaiah; but the former dies, after reigning 17 years over Judah. Abijam succeeds Rehoboam, but reigns only three years.
955 Asa succeeds Abijam, and 1 Kings 954 suppresses idolatry in Judah. xv. 8. 949 He gains a decisive victory 2Chron. over Zerah, the Ethiopian. xiv. 9. 940 He bribes Benhadad, king 1 Kings of Syria, to attack Baasha, in xv. 18. order to stop him from build- ing Ramah.
917 Asa troubled with lameness 2Chron. (supposed from gout), places xvi. 12. his confidence, not in God, but in his physicians.
914 He dies (having reigned 13. 41 years), and is succeeded by
his son Jehoshaphat.
889 Jehoshaphat dying soon af-2Chron. ter, Jehoram no sooner finds xxi. 4, 5. bimself secured in the throne, than he puts all his brethren to the sword; and soon after, by the wicked counsel of Atha- 888 liah (daughter of Ahab), sets up the idolatry of Baal, and compels his subjects to wor- ship with him. About this time, a letter addressed to him by the prophet Elijah, before his translation, comes into the hand of Jehoram, warning him of the approaching judg-| ments. He reigned only four years.
Ahaziah, son of Jehoram, 2 Kings succeeds his father in the viii. 25. throne of Judah.
Jeroboam dies, after reign-1 Kings ing 22 years, and Nadab, his xiv. 20. son, succeeds him.
After two years, Nadab is 25-27. slain by Baasha, who succeeds him, and destroys all the fa- mily of Jeroboam.
He builds Ramah, to pre- vent Israel from going to Je- rusalem, and reigns 24 years.
Baasha dies, and is suc- xvi. 6. ceeded by his son Elah.
Elah is slain by Zimri, who usurps the kingdom for seven days, and destroys the whole family of Baasha; but being besieged by Omri, whom the army had made king, burns himself to death in the palace.
Omri reigns alone in Asa's 23, 24. 31st year, upon which he builds Samaria for his capital.
Omri dies, and is succeeded 29. by his wicked son Ahab, in whose reign Elijah prophecies. 908 He challenges and slays the false prophets of Baal.
Ahab, by advice of Jezebel, xxi. causes Naboth to be stoned.
Ahab associates his son Aha-xxii. 51, ziah with him in the kingdom. He is killed, warring against Ramoth-gilead in disguise.
Ahaziah succeeds, but soon 2 Kings after being dangerously ill, iu consequence of a fall, sends to consult Baal-zebub, the god of Ekron. The prophet Elijah meeting the messenger, sharp-| ly reproves him, and sends word that he shall die. The king, in consequence, sends three successive companies to apprehend him, two of which are destroyed by fire from hea- ven; but he goes with the third, and reproves the king to his face, predicting his death as both near and certain; which accordingly came to pass, after reigning only two years.
Soon after this, Elijah is re- ii. 11. moved to heaven in a fiery chariot.
Jehoram king of Israel, and viii. 28. Abaziah king of Judah, lead their united armies to Ramoth
Gilead, against Hazael, suc-
Athaliah destroys all the xi. royal family, and usurps the 2Chron. kingdom; but Jehosheba, xxii. 10. daughter of king Jehoram, and wife to the High Priest, Jehoida, secretes Jehoash, one of the infants, in the temple, and thus preserves it from the general massacre of the blood royal.
840 Zechariah, the son of Je-2Chron. hoida, for reproving the idola- xxiv. try of the people, after the death of his father, is stoned to death in the court of the temple, by command of that very Jehoash whom his father had made king in Judah, but who had now fallen into ido- latry. This Jehoash is next 2 Kings year murdered by his servants xii. 20. on his bed, and succeeded by
his son Amaziah. 826 Amaziah, growing proud of xiv. This success against the Edom-2Chron. ites, provokes Jehoash, king xxv. of Israel, to a war, and is Itaken prisoner by him,
884 cessor of Benhadad, king of 2 Kings Syria, when the former is dan ix. gerously wounded, and retires to Jezreel for a cure. In the mean time, Elisha the prophet, who had succeeded Elijah, sends a young prophet to anoint Jehu, the son of Jeho- shaphat, the son of Nimshi, king over Israel, for the spe- cial purpose of rooting out the house of Ahab. Jehu, being proclaimed king by the army, marches strait to Jezreel, kills Jehoram in the field of Na- both, and causes Jezebel to be cast out of a window, where she is eaten of dogs.
He also dispatches letters to Samaria, and causes seventy of Ahab's children to be be- headed. Then comes himself to Samaria, and destroys the whole family of Ahab, and all the priests of Baal. Notwith- standing this, he departs not himself from the worship of Jeroboam's calves.
« PreviousContinue » |