Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-10-15
The suNpAY SCHOOL.
international Lesson for October g. 1896
-Soiomon,s Wealth andWisdom-i Kings
%

ARRANGED from Pe1oubet's Notes.
GOLDEN TEXT.-Them that honor me
I will honor, and they that despise me
shall be lightly esteemed.-1 Sam 2:S0
THE SECTION includes the lesson and
/ Kings 4:29-34; 10:14-29: and the parallels
Chron- 113-17; s:1s-2s. together with the
example OF Solomon's wisdom given IN
Kings 3:16-2S.
TIME.-The first half of Solonon's reign.
L. c. 1o15-995.
PLACE.-Chief1y Jerusalem. but extend
ing over the whole country.
LESSON NOTES.
The Wealth and Worldly Grandeur OF
Solomon.-Vs. 25-2s. A general view OF
the wealth and luxury of Solomon can
be seen from the description given in
both Kings and Chronicles, that, ne
made silver and gold at Jerusalem as
plenteous as stones. and cedar trees
made he as the sycamore trees that arc
in the vale for abundance" And from
the account in Ecclesiastes 2:4-9.
Of the buildings erected in Solomon's
reign there was first of all the beauti-
full temple, costing untold riches. His
palace, which was Is years in building,
was built on Ophel, the southern contin-
uation of the temple mount. The pal
ace was not n single building, but a cius-
ter. Solomon brought water from q
cred aqueducts and vast s'lbterranean
conduits hewn out of solid rock, the
first known in history. Parks. gardens
and pleasure grounds or paradises were
laid out. The whole territory of the IL
tribes was also protected for the first
time by number of strongholds. Jert,-
salem itself was inclosed with new
wall, fortified. All this in the earlier
and wiser years of Solomon was accom-
panied by the general prosperity of the
people. great stimulus was given to
trade and various industries. The
people increased and lived in peace.
The Wisdom of Solomon-Vs. go
Sat- is entirely proper and natural
that consideration of Solomon's wis
dom should follow the description of
his wealth.
%. 'And God gave Solomon wisdom
and understanding exceeding much"
His wisdom took many directions. He
was wise as a judge, as an architect, as a
statesman, in literature, in science. He
had ''largeness of heart" that is, great.
capacity, "a comprehensive, powerful
mind capable of grasping the knowl-
edge of many and difficult subjects
poetry, philosophy, natural history in
its various branches-he was master of
them all."5Cambridge Bible.
3D. ''Spal1e three thousand proverbs:"
Of which some are contained in the,
Book of Proverbs, to which his name is
given, but these are not all his, nor
would all that are attributed to him.
there approach the number in the text
His songs were thousand and five"
Psalm ~ is described to Solomon, and
was probably his. The "Song of Sol
ONION" is now regarded by the majority
of later critics as later than Solomon.
and rather expressing his sentiments, or
concerning him, than written by him.
Like, for instance, the speeches of Brut-
US and Mark Anthony in Shakespeare's
julius Caesar; still, as the Cambridge
Bible expresses it, "their character is
impressed upon this song" Probably
the bulk of Solomon's songs were of a
secular character, and consequently
were not introduced into the Canon
Cook
80. And he spal1e of trees,'' etc: He
gave descriptions of the whole vegetable
world, and discussed the virtues of the
various plants. For it has been always
of their medicinal properties that the
earliest works on plants have treated.
They were the remedies for all diseases,
and knowledge of "simples,' as they
were called in England in old times,
was counted for the highest WISDOM
Cambridge Bible. ''Of Beasts" He en-
joyed rare opportunities for becoming
familiar with the various species of both
the animal and the vegetable creation.
His extended commerce with all ma
items brought TO him specimens of ali
rare trees, plants and animals.-Pulpit
Commentary.
Light for To Day from Solomon,s
INSTRUMENTATION is good. 1t sex
ceiIeth folly as light excelleth darkness"
Wisdom is the gift of God, opening to us
channels of rich pleasure and important
usefulness to our fellow-creatures.
Solomon would not have us understand
that for this world wisdom is no better
than folly He had found the contrary.
Folly is always darkness. Wisdom is al
ways light. worldly wisdom is light
for this world, and for this worlds work
is as much better than folly as walking
IN the light is better than cropping in
the dark But It is not a substitute for
piety; it is the instrument of piety.
adding to its power, and usefulness, and
value The better we are the more
eagerly shOuld we seeE wisdom,