The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-04
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOB
NOVEMBER 8.
Lesson Text: "The Temple Dedi-
Gated" Kings v1ii., 54-63-
Golden Text: Heb. H., 20
Commentary.

"a He arose from before the altar OF the
Lord. from kneeling on his knees. with his
hands spread upto heaven" In that position
on brazen scaffold QI Chron, w., 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 II the
ark Of the covenant from Zion, and the tab.
ernacle from Gibeon, with ali the holy yes-
sells. and put all In the temple (verse 4 and
II Chron. l., 8, ~. 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 much larger
and grander scale. They had ten tables and
ten candlesticks, etc., but the same ark con-
tsinIng 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 ofthe Lord filed the
house so that even the priests could not enter
Into the house because Of the glory QI Chron.
vii, ], Q; ", Is, 1A.
S. "And he stood and blessed all the con-
eregation of Israel with loud voice." The
eight divisions of his prayer may be easily
Hear Thou in heaven" Oversees so. so, "a.
36, SO, 49, As, 49). The object OF the temple
ls seen in the oft repeated phrase, IAN house
for the name Of the Lord" or "For Thy
name" oversees 16, II, 1s, 10, 20, 49, A, 49,, in
order that ''all people ofthe earth may know
Thy name, to fear Thee, as do Thy people of
Israel (verse 43), for there is no God In
heaven above or on earth beneath like the
Lord God Of Israel (verse 2S), who doeth
wonders for His servants, requiring Of them
only that they walk before Him with all their
heart his people are separated people
unto him from all the people Of the esrth to
be His inheritance" (verse So.
56. blessed be the Lord that hath given
rest unto His people Israel. according to, all
that he promised. There hath not failed
one word of an His good promise, which He
promised by the hand of Moses, His servant"
Before he prayed he also blessed the congre-
cation. re. erring to the Lords goodness and
faithfulness in having fulfilled with bis hand
all that he spake with His mouth oversees Is,
24). In Joshua's farewell he also said, "Ye
know IN all your hearts and in all your souls
that not one thing hath failed Of all the good
things which the Lord your God spake con-
corning you" (Joshua xxiii.. 14.)
81. "The Lord our God be with us, as He
was with our fathers. Let Him not leave US
nor forsake u.s." God had, through Moses,
His servant, spoken OF this rest for his peo-
His name to dwell Oeut Iii, 10, 11), and
He had also given them these promises:
"The Lord thy God, he 1t is that doth 90
with thee; He will not fail thee nor forsake
thee. Fear not, neither be dismayed" Deut.
XXI, 6, 81. His great encouragement to
Moses himself and to Joshua and Gideon was
II will be with thee" (Ex. ILL.,, -; Joshua l.,
Judg. vi, 16). We may well be content
with such things as We have since he hath
said, II will never leave thee nor forsake
thee" (Heb. Kill. -.
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 (Jer. TX, 29, 24). he said in
His great prayer, 20, righteous Father, the
world hath not known Thee, but I have
known Thee" (John xviii. 25), and in verse
8 He said that 1t was eternal life to know
God and Jesus Christ.
SO. "And let these my words, wherewith I
have made supplication before the Lord. be
nigh unto the Lord our God day and night"
Solomon asked this in order that the Lord
may maintain his cause and the cause Of
and R. ", and also Jer. Ill, 81. where the
Hebrew phrase is the same. 1t is daily re-
lying upon the Lord 10 manage all that con-
Germs US. and he will surely do II 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 may
know that the Lord is God, and that there is
none else" For that reason was Jordan
divided (Joshua w., 24}, and for the same
reason will God vet do wondrous things for
Israel (Ezek. 1xxvin., 2S). He would do
they would but live wholly for Him and
serve Him in sincerity with all the heart.
He Is still saying, "Call unto Me and will
answer thee and show thee great and
mighty things which thou knowest not"
(Jer. xxxiii., 81. 1t is written, that "the
pleasure Of the Lord shall prosper in His
hand" And II His saints would be cheer
fully in His hand and at His feet for His
pleasure. what might He not 6o2 CIsa. ill.,,
10; Deut. XXX, 81
81. LET your heart therefore be perfect
with the Lord our God, to walk In Hia
statutes and to keep His commandments. as
Solomon to serve the Lord with a perfect
heart and with willing mind, and prayed
God to give him perfect heart to keep His
commandments q Chron. xviii, 9; xxx.
81. The Lord said to Abram, "Walk before
Me and be thou perfect" and to Israel.
"Thou shalt be perfect with the Lord thy
God" (Gen. xviii. /; Deut. xviii, 13). AS to
daily life there Is no one perfect in the sense
OF being without sin, for Of all men the Lord
Jesus Christ was the only man that ever
lived without sin, but any redeemed soul
can by the grace Of God live and walk up
rightly and have whole heart tor God,
which is the sense Of perfect in these texts.
62. "And the king, and all Israel with him,
offered sacrifice before the Lord" Notice
the oneness OF the king and all Israel in the
matter of the sacrifice. Every sacrifice truly
offered to God from the time that the Lord
God made. unto Adam and Eve coats OF skins
and clothed them (Gen. ill.,, 2D pointed to
the only sacrifice that could take away sins
that of the Lamb OF God foreordained be-
fore the foundation OF the world q Pet. l.,
20).
So. 80 the king and all the children OF
Israel dedicated the house OF the Lord.
And the Lord accepted the house and filled
it with His glory. as we have seen. We are
commanded to present our bodies living
sacrifice as temples in which God the Father,
Son and Spirit may dwell (Rom. xii, /. Q;
John xiv, II, 29). And as truly as we do
this by virtue OF His blood shed for US, He
will accept the offering through the merits
OF Jesus Christ and FIJI US with His Spirit,
even with all the fullness OF God (Eph. ILL.,,
l9). Thus shall we know the exceeding
greatness OF His power toward us who be-
lieve iEph. j.. 19).-Lesson Helper.
THE TELEGRAPH AS A cIVlLlZ5R.