Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-11-25
for the Aun1e Circle.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON X, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATlONAL SERIES, DEC. 6.


TERNATloNAL SERIES, DEC. 6.
Text Of the Lesson, I Kings II, 4-13
Memory Verses, 8. 1O-Golden Text. I
Cor. Z, 1a-Commentary by tho Rev. d.
M. stearns.
4. "For 1t came to pass when Solomon
was old that his wives turned away his
heart after 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 great glory to the
honor Of the Lord, His fame through Solo
mon reaching to the ends of the earth, but
In this lesson we have q record OF great
failure through disobedience and the Lord 8
name dishonored. God, who sees the end
from tho beginning Elsa. XVI, 10y, had for
hidden that king of Israel should multi
ply horses or wives or silver or gold, but
that he should render strict obedience to
the law and lean wholly upon God (Deut.
xvii, 16-20). The closing verses of the last
chapter and the opening verses Of this show
that Solomon went directly contrary to the
word of God, perhaps because 1t would have
made him so very peculiar in the eyes Of
other nations to be so unlike them In these
matters.
8. "For Solomon went after Ashtoreth,
the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Mil
com, the abomination Of the Ammonites !"
Loving these strangers to Israel, he would
naturally do many things to please them,
and it is impossible to please God and the
enemies Of God at the same time; therefore
the sin of being unequally yoked together
with unbelievers Oh Cor. vi, 14). The
friendship Of the world Is enmity with
God; whosoever therefore will be friend
of the world in the enemy of God (Jas. iv,
A.. Even in preaching the word we are to
speak not as pleasing men, but God, who
trieth our hearts; for If we yet please men
we are not the servants of Christ Il Thess.
II, 4; Gal. /, 10Y. The Master Himself said,
"Ye cannot serve God and Mammon"
(Math. vi, 24).
6. "And Solomon did evil in the sight
of the Lord and went not fully after the
Lord, as did David, his father" The e1-
preston "in the sight Of the Lord" Is
found again in verses 33 and 8S, and over
80 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 Is this not included in follow
ing the Lord fully? Does it not mean be-
ueving His every word and acting accord
ingly and always as If He were right pres
ent with us9 "Even Christ pleased not
HIMSELF" but He did always those things
which pleased the Father.
z. "Then did Solomon build an high
place for Chemosh, the abomination OF
Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem. I"
Thus he corrupted the mount Of Olives
with the abominable idolatries Of the III
domains, the Moabites and the Ammonites
and became partaker of their evil deeds (1
Kings xiii, 13; II John <, 11), and for
over 800 years these denominations remain
ed till Josiah destroyed them, and they
were on the hill facing the temple, even tho
hill from which the Lord assembled, and to
which He will return 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 all people unto Him
for the glory of God.
8. "And likewise did he for all his
strange wives, which burnt incense and
sacrificed unto their gods. What time
he must have had with his 700 princess
wives (verse 3)l What he did for one he
would have to do for all, and thus was
gathered at Jerusalem 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 be-
come q very Babylon, the hGbitation Of
devils and the hold of every foul spirit and
a cage Of every unclean and hateful bird
(Rev. xviii, q.
g. "And the Lord was angry with Solo,
mon, because his heart was turned from
the Lord God of Israel which had appear
ed unto him twice" All our privileges in
crease our responsibilities, and these reve-
lations Of Jehovah to Solomon and His
special favors to him should have deferred
him oil the more from oil thought Of turn
ing away from Him. Israel had oft enough
In past days provoked God to anger with
their high places and moved Him to jeal-
ousy with their craven images.
10. And had commanded him concern
ing this thing that he should not go after
other gods, but he kept not that which the
Lord commanded His father had in
treated him to serve the Lord with per-
feet heart and willing mind, and in no.
wise to forsake Him. He had also prayed
specially for him to this end q Chron.
xviii, 9; xxx, 19). The Lord Himself had
also admonished him in both Of His ap.
pearances to him to be obedient Il Kings
iii, IA; *, 2-9), then He had done for him
the great things and given him 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
for the sake Of earthly show and pleasure.
II. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solo
mon, Forasmuch as this is done Of thee,
and thou hast not kept my covenant, and
my statutes, which have commanded
thee, will surely rend the kingdom from
thee and will give it to thy servant" Thus
fcation and praise of men, causes Solomon
to lose the kingdom and brings a curse
instead of q blessing.
10. Notwithstanding in thy days Twill
not do it, for David, thy fathers, sake,
but will rend it out of the hand Of thy
son" How wonderful the long suffering
of God, how patient with the sinner, how
unwilling that any should perish (u Pet
iii, 81. Consider the blessings through
David and the curses through Solomon,
and, remembering that no one liveth unto
himself, consider whether it is a blessing
or a curse that is coming upon others
through you.
18. "Howbeit I will not rend away all
the kingdom, but will give one tribe to
thy son for David, my servants, sake, and
for Jerusalem's sake, which have chos-
en-" Compare with this verses 80, "a, 80,
and notice the repetition Of "for David's
sake" and "for Jerusalem's sake" Our
nnYt and Inst threa lesanns of this wear