The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-12-18
END OF soLoMoN.s REIGN.
International sundSy.School Lesson Sbl
December ~, 1850.


International Sunday. School Lesson tbP
December ~. 1850.
Especially arranged from g. s. Quarterly
LESSON TExr-I Kings 11:26-4S
GOLDEN TExr-Les us hear the conclusion
OF the whole ma,ter: Fear God and keep
bis commandments; for this Is the whole
duty Of man.-Eccl. 1918
CENTRAL TRuTH-For God shall bring
every work into judgment, with every
secret thing, whether it be good or whether
it be evil
TIME-Solomon died B. G. 975, after y
reign OF forty years.
PLACE-Jerusalem.
SoLoMoN's SIND A wrong heart. ce)
Pride from worldly prosperity. 81 Polyg-
amy. az Marrying heather wives. (5)
Conserving to and aiding idolatry, which
was almost treason against God. (6) OPP
preston Of the people.
CONSEQUENCES TO HMsELF-(1) The loss Of
Gods peculiar favor. 2) Trouble at home.
| (3) Enemies without Ql:14-25) "a Rebel
lion against his rule by Jeroboam. (5
The loss OF the larger part of his kingdom
from his family.
CONSEQUENCES TO HIS KINGDoM-(D All
the evils that came to himself 2) Moral
deterioration through his bad example. (N
Division of the kingdom.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs-o6. Elhratiiie:
Ephraimite. Zereda: an unknown place in
Ephraim. Lifted up his hand: rebelled.
And this oas the cause: this verse, and on to
the 39th, contains an explanation of how and
why Jeroboam Gifted up his hand against
| Solomon" Milo: probably fortified en-
| 10 mi ha nutk - Al,
| Tyropean valley, between Mount Zion and
Moriah. %. Charge of the house of Joseph:
| over the forced laborers from the tribe of
| Ephraim the son of Joseph, such as is
described In Kings 5:l3-15 90 Shilonite:
belonging to Shiloh, in Ephraim, II
miles north of Jerusalem. 1t was the
| ancient religious capital. 30 NeW garment:
belonging to the prophet, and representing
the undivided kingdom. TUelue pieces: one
| for each tribe. 80. One tribe: Judah, which
also absorbed and included Benjamin. 49,
Ashtoreth, etc.: see last lesson. 80 David
may haze a light qlacdy: his house shall al
ways have representative, and not be ex-
| tingusbed as a light is put out. This was
| fulfilled in David's descendant Jesus
Christ, and in His kingdom; and the new
Jerusalem. 49, Solomon sought to Kill Jer0-
! boam: because he rebelled against him ".
26), and did not wait for the Lords time as
| David did for his.
COMMENTS Solomon started in life well.
He had cody u father; for although
| David's life was not by any means sinless,
1t was far above the average mans lives in
those days for uprightness. There was no
| King of the surrounding nations who could
| hp for y NOR M -
OF Israel, in respect to his morals. More
over, the young King, when he came to the
throne, seems to have been filed with
q modest spirit and to have sought the
guidance Of God for the task that con-
fronted him. Let the teacher revive this
part OF Solomon's life, briefly, with the
scholars, so as to make the contrast that
this lesson presents all the stronger God
seems to have given him many advantages
that were denied to his contemporaries.
Solomon had this special advantage, that
God gave him especial wisdom, so that there
was none like unto him in all the world.
So great was his wisdom, that to this day
we call him the wisest man in the
history Of the world. To far
distant cliMes the reputation Of this
| monarch travelled, so that Queen of the
South came from afar to hear him talk, and
was ast0nished at his learning. But Solo
mons walk was as foolish as his talk was
wise. As he grew older, he was led astray,
a. we have seen, by the glitter and glare Of
pomp and show, and married wives for the
sake Of political alliances, who led HIM into
idolatries Of the worst kind. Polygamy and
polytheism were to rule in Jerusalem, and
| ho q ~ cd N N hot
see in our lesson, He determined to punish
him. Ten parts Of his kingdom were to bt
torn away from his successor, and given t
Jeroboam. In the estimate Of Solomon THU
was great evil, and he tried to prevent it,
contamination by an attempt to kill tn,
man Of whom God had thus spoken. All hi
efforts were vain, for the word of the Lori
was fulfilled, and the kingdom was divided
as soon as the old King passed away.
Impractical application ID simple. II from
the contemplation Of such q sad failure o.
was that Of this sovereign we can learn n,
lesson, we must be dull scholars indeed. Tn,
lesson to be laid to heart Is IA good begin
ming may have . bad ending -Rev.A. +
Schauifler. tt ev ,seI
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS.
1. God Himself Furnishes sin. lN3l%'N
2. God has made the world 30 that sin con
tains within itself evil for the sinner. l e.,
8. Those who show talent and faithful
ness in lesser things are called TO create
ones. ,f{..,tuh flaRt hnf sqg
4. God always fulflls His promises. a
completely as those to whom they are mad
fulfill the conditions. siu sdi
, 8. Solomon was saved il he repented. q
, was treated exactly the same rs any Othe
. sinner of equal guilt.
g. 1t is . very dangerous thing to sin, e,
pecting to repent in later life. All, B
Z. The only way to true success, for th
individual or the nation, is through obed
ence to God.