HOMILIES BY VARIOUS AUTHORS. Vers. 1--8.-The successwn of Abijam to the throne of Judah appe11.rt1 to have had one limiting principle, viz., that the successor should be of the house and lineage of David (see 2 Chron. xiii 8). Within this limit it f.'eems- I. IT WAS DETERMINED BY THE Wil.L OF TB.B REIGNING KING. 1. 1'ke principle of primogeniture was not considered. (1) Else Abijam could not have ascended the throne : for he had elder brothers, sons of Me.halath and Abihe.il and we know not how many_besides (see_ 2 Chrou. xi. 18-21). (2) These were deiiberately set aside by the choice of the king. The reason given for that choice is arbitrary. Reho- boam "loved Maachah, the daughter of Absalom, above all his wives,'' and there- fore he "made Abijah, the son of Maachah, the chief ruler among his brethren: for he thought to make him king" (2 Chron. xi. 22, 23). (3) For this he had precedent. We have no proof that Rehoboam was not the only son of Solomon; but Solomon was a younger son of David (see 2 Sam. iii. 2---5; xiii. 13, 14), and was prefen-ed before his -elder brethren upon the designation of his father (see eh. i. 13, 32-35). 2. Abijam represented Rehoboam by walking in his sins. (1) He recognized the God of Israel. This he did formally in his address to Jero- boam before engaging him in battle (see 2 Chron. xiii. 4---12). So did Rehoboam recognize the God of Israel (see 2 Chron. xii. 10-12. (2) "But his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as the heart of David hie father.'' David never followed idols; but Rehoboam forsook not the sine of Solomon, and Abijam forsook not the sins of Rehoboam. (3) Their mixed worship was like that of the Samaritans of later times, who" feared the Lord and served their own gods" (2 Kings xvii. 32). If this was not worshipping other gods "before the Lord," it was worshipping them "beBide Him" (see 2 Cor. vi. 16). Yet- II. THE CHOICE OF REllOBOill llAD THE DIVINE SANCTION (ver. 4). 1. Primogeni- ture, therefore, .cannot pl,ead Divine right. (1) Else would not God have set aside the choice of Rehoboam in favour of his elder son, or rather, of the representative of the elder son of David? (2) David himself was a younger son in the family of Jesse. And if we go be.ck to e:1rlier times, Judah, a. younger son, was preferred before Reuben, in the family of J :1cob. Ja cob himself was chosen to the prejudice of Esau, and Isaac before him to the prejudice of Ishmael. (3) God had His own reasons for confirming the election of Rehoboam, which, however, were di.fferont from those which moved the king. 3. God, had respect to Hia servant David. (1) "BecallSe David did that which was right in the eyes of the Lord." He had no complicity with idolatry, but worshipped the one true God with pure delight. When away from the courts of the Lord he longed for them with vehement desire. What a worthy example I How it rebukes the half-day worshippers of modern times I (2) He failed only" in the matter of Uriah.'' That was a foul blot, How sad so grand a life should have been so darkly blurred I (3) Yet "his heart was perfect with the Lord his God." For he heartily repented of that ein, and was for- given (see 2 Sam. xii 13; Pss. mii. 1-5; li.) God giveth liberally and upLraideth not. 8. Therefore for Daviri}s sake ./J..bijam reigned. (1) "That he might always have a lamp "-a man of his line. Abijam was a son of David by an unbroken male descent, and also by a female descent. "His mother's name was Maachah, the daughter of Abishalom." Abishalom is written "Absalom" in 2 Chron. :xi. 21. Maachah was the daughter of Absalom as Abijam was the son of David, viz., as Leing descended from him. Her father's name was " Uriol of Gibeah," who ap• pee.red to have married a daughter of Abse.lom, who left no son (2 Chron. xiii. 2). She bore the name of her grandmother, who was" Maacah, the daughter of Te.Imai, king of Geshur " (2 Sam. iii. 3). (2) Christ is the true lamp of David (see Pi;a. cxnii. 17). For Hie sake the line of David must be preserved. (3) The lamp, too, must shine in Jerusalem. " God gave him a. lamp in J erasalem, to set up a sou llfter him, and to establish Jerusalem." The Redeemer must come to Zion, there to tum away iniquity from Jacob. So before the Romll,JlS destroyed Jerusalem, and en. xv 1--24.] THE FIRST BOOK OF KINGS.
the family of David ha.cl lost their genealogies, Jesus came and became an expiatory saoriftce for ein.-J. A. M.