Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1896-12-01

Indications OF gathering evM. the
scriptures are too wise TO portray the
grandeur without also showing Its dan
gers: and they are too truly "hilosophi-
cal not to show the source Of the down.
fall or the wisest of men.
There are many Instances in history
OF lives Of genius and enthusiasm. OF high
promise and partial accomplishment
marred and flung away. but none which
present the great tragedy of wasted gifts
and blossoms never fruited in sharper.
more striking form than the life or the
wise king Of Israel. who. lin his latter
days was a fool The goodliest YES
sci may be shipwrecked in sight or port.
The sun went down in a thick BANK
or clouds, which rose from undrained
marshes In his soul. and stretched hiSh
| up In the western horizon. His career
| in its glory and its shame. breaches the
great lesson which the Book of Ecclesias-
tes puts into his mouth as the conclusion
or the whole matter: Fear God, ana keep
Ills commandments: for this is the whole
| duty OF man. "McLaren.
| T. 1t came to pass when Solomon
was Old" Between 50 and 60 years DID,
when he ought to have been In his spirit
ual ana mental prime. His wives. many
or them foreign princesses, the daughter
| or Pharaoh, and women OF the Moapltes'
| Ammonites. Edomites. Sidonians ana MT
| tites. heather women who brought their
| heathen natures. training and customs
| with them. Turned away his heart al
| Ter other gods" This was gradual
| process. resisted while he was busy with
| his religious work of building up the
| kingdom but as he gave himself up more
| 10 pleasure his energies became relaxed.
| MS conscience duled and weakened, MS
power OF resistance lessened: these Tor
| eign wives with youth. and little TO 90.
| caJoled and persuaded the king 10 their
| wishes.
| r ..E,or co,or,o, ~uo,. ,ftarv Same
commentators think that Solomon actual
| ly worshiped idols, but most think mat
| MS sin was that described in verse Z.
where he favored and abetted idoiatry.
by building idol temples. and supported
idolatry And his heart was not per-
| feet with the Lord" The word rendered
heart In the Old Testament Is very sig
nifcant. 1t means more than the will.
the emotions and the affections. Perfect
(entire) with the Lord. as was
the heart Of David his father" Not that
David was perfect man. but he never
swerved from his loyalty to God. His SER
vice of God was imperfect. indeed: but
he never served other gods. and his Dit
ter repentance shows that in his heart
he was always loyal and true Solomon
was not whols-hearted In Gods service.
| T. Then did Solomon as the next
step. build high place" shrine oil
temple on a hilltop among the trees. Fol
"Chemosh,' a local name for Baal. the
sun god. The abomiuation." the lido
and its worship intensely hateful to God
"Of Moab" The Moabltes. also descend
ants Of Lot. lived east of the lower Jor
dan. I'm the hill that Is before Jerusa
lem The Mount OF Olives, the southern
peak OF which was hence called the
Mount of Offense." and the Mount o
the Destroyer" and the Mount OF Cor
ruption."
S. And likewise did he for all hi
| xviv
this for some, there was no reason VIII.
he should not be impartial. Thus h,
halted between two opinions" and trie'
ito serve two masters" Solomon. havin,
committed the double crime Of poiyBam.
with heather wives, could only with grea
difficuity avoid tolerating idolatry. Lead
J ing persons came to visit him from al
, the surrounding nations, many Of whom
were included In the empire: and to Civ
each one an opportunity to worship as h
| pleased at the center of worship scenes
so worldly WISE so large hsarted, so toll
Grant. so broad. But II was like toierat
ing worms at the roots of the trees. weed
in the garden. wild beasts IN the home
f; As Milman we'll says. Thus the grandeu
, of the kingdom, by destroying its unity
and enfeeblng its religion. the cente
and bond OF unity, led inevitably to It
fall" All this naturally encouraged i'm
a | morality. and cruelty. and crime. whicl
were a part OF the idoiatrous worship.
was public dishonoring OF God and III
true religion. which he had done so nue.
to upbuild.
IL. Notwithstanding, in thy days L vii
, | not do it," The threatening had tw
, gracious and merciful limitations: % TIL
!. blow should not fall until after his deaf
{ (cf. v. "a; chap. Il: p: Kings -: 2o): an
} (s) the disruption should be but a.tla
There should be a "remnant"-Pulpi
, Commentary. For David thy father
sake" Because of Davids goodness an
OF the promises made to him G. Sam.
1916. We little know the benefits Of tn
evils entailed upon us by our forefather.
, ~ will rend II out of the hand OF tn
son." whose bad conduct arose largei
r from the polygamy and sins of Solomon
IL II will give one tribe to III
[ SON." The tribe OF Judah, which absorbe
, the tribe OF Benjamin, so that this
entirely consistent with the statement b
the same writer few verses farther o
that two tribes should remain In Sole
mons family.
t. Compare the history of Louis XIV, c
q France and the results of his oppressio
of the people. For David my servant
sake and for Jerusalem's sake" Th
o kingdom endured in this line. and tn
v Kingdom of God in the world to-day is Il
| from IL