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The Sunday School

The Sunday School image
Parent Issue
Day
4
Month
December
Year
1896
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

4. ' ' For it came to pass when Solomon was old that his wives turncd away his heart after othcr gods, and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was theheartof David his father. " Lastweek's lesson was a picture of great glory to the honor of the Lord, His farae through Solomon reaching to the onds of the earth, but in this lesson we have a record of great failure through disobedience and the Lord's name dishonored. God, who sees the end from the beginning (Isa. xlvi, 10), had forbiitdeu that a king of Israel should multiplj liorses or wives or silver or gold, but that lic should render strict obedienco to the luw and lean wholly upon God (Deuk xvii, 16-30). The closing verses of the last chaptor and the opening verses of this show that Solomon went directly contrary to the word of ( rod, perliaps beeause it would havo made him so very peculiar in the eyes of other nations to be so unlike thein in these mattere. 5. " For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and after MilCtim, the abomination of the Ammonites. " Loving these strangers to Israel, he would naturally do many things to please them, and it is impossible to please God and the enemies of God at the same time; thereforo Mie sin of being unequally yokcd together with unbolievers (II Cor. vi, 14). Tho friendship of the world is enmity with God; wliosoever therefore will be a friend of the world in the enemy of God (.Tas. iv, 4). Even in preaching the word we are to speak not as pleasing men, but God, who trieth our hearts; for if we yet please men we re not the servants of Ciirist (I Thess. ïi, 4; G;il. i, 10). The Master Himself said, "Ye cannot serve God and Mammon" (Mafch. vi, 24). 6. "And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord and went not fully after the Lord, as did David, his father. " The expression "in the sight of the Lord" Í3 found again in verses 33 and 38, and over 50 times in Kings and Chronicles. If we would set the Lord always before us and speak and act as in His sight all would be well. And is this not included in followiug the Lord fully? Does it not mean believing His every word and acting accordingly and always as if He were right present with us? "Even Christ pleased not Himself," bnt He did aiways those things which pleased the Father. 7. "Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abominatiou of Moab, in thehiU that isbefore Jerusalem. " Thus he corrupted the mount of Olives with the abominable idolatries of the Zidoniaus, the Moabites and the Ammonites and became partaker of their evildeeds (II Kinirs xxiii, 13; II John x, 11), and for over 300 yoars these abominations remained till Joslah destroyed them, and tliey weroon the hiHfacingthe temple, even the hill from which the Lord ascended, and to which He w ill return when He shall come in His glory for the redemption of Israel (Zech. xiv, 3, 1, 9). Solomon unitcd these nations to himself for his own gratiiication, but Christ shall draw all people unto Him for the glory of God. 8. "And likewise did he for all his Btrange wives, which burnt incen.=o and sacrifleed unto tg ir gods. " What a time hc must have had with his 700 princess wives (verse 3)1 What ho did for one he would have to do for all, and thus was gathered at Jorusalcm the idolatries and abominations of all nations, and this by one who sat on the throne of the Lord to be king for the Lord. Jerusalem had become a very Babyion, the habitation of devils and the liold uf cvery foul spirit and a cage of every uncleau and hatoful bird (Kev. xviii, 2). 9. "And the Loril was angry with Solomon, because his heart was 'turned froin the Lord God of Israel, which had appcared untoliim twice. " All our privileges increase our responsibilities, and these revelationa of Jehovah to Solomon and His I special favnra ro him should have deterred ! him all the more from all thoughtof turning away from Him. Israel had oft enough in past daya provokcd God to angor with their high places and moved Him to jealousy witli their graven images. 10. ''And had commanded him concerningthisthing that he should not go after other gods, but he kept not that which the Lord commandcd. " His father had intreated him to servo the Lord with a perfect heart and willing mind, and in nowiso to forsake Him. He had also prayed specially for him to this end (I Chron. xxviii, 9; xxix, 1!)). The Lord Himself had also admonished iiim in both of His appearanoea to him to be obeúíent (I Kings iii, 14; ix, 2-9), then He had done for him the great things and given him tho great glory of which tho queen of Sheba said that tho half had not been told her, yet ho disobeyed and turned his back upon God for the sake of carthly show and pleasure. 11. " Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thco, and thou hast not kept ray covenant, and my statutes, which I have coingnnnded thee, I will surely rend tho kingdom from thee and will give it to thyservant. " ïhua disobedience, for the sake of present gratifleation and pralseoi men, causes Solomon to lose the kingdom and brings a curse instead of a blessing. 13. "Notwithstanding in thydays Iwill not do it, for David, thy father's, sake, but I will rend it out of the hand of thy son. " How wonderful the long suffering of God, how patiënt with the sinner, how unwilling that any should perish (II Pet. iii, 9). Consider the blessings through David and the curses through Solomon, and, remembering that no one liveth unto himself, consider whether It is a blessing or a curse that is coming upon others through you. 13. "Howbeit I vrill not rend away all the kingdom, but will give ono tribe to thy son for David, my servant's, sake, and for Jerusalem's sake, which I have chosen. " Compare with this verses 32, 34, 36, and notice the repetition of 'for David's sake, " and "for Jerusalem's sake." Our next and last three lessons of this year will bc given to ' Temporáneo, " "Christmas" and "Review. " The whole of 1897 will be devoted to the Acts and the Episiles. Who can teil what may come to pass in Emmauuel's land for David's sake and Jerusalem, the chosen city's sake, ere we como again in our studies tothe Old Testament? Of this we are sure, Jerusalem shall l)e the throne of the Lord, and tho Son of Mary shall sit on David's throns,. for (he mouth of the Lord hath spoken it (Jer. iii, 17; Luko i, 3, 3ii). If not soon as we count time, it will be soon in God's estimation. There is just one thing for, the redeemed to dotill then, and that is ocoupy till He come" (Luke xix, 13), by living to know Him and to make Him known.

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Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Democrat