The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-11-12
SUNDAY MEDITATION
A Study of the International Sunday
3upt
School Lesson Appointed for Nov
%. 1896. ia
Subject. Rewards OF obedience. Prov
3:1-1O, Inclusive.

Subject: Rewards OF .OOeoienCe' AAos''
3:1-1O, Inclusive.
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
| t;udy the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures a.
| indicated above.i
| INTRODUCTION.
| Dividing the Book of Proverbs into five sec
| tions we notice
| a. The first nine chapters represent a tutor
| instructing his pupil, stimulating him to the
pursuit of knowledge. We find admonitions,
cautions, directions, indictments.
b. Chapters 10 to %: II, inclusive. contain
what may be regarded as distinctiveiy the
| Proverbs Of Solomon. We notice the senten-
| tious style, the authoritative tone
| c. Chapters %: Is TO "a, inclusive, have more
of the style and tone of admoniti0n and insrnc-
| ton.
d. Chapters 25 to 90 inclusive, are proverbs
of Solomon, selected from the great number
uttered or collected by the King. The work
was done by the linen of Hezekiab" %: l.
| They we're probably Isaiah. Hosea, Micah, Sheb
| ma and others contemporary with Hezeklah
and acting by his order. Hezekiah became
King in 1878 A. NJ about $50 years after the
death of Solomon. Great care must have been
required in identifying sayings then current
and attributed to Solomon as really proverbs OF
Solomon. This fourth part consists OF discon.
nected sayings similar to those in the second
part. 1t is thought Ezra had something to &c
| in the work of compilation.
g. The Goth and 3lst chapters were not writ
ten by Solomon. Agur wrote the Both and the
mother Of Lemuel the 3lst. Rev. Thomas Coke
LII following DR.. William Dodd, styles thu
| last two chapters of the Book of Proverbs "A
kind of Appendix to the Book of Proverbs. >
Dr. Clarke says Of chapter 81: - Most certainly
Solomon did not write it," We know nothing
of Agur, who wrote the Both chapter. save tina
| he was son of Jakeh. Some have held that, by
| Leu uel, in the 31st chapter, verse j, is mean
Solomon, aud that, by mother" we arc to IN
derstand Bathsheba. In this view Bathsheba'
words are verses go, while the rest OF the chap
ter is q com me ndation of his mother by Solo
mon.
We see Solomon did not write the entir
Book, but it is called THE Proverbs of Solo
mon" as the Psalms are styled the Psalms O
David" because David wrote most OF them.
There is some utility in dividing book int
paris according to subjects treated. Chapter
fail to do this. We can grasp whole book bet
ter if we can have divisional pegs by which t
/ hold our memory.
Communications of the Book Of Proverbs.
! Rev. James Hervey, English theologian u71
| 1853 said: IF we want maxims of wisdom
| or have taste for the laconic style, how cOpi
ously may our wants be applied, and hos
delicately our taste gratlfed. in the Book Q
| Proverbs! Here are many sage lessons OF In
/ struction, adapted to every circumstance O
life, founded upon the experience of ages, an
perfected by the unerring spirit Of inspiration
These are delivered with such remarkable con
ciseness, that one might venture to say ever
word almost is sentence; at least. every sen
tence is an apothegm, sparkling with bright
ness Of thou aht. or weighty with solidity O
sense The whole like pr0digious profusio
of pearls, each containing in itself valu
almost immense all heaped up with confuse
A. xf e1A
1t is the mark Of wisdom to learn from tn
experience of Others. Here is the great adyar
tage of biography and history. We thus lear
the secrets of success, the causes of failure.
| is folly to know these, and not initiate the on
and avoid the other. Thus the young ma
get great profit from sitting at the feet {
Solomon as scholars. = 80
Solomon
David named his son Solomon which near
the peaceful 1t was Nathan who gave hiI
| the name Jededial. which means beloved (
l2: "a, %. Solomon loved the Lord. King
ga
The amounting and browning of Solomo
took place little before the death of Dayit
We can see, by reading l ChroD., %: .. ho
anxious David was that his son, Solomon
ehould become good and wise man. 30 col
cerned was David for Solomon that he mad
/ a
49, David died. Then Solomon began TO n
alize more fully the great responsibility thu
rested on him. With this thought he WEI
to Gideon for special religious exercises. 0
the night after these services at the taberni
Gle, God appeared to Solomon in dream, an
gave him opportunity to ask for Whatever
chose. The young King showed his wisdo
and piety by not asking for riches. but II
wisdom. ! Kings, 3:5-14. Success attende
Solomon. His kingdom ex teuded from the "
q per Euphrates quite down into Egypt Rich
poured in on him. The nations about did NJ
dare to modest him. Many became tributai
and increased his wealth. 2. Chr, 8: ID %.
But.Solomon not only became very rich. b'
he increased in knowledge. He surpassed a
! men in wisdom. Ethan, Hemap, Charcol, al
e Darda, famous for wisdom, were yet inferior
= him. He was author Of zoos songs. He wro
e 5000 proverbs. He was skilled botanis
f zoologst, ichthyologist, political economis
q etc. Kings, 4:21-34.
, We must always admire the choice made
. Solomon. God said Ask what shall gil
= thee" Many young man would have sait
"Give me money power, earthly pr0sperit
the servitnde of my subjects unquestioned q
e thority." Would it be safe TO allow the ave
e age young mali the privilege of choosing VIII
8 he preferred? Solomon has set example to 81
: world. Young men should initiate his wisdol
# There are better things than riches in none
e Proverbs, 3 j to 10, Inclusive.
Preliminary.
Grant Thorburn. ST.. says referring to Thorn
II Payne: "One night, in 1903, when Pal
II boarded with Carver, stepped into his roo
e while he was preaching his doctrines to Gig
s, or 10 jOurneymen mechanics When he ceas
/ said to him:
"'Mr Paine the first night silent on sbO