The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON !, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 8.
rext OF the Lesson, 1 Kings Xii, 1925.
Memory Verses. 10-19-GoIden Text,
Prov. Nv, documentary by the Rev.
ID. Nj. stearns.

II We
ID. Nj. stearns.
Copyright. 1898. by d. M. Stearns.J
l6. "What portion have we in DavidY
Neither have we Inheritance in the son
of Jesse; to your tents, o Israel. Now see
to thine house David. So Israel departed
unto their tents" This was the result of
the refusal of Rehoboam, the son Oh Solo
mon, to make the grievous service of his
father lighter for the people, but it was all
under Gods overruling to fulfill His word
| by Ahijah the prophet (verse 10 and chap
ter xi, 30, 81. Because of Solomon's sin
| In forsaking the Lord and worshiping
idols he was to lose ten parts of the king
dom, one tribe only being reserved for Da-
vid's sake that he might have light al
ways before God in Jerusalem Chapter XII,
| 3l-36). 1t was the purpose of the Lord
that the ~ tribes should be one nation a
| wholly righteous nation, in the land given
to their fathers, and His purpose stands
| unchanged, for the gifts and calling of God
are without repentance, and every purpose
OF the Lord shall be performed, but He
| sees the end from the beginning and Is,
| through all seeming discouragements, pa
tiently working out His plan (Rom. XII,
i
| xxxvii, 22).
IL. "But as for tho children of Israel
| which dwet in the cities of Judah, Reho-
beam reigned over them" Judah was
| David's tribe, to which he belonged, and
the Son Of David, who is to restore all
things Of which the prophets have spoken,
Is called the Lion of Judah and also the
| Root of David, for He is David's son as
| well as David's Lord (Acts Iii, 2l; Rev. V,
| 8; xxi, 16). Judah prevailed above his
| brethren, and of him came the chief ruler
| q Chron. V, p. 1t was well for Benjamin
that they were willing to stay with Judah,
| even though seemingly absorbed In the
| one tribe of which the Lord spake.
Is. "Then King Rehoboam sent ADO
| ram, who was over the tribute, and all Is
| rael stoned him with stones that he died"
| This Adoram seems to be the same as
| Adoniram Of chapters iv, 6; v, IA. Per-
haps by sending for the tribute Rehoboam
was testing them to see If they had really
| revolted. The result must have thorough
| ly convinced him, but 1t was an expensive
| test for the collector. Not different, how
| ever, from that of Stephen, who for tho
sake of tho Son of David was also stoned
| to death.
| 10. $50 Israel rebelle1 against the house
Of David unto this day" In III Kings
xvii, 81, it is said that "He~ rent Israel
from tho house of David, and Jeroboam
drnve Israel from following the Lord. +"
Jeroboam might havo been blessed and
made a blessing il only be had been will
ing to keep the commandments of God and
to walk in his ways. But out of his own
heart he devised evil things and established
idolatry in Israel from Dan to Bethel
| Chapters xi, 38; xii, 20, 80 33).
| go. "And it came to pass when M Israel
heard that JeYoboam was come again that
| they sent and called him unto the congrega-
| ton and made him king over all Israel. T"
| Jeroboam was widow son and one Of
Solomon 5 servants, who had been promot-
| ed because of his Industry. But when the
| Lord told Solomon of the division of the
| kingdom because of his sin then he sought
| to kill .Jeroboam, but he fed to Egypt
end was there till Solomon died Chapter
| XII, 2S, 40).
81. And when Rehoboam was come to
Jerusalem he assembled all the house of
| Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, an
| Hundred and fourscore thousand chosen
| men," In III Chron. xi, /, it is said that
| this army was from Judah and Benjamin,
and in both passages it says that the object
was to bring the kingdom again to Reho-
| beam. This, however, was not Gods way,
/ and therefore the army was in sense n
| vain array of power. We read of another
king who hired 1907 900 mighty men and
| paid them hundred talents OF silver,
| but was not allowed to use them, for they
were not in Gods plan.
22. "But the word of God came unto
Shemarah, the man of God, saying, The
| name of this man Of God signifies I" Hear
| ing Jehovah" and a true man OF God Is
one who hears only the Lord and delivers
| His messages as faithfully as Samuel did
the Lord s message to Eli. He that hath
| My word let him speak My word faithfully
is a good message for every man and WON.
an of God (Jer. xiii, 2S). The next chap
ter Il Kings kill is in some respects the
greatest "Man of God" chapter In the BIZ
BILE, for in it the title is used not less than
| IA times, and it teaches us that If we turn
from what God says to listen even to an
| angel bearing q contrary message we may
| be set aside as witnesses. Compare Gal. l. 8.
g. "Speak unto Rehoboam, tho son of
Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all tho
| house of Judah and Benjamin, and to tho
| remnant of the people" The messages or
God are plain, and those for whom they
are intended are clearly designated (Deut.
xvii, 8; Hab. ii, y. Sec also Hag. II, 4,
and note carefully the beginnings OF all
the epistles note also in the utterances OF
our Lord Jesus Christ the persons to whom
He is speaking, and you will see among
other things that the much misquoted
words 1.-The kingdom of God Is within
you" duke xvii, 20, 21) were never said
Co disciples, but to murderous Pharisees
thirsting for His blood, and we must there
fore take them as In the margin or the Il.
V. rather than as in our A. V. text.
"a. "Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not
J 90 up, nor fight against your brethren the
children of Israel. Return every man to
his houses for this thing is from Me. "
They hearkened and obeyed and did well
In so doing, for obedience always brings
blessing lisa. 1, 19). Mans goings are OF
the Lord; how can man then understand
his own way. o Lord, know the way of
man Is not in himself; 1t Is not In man
that walketh to direct his steps. A mans
heart deviseth his way, but the Lord d.