The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1908-12-11
Solomon Dedicates
the Temple
Sunday School Lesson for Dec. Is, 1908
Specially Arranged for This Paper

THE TEMPLE.-The temple was be-
gun In the fourth year of Solomons
reign, Il. G. l0l2. and completed seven
years later. b. G. 1904 according to the
Assyrian Canon about 45 years later The
dedication was in Solomons twelfth
year.
CONTEMPORARY HISTORY. - The
kingdom was now at its largest extent,
from the Lebanon mountains to the Red
sea, from the Mediterranean to the Syri-
an desert on the east Tyre fiourishing
under King Hiram. The Sabaean king
dog of Yemen. the queen of which came
TO see Solomon. Commerce extended to
Europe, Africa and India.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
The Temple.-The situation was on
the eastern hill of Jerusalem, called
sometimes Mount Moriah, overlooking
the valley of the Kidron and the
Mount of Olives.
Modern authorities are inclined to
think that the temple platform was
a part Of Mount Zion; and that Zion
was the name of the eastern hill of
Jerusalem, and not of the western
hill, as has been the general opinion.
THE rugged top of Moriah was lev
eled with immense labor; its sides,
which to the east and south were pre-
cipitous, were faced with a wall OF
stone, built up perpendicular from the
bottom OF the valley, so as to apr n
to those who looked down of IL 1t
terrifying height "a work of pro-
digious skill and labor, as the inn
mense stones were strongly mortised
together and wedged into the rock
Milman.
The platform, according to jose
plus, was square, three-quarters OF a
mile in circuit WARS, 5:5, p, in the
time of Herod, but he also says that
Herod doubled the original Enclosure.
Probably, therefore, the platform
constructed by Solomon's engineers
was an area of about IL acres, or a
quadrangle of 800 by 600 feet
James Sine.
Alone and isolated in it's grandeur
stood the Temple Mount. Terrace
upon terrace its courts rose, till high
above the city, within the Enclosure
of marble cloisters, the temple itself
stood out, mass of snowy marble and
against the half encircling green back
ground of Olivet. Nor has there
been in ancient or modern times a
sacred building equal TO the temple,
whether for situation or mhgnihcence."
-Edersheim.
The Size and Plan of the Temple
The best model of the temple l have
ever seen" declares DR.. F. n. Peloubet,
lis the one sent from England to Mr..
Dwight l.. Moody, and placed in his
school at Northfield, Mass. 1t is
said to have cost $4,000. A similar
one belonged to Mr.. Thomas New
berry, Alexander Villa, Weston-Super-
Mare, England"
Counting a cubit as is inches, the
main building was as follows: Porch,
80 feet broad, Is feet deep, $50 feet
high; holy place, 60 feet long, 80 feet
wide, 80 feet high; holy Of HOLES, 80
feet long, 80 feet wide, 80 feet high;
chambers, 10 feet wide on the two
sides and rear.
In front of the porch were two
great pillars.
The whole was situated according
to the points of the compass. the
front entrance being toward the east.
The Courts.-There were two courts
e Chron. $3.50. The outer court was
surrounded by a wall partly of stone,
partly of cedar; on the eastern Dor
der was a cloister or colonnade. This
court was adorned with trees, and
free to all the people. Within this
quadrangle was a smaller court, the
court of the priests, on the highest
ridge of the hill, inclosing the temple,
and the great brazen altar, and brazen
sea, and the LAYERS.
In the inner court were the great
brazen altar Of sacrifice, Is feet high
and 80 feet square, in sight of all the
worshipers of the outer court, and the
molten or brazen sea supported by IL
huge oxen, each ia feet high.
V.10. THE cloud filed the house of
the Lord" The article before cloud
denotes that II was the well-known
cloud which betokened the divine
presence. THE cloud was the veil
that hid ". I'D "the glory Of the
Lord" for that glory was too bright to
be seen by mortal eyes. This was the
same as the pillar of cloud and Of fire
that guided the people through the
wilderness, which had rested on the tab
ernacle on the day 1t was dedicated
lex. 4O:34), land had apparently been
specially displayed at certain juno
lures in the history Of Israel Mum.
1875, 10; 16:42; Deut 31:10. 1t was
thus the acknowledged symbol of Gods
presence, and as such was a visible
sign that he now accepted the temple.
as he had formerly accepted the tab
ernacle, as his shrine and dwelling
place"
The Dedication Services.
1. Sentences (Vs. IL, 10; Chron.
6:1, %.
2. King blesses congregation ". IA;
Chron. $50, all standing.
8. Address. (Vs. 1921; 2 Chron. 6:
AID, standing.
4. Dedicatory prayer (vs. 1858; 2
Chron. 6:14-4O), kneeling (v. 81;