The times and democrat. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1881-current, 1908-12-08
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson M.-Fourth Quarter, For
Dec. 13, 1903.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
.Eest Of tho Leoson, J. Kings viii tn.
: .Mon,ory vorsco, 10, 11-eoIden Text,
Ra.. cxxil. 1--csmm6asary Prepared
by Rov. D. M. .Stearne.


by Row. o. M. Stearne.
[Copyrighs, 1908, By American Pres Associatton.l
five take the Christmas lesson next
week instead of the story Of Solomon's
downfall, this will be our last Old
Testament st,sly for two years to
come, as 1909 will be given to the.
Acts and the Epistles and 1910 to the
gospel by Matthew. May the Lord
therefore give US special blessing In
this meditation. The lesson verses as
signed tell Of the bringing of the ark
of the covenant from the tent which
David had pitched for it to the holy
Of holies In the temple which Solo
mon had just finished, and they
brought the tabernacle and all its fur
nit,ire from Gibeon. not for use, but to
care for it somewhere In the temple
(verse 4). All the temple furniture
was new and grand and on q larger
scale except the ark Of the covenant,
mentioned seven times IN our lesson
verses, and which contained at this
time only the two tables Of stone
which Moses had made and on which
God had written the Ten Command
ments (verse 81, although at one time
1t seems to have contained the golden
not Of mama and Aaron's, rod that
budded Q1eb. X, d. They made no
mistake this time IN having 1t carried
in any other way than that of Gods
appointment (verses 3, ~.
When the priests had come out
from setting the ark in Its place,
then the glory of the Lord filled the
house Of the Lord, and no man could
stand in His presence (verse 1D. 1.-THE
fire came down from heaven and con-
sumed the burnt offering and the sac
rifces, and the glory Of the Lord filed
the house" QI Chron. vii. u. at first
God walked with man in Eden, then
In q tent with Israel, at the time of
our lesson In the temple, later In the
body prepared for Him, even In Christ;
now in the bodies Of all believers, for
we are His temple u Cor. vi, 10, 20;
II Cor. vi. 16). And the time Is COM
Ing when the whole earth shall be filed
with His glory and there shall be
neither adversary nor evil occurrent
(Num. xiv, 81; lisa. xi, 8; Hab.NL IA;
Kings, v, a. Then shall the holy
city, the new jerusalem, have descend
ed from God out Of heaven, of which
the seer said. II saw no temple herein,
for the Lord God Almighty and the
Lamb are the temple Of It; " > the
glory Of God did tighten 1t. and the
Lamb is the light thereof" Rev. xxi,
p. 23). Then shall the temple Of God
be opened in heaven and there shall
be seen in His temple the ark Of Els
testament (Rev. xi, 19).,
Very many are the interesting facts
concerning the temple Of Solomon and
the lessons to beFlearned from 1t. 1t
was built on Mount Moriah. on the
place which David purchased from
Araunah, the Jebusite. the former re-
mindlng US of the death and resurrec,
tion of Isaac and the latter Of salts,
faction by blood and the Lords word
ut ia enough" (Gen. xii; II Sam. xiv
II Chron. lii, ~. The house was built
of stone made ready before 1t was
brought thither. so that there was
neither hammer nor ax nor any tool
Of iron heard in the house while it was
In building u Kings vi, y. The founda'
ton. like that Of the tabernacle, sug
gests atonement, for every board OF
the tabernacle stood on sockets Of sill
yer obtained from the ransom money
Of the people (Ex. XXX. AS we saw
recently in lisa. xviii. 16; Cor.'iii. IL
there Is no possible standing ground
for any sinner but the foundation
which God has provided. even the pre-
cious blood of Christ. When we are
redeemed by that precious blood. then
we are stones for the building, but
! here in the quarry where we were
found we are being made ready for oul
| places In the building, and the great
Master Workman prov. will, 80. r. ".
Is too wise to spend too much or too
little labor on any stone. Let us there
fore trust Him for grace to say under
all circumstances. This is fitting me
for my place in His building"
Within the building all was covered
with gold and cedar. There was nc
stone seen" q Kings vi, 1S). The Lore
alone must be exalted. No flesh shnl
glory in His presence. Note for study
the cherubim and palm trees carved
on walls and doors, the pillars Jachir
and Boaz In the porch Of the temple
the two large olive wood cherubim GOV
cred with gold which in the holy ot
holies overshadowed the ark with IT.
cherubim Of pure gold. the 4SO year:
from the exodus until Solomon begar
to build the temple. the seven years
in which he was building 1t, the thirty
four years until it was first plundered
the $4,000 strangers who helped.
Study the prayer Of dedication. eacl
section of it. and notice Kings viii. 43
GO, "That all the people Of the eartl
may know thy name. may know tha
the Lord is God, to fear Thee as d.
Thy people Israel" Note especial!
verse Sc, There hath not failed on
word of all His good promise whicl
He promised by the hand Of Moses
His servant" Compare Josh. xiii. II
Notice the word Of the Lord to Solo
mon concerning his prayer, II haT'
hallowed this house which thou has
built to put My name there forever
and Mine eyes and Mine heart sha1