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life.—Peloubet. Again, the case as presented here is good both for proof and for illustration of the principle that when men “covet earnestly” and supremely the best gifts, God loves not only to give these best things thus preferably and supremely soHght, but to throw in the lesser things as unasked gratuities—in business phrase, “into the bargain.” Moreover, this case suggests the general law as propounded by Jesus in His great sermon: “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things,” food, raiment, these lower blessings, “shall be added unto you.” They shall be thrown in, almost without your asking. • Give your full heart and chief endeavor to seeking the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and God will see to the filling of your cup with earthly good as may be best for you in His sight.—Butler. V. 6 Since the first man Adam, the world hath not yielded either so great an example of wisdom or so fearful an example of apostasy as Solomon. What human knowl edge Adam had, in the perfection of nature by creation, Solomon had by infusion; both fully, both from one foun tain.-—Butler. V. 7 This is the same divinity who is called below (vs. 7) Molech, and in Zeph. 1:5 Malcham. Molech was a fire god, and was worshipped with human sacrifices. There are numerous allusions in the Old Testament to the worship of this god, the phrase most common being “to make their children to pass through the fire to Molech.”—Butler. What had become of Solomon’s wisdom? The answer is, that the wisdom he had was of the earthly rather than the heavenly kind. It was sufficient to keep the city but not to keep his heart. It helped him rule the kingdom but not his own spirit. Was Solomon really regenerated, who can tell? (Compare Prov. 31:1-3 and Eccles. 4:13).—Gray. Truly the life of Solomon presents “lights and shadows.” How wonderfully promising was the beginning of his reign; how unspeakably sad and disappointing the end! . In answer to his prayer (2 Chron. 1:7-10), God said to him: “Wisdom and knowledge is grant- DEV0TIONAL ed unto thee; and I will give thee COMMENT riches, and wealth, and honour, such John A. Hubbard as none of the kings have had that have been before thee, neither shall there any after thee have the like" (2 Chron. 1:12). “And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly in the sight of all Israel, and bestowed upon him such royal majesty, as had not been on any king before him in Israel” (1 Chron. 29:25). “And Solomon the son of David was strengthened ins his kingdom, and the Lord his God .was with him, and magnified him exceedingly” (2 Chron. 1:1). So much for the “lights.” Look now at the “shadows.” “And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had ap peared unto him twice. And had commanded him concern ing this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded. Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the king dom from thee, and will give it"to thy servant” (1 Kings 11:9-11). Thus it went ill with the man who “went not fully after the Lord” (1 Kings 11:6), whose affections were divided, whose heart was turned away, who compromised with evil. (1 Kings 11:3-6). At what point did Solomon’s failure begin? Some will be surprised to know that it was away back in the early part of his reign, when he “made affinity with Pharaoh King of Egypt, and took Pharaoh’s daughter, and brought her into the city of David” (1 Ks. 3:1). This was the begin ning of his disobedience to the known will of God in the matter of heathen wives (1 Ks. 11:2), and in the end “Solo mon loved many strange (foreign) women, together with
stand in the gap before me ***** but I found none/’ (Ezek. 22:30) Failure in Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David and Solomon, failure everywhere and always until we come to the Gospel. “Behold a greater than Solomon is here.” Man is infinite, fallible and faithless. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Solomon, as a king, is rather a character to be held up as a solemn warning rather than one to be admired. What he did for the Lord was small compared to what he did for himself. It took him seven years to complete the temple after his father had gathered the materials, but he was fifteen years in building his own house. With their usual fidelity, the Scriptures expose his real character and his peculiar sins are those against which the teachings of Christ and the genius of Christianity are most radically and di rectly opposed. He began his career as a simple, unpre tending child and the darling of Jehovah (2 Sam. 12:25). He ended it as a despot, a polygamist, a cynie and an idol ater. V. 7 Solomon, a young man probably not over 20 years old, was established as king over the kingdom which his father had made great, extending from the Euphrates to the desert border of Egypt, according to the promise (Gen. friendly. It was organized and developed in many ways, in statesmanship, commerce, and all material and temporal ways, vastly beyond the condition in which it was left by Saul. God is the Great Giver. He loves to give, good measure, pressed down and running over, all that we can receive. (Matt. 7:11). “Ask what I shall give thee,” is the message God sends to every human soul. To the feeb lest and lowest of us all God flings open the treasuries of heaven. What do you desire most of all? What is your goal, your ideal, your hope, your supreme good? If that desire is best for you, God will grant it, but you must pay the price, you must fulfill the conditions, you must obey the laws of your being. But God will always do his part..— Peloubet. V. 9 Choosing is a test of character... It is not what we get, but what we choose; not money or poverty, but the love of money; not success in gaining pleasure, but what we seek first, that’tests us as to what we really are. What we have and what we do often depend on many things outside of ourselves. What we choose is the work of our own hearts and wills. We cannot help but choose. “People think that it is possible for them to postpone making a choice. But it is not. Today everyone in this school will again choose between godliness and the service of the world; for if you do not choose the one, by the very refusal to choose that, you may choose the other.”—Schauffler. V. 10 It is significant that Solomon’s request for wisdom applies wholly to 1 his kingly work and has no reference to personal holiness. The extent of power is the measure of responsibility. Solomon felt his responsibility, but did not seek the personal purity necessary to the conserving of that power. Hence, his record is one of the saddest in the Bible. Life is a series of choices. It is better to be Moses, herding sheep in the desert, than Pharaoh on the throne. It is better to be Abraham camping in the rugged moun tains, than Lot dwelling in the fertile, and well-watered plain. It is better to be Daniel, sleeping on the lion’s manes, than Nebuchadnezzar pacing restlessly up and down his palace hall. Wisdom teaches one to think as God would think in his place. No. person can ever become truly wise, who does not begin with, God, the fountain of knowledge; and the one whose mind is influenced by the fear and love of God will learn more in a month than others will in a year.-r-Prac. Com. V. 13 Note that the religious, unselfish life is the es sential condition on which the best earthly gifts can safely be bestowed. The spiritual city of God must come before it is possible or safe to have the outward glories and riches and pleasures which are the fruit of the perfect spiritual COMMENTS FROM THE COMMENTARIES V: V. Morgan 15:18; Ex. 23:31). David left his kingdom one united realm bound to gether somewhat loosely in parts, but still one and at peace. The Phoenic ians alone were independent, but
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