Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-11-06
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON VI, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, NOV. 8.


Hab. ii, 2o-Commentary by the Rev.
ID. VI. stearns.
81. "Hc arose from before the altar of
the Lord from knccling ON his knees, with
his hands spread mp to heaven In that
position on a brazen scalfold Oh Chron. vi,
! 13), in the light of all Israel had Solomon
prayed to the Lord as he dedicated to Him
the temple which he had been privileged to
build The temple being finished, they
| brought to it the ark of the covenant
| from Zion, and the tabernacle from Gideon,
with all the holy vessels, and put all in
the temple (vcrse and III Chron. l. 3, ~.
We are not told that any of the tabernacle
furniture was used in the temple except
the ark Of the covenant Everything but
the ark was on a much larger and grander
scale. They had ten tables and ten candle
sticks, etc, but the same ark containing
nothing but the two tables of stone (verse
| 81. When Solomon had made an end of
praying the fire came down from heaven
and consumed the burnt offering and the
sacrifices, and the glory of the Lord filled
the house so that even the priests could not
enter into the house because of the glory
Gil Chron. vii, /, .; V, 10. 40.
3D. "And he stood and blessed all the
congregation of Israel with a loud voice. "
The eight divisions of his prayer may be
easily recognized by the eight times re
peated. "Hcar Thou in heaven" oversees
80, 80, 81. 30 80, 43 As, 49. The object
of the temple is seen in the oft repeated
phrase, AN house for the name of the
Lord, or " For Thy name oversees 16, H.
is, 10, 20, 43, A, 49,, in order that "all
people of the earth may know Thy name,
to fear Thee as do Thy people of Israel
=. t..
above or on earth beneath like the Lord
God of Israel Ocrsc 23). who docth wonders
for His servants, requiring of them only
that they walk before Him with all their
heart. His people are senaratcd people
unto Him from all the people of the earth
to be His inheritance" (versc 53).
Sc. Blessed be the Lord hat hath given
rest unto His people Israel according to
all that He promised. There hath not fail
ed one word of all His good promise. which
He promised by the hand of Moses, His
servant. " Before he pr9 ed he also blessed
the congregation, referring to the Lord
goodness and faithfulness in having fulfill
ed with His hand all that He spake with
His mouth Oversees 10, 24). In Joshuas
farewell he also said, "Yc know in all your
hearts and in all your souls that not ono
thing hath failed Of all the good things
which the Lord your God spake concerning
you (JoShua xiii, 40.
d. 1.-The Lord our God be with us, as
He was with our fathers. Let Him not
leave us nor forsake us. - God had, through
Moses, His servant spoken of this rest for
His people, and this place where He would
cause His name to dwell (Deut. xii, 10, ~,
and He had also given them these prom
Uses: "The Lord thy God, He it is that doth
go with thee; He will not fail thee nor for
sake thee. Fear not neither be dismayed"
(Deut. XXI, &, 81. His great encourage
ment to Moses himself and to Joshua and
Gideon was | will be with thee" (Ex. iii,
~; Joshua i, ;; JuGg. vi, 16). We may
well be content with such things as we
have since He hath said 81 will never
leave thee nor forsake thee" (IIeb. xiii, 81.
So. That He may incline our hearts I'M
to Him to walk in all His ways. To
know Him is the greatest thing on earth,
and perhaps in heaven too. 1t is better
than wisdom or riches or might Ger tx,
80, pa. He said in His great prayer, 80
righteous Father, the world hath not
known Thee, but l have known Thee"
(John xvii, 25), and in verse 3 He said that
it was life eternal to know God and Jesus
Christ.
80. "And let these my words, wherewith
l have made supplication before the Lord,
be nigh unto the Lord our God day and
night" Solomon asks this in order that
the Lord may maintain his cause and the
cause of Israel as each day shall require.
See margin and II. v, and also Jer lii,
/, "a, where the Hebrew phrase is the same.
, 1t is n daily relying upon the Lord to man
; age all that concerns us, and He will sure
ly do it for all who truly rely upon Him,
not only day by day, but every moment
lisa. xvii, 81.
60. THAT all the people of the earth
3 may know that the Lord is God, and that
there is none else " For that reason was
t Jordan divided (Joshua iv, 2i), and for the
same reason will God yet do wondrous
things for Israel (Elek. xviii, 23). He
would do wondrous things for His people
today if they would but live wholly for
Him and serve Him in sincerity with all
the heart. lie is still saying, Call unto
9 Me and | will answer Thee and show Thee
} great and mighty things which Thou
knowest not der. xxxiii, -. 1t is writ
, ten that the pleasure of the Lord shall
prosper in His hand " And if His saints
, would be cheerfullv in His hand and al
His feet for His pleasure, what might He
} not do? lisa. lii, 1O Deut. xxx, 3D.
81. Let your heart therefore be perfect
with the Lord our God, to walk in His
A statutes and to keep His commandments
f. as ut this day" David, ere he died, ad
monished solomon to serve the Lord Will
a perfect heart and with IA willing mind
and prayed God to give him II perfect hear
to keep His commandments IL Chron
xviii, 8; xxx, l9). The Lord said Il
l Abram, walk before Me and be thou per
4 feet, and to Israel, Thou shalt be perfec
e with the Lord thy God" (Gen. xvii,
; Deut. xviii, 49,. As to daily life there il
no one perfect in the sense Of being with
out sin, for of all men the Lord Jesu
Christ was the only man that ever liveC
without sin, but any redeemed soul can b,
y the grace of God live and walk upright,
: and have II whole heart for God, which i
the sense of perfect in these texts
81. And the king and all Israel will
j. him. offered sacrifice before the Lord
l. Notice the oneness of the king and al
Israel in the matter of the sacrifice. Ever,