The National tribune., 1896-11-26
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

OONDH1 H1lAr"
A Study of the International Sunday
School Lesson Appointed for Dec.
6, 1896.
Subject. solomon's- Idolatry. Kings,
11:4E13
i4I T
-rA-r-
Zone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the Holy Scriptures as
Indicated above.l
INTRODUCTION.
great change has taken place rs to the
status of Solomon. On the whole. we must
acknowledge that his life was a failure. 1t was
not so much by an edict of God that the King
dom of Solomon was practically wrecked as
by the fact that no King can adopt principles
adverse to the well-known and long tested
laws of National policy, and yet be prospered.
The Kingdom was dismembered because 1t was
not managed in the line which accords with
the laws ordained by God for National admin
istration. We discern on the part of God a
recognition and enforcement of laws rot only
cal, ETC., realms, and courses of action adverse
to these established laws will show weakness,
and if not corrected, bring ruin. Solomon
career played part in history, and may be
oyerruled for some good. but considered per
Sc, and it is lamentable study i'll history.
specially judged of from the religious point OF
view.
DR.. Collier can well be quoted in this con-
nection: "There was an error in this man s
method of testing life, that suspect to be at
the root of much of the WEAKNESS that is still
felt; and that is, the man does not seem to
have tried to be happy in making others
happy, in bringing one CLEAN more OF glad
ness. or one pulse more OF life into any soul
save his own. In the sad days recorded here,
nature, books men, women, were worth 10 MIN
just what they could do for him. When ne
gave up being good, and took to being wise, he
never more drank at that fountain which Is
the source of all true blessedness. but made his
wisdom cstern, and 10! it was cracked and
assured in every direction. He gave up the
present sense of God in the soul the high uses
of worship; the inspiration hidden in great
books; the deep blesseiuess of being father,
husband, friend, teacher, patriot, reformer :;
buried himself in his harem; turned dear
ear to all the pleadings Of his better angel; ana
when he had come to this, who can wonder that
all was vanity?"
We have case of moral paralysis. There
was some serious defect in the character OF
Solomon. Effort has been made to account ior
his failure. The Arabians have a legend to the
effect that there was, in the staff on which he
leaned, worm concealed. always gnawlng
away and constantly weakening his support.
But this legend is only fgurative, and simply
means that Solomon was Il failure 1t IS not
quite fair in that it lays blame on an external
agent. when in reality the King was at fault
in heart and mind. We search yet for the
cause of his downfall. He depended too much
on external material prosperity, on wealth,
foreign advantages, affiliations, popularity
among the heather nations, etc. He did not
put at full value the worth Of character. the
need of divine assistance, the pricelessness of
itual power and cooperation. He left out
God He compromised monotheism. He was
victim of brains u3warmed by heart. he
fostered the intellect 10 the detriment OF his
spiritual nature. Kiig III l-S.
SUBJECT: SoLoMoN's PUNISHMENT ON Ac-
COUNT OF HIS PoLYGAMY AND lDoLATRY.
Dnta.
We have only the single report found in
Kings, 1I:9-l3. 1t is brief but by its lnkliDgs
gives us q quite clear explanation of Solomon's
mistakes and the eva consequences thereof.
The original document was probably written
coincident with the etentsiand compiled later
by Ezra. .s'eS'e
Referctces
T. g. Solomon's heart was turned from the
Lord. XII, II 10; c'us, A. 10. 90
Lord had appeared to Solomon twice. XII,
3:5; 9:2.
v.1O. God commanded Solomon not to go
after other gods. 6:12; go.
VII / will rend thy kingdom. IL 81 ;
10 Is, 16
v. IL. For David's sake. :a2, "a; Ps,
1872: 10; Isa., 81 30.
V.I3 / will not rend away all the kingdom.
9 Sam, 7:l5; Ps. SO: SO.
will give one tribe to thy son. 1920.
Jerusalem which have chosen. Deu., IL: 5,
Jerusalem's sake. XII, 1872.
Time.
We date the lesson A. M. 1929, or B. C. 975.
Solomon WAS So years old. He had ruled for
about 40 years. 11:42, Hence David had
been dead for 10 years. The rending referred
to in verses IL, IL began very soon after the
Lord announced to Solomon the fact it was to
81 took place 40 years before the lesson. and
his second appearance % years before XII,
3:5; 9:2.
The lesson is located in Jerusalem, the place
Of the temple and the palace. Solomon's King
dom extended from the Mediterranean to the
Enphrates-from northern Syria way into
southern Arabia and Egypt Al. Gods first
appearance to Solomon was at Gideon Is:
the second at the temple (9:2).
Phrases and Words.
/. Angry. w. We are not to take this
word in the sense of wrath, fury, malevolence.
but rather as signifying disapproval and deter
mination to remedy the evil The idea of in
dignation enters. The Hebrew word for angry
comes from a root which means to breathe hard.
When one is quite moved by some mental ex-
become quickened. The only way In which to
Mind is to picture it by some human intellect.
ual process.
g. Heart. V.9. The Douay has mind
3. Twice. We. This seems mentioned to
show that Solomon was the more guilty from
the fact he sinned against repeated warning.
The greater blessings we have from God should
place US under greater sense of obligation to do
Gods will.
4. Which. V.9. Say who.
5. Appeared. V.9. See 3:5; 9:2. Prob
ably in night visions or dreams. We have
mention OF a communication made to Solomon
after that mentioned in 3: 5, and before that OF
9:2; to wit, that mentioned in g.: IL. H. Then
the communication in V. II of this letter is
still another. But these last two were not
appearances, but statements made perhaps
through prophets. Jaebfss
6. This thing. v. f0.ns Concerning the limi-
tation of worship exclusively of the one
Jehovah. s. 81
z. Not 90 after other gods. v. 10. Not
worship other than GDd, not be idolators, not