The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1889-12-12
soLoMoN.s FAIL.


thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall.
i Cor. 1919.
CENTRAL TRUTH Watch and pray, lest ye
enter into temptation.
TIME-B. q. 9S5 to $50; 5or 10 years before
Solomon's death; 10 or Is years after the
last lesson.
PLAoE--Jerusalem and the southernmost
summit Of the Mount Of Olives, called the
Mount Of Offcnse.
SOLOMON 80 to 55 years old, having
reigned 30 to 80 years. He died B. @. 07b,
after reign Of 40 years.
INTRoDuCTIoN-The height Of Solomon's
glory was about the time Of the visit Of the
Queen Of Shcba. Confident in his wisdom
and strength, Solomon multiplied wives
contrary to Gods express command, and
by them was led astray as God had fore
told. The story Of his fall Is the subject Of
to-day's lesson.
HELPS OVER HARD Places. When Solo
mon wds old: SO to 55 years old. His wioes'
he had 100 wives, Princesses, and 300 concu-
bines. Many Of these wives were for the
sake OF an alliance with tho neighboring ma
tions. He disobeyed God in two respects:
Q) He was forbidden to multiply wives
(Deut. 17:1O; C2) he took wives from for
hidden nations (Deut. 7:l-4). Termed awdy
HIS heart: Solomon's sin was ~ idolatry;
(2) disobeying Gods command as to his
wives (see above); (3) extravagance; (D
oppression; (5) tolerance Of false religion;
(6) encournCemcnto Of immortality and crGelty
(see under Astar;e and Miiccn!; GD he dis
honorcd the God who gave him all he had;
(S) he snned In spite of repeated warnings;
10y he led Israel into sin. s. Ashtoreth. also
called Astarts, the Ph1nician Venus, and
worshiped with immorslities AMI debauch-
cry. ZtdonidB: Inhabitants Of Zidon, now
Sidon, 20 miles north OF Tyre. M,lcom: the
same as Molech. An idol made OF brass, TO
which human sacrifices, especially Of chill
dren, were offered. Ammonites: descendants
OF Lot, by his son Ammon. They lived east
Of the Jordan, north Of Moab. z. A high
place: |. e., place Of worship on hilltop.
Casmosh: the chief god Of the Moabites, and
much the same rs Molech. o. Which had
appeared unto htm twics: at Gideon Il Kings
$3.50 and at Jerusalem Il Kings 0:2). II.
To thy s7prnt: Jeroboam, the son Of Nebat
q Kings II 1851. 13. One trib": Judah, IN
which enjamn was also absorbed.
SoLoMcN's TEMPTATIONS ID His foreign
wives, many OF them hedthen; (2) bad COM
pany; (3) false liberation Of idolatry; ~
ambition and pride; (5 great wealth; 0)
fattery.
SoLoMoH's SAFEGUARDS to keep MIN from
falling. CD Special warnings; (2) the word
Of God; C3) wisdom TO see where his course
would load; az wdo experience and OBJ
servation; (0 Gods great blessings; (6) re-
ligious worship; "a teaching others.
CoMMENTs-Thus far, all in the life OF
Solomon has been outwardly fair. Prosper.
ity, in an overwhelming tide, has steadily
been setting toward his kingdom. Wealth
untold has been gathered into his treasury.
Palaces, public works, armies, navies, char
lots, horses, orchards. gardens, orchestras
and all the delights OF the sons Of men have
been gathered around the throne Of the
monarch Yet, in the midst Of all this ex.
ternal tide Of success, the seeds of desola.
tion and ruin have been thickly and per.
sistently sown. What q condition, relig.
lousy speaking, that palace of the King
$50 hard by the temple) must have been in,
with these idolatrous women and their chill
drcn, STRIVING to influence the King each in
behalf of her favorite godsl At first, the
poor wicked King gave way to their impor-
tunities only so far as to allow them to have
.'iibarty of conscience for themselves. But
hy s,nd BY the evil progressed, and the
heat OF the King himself was affected, and
We ,.nd that Solomon goes after Astoreth
CaG Mlcom. Then he went further still,
- Dui!. on the Mount Of Olives an idol.-
trovs place OF worship for Chemosh and
for Molech. This kind Of wickedness he had
to repeat for all the strange wives he had
wickedly married; for when he had cried
A, he had to say b, and then go on to G and
ID, clear through the alphabet. Thus one
step led to another, until the land was
filled with Official idoatry, and polluted with
every manuer Of religious abomination. God
was angry. No wonder. The wonder rather
is that He did not smite Solomon dead long
before this. In fact, God was withheld
from visiting all his deserts on Solomon "for
David thy fathers sake" And even when
the major part Of the kingdom was taken
eway from the rightful heir, Judah was left
only "for David my servants sake and for
Jerusalem's sake"
How was it possible for the wisest man
IN the world to sink into such wickedness
as we have been talking sboutl II he knew
SO much, why did he not do betterl The
answer is plain. True wisdom is not mere
kno"in0. II it were, then we should only
have to educate people In order to save
them. But there arc many whom to edu.
cateis to furnish them with greater power
for evil. True wisdom Is found in the fear
Of God. II Solomon had this wisdom ut the
outset Of his career, he began to lose it
long ago, and, by the time spoken Of in our
lesson, the last vestige of it seems to have
disappeared. He knew the right, and chose
the wrong in The face Of his better knowl-
edge. What q tremendous difference be-
tween the young and humble Solomon, ask
ing for Gods guidance, and Solomon the
hoary sinner, leading the people into gross
idolatry!!! Can this be the came mani Go
ask him whether he Is the very same young
man OF Lesson III. Tell him that millions
OF Sunday-school scholars are wondering at
the change, and asking how 1t came about.
Ah 1t came about step by step. Nothing
went suddenly. One by one came evil
thoughts, one by one came evil desires, lit
tie by little followed evil practices, year
after year added sin to sin, until at last Sol
omop could SIN with high hand and not
fear God or man. So sin always works.
Little by little How much that means
Like little leak In a dam, that, unstopped,
means presentlya a food, 30 little sip, un.
stopped, means presently fearful punish.
ment from God.-Rev. A. f. Schaufler.
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
!. If Solomon, with all his wisdom, fell,
we should be doubly on our guard.