Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-06-22
5ntrrnatianal ge5son5.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON !, THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 8.

Text Of the Lesson, Kings xii, 1925.
Memory verses, 16-19-Golden Text,
Prov. xv, documentary by the Rev.
d. NJ. stearns.
| Copyright, 1893, by D. M. Stearns.l
16. "What portion have We in David?
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 of 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 Abijah the prophet (verse 15 and chap
ter xi, 80, Sl). 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 xi,
S1-36). 1t was the purpose of the Lord
that the 10 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. xi,
80; lisa. xiv, "a; XVI, Gil; X, 81; Eek.
x1xvii, 22).
II. "But as for the children Of Israel
which dwelt in the cities Of Judah, Reho-
boam 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 son as
we'll as David's Lord (Acts iii, 21 Rev. V,
8; xxi, 16). Judah prevailed above his
brethren, and Of him came the chief ruler
Il Chron. V, q. 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, ii. Per-
haps by sending for the tribute Rehoboam
was testing them to see if they had really
reyolted. The result must have thorough
| " convinced him, but 1t was an expensive
test for the collector. Not different, how
ever, from that of Stephen, who for the
sake of the Son uf David was also stoned
to death.
! 10. $50 Israel rebelled against tho house
of David unto this day" In II Kings
xvii, 81, it is said that "He rent Israel
from the house of David, and Jeroboam
drave Israel from following the Lord. "
Jeroboam might have been blessed and
made blessing If only he 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
idoiatry in Israel from Dan to Bethel
Chapters II, SO; xii, %, 20, 33).
90. And it came to pass when all Israel
| heard that Jeroboam was come again that
they sent and called him unto the congrega-
tion and made him king over oil Israel. "
Jeroboam was widows 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 fled to Egypt
and was there till Solomon diod (chapter
xi, 2S, 40).
| 81. "And when RehoboaIn was como to
Jerusalem he assembled all the house OF
Judah with the tribe of Benjamin, an
hundred and fourscore thousand chosen
men," In II Chron. Il, l, 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 Rcho-
boam. This, however, was not Gods way,
and therefore the army was in sense
vain array of power. We read of another
king who hired 1000 mighty men and
i paid them q hundred talents of silver,
but was not allowed to use them, for they
were not in Gods plan.
90. but tho word of God came unto
Shomarah, the man of God, saying, The
name of this man of God signifies 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 Lords S message to Eli. He that hath
My word let him speak My word faithfully
is good message for every man and wom-
an OF God (Jer. xiii, 2S). The next chap
ter q Kings xiiD is in some respects the
greatest MAN of God" chapter III the Bl-
BILE, for in it the title is used not less than
II times, and it teaches us that if we turn
from what God says to listen even to an
angel bearing contrary message we may
be set aside Us witnesses. Compare Gal. i, g..
90. Speak unto Rehoboam, the son OF
Solomon, king of Judah, and unto all the
house of Judah and Benjamin, and to tho
remnant of the people" The messages of
God are plain, and those for whom they
are intpndcd are clearly designated (Deut.
xvii, 8; Hab. ii, y. Sec also Hag. ii, t.,
and note carefully the beginnings Of all
the epiStles; note also in the uttciances 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, ~, 2l) were never said
to disciples, but to murderous Pharisces
thirsting for His blood, and we must there
fore take them as in the margin or the Il.
V. rather than us in our A. Y. text
"a "Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not
60 up, nor fight against your brethren the
children of Israel. Return every man to
his house; for this thing is from Me. !"
They hearkened and obeytl and did well
in so doing, for obedience always brings
blessing lisa. i, 19). Mans goings are Of
tho Lord; how can man then understand
his own way. o Lord, know the way Of
man is not in himself; it is not in man
that walketh to direct hfs steps. A mans
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