The Denver star., 1915-07-31
SUNDAY SCHOOL,
Lesson V.-Third Quarter, For
Aug. I, 1915,
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, ! Kings X, ia
Memory Verses, 8, Golden Text
Prov. viii, 11-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. o. m. Stearns.

Prov. viii, 11-Comment1rt prepared
by Rev. o. M. Stearns.
We saw in previous lesson that
Solomon's wisdom excelled all the wis
dom of the east and of Egypt and, that
! people came from all the earth to
hear his wisdom Il Kings Nv, %. 80. "a: IL
Chron tx, 23). His writings are men
toned in l Kings iv, 80, 33. The Song
Of Solomon was probably written in
the joy of his first love to the Lord in
his younger days when he first became
king. Proverbs reads like his more
mature experience. while Ecclesiastes
is the sad retrospect of his great folly
and sin after lie had turned away
from the Lord. for his wives turned
away his heart after other gods. and
his heart was not perfect with the Lord
his God Il Kings xi. 4, g.. Although
he was beloved of his God and among
many nations there was no king like
him, nevertheless even him did strange
women cause to sin (Neh. xiii, 26). Aft
er the dedication Of the temple the
Lord appeared to him the second time
and assured him that His eyes and His
heart would be perpetually upon that
house because His name was there
q Kings tx. 1-14. What precious as
surance for all the redeemed to ap-
propriate. for what was true of
building is surely true Of those who
are temples Of the Holy Spirit. He
and his people were warned. however.
that If they forsook the Lord He would
make them proverb and a byword
among all people q Kings tx. 6. y. So
we are warned that IL the salt loses its
SAVIOR it is good for nothing but to be
trampled under foot Of man. The les
sou of today. with the parallel record
in IL Chron. tx, shows bow 1t might
have been If Solomon Had continued
faithful and how 1t will be when a
greater than Solomon shall sit on Da-
vid's throne and the glory of the Lord
upon Israel shall draw all nations.
They shall come from Sheba. bringing
gold and incense. and shall shew forth
the praises of the Lord, and the wealth
of the nations shall be brought to Is
rael when the Mighty One of jacob
shall be their Lord and Saviour Qsa.
TX. 1-3. 6. IL. 16).
fame of Solomon concerning the name
of the Lord; therefore some one must
have told. We know OF a greater
than Solomon and of a greater glory
than he ever had. which our Lord and
Saviour wants to share with all ..XhO
are willing to receive Him and follow
Him. but so few think it worth while
to tell these good news that two-thirls
Of the people on the earth never heard
yet. When the queen heard she came
to see for herself IL the report was
true. She came with great retiDue
and with camels. bearing spices and
gold and precious stones. Sucn an
abundance of spices never came to
Jerusalem before. and she gave to SOL
omon 12O talents OF gold. which. at
$25.OOO talent, would be about $3.-
100000. See verses 2 and 10.
According to verse IA. Solomon was
in the habit of receiving 666 talents
Of gold yearly. That would be over
$16.OOO,OOO in gold alone. SO we do
not wonder that silver was as stones
and nothing accounted Of (verses u.
27). The queen had many hard ques-
tions to ask Solomon. but he told her
all There was nothing hid from him
that he could not tell her. And when
she heard his wisdom and saw his
buildings and his home and his serv
ants there was no more spirit in her.
and she had to acknowledge that.
while before she came she did not be-
lieve all that she heard. now she had
to confess that his wisdom and pros
perity exceeded all that she had heard
and the half had not been told her
(verses 40. 1t reminds us of lisa.
Xiv. 4; Cor. ii. .. where we read that
the things which God hath prepared
for His redeemed exceed all.
The Spirit has indeed told US some
what. but we are slow to receive It,
and we are not like the apostles. who
said, I'VE cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard (Acts
iv. 2O,. II the queen of Sheba carried
back to Arabia with her a saving
knowledge Of the Lord God of Israel
then her visit was to some purpose.
but If 1t was only to see and admire
and wonder and give and receive gifts
tverses $40. 13l then it was q mere
passing affair and great only to hu-
| man sight From verse 10 we might
conclude that she had learned to know
sthe true God and can only hope that
it was even so. From lisa. xxx we
learn that the visitors from Babylon
did not learn from Hezekiah Of the
true God. the God of Israel, but only
saw HeZekiah's greatness and his pre-
cious things Christians might be a
bit perplexed sometimes II the Lord
should inquire after visitors had gone.
What have they seen and heard in
thine house?" lisa xxx. A.
Solomon's gift to the queen Of ali her
! desire. whatsoever she asked. besides
what he gave her OF his royal ho,1ntv