The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-12-02
SABBATH SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
DECEMBER 6.
Lesson Text: "Solomon's SIM"
kings, XII, Alb Golden
Text: Cor, K, IL
Comm entary,

comm ouCdEyt
4. "For It came to pass when Solomon was
old that his wives turned away his heart al
ter other gods, and his heart WAS not perfect
with the Lord his God, as was the heart OF
David his father" Last weeks lesson was
picture of lreat glory to the honor OF the
Lord, His fame through Solomon reaching
to the ends Of the earth. but In this lesson we
have record of great failure through dis
obedience and the Lords name dishonored.
God who sees the end from the beginning
lisa. xlvi.. I0), had forbidden that king Of
Israel should multiply horses or wives or
silver or gold, but that he should render
strict obedience TO the law and lean wholly
npon God (Deut. xviii, 1920. The closing
verses Of the last chapter and the opening
verses Of this show that Solomon went d.
rectly contrary to the word Of God, perhaps
because 1t would have made him 30 very Pc
.uliar in the eyes of other Nations to be 80
unlike them in these matters.
5.-"For Solomon went after Ashtoreth,
the goddess Of the Zidonians, and after Mil
com, the abomtnation Of the Ammonites."
Loving these strangers to Israel. he would
naturally do many things to please them,
and 1t is impossible to please God and the
enemies OF God at the same time; therefore
the sin Of being unequally yoked together
with unbelievers UI Cor. w., 14). The
friendship of the world Is enmity with God;
whosoever therefore will be friend OF the
world In the enemy OF tod (Jas. w., A.
Even in preaching the word we are to speak
not az pleasing men, but God, who trieth
our hearts, for II we yet please men we are
aot the servants OF Christ q Thsss. H., 4;
Gal. l., 10Y. The Master Himself said, aye
| cannot srrve God and Mammon" (Math. vi.
24). .
s. "And Solomon did evil in the sight of
| The Lord and went not fully after the Lord,
as did David, his father" The expression
''in the sight Of the Lord" Is found again In
verses So and 3s, and over fifty times in
Kings and Chronicles. If we would set the
Lord always before us and speak and act as
| In His sight all would be we'll. And this not
Included in following the Lord fully? Does
II not mean believing His every word and
acting accordingly and always as II he were
| right present with us2 "Even Christ pleased
not HIMSELF" but he did always those
things which pleased the Father.
7. ''Then did Solomon build an high place
| for Chemosh, the abomination OF Moab, in
The hill that is before Jerusalem" Thus he
corrupted the mount Of Olives with the
| abominable idolatries OF the Ztbonians, the
Monbltes and the Ammonites and became
partaker OF their evil deeds III Kings xiii.
is; II John K, I'D, and for over 800 years
these abominutions remained till josiah de-
stroyed them, and they were on the hill
| facing the temple, even the hill from which
the Lord assembled, and to which He will re-
turn when He shall come in His glory for
the redemption Of Israel Czech. XIV, 8, 4, 81,
Solomon united these Nations to himself for
his own qualification, but Christ shall draw
oil people unto Him for the glory OF God.
| 8. And likewise did he for all his strange
| 1,;1, }ah ht1rp
unto their gods" What time he must
have had with his 700 princess wives (verse
| B) What he did for one he would have to
| do for all, and thus was gathered at Jerusa-
lem the idolatries and denominations Of all
Nations, and this by one who sat on the
throne Of the Lord to be king for the Lord.
Jerusalem had become very Babylon, the
habitation OF devils and the hold OF every
foul spirit and q cage Of every unclean and
hateful bird (Rev. xviii, q.
| g. "And the Lord WIS angry with Solo
mon, because his heart was turned from the
LORD God Of Israel, which had appeared un-
| 10 him twice." All our privileges increase
our responsibilities, and these revelations OF
Jehovah to Solomon and His special favors
10 him should have deferred him all the
more from all thought Of turning away from
Him. Israel had oft enough In past days
provoked God to anger with their high
places and moved HINT jealousy with their
craven images. s.
10. "And had commanded him concerning
this thing and that he should not 20 after
other gods, but he kept not that which the
Lord commanded" His father entreated him
TO serve the Lord with perfect heart and
willing mind, and powise to forsake Him.
he had also prayed specially for him to this
eni q Chron. xviii, ,9; xxx. 19). The Lord
Himself had also admonished him in both OF
His appearances to him to be obedient q
Kings iii., IA: X, 2-9), then He had done tor
him the great things and given =, him e the
| great glory of which the Queen OF Sheba said
that the half had not been told her, yet he
disobeyed and turned his back upon God fol
the sake Of earthly show and pleasure.
II. "Wherefore the Lord said unto Solo
| mon, Forasmuch as this is done OF thee, ane
thou hast not kept My covenant, and My
statutes, which I have commanded thee,
will surely rend the kingdom from thee and
will give Il to thy servant" Thus disobedt'
ence, for the sake of present qualification
and praise Of men. causes Solomon to lose
the kingdom and brings curse instead OF
blessing. :,
not do it, for David, thy fathers sake, but
will rend It ont OF the hand ofthy son." How
wonderful the long suffering OF God, how
patient with the sinner, how unwilling tha
any should perish (II Pet. ill.,, 81. Consider
the blessings through David and the curses
through Solomon, and. remembering that M
one liveth unto himself, consider whether
1t is blessing or curse that is coming upor
others through you.
Is. "Howbeit will not rend away all the
kingdom. hut will give one tribe to thy sol
for David, My servants 5akt, and for Jeru
salem's sake, which I have chosen" Com
pare with this verses 80, "a. SO, and motto,
the repetition of "for David's sake" and
"ior Jerusalems sake" Our next and las
three lessons of this year will be given t.
"Temperance" "Chrlstmas" and Review.
The whole OF 1897 will be devoted to th'
Acts and the Epistles. Who can tell wha
may come to pass in Emmanuels land To-
Davids sake and Jerusalem, the choser
citv's sake. Gro we come again in our studie.
to the Old Testament? or this we are sure
Jerusalem shall be the throne OF the Lord
and tho Son o. Mary shall sit on David
throne, for the mouth of the Lord hatl
spoken it (Jer. ill.,, II; Luke, l., 81. $50. l
not soon as we count time, 1t will be sool
in Gods estimation. There is just one thinl
for the redeemed 10 do till then, and that Il
occupy till he come" duke xix. 13), b.
livjns to know Him and to make Him known
Lesson Helper.
Doc,c NERvr FOR a MAN.