The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1915-07-28
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson V.--Third Quarter, For
Aug. 1,1915.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Memory Verses, 8, golden Text,
Prov. viii, 11--commentary Prepared
by Rev. o. M. Stearns.
We saw in a previous lesson that
Solomon's wisdom e1celled all the wis
dom of the east and of Egypt and that
people came from all the earth to
hear his wisdom Il Kings ~. ~. 3O. 81: II
Chron. TX, 23,. His writings lire men
toned in | Kings ", 81. 80. The Song
of Solomon was probably written in
the joy Of his irSt 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. IL. Although
be 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. III. Aft
er the dedication Of the temple the
Lord appeared to Linn the second time
and assured hin that His eyes and His
heart would be ~perpetually upon that
house because His name was there
Il Kings IL. 1-l4). What a precious az
surance for all the redeemed to ap-
propriate.~ for what WAS true Of a
building is surely true of those who
are temples Of the, Hofy Spirit He
and his people were warned. however.
that If they forsook the Lord He would
make them n proyerb and a byword
among all people e. Kings tx. 6. u. So
We are warned that II the salt loses its
SAVIOR 1t Ia. good for nothing but to be
trampled under foot Of a The les
son of today. with the parallel record
in. II Chron. *. shows how 1t might
have been II Solomon had continued
faithful and how It will be when q
greater than Solomon shall sit on Da-
vid's throne and the glory Of the Lord
upon Israel shah draw all nations.
lucy Sudlt SOLue liOib SuSUus OtibSiuS
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 lisa.
Il, 1-3. q II. 18,.
The queen OF Sheba heard of the
! fame Of Solomon concerning the name
of the Lord; therefore some n must
have told. We t:now Of q greater
than Solomon and Of a greater glory
than he ever had, which our Lord and
Saviour wants to share with all. who
are willing to receive Him and follow
Him. but so few think it worth while
to tell these good news that two-thirds
Of the people on tie earth never heard
yet. When the queen heard she came
to see for herself If the report was
true. She came with a great retinue
and with .cameIs. bearing spices and
gold ard precious stones. Such an
abundance Of spices lever came to
Jerusalem before. and she gave to SOL
onion 100 talents OF gold. which. at
$4,000 a talent. would be about 3d.
100000. See verses z and 10. 49,.
According to verse IA. Solomon was
In the habit Of receiving as talents
Of gold yearly. That would be over
$16.OO0.0O0 In gold alone. So We do
not wonder that silver was al stones
and nothing accounted Of VERSES II.
III The queen had many hard ques-
lions to ask Solomon. but be told her
all. There was nothing hid from him
that be could not tell Der. And when
she heard his wisdom and saw bis
buildings and bis 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 bis wisdom and pros
perfty exceeded all that she had heard
and the half had not been told her
verses ~. 1t reminds us Of lisa.
Xiv, 4: l Cor. H. .. 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 1t.
and We are not like the apostles. who
said. We cannot but speak the things
which We have seen and heard (Acts
". 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 IL it was only to see and admire
and wonder and give and receive gifts
oversees sic. 49, then 1t was O. mere
passing affair and great. only to hu-
man sight From verse 10. We might
conclude that she had learned to know
the true God ind can only hope that
1t was even. 8 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 bis pre-
cious things. Christians might be a
bit ~perple1ed sometimes If the Lord
should inquire after visitors had gone,