Mansfield mirror. (Mansfield, Wright County, Mo.) 1908-1957, 1915-07-29
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LESSON
(By E. o. SELLERS, Acting Director of
sunday School Course. The Moody Bible
Institute Of Chicago.)
LESSON FOR AUGUST !

LESSON TEXT Kings 1O:1- 10, IS.
GOLDEN TExT-Wisdom Is better than
rubies. Prov. Sill.
The visit of this wealthy queen
from the region of southern Arabia
has always appealed to the imagina-
lions Of men. Solomon's kingdom
was at the apex Of its glory. There
were no wars, Israel's borders we're
extended and the temple and those
other wonderful buildings had all been
completed.
The chief value of this lesson is not
in Solomon's wisdom nor in what this
queen saw and heard, but rather 1t is
In what has. is being, and will be done
by Christ, of whom Solomon Is a type
and who seized upon all of this glory
to teach US a great lesson (see Matt.
6:28-34). Caesars famous phrase.
slightly altered, Is in this connection
quite applicable-"I came, I saw. I
(was) conquered"
I. "Hard Questions" w. 1-3. Solo
mon is here a great type of Christ: (a)
His greatness could not be hid Mark
1920. Solomon's fame filled the
known world II Kings, 4:34). The
fame of Solomon's wisdom, philosophy,
proverbs. poems and knowledge of God
". y drew to his court this queen.
and we must recall that 1t was proba-
bly, a 1,500.mile toilsome camelback
Journey for her to come to his court.
(b) She brought a very great store"
". 100 Of gifts, which, according to
oriental custom. she presented to Sol
ONION. Our best gift to our King ID
ourselves e Cor. $3.50. (c) She came
to learn of "the name of the Lord"
who had done so much for Solomon
and his people; to learn wisdom for
the guidance of herself and her peo-
pie. We come to a King who pos
sesses all wisdom Matt. 12.42). Solo
mon had a wonderful missionary op-
portunity. God is today sending heart
hungry people to this land from the
most remote parts of the earth. Are
we using u privilege to point them
to the true God and to Jesus, his sonf
This queen did not believe what she
had heard ". y and resolved to find
out for herself. In this she Is a rebuke
to those more favorably situated who,
though constantly ~beholding the work
of God in human hearts and lives, still
say, II do not believe" The queen
Of Sheba will rise up in judgment
against all who refuse to come and
ooaD (Tob, 100 Ak -. Matt 1O.l0Gi
(d) This visit is a prophecy Of that
day when the kings Of Sheba and
Seba will come with their gifts for
the greater son of David psalm 70: 10.
Is; lisa. 6O:6.9). The wisdom which
our king bestows is eternal life, Ito
know him" prov. 1926; John 17:Sl
n. "Had Seen ALL" w. Al. When
she had listened to Solomon's wisdom
and heard the to her ques-
tions, the solutions to her problems,
and had witnessed the wonders Of his
temple, court and ministers. there
was nc more spirit (breath) In her"
(Cf. Josh. 5:1.) And similar expert.
ence came to those three who went 10
the Mount of Transformation with Je.
sus. Solomon's wisdom Is fulfilled In
Christ (Col. 2:3). The house that he
built" is a type Of that temple he Is
building Of living stones Il Peter ga.
s; Matt. 1919. THE meat of his
table" is excelled by the food on our
kings table, the word Of life (Jer.
1916; Ps. 119:1O3), his own body
John $3.50. Our king, too. has his
servants (Eph. 2:6; Rev. 3:21). Their
appeal" is not to be compared with
the robe Of his righteousness" and
our standing" e Cor. 5:21) is more
exalted than that of any at Solomon's.
or other earthly courts. We are not
servants but friends" yet we are
his ministers" (Rev. $40; I Pet. 2:9).
Various t%ranslations suggest ". 81.
land his burnt offering which he Of.
\ fered in the house of the lord"
III. Praises. w. s-1s. 10. ~ 81
testimony, Wv. 8. 9. Happy are thy
men" who listen to such wisdom, who
dwell In the midst Of such achieve
ments. One Of the greatest joys fs
to with the wise and the
good. Our happiness is in our privf-
lege Of standing before Christ and to
hear his wisdom (Luke 10:39-42; Prov.
1920; 1913. 14); no servant is de-
barred John 1890. The queen glori.
fed the source Of Solomon's glory.
which was all the gift Of Jehovah's
grace (see 2 Sam. 1924, rs R. v.
marg., Matt. 3:17; Isa- 42:1). She did
not see the oppression Of the people,
the temptation to luxury and the de-
cline in religious life which SO soon
led to decay after Solomon's death.
When our king shall reign he will do
judgment and Justice"
Even so Jul king blesses US abund'
antly "above all. we can ask or think
(see John 1928; 17:22). The king
dom of heaven is greater than Solo
mons Matt, 12:42) ta) in wisdom
Il Cor. 1920; (b) In riches (Eph,
3:s); (c) in power tHeb. 1881; (d) In
hloastor, 10 Nhron INK ~ phn