The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1889-12-12
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THE LESSON ron DECEMBER 10
"soiomon's Fall" 4 Kings, r.. Ala
Golden Text; I Cor. y. 12.-Notes.

=. .'ft came TO pass when Solomon was old,
that his wives turned away his heart after
other gods" As 20 the things OF this world.
on which the hearts of people in all nges have
been 80 firmly set, Solomon was filled with
them. Riches and honor he enjoyed to tho
full and nll the pleasures thnt wealth could
purchase. (Eccl. H., 10) No vessels Of silver
was used ny his house dt was plentiful as
stone and was thought nothing of, all wero
Of gold; he exceeded all the Kings of the
earth for riches and for wisdom. and NIL the
earth sought the face of Solomon to hear his
wisdom, which God had put in his heart
Chap. K, 3i-24.) But King Solomon loved
many strange women of the nations, concern
ing which tho Lord had forbidden Israel to
have anything to do with them (see V. o.
and Dcut. vii, 2, ~, and these turned away
his heart, as God had said they would. The
one great popularity of Israel was that Je-
hovah. the only living and true God was
their God dwelling in their midst, and thus
they were peculiar people, separated from
all other nations to make known the name OF
Jehovah. tEx. xxxiii, l6.l We cannot cleave
to God and mt the same time ceavc to that
which God forbids, 81 when Solomon claye
unto these heather women in love ". y God
ceased To occupy His proper place in Solo
mons heart.
"His heart was not perfect with the Lord
his God as was the heart of David, his ia.
ther.' He had. at the dedication Of the tom.
pie, urged the people 10 let their hearts he
perfect with the Lord their God that all peo.
pie of the earth might know that Jehovah /,
God and that there is mono else ciap viii 60
Oh but now through these many wives OF his
his own heart Is gone. We are 10 love
God with the whole heart, aud whatever elsa
we love, whether wifo or husband, parent,
or children, God Himself must have the first
plnce.
8. Solomon went after Ashtoreth 4.
and after Mitg,ttt - frhpZ., 80
Iidonians and Ammonites whose worshp
was accompanied with abomnnble rites; hui
as Solomon had taken wives from these ma.
tionS, and they had probably gone with him
To the temple to see the worship Of his God
they now persuade him TO set up also Their
idols which they had been accustomed 70
worship; and as he had sinned in taking
these wives, he now sins yet more to CRAFTY
them.
o. And Solomon did evil in the sight of
the Lord He did evil in the sight OF men
he did evil against himself, but the greatness
of his sin was the fact that it was against
God. He was the Lords representative. and
he, of all men, should have been faithful "a
Jehovah who had so blessed him above al
men.
rs. "Then did Solomon build an high
place for Chemosh, and likewise
did he for all his strange wives" Thus add.
ing sin TO sin, the more evil associates ",
haN's Auf lllNIf Nlll VIZ are llhtlN 10 COMMIT,
and II we put ourselves under the least obi
CATION to an ungodly person We cannot wei
deny them favor when they ask IT, ever
though we know IL is wrong to grant it
righteousness cannot have fellowship will
unrightcousncss, nor light with darkness III
Cor. vi, II; Eph. ", III. Lot us walk in tn,
light and avoid all appearance of evil. Some
o: these denominations which solomon built
on the Mount af Olives remained over thrc,
hundred years, until the days OF Josiah III
Kings xiii, 49,; showing us how lasting
aud far reaching sin is and how hard tc
undo.
o. "The Lord was angry with Solomon
so we read that Jehovah was angry with
Moses and Aaron and Israel tDeut. iv II
TX, & 20; III HI. xvii, lS); aud that Will,
He is slow To anger and great in mercy, YET
there Is "A day coming when IL will be i'll FOL
those who are not hid in the Rock of Ages
Nahum l.. 3; Yep. H., 3, -. IL is hard FOL
us to think Of anger apart from sim bui
when we read of the anger of God wo musi
think only of the righteous Indignation of 2
holy God who cannot sin. He does not de
sire the death of any sinner. hut rather that
the wicked turn from his evil ways and live
(Ezek. xviii, 81; SSxiii, II; III Pet ill.,, 81
80 that the repcntant sinner may be for
given, Tor Jesus's sake, and sing: 30 Lord,
VIII praise Thee; though Thou vast angry
with me- Thine anger is turned away, anc
Thou con!furte,t me.n lisa. xii. H.
His heart was turned from the Lord God
OF Israel, which had appeared unto him
twice" The Lord had appeared 10 him ai
Gideon, when He said ASK what shall give
thee, and again In answer 10 his prayer nt
the dedication of the temple tchap. ILL., 5:ix..
q, and these high fayors, in addition to all
the other blessings, should have kept solo
mon faithful 10 his God: but alas for the
desperate wickcdncsS OF the human heart
aud how marvellous the long suffering and
patience Of Jehovahi
10. "Ho kept not that which the Lord com
mandod." IL was "a case of direct and will.
full disobedience. He was forbidden Ia multi.
ply horses or wives or silver or gold, and yet
these were the very things he did; he was
commanded To keep 10y him u copy OF the
law snd read therein all the days of his life,
but this he evidently did not do and conse.
quently, not being anchored, he drifted on
the rocks. lDeut xvii, li-2OD What a con,
trast 10 his father, who said: so, how love |
Thy law; IL is my meditation all the day.
(Ps. cNiN., 90; and, "By the word of Thy lips
l have kept me from the paths OF the do
stroyer.n tPs. xvii, ~ 4
81 will surely rend the kingdom from thee
and give IL 10 thy servant" The record of
this will be found more at length in our next
lesson; but notice here how disobedience rob-
us of our blessings Listening to the tempter
and becoming persuaded by him that 10 eat
OF the tree Of knowledge would prove an adj
vantage, Adam and Eve in disobcdienco TO
God, sought a present qualification aud thus
brought sin and misery upon the whole
human race. Esau, for the present gratiiica.
tion of mess of pottage despsed his birth
right and all its high privileges Acham
for the present qualification of some gold and
goodly raiment, brought upon himself aud his
household a fearful Judgment Here we have
Solomon gratifying himself 10 the full, re.
gardless of consequences or Of the command
la,.l i. III,
ham and Moses, ON the other hand, and the
list of w0-'hies of Heb. Xi. got their eye.
and hearts fixed upon the realities of an
eternal city and kingdom, and thus were en-
abled 10 walk with God in obedience here,
setting n right value upon present things
and treating them accordingly.
IL. Notwithstanding in thy days | win
not DO IL, for David thy fathers sake While
godllness is not hereditary, yet who can esti-
mate the benefit of godly parents or the
blessings which come to us through those
who love Lord Jesus. Let tie children con,
jder this and contrast the condition of many
whose parents know not God with the condi.
tion of the children OF pious parents.
~ will rend IL out Of the hand of thy SOM
Here is the contrast. Solomon derives benefit
from his fathers piety, while Solomons son
Is to suffer because of his fathers impiety;
so that evil doing reaches to Others besides
the evil doer.
13. "For David My servants sake and for
Jerusalems sake, which have chosen.n Tho
blessing that will yet come TO Jerusalem, be-
cause God has chosen il, shall be seen in mil
IAWaaat tnl