The Morris County chronicle., 1908-12-08
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COM.
MENTS FOR DECEMBER is.

sAENAS rOAs DA11Sn4NAbNR 10.
Subjects: Solomon Dedicates the Tens
I pie, 4 Kings Golden Text, Ps.
22:1-Comnit Verses 10, IL
Read 1 Kings Chs. 5-s.
TDfE.-1OO4 B. O.. PLACE. Je-
rusalem.
EXROSITION.--I. The Gathering
at Jerusalem to Dedicate the Temple. i
| 4, 2, Great national gatherings for
religious purposes were one Of the
marked features of the life of Gods
chosen people Israeli Not only had
| they their three regular yearly feasts
(Ex. 23:14-17) but there were special
| gatherings for special occasions like
this (cf. Josh. 1872; 24:1; / Chron.
| 2S:1). Sometimes, as in the case be-
fore us, the regular and the special
were combined (cf. Ezra 3:s1-6). 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.
/ 7:8-101. There we're in all fourteen
days of confession Of sin (for the
Day of Atonement occurred on the
tenth day of this month, Lev. 23:27.
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 them 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 1.-The ark of the COW
enant" with due honor. All the sen
Rtors of the nation were there, but
none of them presumed to touch the
ark that stood for Gods presencel in
their midst. God had appointed that
only "the sons Of Kohath" should
bear the ark (Nu. 4, 15 b. On this
occasion the most important of the
sons of Kohath, the descendants Of
Aaron, the priests themselves, bore
the ark (cf. Josh. 3:6, IA, 15; 6.6;
De. 31:9; 1 Chron. 15: 2, 11-15).
Not only the ark, but the. entire.
tabernacle. which up to this time had
been at Gibeon, was brought up. Sac
rifices and offerings expressing con-
,tession 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 sheltering
wings of the Cherubim (cf ch 6:27;
Ex. 25:20-23). At the time the rec
ord contained in this book was writ
ten everything still remained just as
1t was arranged the day of dedication
(v. 81. The ark contained the two
tables of stone which Moses had
hewed out at Horeb, and on which
Jehovah Himself had written 'ithe-
len words" Cor commandments (De.
l0:1-5, R. VI. These ten words
were Gods covenant with Israel (Ex.
S4:27, 28, R. W. Hence the ark
chat contained them was called ''the-
ark of the covenant" With the law
Of God perfectly kept within, and it's
olood-sprinkled mercy seat above,
where God met His people eek.
25:20-22), it was remarkable type
of Christ These ten words were also
called ''the testimony because they
were Gods witness to the truth and
to His will. There was absolutely&
nothing else in the ark but these twoA
tables of stone. Besides the ark, in
the tabernacle, were the pot Of
mama (Ex. 1888, 34) and Aaron's
rod that budded (Nu. 1910, III. 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 .'in, has wider meaning and
use than our word "in.") Only the
law which Jehovah Himself had
written was actually inside the ark.
The complete Mosaic law (not 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 { 1 X. 22:1-20).
III. The House of Jehovah Filled
With the Glory of Jehovah, 10, III,
62, 6S. When everything was COM
plete, and the temple was left emp
tied of all else for God Himself, He
game down and filled it with His
own ineffable glory. When every
thing is in place, and we have pre-
sented ourselves to God to be His
temple, and have taken off our hands,
He will come and fill us too with His
glory. The cloud that sfilled the
house of the Lord, was the Shekinah
glory of His own awful presence lie.
1872; Elk. 1921; 1924; 1910;
G4s16-1Ss Chron. 5:13, 14) When
the conditions are met to-day, God
Just as really and manifestly, and far
more blessedly, fills His house with
His glory In similar way Jehovah
had filled the tabernacle with His
glory when that was set up. and ev-
erything finished according to His
word eek. 40:34 35y. And He again
filed the temple when Solomon had
finished his prayer G. Chron. 7:1-3).
We have far more abiding privilege
than Israel; for it is ours to constant
ly behold the glory of God in the
person of Jesus Christ q Cor. 3i1S;
4:6; Jno. 1:14).
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T,I,o Docx.rk - o..r. 1900