The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-11-27
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
DECEMBER 4.
Lesson Text: "The Temple Dedi-
Gated" Kings viii, 54-83-
Golden Text: Hab. H., 20
commentary.

Iue ldSC leSSOu anu Ou6 We uhfe' pdSStu
over all the most interesting and instructive
account of the building Of the most wonder
full edifice that ever stood on this earth; and
also the remarkable prayer of Solomon at its
dedication; the lesson assigned us for to-day
being the words of Solomon's blessing upon
the people after he had finished his prayer.
The throne on which Solomon sat at Jerusa-
lem is called the Throne Of Jehovah Il Chron.
xxx, %; xviii, 5; II Chron:i tx, 81. Jerusa-
lem shall yet be the throne of Jehovah and
the capital Of the whole earth Jer ILL.,, II.
The site of the Temple in Jerusalem was
Mount Moriah, where Abraham received
Isaac back from the dead on the third day
III Chron. ill.,, /; Gen. xii, 2, 4; Heb i., 1G.
Israers resurrection on the third day will be-
the beginning Of the restoration of Acts ill.,,
1921; Hos. vi, 2; viii, H. Eek. xxxvii.. 12-
A..
The Temple was to be exceedingly magniA-
cal, Of fame and glory throughout all coun-
tries Il Chron. xii, 81. The gold and silver
alone brass and iron being without weight)
amounted to 1,125,0O0 talents, which at ia
pounds per talent would be Abs tons,
worth over four and half billions of dol
lars Il Chron. xxi, IA; xxx, 4, 4. One
room in the building, the Holy of HOLES,
was covered with six hundred talents, or
more than thirty-four tons of gold, worth
over sixteen millions Of dollars QI Chron<
H., ~. 1hC lRDOl ClS nclS SLfduR6IS,
or Gentiles, found in Israel Il XII. w., 1878:
II Chron. H., II, 49, who brought from the
mountains and quarries the wood and stone
for the house. There was neither hammer.
nor ak, nor any tool of iron heard in the
house while it was in building Il Ri. vi, n.
Believers are living stones q Pet H., 5, r.
W, this world is the quarry and God is by
the events of our daily life preparing us
here for our respective places in His temple
-rnado Ar for Eoo hxyu uio
our place in His kingdom by our training
and service here. Notice in His prayer that
the house is called by the name Of the Lord
God of Israel, that He is asked to hear for
His Names sake that all people of the earth
may know and fear His Name. Notice the
eight times repeated "Hear Thou in Heav-
en-" and the four times Heaven Thy dwell
ling place." also the seven-fold nature of the
prayer, for the trespasser, the defeated, the
drought smitten, the plague smitten, the
stranger, those going to war and those in
captivity. He prayed before the altar of
Jehovah; Jesus is both altar and sacrifice, we
can come to God only in His Name and trust
ing in His merits. He kneeled on his knees
with his hands spread up to Heaven; in favor
Of the position Of kneeling in prayer see Ezra
ix,5; Ps. xcv., 6; Dan. vi, 10: Lu. xii, Al;
essential; see Moses sitting, Hannah and Ne
hemiah standing, Hezekiah, while sick, prays
in his bed, Jonah from the flsh's belly, the
thief from the cross. A penitent heart is
everything, position Of body is secondary,
though kneeling is most scriptural and most
fitting when possible. That God heard and
answered this prayer, see II Chron. vii, 10.
IS. HE stood and blessed all the congrega-
tion of Israel with loud voice." When Da-
vid brought the Ark to the tent which lie
had pitched for it in Jerusalem, he offered
sacrifice and blessed the people in the, name
Of the Lord of Hosts. III Sam. vi, II, 1877
Solomon, having now brought up the Ark,
the tabernacle and all the holy vessels w.. Al
does the same thing. There is nothing on
earth that can be- compared to the blessing
Of the Lord.
S. Blessed be the Lord that hath given
rest unto His people Israel" He had given
rest on every side, so that there was neither
adversary nor evil occurrent. tChap. ", A.
Rest and peace shall be among the blessings
of His Kingdom when it comes.
''There hath not failed one word of all His
good promise, which He promised by the
hand Of Moses His servant" So said Joshua
in his farewell words Josh. xiii, I4); but
the special promise here referred to is in
Deut. xii, 10, II, where the Holy Spirit, by
Moses, seems to refer to this very place and
building.
81. 'The Lord our God be'with us. +
let Him not leave us, nor forsake u.s." Moses
prayed: IF Thy presence go not with me,
carry us not up hence And the Lord said:
"My presence shall go with thee, and will
give thee rest" This word Of the Lord: ssI
will be with you," or II am with YOU" is
one of the grandest and most comprehensive
words in Scripture. ....g. ~.
''Let Him not leave us nor forsake U.s."
When David gave Solomon the plans of the
temple which he had received from God Him
| 1ac coil 10 l,
my God, will be with thee; He will not fail
thee nor forsake thee until thou hast finished
all the work for the service of the house Of
the Lord" Il Chron. xviii, 10, 2Oj
Solomon had proved the truth and blessed
ness of this promise, and now he desired its
continuance
5s That He may incline our hearts unto
Him, to walk in all His ways" This was
Just what God desired from them, and what
be would be delighted to grant them, an un-
divided and obedient heart: they could not
ask anything more in accord with His wilt
59 Let these my words = 4 = be
nigh unto the Lord our God day and night,
that He maintain the cause Of His servant,
and the cause of His people Israel" Seven
times in his prayer had he pleaded for Thy
people Israel" and had also said: 'For they
be Thy people and Thine inheritance" i" and
now he indicates his reliance upon God to
maintain his and their cause.
60. THAT all the people of the earth may
know that the Lord is God, and that there Is
none else" Israel was redeemed and given
the good land, that they might make Jehovah
name in the earth III Sam. vii, 23l; their
obedience to Him would draw forth His
power on their behalf, and thus He would be
glorified in them. This, Gods earnest DESIRE
shall be fulfilled in Israers restoration at the
return of their Messiah lisa. XIV, 8, Q; XII,
Is; k, l-3; Eek xxxvii., 21-28).
81. Let your heart, therefore, be perfect
with the Lord our God" The word per
fect' here signifies whole" or 'tfull" as in
Josh. viii, 81; Ruth H., l2 where it is so
translated. Solomon now urges the people
to have what his father had prayed that he
might have Il Chron. xxx, 19.
62, 63 "And the King, and all Israel with
the Lord accepted the sacrifice by sending
fire to consume it, as it is written in II
Chron vii, l.; Now when Solomon had
made an end of praying, the fire came down
from heaven and consumed the burnt Offer
ing and the sacrifices: and the glory of the
Lord filled the house" Thus also was the
sacrifice accepted at the dedication of the
Tabernacle, and in the cases of Gideon and
Elijah LEV. tx, q, Judges vi, 81; Kings
xviii, 3sl and no doubt in the same way was
the Lords acceptance of Abels offering and
rejection of Gains offering manifest at the
Garden of Eden when the fire from the sword
consumed the one but did not touch the
other.
so the King and all the children of Israel
dedicated the house of the Lord" And He
took possession of it by filling it with His
glory We read of time when the glory
left the house because of their sins (Ezek. tx,
when the glory shall return to depart n
| more (EZek xiii In When TeSus the