The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-09-03
BEST THINGS
IN LIFE ARE
REVEALED HERE
King Solomon Stands in
History as Wisest
Man.
The international Uniform sunday
Things in Life" 1 Kings S:4-15.
BY VIM. E. GILROY, ID. ID.

Editor OF The Congregationalist
When a man has the opportunity
of choosing what he desires most In
life his choice reveals his true char
acter and his whole sense of values.
He may choose thoughlessly
something that is worth little, and
as he regrets his choice he may feel
that it has not expressed himself,
that If he had only had more time
TO reflect, his true character would
have been shown in a different
choice.
His regrets and his afterthoughts,
whatever influence they may have
in effecting some change in his
character for the future, do not re-
fleet what the man really was at the
time of his choice. His hastineSs
and his lack of consideration were
the predominant element in him.
A man may choose things that
seem easy and pleasant, material
comforts and satisfactions. and, he
may stand by his choice not re-
GREETING it even when he finds that
life has given him all it has to
offer, with nothing. for the future.
There have been men and women
who have been content to say "a
short life and merry one" and
who have said it to the end even
without apparent regret. But these
have never known the profound sat
isfattion that comes to those who
have made the choice of deep and
lasting things.
SOlomon's Wisdom
Solomon stands in religious his
tory as traditionally the wisest of
men, because of this portrayal of his
course in the making of his choice
for life.
There were a good many things
about Solomon that were not alto
gether in harmony with his reputa-
ton for wisdom. His much-married
condition did not reflect much
credit upon his judgment or good
sense, and the splendor Of his reign,
with all the glory attached to the
building of the temple, has not con-
cealed from the record the fact that
he was in many respects an oppres-
sor of his people.
Almost Immediately after his
death his son experienced the re-
suits of this oppression. and revolt
took place in Israel resulting in a
divided kingdom.
= 1t should not be forgotten that
while Rehoboarn's foolishness was the
immediate cause for this revolt the
real causes dated back to the time
of Solomon, for the occasion of
Rehoboah's foolish announcement
that he was going to rule with an
iron hand was the appeal of the
people to him when he came to the
throne to lessen the burdens which
Solomon had placed upon them.
Nevertheless, despite these sins
and shortcomings of Solomon, the
narrative of our lesson is i'm
portant as revealing the ultimate
wisdom of man who in his greatest
moment made supreme choice.
supreme tuOiCC
His great prayer was for an I'M
derstanding heart, for the power to
discern between good and evil, that
he might be in all things an able
and righteous judge and ruler over
Israel. If Solomon in every mo-
ment of his life had lived in the
spirit of that prayer he might have
been, in fact, and not merely in
tradition, the worlds wisest man.
A clew to something of his failure
is found in verse fifteen Of our les
son. "And solomon awoke, and, be-
hold, it was a dream" Unfortu-
nately it is much easier to have
dreams than to translate dreams
into realities.
Solomon fastened to Jerusalem
to offer up burnt offerings and
peace offerings and to make a. feast
to all his servants. If IN every mo-
ment of his life he had offered to
God a lowly and contrite heart,
some of the things that mar the
otherwise bright and glorious rec
ord of great king and builder
might have been obviated.
To Every Man
Does there not to every man come
the opportunity of choice that con-
fronted Solomon 1t may not come
in a dream; it may not come in
some specific moment when some
power stands before us to offer us
whatever we choose; yet in very
deep sense even humble and lowly
men have the capacity of choosing
what they most of all desire in life.
A man may have outward long
ings and ambitions that will never
be fulfilled, he may be conscious
of capacities that his environment
and his obligations in life may never
allow him to develop, and yet I'M
der these very circumstances how
many men have become masters OF
their character and destiny?
They have not allowed life's limi-
tations and disappointmentS to de-
stroy or mar their character. They
have been essentially rulers over
their own souls, and "he that con-
quereth his own soul is greater than.
he that taketh seat" This is the
way the truth, of triumph. and OF
wisdom.
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