The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1908-12-09
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INTERNATIONAL LESSON con-.
MENTs FOR DECEMBER 10. /

MENTs FOR DECEMBER 10.
Subject: Solomon Dedicates the Tenn
pie, 1 Kings 8-GoIden Text, PSI
122:1-Commit Verses 10, tt
Read 1 Kings Chs. SO.
TIME.-1004 B. c. PLACES
rusalem. .
EXPOSITION.-I. The Gathering
at Jerusalem to Dedicate the Temple,
1, 2. Great national gatherings for
religious purposes were one Of the
marked features of the life of Gods
chosen people Israel. Not only had
they their three regular yearly feasts
lex. ~23:14-17) but there were special
gatherings for special occasions like
this (cf. JOSH 1872; 24:1; I Chron.
2S:1). Sometimes, as in the case be-
fore us, the regular and the special
were combined tcf. Ezra 3:1-6). The
Israelites when walking with God
took plenty of time for due acknowl.
edgment of Gods goodness, and for
the cultivation of their moral and
spiritual life. The dedication of the
temple occupied seven days, and was
Immediately followed by the regular
yearly Feast of Tabernacles e Chron.
7:8-l0), There were in all fourteen
days Of confession Of sin (for the
Day Of Atonement occurred on the
tenth day Of this month, Lev. 1921,
which would be the third day OF the
seven days of the .dedication(, OF
Thanksgiving and worship and prayer.
No wonder that God manifested Him
self to rthem in such a glorious way.
The immediate purpose of this great
national gathering Of all the leading
people of the nation was that they
might bring up "the ark ofsthe COW
enant" with due honor. All the sen-
ators Of the nation were there, but
none of them presumed to touch the
ark that stood for Gods presence in
their midst. God had appointed that
only "the sons of Kohath" should
bear the ark (Nu. A., Is b.. On this
occasion the most important of the
sons of Kohath, the descendants OF
Aaron, the priests themselves, bore
the ark (cf. Josh. 1885, is; 6:6ae
De. 31:9;x1 'Chron. Is: q, 11-15).
Not only the ark, but the entire
tabernacle, which up to this time had
been at Gideon, was brought up. Sac
rihces and offerings expressing con.
fession Of sin, trust in atonement
through blood, conservation and COM
munion with God, were offered in
countless %profusion. By the oracle
Of the house. is meant the most Holy
Place reserved for the ark (ch. 6:19-
22). In this most Holy Place the
ark was placed under the sheItering
wings of the Cherubim (cf. CHI. 36:27;
Elk. 2~5:20-23). At the time the rec
ord contained in this book was writ
en everything still remained just as
was arranged the dayof dedication
p :. 81. The ark contained the two
7,bles of stone which Moses had
:ewed out at Horeb, and on which
Jehovah Himself had written the
ten words Cor commandments) (De.
10:1-5, r. W. These 'ten words"
were Gods covenant with Israel eek.
S4:27, %, R. W. Hence the ark
that contained them vas called the
ark of the covenant" With the law
of God perfectly kept within. and its
blood-sprinkled mercy seat above,
where God met His people (Ex.
25;20-22), 1t was a remarkable type
of Christ. These ten words were also
called 1.-THE testimony" because they
we're Gods witness to the truth and
to His will. There was absolutely
nothing else in the ark but these two
tables of stone. Besides the ark, In
the tabernacle, were the pot OF
mama (Ex. 1888, 34) and .Atron's
rod that budded (Nu. 17:10, I'D. As
these were by divine commandment
so closely associated with the ark Of
testimony, the author Of the Epistle
to the Hebrews regards them as being
in it. (The Greek proposition trans
lated Gin" has a wider meaning and
use than our word "in."O Only the
law which Jehovah Himself had
written was actually inside the ark
The complete Mosaic law mot merely
the ten words) written out in full by
the hand Of Moses, was beside the
ark Of the covenant, in the tabernacle
de. 31:26), and afterwards in the
temple, where it was found when the
temple was being repaired! in the days
of Josiah q, X 2~2:1-20).
III. The House Of Jehovah Filled
With the Glory of Jehovah, 10, II.
81, IS. When everything was COM
plete, and the temple was left emp
tied of all else for God Himself, He
came down and filled 1t with His
own ineffable glory. When every
thing is in place, and we have pre-
scented ourselves to- God to be His
temple, and have taken off our hands,
He will come and fill us too with His
glory. 1.-THE cloud that filled the
house of the Lord" was the Shekinah
glory of His own awful presence Gle.
1872; Elk. 1921; 1924; 1910;
~24:16-1S; 2 Chron. 5:13, 40. When
the conditions are met to-day, God
just as really and manifestly, and far
more blessedly, fills His house with
His glory. In a similar way Jehovah
had filled the tabernacle with His
glory when that was set up, and eY-
erything finished according to His
word eek. 40:34, S5). And He again
filled the temple when Solomon had
finished his prayer e Chron. 7:1-3).
We have a far more abiding privilege
than Israel; for it is ours to constant
ly behold the glory of God in the
person of Jesus Christ e Cor. 1913;
ass; Jno. 1:14).