The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-07-14


Employed in the Work-Material O
Which it Was Built and Where il
Came FrOm-the Cost of the Temple
and its Final Decentralization
Narrative of the Children of Israel ir
! Those Days.
The following very interesting and
instructive paper was prepared by
Capt. w. b. Shaw for his Sunday.
school class about a year ago. As
the international Sunday-school les
sons are along the same line of study
for this quarter the article will be
| found of special interest as supple
mentary to the lesson papers, hence
we give our readers the benefit Of it
| by consent Of the author:
Perhaps no picture more thoroughly
| depicts the vcngence Of God upon the
disobcdient children OF men than
that Of the last days Of Israel, and
none 50 abundantly illustrates His
love and fostering care as the pros
pcritv Of Solomon.
Though God had preserved His
people and guided them through the
varied experiences Of their Pilgrim
are and led them to Il glorious ma
tionality. yet the prophetic eye of
Moses scanned the ayes of 1920 years
and warned them Of their awful end.
Hear him "a he stood up and rcproved
them for their awful disobedience
and warned them of the consequence:
And thou shalt eat the fruit of
thine own body, the flesh of thy sons
and Of thy daughters, which the Lord
thy God hath given thee, in the
siege and in the straitness where
with thine enemies shall distress
thee Get sep, Deut. .xxxyiii-53 to
80.
David having conquered most of
the Syrian states and extended his
domain to the banks Of the Euphra-
ties, went down to his grave in much
trouble and tribulation because of his
great sin and left his throne to his
youngest son Solomon. This Young
prince took the helm of state under
the most tlattering circumstances.
The country was at peace with other
states and having by treaty estab-
lishcd commercial relations with the
surrounding nations, he soon became
renowned for his wisdom, power and
wealth. After fixing the policy of
his administration he began to ar
range for the completion of the
browning glory of Israel, by building
the great ..Temple to the Lord
which his father David had pro jected.
Taking advantage Of his friendly re-
latiOns with Hiram, King of Tyre, he
contracted with that prince for tim
bcrs, choice cedars and fir. which
grew in abundance on Mount Lebanon
near the SidOnian coast. Hiram also
furnished many thousands of work
men and skilled artizans who hewed
and cut each timber to fit its exact
place in the temple. These timbers
we're Sided down the steep sides of
the mountains into the sea, formed
into RATS and tloated over one hun
dred miles to .Joppa. the only seaport
then in SolomOn'S domain. From
thence the timbcrs were borne by
men thirty-tye miles to Jerusalem,
where the temple was to be located |
The stone of which the outside of the |
house was to be made was uuarried
in the granite hills near by, and each |
stone was cut to exact lines at the |
quarry, so as to fit its own appointed |
place, and the building was erected |
without the sound of hammer or
saw.
To accomplish this great work |
Solomon levied force of 30, 900 men
under the supervision of Adoniram,
which was divided into three reliefs |
of 10000 each. Each relief worked !
with lliram's forces one month at a |
time, taking it turn about until all |
the timber necessary was gotten out. |
He also levied 10000 men and ), 800 |
overseers who should bear and trans
port the stone and timber to the |
building spot, and another levy of
1000 which hewed stone and tim
Der.
Thus prepared with force of |
10000 workmen, besides the over
seers and Hiram's force, 1870 wears |
after the children of Israel had left
Egypt and in the fourth year of his
reign, and in the month of April,
{. 1912, Solomon began to build
The great temple.
The work with much system and
industry was continued for seven and
| half vears-to completion in Octo-
Der. Is. c. 1905. For Hiram's part in
said work Solomon paid him 100, 900
bushels of wheat and 1,51O gallons of
'll annually while the work pro-
crossed. or in all about 1,12O. 900
bushels of wheat aud 1881 gallons
# oil.
In October, b. c. 1904. one wear
.fter completing the temple. it being
he season of the feast of the Taber-
lacle. Solomon caused the Ark to he
placed in the Temple. He then
allied all the people together. offered
prayer. and dedicated the building to
'od. and the same was accepted bv
lSlble manifestations of approval.
he people remained assembled for
light days. during which time Solo
non offered 22,000 oxen and l2O. 900 | (
heep as sacrifices and burnt offer
ngs.
Solomon had now reached the zen
n of his power and glory. He had
Ntended his commerce to the re-
hottest countries. his ships traversed ;
very sea, and his caravans BROUGHT
lch freight from Opher. and beyond /
be trackleSs desert. Israel was now :
delight to the Lord. Yet. notwith- 5
landing Solomon's wisdom. and ,
ods personal injunctions, he was {
orrupted by his prosperity. and in Z
ld age was seduced by his ..stranee" 7
ives to forSake God and he became /
n idolator. Then came the prophet r
hlJah and foretold the rupture of his /
kingdom. !