The Yale expositor., 1908-11-20
Solomon
Amounted King
Sunday School Lesson for Nov. u, 1906
Specially Arranged for This Paper

|
| Memory verses. 49, co.
GOLDEN TEXT.-"Know thou the God
Of thy father. and serve him with per-
| feet heart and with a willing mind.
| Chron. 2S:9.
TIME.-Solomon began 10 reign B. c.
1922. or according to the Assyrian rec
ords Il. c. 971. He reigned 40 years.
| PLACE.-The city of Jerusalem. Solo
mon was crowned at Gihon. Identified as
the modern fountain of the virgin.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
Solomons Early Life and Training.
Il. He was the first son of David
and Bathsheba after their legal mar
riage.
2. His name, Solomon. means the
Peaceful, one whose reign was fore
told to be a reign of peace and quiet
ness Il Chron. 22:9). 1t may have
also expressed the fact that David
himself had found the peace OF for
giveness. Nathan called him Jedi
diah: Beloved of Jehovah"
3. His parental inheritance was re-
markedly strong in several directions.
His father, David, was in the maturity
of his age, and his mother, Bathsheba,
|
Ahithophel, whose advice was as il
a man had inquired at the oracle of
God"
4. His early environment had sew
eral advantages over that Of Absalom,
the son of heather mother. Solo
mon was placed under the care and
training of the prophet Nathan,
faithful, pure and wise teacher. He
would be brought up thus in the re-
ligion and learning of the Jews. He
developed a great taste for science
and literature Il Kings 432-34). He
had the advantages of being the child
OF David's later years and of being
under the influence of the subdued
piety which characterized those years.
His mother, too, doubtless Joined with
David in his penitential piety, for she
had great influence over him to the
last
On the other hand. he was born to
the purple" he was brought up in
luxury and wealth. and knew nothing
of the hardships which developed
much of the character of his father.
The influences of the court were often
bad. He came in contact with other
princes and he had to resist all the
temptations of a beautiful and fiat
tered youth.
5. He was probably 10 or 20 years
old when he began TO reign.
There are some very wholesome les
sons from this picture of Solomon.
% Almost every child born into a
Christian family has greater opportu-
mites and blessings than even Solo
mon had. All Solomon's wisdom and
wealth could not bring him so many
advantages and comforts and bless
ings as a poor child may have in this
age. How much God and your
parents expect of you. Many hope
and JOY depends on you for fruition
90 1t is a great advantage in many
ways not to be born and brought up in
the luxury of riches. The other ex-
IRENE of deep poverty is as little to
be desired. But that condition of
neither poverty nor riches, where the
child must learn to work, learn self
denial learn to do lis part in the
family, and sees that only work and
energy can give him real success, is
the best for all.
90 1t is wisdom to put ourselves
under the best and strongest religious
influences. No one can escape temp
tation. Everyone must make a choice
of the influences around him. And
the influences he chooses out of all
those which are around him will large
ly determine his future life Com
pare Burbank's Training of the HUI
man Plant"
V. 80. And all the people said, God
save King Solomon" They accepted
him as their king, with shouts that
rent the earth with the sound there
Of" The attempt of Adonijah was
thus nipped in the bud. The kingdom
was a limited monarchy, perhaps the
first in history In l Chronicles 2S
and 20 there is an account of a great
assembly of the princes, the army Of
ficers, the statesmen, and the Jewish
leaders, called by David, To them
i he told his plans for the temple, pre-
sented Solomon to them as their
king. and entreated both him and the
people 10 keep ali MS commandments
with a perfect heart and a willing
mind, that We may possess this good
land, and leave ii for an inheritance
for your children after you forever"
And David said to Solomon his son:
BE strong and of good courage, and
do it: fear not, nor be dismayed, for
the Lord God, even my God, will De
with thee; he will not fail thee, nor
forsake thee, until thou hast finished
all the work for the service of the
mousse of the Lord" Il Chron. 2S:20)
The leaders accepted Solomon as
king, proved that they were in sym
pathy with his great work by i'm
mense contributions given with great
Joy, and confirmed their allegiance by
religious services, and a great feast OF
thanksgiving.
God has given each OF us a kingdom
to gain.
Three influences brought Solomon
IN the throne IN His inheritance az