The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1896-10-07
TIE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON u, FOURTH ouARreR, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. ~.


rsxt OF the Lesson. I Kings III. sis.
Memory Verses. II. is-0oidsa Test Pa
exL lO-Commsntary By the Rev. ID. M.
stesrns.
s. SIN Gibeon the Lord appeared to Sol
ONION In dream by night, and God said,
Ask what shall give thee. David was
now dead, having reigned 40 years, at
Hebron and 80 at Jerusalem Il Kings II,
10, ID. Soiom was strengthened In his
Kingdom, and TAD Lord his God was with
him and magnifed him exceedingly. The
ark of God was In the tent which David
had pitched for 10 at Jerusalem, but the
tabernacle and altar OF burnt Offering, etc.,
were still at Gideon QI Chron. 1, 1 Al.
Thither Solomon and many OF the people
went to offer burnt offerings, token Of
whole hearted surrender to God to serve
Him only. 1t was In that night that the
Lord appeared TO him as here recorded.
Hear the Lord saying similar words to US
In John xiv, 13, Ia.
Q. David, my father, walked before
thee In truth and In righteousness and in
uprightness Of heart with thee" Solomon
begins his request by speaking of Gods
great mercy or bounty to his father. The
mercies of the Lord are a good topic for
every morning, for they are new every
morning. His compositions fail not. Great
Is His faithfulness (Lam. Ill, 22 23). He
Is the Father Of Mercies Oh Cor. 4, 81.
Solomon speaks of his fathers walk before
the Lord and with the Lord. Like Abra-
ham, he walked before God (GeD. xvii,
u. and, like Enoch, Noah and Levi, he
walked with God (Gen. v, "a; vi, 8; Nal.
II, 81.
7. II am but little child I know not
how to go out or come In" Acknowledge
ing his indebtedness to the Lord God OF
his father for his position, he confesses his
helplessness and Ignorance. He Is but q
child and knows not anything. When
jeremiah long after this was called Of God
TO be His prophet, he also said, "Ah, Lord
God, cannot speak for l am a child, !"
but the Lord said TO him most comforting
words, which also He is saying to you and
me II only we have ears to hear them
(Jer. 1, 6-9). His fathers words, by the
Spirit, concerning going out and e,ming
In ops. cxi, 81, should have greatly'helped
him, for they have helped many.
=. Thy servant Is in the midst OK thy
people, which thou hast chosen. So also
was the Lord In the midst OF His people,
for He had chosen them that He might
dwell In their midst, and thus make them
a people different from all other people on
the earth and separated from oil other peo-
ple For that reason the tabernacle was
built. See Elk. XIV, 3; xxxiii, 10. The
future glory of Israel shall be Jehovah In
their midst forevermore (Ezek. xxxvii, 2S;
Zeph. i'll, ~. The greatest fact in every
- L. L. q hav
ence of the Lord In their midst (Matb.
xvii, 20), and not the presence OF this or
that important person.
9. "Give, therefore, thy servant an un-
Outstanding heart to judge thy people, that
may discern between good and bad. 7"
The request Is worded a little differently
in III Chron. 1, 10, "Give me nowA isdom
and knowledge, that I may go. out and
come In before this people," but the SUBJ
stance of 1t Is the same, that he may have
wisdom to do right before God In the mat
ter of the kingdom and In the midst Of
this people like the dust of the earth In
multitude Il Kings Nv, 90; II Chron. 1, %.
Great comfort for each Of US In the matter
of wisdom Is found In Jas. !, 8, 8.
10. And the speech pleased the Lord.
that Solomon had asked this thing" 1t
Is possible to please God and have the joy
Gus consciousness of It. Our Lord Jesus
said, II do always those things that please
Him" John viii, 29), and Paul says In
Thess. II, 4, mot as pleasing man, but
God who tristh our hearts. :" The secret
of 1t Is In yielding fully to God, that He
may work In us that which Is we'll pleas
ing In His sight (Hab. Kill, 2D.
II. "And God said unto him, Because
thou hast asked this thing and hast not
asked for myself long life, neither hast
asked riches for thyself" Our Lord Jesus
never sought anything merely for Himself.
1t does me good to quote His words, II
seek not mino own will; Il seek not
mine own glory" (John v, 80; viii, 5O),
and to remember that Even Christ pleased
not Himself" from. XIV, 81. l have also
been helped by Jeremiah's words to Ba-
ruch, bis scribe: "Seekest thou great
things for thyselfP Seek them not, (Jer.
XIV, 81. l believe the best and most joy
Gus life Is to let God Himself be our por-
ton liam. Ill, 24) and live to be channel
of blessing to others. "Be content IL God
thou hast; having Him, thy need Is past.
IL. Behold, have done according to
thy words. Lo, have given thee wise
and an understanding heart" Inasmuch
as Israel was as the sand which Is by the
bttt III oON BdNo ooAohiOh WAS
dom and understanding as the sand that
Is on the seashore q Kings Nv, 30, 29), or
wisdom for every case that might possibly
come before him. In verses 10 to 20 Of
this chapter there Is an illustration of this
wisdom, and the people saw that the wis
dom of God was in him to do judgment.
Is. "And have also given thee that
which thou hast not asked, both riches and
honor Here Is our Lords "exoeeding
abundantly." II we are willing to live
'unto Him" and for His pleasure, there
will be no need to ask anything for our
selves. "If any man serve Me, him will
My Father honor" Is always true II as
believers in Christ we would only accept
as true our standing In Him and live to
honor Him and glorify Him, we would
never need to ask anything for ourselves,
but would daily nnd the promise true.
my God shall supply all your need ao-
cording to His riches In glory by Christ
Jesus phil. iv, 1917.
IA. "And II thou wilt walk In My ways,
then I will lengthen thy days" Length
OF days upon the land given them by God
was special promise to Israel In connec-
ton with obedience eek. TX, t2). Again