The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-12-30
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson First Quarter. For
Jan. |, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

memory verses 49, 1q-Golden Text,
Prov. xiii, 20-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. q. M. Stearns.
Our last lesson in regular Old Tesla
ment studies was in December, 1908,
and in connection with the dedication
of the temple, and we asked special
attention to the fact that the desire Of
the Lord was that through Israel and
the temple all the people of the earth
might know the Lord as the only God
and put their trust In Him q Kings viii,
1850. 1t is the eternal purpose of
God that all nations shall yet know
Him through Israel and worship Him
der. iii, ID, and this was foreshad-
owed in the days of Solomon, when not
only the queen of Sheba, but all the
earth, sought to hear the wisdom Of
God through Solomon and brought Him
gifts Il Kings x, /. 10, "a, 25y. There
was another foreshadowing when the
wise men from the East brought their
treasures to Jesus as an infant and
worshiped Him as the King Of the
Jews (Matt. ii, 1, ., ~.
Perhaps the deceitfulness and des-
perate wickedness of the heart were
never more manifest than in Solomon,
of whom 1t is written: ''There was no
king like him who was beloved of his
God. Nevertheless even him
did outlandish women cause TO sin"
(Neh. Kill, 26). His wives turned away
his heart after their gods, and there
fore all the kingdom was taken from
him except the tribes Of Judah and
Benjamin Il Kings xi, 9-13), for Jeru-
salem's sake, the city which He hath
chosen, and for the sake OF David, His
chosen servant.
Canon Fausset thinks that the Song
Of Solomon represents his first love to
Jehovah In youth, Proverbs his ma
tured experience in middle age and
Ecclesiastes the sad retrospect of old
age, the latter giving probable evil
dence Of his repentance. AS to his son
and successor, it may be that Solomon
had him In mind when he wrote, who
knoweth whether the man that shall
be after me shall be a wise man or a
fool? Eccl. II, is, 10; Ps. xxx, 8,
is always true OF those who gather
riches, HE heapeth up riches and
knoweth not who shall gather them"
The way Of man is not I'm himself.
1t is not in man that walketh to direct
his steps Ger. x, 23), but the counsel
of the Lord will stand, and BE viii do
all His pleasure Qsa. xlyi, 10. Al
though all Israel came to Shechem to
make Rehoboam king, the Lord had
purposed otherwise because Of Solo
mons sin. When the ten tribes revolt
ed under Jeroboam because Of Re
hoboan's threats of increased oppres-
sion by the advice Of his young men
and Rehoboam gathered Judah and
Benjamin to fight against Israel and
bring the kingdom back to himself,
the Lord sent His messenger 10 forbid
Judah to fight against Israel and said,
Return every man to his house, for
this thing is from me" oversees 2i-24).
1t is also written in verse Is of our
lesson that the king hearkened not I'M
to the people, for the cause was from
the Lord, that He might perform His
saying which the Lord spake by Ahl-
jah. Had the king listened to the
of the old men who stood be-
fore Solomon, his father, while he yet
lived verses 9, y the kingdom might
have remained united, but IL was not
SO to be.
Rehoboam therefore strengthened
himself in Jerusalem and reigned sew
enteen years in the city which the
Lord had chosen. The priests and
Leyites in all Israel, being cast of by
Jeroboam, resorted to him, as did also
some out of all the tribes Of Israel
who set their hearts to seek the Lord |
God Of Israel and therefore came to
Jerusalem to sacrifice unto the Lord |
God Of their fathers QI Chron. XII, |
1915; xii, 1910. Yet Rehoboam did |
evil and prepared not his heart to seek
The Lord. When we remember that |
hose who reigned at Jerusalem were |
said to sit on the throne OF the Lord |
rs His representative Il Chron. xxx, |
23) it makes their disobedience and |
Misrepresentation OF Him seem all |
the worse
But what shall be said Of Us who are |
redeemed with the precious blood of /
Jesus Christ and who are here to |
Him and make His life |
In these mortal bodies If we,
instead OF being separate and given |
wholly up TO Elm and filed with His
spirit, become conformed to this evil |
age and walk in fellowship with it? |
AS to the Lord working out His pur-
poses in spite OF people, good or bad,
Zee how He defeated the counsel OF /
Ahithophel by the counsel OF Hushai,
he friend of David OH Sam. xvii. ID.
We are on our way to kingdom of
,eace and righteousness on this earth, /
when the Son Of David shall sit on the
hrone Of Ills father of Jerusalem and /
-eign not only as King OF Israel, but /
rs King of kings and Lord of lords
We are offered place with Him in
His throne and to reign with Him
Rev. Ill, 81; V, Q, 1O); but, while our
l0oShpsaOAy pAoFANNA nj AhnhAN@ NVSis
5 free to us and wholly Of grace, our
position In Els kingdom will depend
lpon our faithfulness here.
The twelve apostles are to occupy
.welve thrones with Him when He
hall reign as King OF Israel, but the
privilege of the church, His body, shall
,e much greater, even as His bride.
he true Adam and Eve over ali to-
.n.nAh 4 IL. an.uAa ~ ~ 60 IL 4