The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1903-12-09
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
International Lesson Comments for
December 13.
Subject: The Dedication Of the Temple, Kings
Will, Ill, 81, 63-Golden Text, Pss. Il2,
Memory Verses, ,o.li-commentsry
on the Days Lesson.

on the Days Lesson.
Introduction. building of the tenn
! pie marks one Of the most important eras
IN the history of Israel. 1t introduced a
new force in the making of the nation.
Its influence was religious and political.
The building and furniture were very
gorgeous, but the dedication of it exceed.
ed in glory as much as prayer and praise
! exceed the casting OF metal and the craving
! OF stones. The temple was designed to
| keep up the correspondence between God
and His people. In this chapter we have
an account of the solemnity of their first
meeting there, Those were Israel's golden
days. The bringing in OF the ark was the
crowning work.
Commentary:-I Bringing in the ark
| Tvs, I'D. 10. Then Solomon Assem-.
bled." The dedication was the grandest
ceremony ever performed under the Mo.
sale dispensation, and one Of the brightest
days of Jewish history. Not only were
the "elders of Israel, the heads of the
tribes, and the chief of the fathers" sum-
| moned, but all the men of Israel assem-
bled themselves Il Kings ST.. y. 1t is
] an enormous concourse that is gathered in
and about the holy city. From ''the enter.
ing in of Klamath to the river of Egypt"
| ". .65), every town and hamlet had sent
! up its tale of men. No lsraeite who could
| be present--and in the seventh month the
labors of the field were well.nigh over
would be absent. We must not think of
the heads OF the, tribes alone; it is a ma
| tion that keeps festival to-day. And such
a nation, with such history! And its
glory eliminates to-day in the dedication
| OF its temple. What child OF Israel. then,
but would be there Brought up the
ark" The act of dedication began by
CARRYING the ark OF the covenant in So.
emn procession, with the king at the head
into i.he temple, and putting it into Its
place. the holy of holes. The ark was
the root and kernel of the whole sanctuary.
1t contained the moral law. Jehovah's
covenant, to dwell in the midst of His
chosen people. While everything else was
new, the same ark of the covenant was
kept, and only changed its place. The
| procession is described in VS.. 10 and 9
| Chron. Sab. Accompanied by "the 4GOO
singers and musicians David had organ.
lied, arrayed in white linen and chanting
9th, .0sth and 10th psalms. the Levites
brought the old tabernacle, the brazen al.
tar. the table of shewbread. the candle.
stick, the brazen serpent from Gideon
and the ark from Zion, and put them in the
temple"
60. "The oracle" By this is meant the
holy of holies. Under the wings" The
outspread wings of the cherubim extend.
ed across the whole width of the oracle
(chap. 6:27). and their wings touched one
another IN the middle of the house Be-
meath these wings that touched, the arl,
was set down. Drew out the slaves"
The slaves were used for the purpose of
carrying the ark. After the ark was set
down i'll the most holy place they drew
the slaves so far forward that their ends
could be seen from the sanctuary The
object OF this cannot be determined with
certainty. Others suggest that the draw.
ing out OF the slaves was a sign that now
at last the ark had reached the place of
its rest, and was not to be carried about
any more. Two tables of stone" In
Heb. o;4 it is stated that the ark also
contained the golden pot of mama and
probably been lost while the ark was
with the Philistines
10, II. CLOUD filed the house" Now
took place the most important event in
the dedication-the manifestation of Je-
hoyah in the new temple by the same SYM
Dol by which He had marked the ancient
tabernacle as His earthly dwelling place.
A shining cloud, outdazzling the morning
sun, settled upon the house, $50 that the
priests could not stand to minister by
reason of the cloud; for the glory of the
Lord had filled the house of God" (2Chron.
5;l3, l4) Thus God accepts the temple as
II. Solomon blessing Tvs. 1921, 54.
6l). Both before and after the dedicatory
prayer Solomon blessed the Lord and the
people, He gave God glory, not by wealth,
honor, power or victory to Israel, but for
rest" Not one word OF Gods promises
had failed ". 56). This is distinct ref
erence to Deut. 1873, TO- where we read
that when the Lord should have given
rest to Israel, then place for sacrifice,
now being dedicated. But Solomon saw
the proof that the rest was at last fully
attained The permanent sanctuary was
n pledge OF settlement IN the land of Ca
naan. to which Israel had been brought
from Egyptian bondage. The rest hitherto
enjoyed had been but partial. but now at
last the Philistines had been brought into
subjection.
III. The dedicatory prayer Tvs. 22.53).
In the act of dedication Solomon stood
at the head OF the whole ceremony. He
was the author of everything from begin.
He did not take the place of Jehovah, but
was His servant. He had erected brazen
scaffold, of five cubits (seven and half
feet) long, five oabits broad, and three
cubts high e Chron. 6:l3), and on this he
stood. raised above the people, to bless and
spreading his hands toward heaven to ex.
press "the. fervor of his heart. and the
largeness OF his expectations" The PRAYER
consists OF three. parts: !. Alteration for
the iulhiiment OF past promises (23, PA.
3 Prayer that the temple might be cen.
Niai padtN " WI Sh'pf anu tHdt Nihai NbuAu
especially bless those who prayed toward
It's place" $500. 3. Supplication for
specific blessings upon those who might
suffer famine, pestilcnce, oppression, etc.
Tvs. 3l-53l.
". The sacrifices offered Tvs. G2.65).
81, 63. Offered sacrifice" This was
burnt-ofering, with its accompaniments,
and being the first laid on the altar of the
temple, was, as in the similar case OF the
tabernacle, consumed by miraculous fire
from heaven e Chron. 7;l2). The large
proportion of the sacrifices were peace
offerings and were mostly eaten by the
people The vast numbers OF people pres
ent required n large amount OF food. The
great number of offerings mentioned here
were not offered all in one day, but during
the fourteen days ", 65). Solomon kept
the feast of tabernacles, after the feast OF
the dedication; both together lasting four.
teen days. The brazen altar was not large
enough to receive these sacrifices. so that.
to serve the present occasion, they were
forced to offer many of them in the mid.
die of the court ". 6i).