Beginning of the End - Ellen G. White

threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite." Directed by the prophet,
David went to the mountain, "and offered burnt offerings and peace
offerings, and called on the Lord; and He answered him from
heaven by fire on the altar of burnt offering." "So the Lord heeded
the prayers for the land, and the plague was withdrawn from Israel."
The spot where the altar was built, regarded from that time on
as holy ground, was the place where Abraham had built the altar to
offer up his son. Later it was chosen as the site of the temple.
David had reached the age of seventy. The hardships and
exposures of his early wanderings, his many wars, and the
afflictions of later years had sapped the fountain of life. Feebleness
and age, with his desire to be alone, kept him from quickly seeing
what was happening in the kingdom, and again rebellion sprang up
in the very shadow of the throne.
The one who now wanted the throne was Adonijah, "very
good-looking," but unprincipled and reckless. In his youth "his
father had not rebuked him at any time by saying, 'Why have you
done so?'" Growing up with very little restraint, he now rebelled
against the authority of God, who had appointed Solomon to the
throne.
Solomon was better qualified than his older brother, but
although God's choice had been clearly shown, Adonijah was able to
find sympathizers. Joab, up to that time loyal to the throne, now
joined the conspiracy against Solomon, and so did Abiathar the
684