The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-11-11
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOH
NOVEMBER Is.
Lesson Text: HGod's Blessing Upon
Solomon" Kings tx, 1-S-
Golden Text: Prov. Z.
12-Commentary.


I. "And It came to pass, when Solomon
had finished the building of the house OF the
Lord, and the kings house, and all Solomon's
desire which he was pleased to do" Ac'
cording to verse 10 the work occupied twenty
years, and during all this time Hiram, king
OF Tyre, helped him with cedar and FIR trees
and with gold. according to all bis desire
(verse I'D. For this service Solomon gave
Hiram as kind of present twenty cities In
Galilee, which, when Hiram saw, were not
pleasing unto him, and he called them Cabul,
or displeasing Oversees 11-13). It Is impossi-
BILE to please every one, and the great Joy OF
real servant OF the Lord Is that he seeks
not to please men, but God, who trleth our
hearts (Gal. l., 10; I Thess. H., ~. Concern
ing all this work it Is written that Solomon
made all that came into his heart and pros
perously effected it (II Ohron. vii, 1D. This
was wholly due to the blessing OF the Lord,
which maketh rich and to which toll addeth
nothing prov. <. %. R. v, margin). The
the Bride, the Lambs wife, which Is to come
down from God out Of heaven and be GEN.
ter and source Of blessing to all Nations on
the millennial earth. 1t is now being build
ed and will be the pure and eternal home OF
the redeemed out of all Nations. At the
building of solomon's temple there was
neither hammer nor axe nor any tool OF iron
heard in the house while 1t was building. for
the stones were made ready before they we're
brought thither Il Kings vii, y. Believers
are the living stones in the living temple and
are all made ready down here in the quarries
of daily life before brought to the place Of
building Il Pet. H., 81. When we receive
the Lord Jesus, we are by His blood made fit
to enter heaven (Col. l., 12). but by all His
healings with US from that time we are being
prepared for our place in His temple. There
Is not q trial nor e blow too many In all the
daily life. but "needs be" for every one.
2. "That the Lord appeared to Solomon
the second time, as he had appeared unto
said unto him, "Ask what shall give thee"
Il Kings ill.,, 81. And the Lord was 80
pleased to have him ask only for wisdom
that He gave him both riches and honor,
which he had not asked (verse 19). Now,
after twenty years he appears second time
to bless him yet more. Our Lord Jesus came
the first time to give wisdom and righteous
ness to all who will accept Him. He will
come the second time. without sin unto SAL
vation, to be5tow the completeness OF His
redemption q Cor. l., 80; Heb. ix., 2S). He
is ever the same great giyer, giving grace
and glory to all who receive Him.
8. "And the Lord said unto him, I have
heard thy prayer and thy supplication that
thou has made before Me-" When we ask
anything according to His will we know that
He heareth US, and knowing that He has
heard US We know that we havethe petitions
We desired Of Him Il John ", IA, l6). The
Lord accepted the house to put His name
there. and assured Solomon that His eyes
and His heart would be there perpetually.
There Is something very comforting In this
for auay,, balinuar for ~ nreoeOt OOr
bodies according to Rom. Kill, l. 2, We may
be sure that He accepts the sacrifice, and II
His name and eyes and heart would be upon
a building Of wood and stone, how much
more will they be upon every member OF The
church which is the body of Christ.
4. Sand II thou wilt walk before Me, as
David. thy father, walked, in integrity, Of
heart, and In uprightness. to do according to
all that have commanded thee" Compare
fore God in truth with all the heart Is the
sum OF Christian living. To Abram God
said, "Walk before Me and be thou perfect"
(Gen. xviii. y. The Lord being with US
(Math. xviii, 20), 1t only requires that we
steadfastly believe it, and trust Him to live
out His life In US, according to Gal H., 20.
! A walk with God implies agreement, humi!-
ity and full control OF the Spirit, but II We
are only willing God will do It (Amos ILL.,, 81;
Mic. vi, 8; I John H., g. II Cor. vi, l6):
5. "Then I will establish the throne OF thy
kingdom upon Israel forever, as promised
to David, thy father" The promise to David
was unconditional that his throne would be
established forever QI Sam. vii, ~, 16). It
will be fulfilled in Solomon II he will walk
before God with perfect heart; II not, 1t
| will have to wait for some other who will
80 do. The king has not yet sat on David's
throne who completely filled the bill, but He
lives and waits for it, and will do 1t when He
shall come the second time. See Isa tx. g.,
7; Luke l., so, 33 Jer. xiii, S, 6; Acts H., go
6, z. 'If ye shall at all turn from follow
ing Me then will cut of Israel out OF
the land which have given them, and Israel
shall be proverb and byword among all
| people," The Lo-d had said about the same
thing to Moses in Deut. iv.. 26, n, and 20 81.
and for over eighteen centuries the world
has seen It fulfilled. for they continued as a
Nation to despise His word and misuse His
prophets until there was no remedy (1I
Chron. xSxvi., 16). When in the fullness Of
time the Son OF God Himself came to be
| and killed Him, saying, "We have no king
but Caesar" Hence for all these centuries
since our Lord was crucifed the land has
been desolate and Jerusalem trodden down
| OF the gentiles.
8, 9. "Why hath the Lord done thus un-
to this land and to this house? Because
they forsook the Lord their God, who
brought forth their fathers out Of the land
of Egypt" Thus. said the Lord. would
people ask and be answered when they
should see the desoletions OF the city and
the land, AMI so it has been. Whether the
Lord deals with Israel or with the church,
He desires to show the abundance which
He has for and loves to give to His people,
that He may be known and trusted In, to His
glory and His peoples good. See in Deu1.
xvii, IA, the fullness of blessing which was
within Israel's reach simply on condition OF
obedience. See in Math. xi.. 27-3O; John
xiv, 13, "A; xv., II; xvi. "a; Rom. 1y, l3-
some Of the fullness that would be mani
testify ours to Gods glory II We would keep
ourselves wholly for Him. Consider also
Eph. ill 20, 21; Jude xiv, and similar ex-
ceeding great and, precious things which
would be 10 His obedient ones, living only
unto him. ''Of the children Of Israel did
Solomon make no bondsmen'' q Kings *,
22), and while We who are redeemed delight
to be the bond slaves Of Jesus Christ there Is
no slavishness in His service, for we are al
the same time children and friends, free In
our Fathers house to enjoy all that Is His
and to delight to do His wul.-Lesson
Helper.