Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-08-04
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON FOR AUGUST 8
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
BANNER FOR ITS MANY
READERS
ACCORDING TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SERIES
Text of the Lesson, / Kings xii:6-l6
Memory Verse, 16-Golden Text
Prov.xvi, l8-Comment Prepared
by Rev. DIM. Stearns.


kingdom and its cause we still see God
over all controlling and In all working,
| for lie has foreseen everything from
the beginning and provided for every
so called emergency and always tells
the final outcome. This division of the
| kmg,lom has never been healed till
this day, but 1t will be in His time. ac-
cording 10 Eek XXXvii, y, % Il
will make them one nation In the land
upon the mountains OF Israel, and one
king shall be king 10 them all ana
they shall be no more two nations
neither shah they be divided into two
Kingdoms any more AT all The i'm
mediate cause of this division Is found
in chapter Xi. 8, 10, The Lord was
angry with Solomon because his heart
was turned from the Lord God of lsra-
el, which had appeared unto him twice
and had commanded him concerning
this thing that he should not 60 after
other gods" Therefore was the king
dom rent In twain, Departure from
God and disobedience TO Him is back
of all trouble, as rule, and the devil
is back Of that, but the time will come
when on this earth there shall be no
more trouble, and from this earth and
this atmosphere the devil shall have
gone forever REV. Xxx, 10; xxi, IA;
xii, 80. Whether il be providing Il
king for Israel, as we have seen in the
case of Saul, and David, and Solomon,
or dividing the kingdom, as we are
about 10 see, the Lord generally works
by ordinary human instrumenta,ity
In our lesson story today We see
Hadad Recon and Jeroboam and lie
hobOam and Old men and young men
all doing seemingly as they saw fit,
but behind the scenes Is an unseen
hand controlling. The Lord stirred
up an adversary unto Solomon, Hadad,
the Edomite." God stirred him up
another adversary, Recon, the son Of
Eliadah." THUS saith the Lord, the
God of Israel, Behold ! will rend the
kingdom out of the hand of Solomon
and will give ten tribes TO thee" THE
cause was from the Lord, That He
i4lEhA i'ti Abl M Atts9 ties " NIL AhN
Lord spake by Ahijah, the Shilon.te,
unto Jeroboam, the son Of Nebat."
Thus saith the Lord. Ye shall not go
up nor fight against your brethren. the
children Of Israel: return every man 10
his house. for this thing Is from Me"
Il Kings xi, IA, %, 81; xii, II, 24I
Even the devil cannot touch child of
God without Gods permission, as we
see in the case Of Job and of Simon
Peter.
The believer who aims 10 walk with
God in humility and obedience may
live In continual peace and quietness,
assured that all things are Gods best
for him and that no real evil can ever
befall him But If there is disobedi-
ence or willfulness God will In love
and wisdom chasten for our good. Sol
ONION being dead, Rehoboam, his son,
reigned in his stead, all Israel having
made him king at Shechem (xii, /; III
Chron. X, u. When Jeroboam heard
In Egypt that Solomon was dead he
returned and, with q deputation, wait
ed upon Rehoboam with request that
he would tighten the burdens which
his fathers magnificent reign had
caused 10 be placed upon them. He
asked for three days to consider their
request, and meantime he consulted
first with the old men and then with
his young men. The former advised
moderation and that he speak kindly
TO the people, but the latter advised
increased severity. So when the third
day came and Jeroboam and the peo-
pie came again for his reply he spake
to them as the young men had advised,
for the Lord was by their evil counsel
working out His purpose Verse 80, as
He also wrought by the counsel Of
Hushai, which was evil toward Absa-
lom, to overthrow him. "The counsel
of the Lord standeth forever, the
thoughts of his heart to all genera
tions," but all other counsel or device
He bringeth to Dought Ops. xxxiii, 10,
III. whatsoever the Lord pleased
that did He in heaven AMI IL earth, I'm
the seas and all deep places" ops.
cxxxv, O..
However people may associate them
selves against Him or take counsel to-
gether against His people, all shall be
broken to pieces and come to nought.
Qsa. viii, 0, 10). For "the Lord Of
hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as /
have thought, so shall 1t come to pass;
and as / have purposed, so shall 1t
stand" Qsa. xiv, 2D. He maketh the !
wrath Of man TO praise Him, and the |
remainder He restraints. He saith to
the sea, Hitherto shalt thou come, but |
no further; and here shall thy proud |
waves be stayed" ops lxxiv, 10; Job |
xxxvlii, III. If our hearts are whole
toward Him He will hold strongly /
with us and cause others to see and /
know that He is with us; but IL we
are self willed and rely on human wis
dom He will work against us and |
overthrow US though He NAV bear /