Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-09-30

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON u, FOURTH QUARTER. INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. II.

Text OF the Lesson, I Kings ILL, b-18.
Memory Verses, IL, 12-Golden Text, Ps.
o1i, 1o-Commentary by the Rev. d. NJ.
stearns.
8. "In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Sol
omon In dream by night, and God said,
Ask what shall give thee" David was
now dead, having reigncd 40 yoars, at
Hebron and 83 OF Jerusalem Il Kings Ii,
10, 11). Solomon was strengthened In his
kingdom, and the Lord his God was with
him and magnifed him exceedingly. The
ark of God was In the tent which David
had pitched for 1t at Jerusalem, but the
tabernacle and altar of burnt Offering, etc.,
were still at Giboon QI Chron. !, l ~.
Thither Solomon and many Of the people
went to offer burnt offerings, token OF
whole hearted surrender to God to serve
Him only. 1t was in that night that the
Lord appeared to him as here recorded.
Hear the Lord saying similar words to us
in John xiv, 1S, IA.
8. David, my father, walked before
thee in truth and in righteousness and IN
uprightness of heart with thee" Solomon
begins his request by speaking OF God
great mercy or bounty to his father. The
mercies of the Lord are good topic for
every morning, for they are new every
morning. His compositions fail not. Great
Is His faithfulness liam. Ill, 90, 23). He
ia the Father of Meroies (1I Cor. !, ~.
Solomon speaks of his fathers walk before
the Lord and with the Lord. Like Abra-
ham, he walked before God (Gep. xvii,
~. and, like Enoch, Noah and Levi, ne
walked with God (Gen. v, "a; Vi, o; Nal.
II, 81.
2. "I am but little child. know not
how TO 90 out or come in" Aoknowledg-
Ing his indebtedness to the Lord GOD OF
his father for his position, he confessos MS
helplessness and ignorance. He Is but q
child and knows not anything. When
Jeremiah long after this was called of God
to be His prophet, he also said, "Ah, Lord
God. I cannot speak, for I am child, y
but the Lord said to him most comforting
words, which also He Is saying to you and
me- IL only we have ears to hear them
(Jer. l. 6.9). His fathers words, by the
Spirit, concerning going out and coming
in Fps. cxi, s., should have greatly helped
him, for they have helped many.
s. "Thy servant Is In the midst OF thy
people, which thou hast chosen" So also
was the Lord in the midst Of His people,
for He had chosen them that He might
dwell In their midst, and thus make tben
q people different from all other people on
the earth and separated from ull other peo'
ple. For that reason the tabernacle was
built. See Ex. XIV, 8; xxxiii, 16. The
future glory Of Israel shall be Jehovah IN
their midst forevermore (Ezek. xxxvii, 3d.
Zeph. iii, IT, The greatest fact In every
gathering Of Gods people now Is the pres
ence of the Lord In their midst (Math.
xviii, 2O), and not the presence OF this OF
that import It porson.
9. "Give, therefore, thy servant an un'
derstanding heart to judge thy people, that
may discern between good and bad. u
The request is worded little differently
in II Chron. !, 10, "Give ME now wisdom
and knowledge, that I may go out and
come in before this people" but tho sub
stance Of 1t Is the Same, that he may nave
wisdom to do right before God IN the mat
ter of the kingdom and In the midst oi
this people like the dust Of the earth IN
multitude Il Kings iv, 20; II Chron. l, w.
Great comfort for each Of us in the matter
of wisdom Is found in Jas. J, 5, g.
TO- "And the speech pleased the Lord,
that Solomon had asked this thing" II
Is possible to please God and have tho JOY
ous consciousness of 1t. Our Lord Jesus
said. II do always those things that please
Him" (John viii, 29), and Paul says In
Thess. ii, 4, "Not as pleasing man, bu,
God, who tr'eth our hearts, The score,
Of 1t is in yielding fully to God, that He
may work in us that which Is we'll pleas
| ing in His sight (Hab. xiii, 21).
II. "And God said unto him, Because
thou hast asked this thing and hast not
asked for thyself long life, neither hast
asked riches for thyself." Our Lord Jesus
| never sought anything merely for Himself
It does me good to quote His words, 81
sock not mino own will; II seek no,
mine own glory John v, 30; viii 5O)
and to remen, Der that "Even Christ pleased
not Himself" from. XIV, 81. I have also
been helped by Joromiah's words to Ba
| ruch, his scribe "Seekost thou great
things for thysolf9 Seek them not, (Jer
xiv, 81. / believe the best and most JOY
GUS life Is to lot God Himself be our por
ton (Lnm. Iii, 24) and live to be ohanne
of blessing to others. "Bo content II Goo
thou hast; having Him, thy need is past. y
10. Behold, have done according te
thy words. Lo, have given thee a wlst
and an understanding heart" 1nasmucf
as Israel was as the sand which Is by tht
sea In multitude God gave Solomon wis
dom and understanding rs the sand thai
Is on the seashore Il Kings iv, 20, 2s), OF
wisdom for every case that might possibly
come before him. In verses 10 to 28 o.
this chapter there Is an illustration OF thiI
| wisdom, and the people saw that the wis
dom Of God was in him to do judgment.
IS. And I have also given thee tha
| which thou hast not asked, both riches ant
honor" Here is our Lords Exceeding
abundantly." If we are willing to. lvt
unto Him" and for His pleasure, " there
will be no need to ask anything for our
selves. eff any man serve Me, him vii
My Father honor" Is always true. If al
believers in Christ we would only aocep
as true our standing in Him and live tt
honor Him and glorify Him, we would
never need to ask anything for ourselves
but would daily find the promise true
"My God shall supply all your need 40
cording to His riches in glory by Chris
Jesus phil. iv, 19).
ii. "And If thou wilt walk In My ways
thon will lengthon thy days." Lengtf
Of days upon the land given then by Got
was special promise to Israel IN conneo
ton with obedience (Ex. Xxx, 12). AgaiI
in Ps. xci, 16, we read concerning hin
who trusts in God, with long life will
satisfy him and show him My salvation. ,
The believer in Christ who has thus be
come q part of His body rejoices thai
| Christ Is his life and that because Chris
lives he shall live also; whether In tht
mortal body or absent from the body, Of
| In an immortal body, he Is willing to leav'
| 81 ILL. .x, Iha mill nf God