Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1903-12-11
THE SABBATH SCHOOL
international Lesson Comments for
December Is.
subiect: The Dedication of the Temple, Kings
viii, Ill, 81, 63-Goden Text, Pisa. LIZ,
Memory Verses, 9.lI-Commentary
on the Days Lesson.

Introduction.-The building of the tenn
pie marks one of the most important eras
in the history of Israel. 1t introduced q
new force in the making OF the nation
It's 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 lsraers golden
days. The bringing in of the ark was the
browning work.
Commentary.-I. Bringing in the ark
Tvs. LID. Is. "Then Solomon assem-
bled." The dedication was the grandest
ceremony ever performed under the Mo
sale dispensation, and one Of the brightest
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 81, p. 1t ls
an enormous concourse that is gathered IN
and about the holy city. From 1.-THE enter.
ing in of Klamath to the river OF Egypt
". 65), every town and hamlet had sent
up its tale of men. No Israelite who could
be present-and in the seventh month the
would be absent We must not think Of
the heads of the tribes alone; it is a ma
ton that keeps festival to-day. And such
a nation, with such a 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 sol
emn procession, with the king at the head,
into The temple, and putting 1t into 1T;
place." the holy of holes. The ark was
the root and kernel of the whole sanctuary,
1t contained the moral law, Jehovah.a
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.. l9 and 2
Chron. Sab. Accompanied by "the 4OO0
singers and musicians David had organ.
lied, arrayed in white linen and chanting
some of those splendid .odes, the 47th,
9th, 9Sth and l07th psalms, the Levites
brought the old tabernacle, the brazen az
tar. the table of shewbread, the candle.
stick, the brazen serpent from Gideon
and the ark from Zion, and put them in the
temple"
Co. "The oracle" By this is meant the
holy of holes. under the wings" The
outspread wings of the cherubim extend
ed across the whole width of the oracle
(chap. CPD, and their wings touched one
another in the middle of the house. Be
meath these wings that touched, the ark
was set down. Drew out the slaves.
The slaves were used for the purpose OF
down in 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 sign that now
at last the ark had reached the place OF
its rest, and was not to be carried about
any more. 1.-TWO tables of stone" In
Heb. GA it is stated that the ark also
contained the golden pot of mamma and
Aaron's rod that budded, but these had
with the Philistines.
10, II. CLOUD filled the house" Now
took place the most important event in
| the dedcation-the manifestation OF Je-
| hovah 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 filed the house Of Cod (2Chron.
5:l3, l4) Thus God accepts the temple as
His own.
II. Solomons blessing Tvs. 1921, 81
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
crest" Not one word of Gods promises
had failed w. 3G) This is a distinct ref.
erence to Deut 1919, 10, where we read
that when the Lord should have given
rest to Israel, then a place for sacrifice,
etc., should be appointed. That place was
the proof that the rest was at last fully
attained The permanent sanctuary was
a pledge of settlement in the land of Ca
naan, to which Israel had been brought
from Egyptian bondage. The rest hitherto
enioyed had been but partial, but now at
last the Philistines had been brought into
| subsection.
III. The dedicatory prayer Tvs. 22-53)
In the act Of dedication Solomon stood
at the head of the wh9'e ceremony; He
was the author of everything from begin
ming to end--speech, prayer and blessing.
He did not take the place of jehovah, but
was His servant He had erected brazen
scaffold, of five cubits (seven and a hall
feet) long FIVE cubits broad, and three
cubits high e. Chron. GLIB, and on this he
stood, raised above the people, TO bless and
instruct them. then kneeled to oder prayer
spreading his hands toward heaven to ey'
press "the fervor of his heart, and the
largeness of his expectations" The prej. ca
consists Of three parts: /. AGoIation toI
he fulhllment Of "asc promises (23, "a
,. Pravei tnat the temple might be cen
tral place of worship, and that God would
especially bless those who prayed toward
this place" $500. 8. Supplication fol
Specific blessings upon those who might
I suffer famine, pestilence, oppression, etc
". The sacrifices offered Tvs. 6266)
90, GO. "Offered sacrifice" This was &
burnt-offering, with its accomplishments
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 q 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 large amount of food. Thu
great number of offerings mentioned here
were not offered all in one day, but during
the fourteen days ". 65). Solomon KEEP
the feast of tabernacles, after the feast o
the dedication; both together lasting four
teen days. The brazen altar was not larg'
enough to receive these sacrifices so that
to serve the present OCCASION, they wer.
| &c O. in tbo mi n