The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-12-04
THE QUEEN OF sHEeA.
international Sunday School Lesson
December 3, 1850.

international Sunday School Lesson fbs
December 8, 1889.
Especially arranged from S. 8. QUARTERLY
LESSON TEXT Kings 1913.
GOLDEN TExT-She came from the utter.
most parts Of the earth to hear the wisdom
of Solomon; and, behold, greater than
Solomon is here.-Matt. 2:N.
CENTRAL TRUTH-They are wisest who
most earnestly seek Christ, of whose bless
tngs the half has never been told.
TIAE-B. c. $685. Ten years after the tenn.
pie was finished.
PLACE-n) Jerusalem; (2) Sheba, 1. e.,
Sab@a, very wealthy region in Southern
Arabia, bordering on the Red Sea. 1t was
1,5O0 miles from Jerusalem.
PARALLEL ACCOUNT-2 Chron. 9:1-12.
SOLOMON, who was nearly 40 years old,
and had reigned 20 years.
INTRoDUcTIoN-After the completion Of
the temple Solomon exercised his genius in
building palaces and public buildings, aque-
ducts and fortresses, extending his com.
merce and organizing splendid court. The
story Of his magniicence reached distant
nations through his fleets, and people came
from long distance to see and to hear
Among them was the Queen Of Sheba.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs-1. Concerning
the name Of the Lord: His name in connection
with the Lords temple, and the wisdom
the Lord had given HIM. To prove Tor test,
try,) him NTH hard questions: enigmas, diff
cult problems, and also questions of re.
ligion and government. 2. Much gold: see
v. 10. 4. SOlOmOn's Dtsdom: as shown in his
works, splendid palaces: ivory ando gold
throne, commerce that extended from Spain
to Egypt, the temple, etc. g. The sitting OF
his servants: the assembly Of his high Off
GERS. The attendance Tor service) Of his
ministers: his servants, attendants. His
ascent: connecting his palace with the
temple court. 10. One hundred and twentv
talents Of gold: each talent was worth $685.
$50. II. Navy Of Hiram: King of Tyre, a
sea-faring nation, whose sailors manned
Solomon's ships. 0phfr: either part Of
Arabia, near Sheba, or part of India. L.
Almug trees: perhaps sandal-wood.
SoLoMoN's WIsDoM-W In solving hard
questions, in unfolding tho mysteries Of
life and religion. (2) As judge. (See ex-
ample in Kings 3:l5-2S.) 81 In knowledge
and literature. Solomon wrote probably
three books OF the Bible. We are told that
he spoke three thousand proverbs and one
thousand songs He was versed in the
natural science Of the day Il Kings 4:30-34).
az In art and architecture. Illustrations
are seen in the temple, in his palaces and
gardens and In his Notifications. (5) In
commerce, which was very wide and
successful. (6) In organizing the army
and building fortresses throughout his
kingdom. ~ In his court splendors.
LESSON PoINTs-This time we have q
royal visit to q neighboring sovereign. Call
the attention Of the class to the cause OF the
visit. This was the widespread fame Of the
wisdom Of King Solomon. Not so much Of
his riches, though these were very great,
nor Of his buildings, though they were very
''magnifcal," but of his almost supcrnatur.
al wisdom in giving answers to hard ques-
lions, whether theological ". y or practi-
cal Next speak Of the great earnestness
of the Queen Of Sheba as shown by the dis
lance she travelled. Her journey must
have been about fifteen hundred miles, and
that, too either on camels or in chariots
across the Arabian deserts. During her
visit to Jerusalem she must have had many
interviews with the King, and have asked
and received answers to many questions.
Solomon doubtless took great pleasure In
showing her - much Of the temple as q
Gentle woman might see, and In conduct
ing her through his palace, which It took
him thirteen years to build. His regalia
also was exhibited, and his store oil
vessels of gold flor gold was &C
plentiful in Jerusalem that silver was moth
ing accounted of, and all the varied glories
OF an Oriental court This array Of intel
lectual wonders and material treasures
seems at last to have quite overcome the
Queen, who is said to have had no more spirit
left in her. In her enthusiasm she declares
Israel to be an especially-favored people
and Solomon's servants to be peculiarly
privileged men, and she testifies by hel
large gifts of gold and spices her gratitude
for the royal reception she had been vouch
safed.
Having thus brought out the narrative
call for the Golden Text of the lesson
These words were uttered by our Lord q
the time that the scribes and Pharisee'
were wicxedly asking Him to work SOM
especial miracle in order that the!
might know whether He was the Messiah
Jesus had already performed scores o
miracles, and they would not believe, ant
50 He refused to accede to their request. HI
merely warned them that with their spirit
ual rights and privileges that they enjoyed
many would rise up in the judgment to con
denim them, because with fewer advantage
they had really done better. 1.-THE Quee
of the south shall rise up in the judgmen
with this generation, and shall condemn it
for she came from the uttermost parts o
the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon
and behold greater than Solomon is here.
COMMENTS There are many to-day VIII
are ready to hear what any "wise man" ha
to say about science, or history, or inver
tions, or politics, who never care to hea
! any thing from the Word OF God. Nay
there are thousands who will listen to whs
any fool has to say about religion and tn
| world to come rather than to listen to whs
Jesus of Nazareth says on these topics
Those people will not only not travel
great way for additional light in spiritus
things, but they will not even go aroun
the corner to church, or open the Word
God in their own homes. They are in som
=. cases even worse than this. For, II an
} missionaries come to visit them In thei
t homes, they almost refuse to listen to tn
3 words of Divine wisdom spoken to them fc
, nothing. The Jews Of the Savlours tim
, rejected Him and persisted. So people
our day reject Jesus and His Divine revel;
!. ton, and are laying up for themselves wrat
against the day Of wrath.
Notice one thing more. Solomon coul
only give the Queen of Sheba good advice
Q or clear up to her mind theological dificu
. ties. He could not in any way help her
4 obey that wisdom which begins in the fes
of God. In this respect, any book with II
!, same words ia it that Solomon spoke wou
, have been just as good for her. But tt
Ugraater than Solotnon - tn whom we ma