Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-03-18

thee have the like" This promise
God literally fulfilled-as He does
ali His promises, by the =ay. He
gave him wealth, and riches, and
| honor such as none of the kings
! before him had had or those after
| him. Notice that this part of the
promise referred only to these
| things, and not to wisdom and
knowledge. God gave him the wis
dom and knowledge that Solomon
requested. He wanted to know
how to lead this Thy people-and
God gave him unusual wisdom in
doing this. You will recall that it
| was more than seven years after
David became king over Judah be.
fore the ten tribes yielded him
their allegiance and he became
king over all Israel. That line of
cleavage always existed. There
was every now and then cropping
out some evidence of the fact that
the nation though outwardly one
people was really composed of two
distinct elements. (The same con-
dition exists in England between
the English and Irish, in Germany
between the Germans and Prus-
slams, in many other lands, even in
America between the north and the
south) David kept the people uni
ted by conquest. The wars of con-
quest demanded all the strength
the nation could command; it was
too big a job to undertake unless
all hands engaged in the work. But
when Solomon became king. David
had extended his territory so far as
it could be, he had conquered all
his enemies and the land had rest.
There were no external foes, and
all the people had to think about
was their own internal affairs, and
this sort of condition would be cas-.
lily productive of strife and divi-
sion. No wonder Solomon shranl1
as he faced such a task
But God gave him wisdom to
lead this people and keep them
united. Instead Of wars of con-
quest, he set them to task which
kept them united, a task too big
for any one tribe or combination of
tribes. He gave them the one pur-
pose, common to all, of building
the most magnificent temple the
world had ever known. All hands
were required, He conscripted a
large force of workmen, certain
number Of whom could work a few
months, and then another section
Of them would take up the task,
while the former rested. In this
way he kept them busy seven
years. AS soon as that work was
done he put them at the task of
building him a palace which occu-
pied them thirteen years more. He
inspired them with the desire to
build the most magnificent and
splendid kingdom the world knew.
The idea was attractive and COM
polling, and the people forgot their
individual and tribal complaints in
their national aspirations.
In line with this Solomon made al
liances with foreign nations. 1t was
much easier to win an enemys
friendship by marrying his daughter
than by fighting his army; so Solo
mon created a great harem into
which he brought the most beautiful
women he could find, and the prin-
cesses of neighborinS tribes and king
doms whose friendship could be thus
guaranteed. This, rather than SEN
suality. was the reason for his 700
wives and 800 concubines. In line
with this object also was his COM
mercial alliances. The ships of many
nations brought all precious articles
to his land-gold of Ophir, and ivory
tusks and silver and precious stones,
peacocks, and everything that would
make his kingdom splendid. Luxury
and splendour were the hall marks.
Now Solomon was exceedingly wise
in this thing-in ruling this nation.
But he was most unWise in some 9TH
er and greater things. Because God
gave him riches and wealth and
honor such as no king before him
Or after him had, he had unusual
opportunities to try out life, and he
did. If you will read carefully the
result of his experiments in the
books of wisdom. Ecclesiastes and
Proverbs, you will find that though
he tried pleasure, and learning, and
money-malling, and sports, and every
other thing that men do today in
the pursuit Of happiness, he said at
the end of each experiment vanity
of vanities all is vanity" His con-
clusion Of the whole matter was
Fear God, and keep His command
ments; for this is the whole Of man."
Now this was most wise; he said
himself in one of his proverbs, THE
fear of Jehovah is the beginning of
wisdom" And yet-and yet-that is
just what he did not do He went
into the building of the temple with
wonderful spirit. When it was
most remarkable ceremony into
most remarkable ceremony mot
which he undoubtedly entered with
all the devotion and conservation that
any man could manifest Read the
account of it in l Kings s. But he
turned away from wholly following
God in his latter years. He never
forsook him entirely. Jehovah was
always his God; but the trouble was
he divided his affections. First the
wife who was the daughter of the
Pharoah wanted a place to worship
her heather god; then another
heather wife wanted one for hers,
and another and another Then they
couldn't see why Solomon wouldn't
go with them occasionally; and if he
went what harm it would do if he
showed the proper respect while in
their place of worship by entering
into the Ceremony-and gradually
Solomon slipped into the worship of
other gods, although he never gave
up Jehovah.
And for this. the judgment fell.
Every man would like to provide for
the continuance of his house, and
particularly a king for the contin-
uance of his dynasty. But because
of this God told solomon He would
rend the Kingdom from him and
give it to another. For David's sake
He would not do it in his (Solomon s.
lifetime; but in his sons. And for
DaVid's sake also, He would not take
it wholly from him. but leave the
tribe of Judah in the hands Of his
son. You see God had made a cove
nant with David that his son should
sit on the throne forever, and this
covenant was unconditional. No mat.
ter how great their sin was the
covenant still stood. Shining would
bring about Christening but not dis
barment or expulsion. SO now Solo
mons sin brings on Christening but
his son must have throne for