T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
August, 1933
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all of the precious things o f worship; which had been in the tabernacle, brought into the temple and placed there. Then Solomon, spoke to the people and explained to them that David his father had planned this house o f God. Now it was finished, and it was theirs to use as a house of worship. He told them that God had promised his people peace and plenty as long as they should follow after Him. Our church is the house of God, too. We come to worship God in this place. We come here to pray to God, to sing praises to Him, and to learn more about Him. God is pleased when we worship Him in this way. ' God’s promises, and the trust in those promises which finally brought their ful fillment. However long the time that in tervenes, or however seemingly impossible of fulfillment, the promises are all good and will be kept for the man of faith. Caleb proved himself a man o f faith and received the portion which was promised to him. The point o f the lesson concern ing Caleb is contained in the saying that he “wholly followed the Lord.”': . Lesson 3, Deborah (Judg. 4:4-10, 13-15; 5:1-3). This lesson tells o f Deborah’s courage in the face of apparently impos sible odds. She was convinced that the pur poses o f God are immutable, but that their fulfillment necessarily waits on the faith of God’s people. - She did not wait for others but boldly stepped out to lead Israel out o f bondage. As she did so, she found God working for her and through her, and her venture ended in complete success. Barak’s part fades into insignificance when com pared with Deborah’s: Lesson 4, Isaiah (Isa. 5:8-12, 18-24). This lesson is out of the chronological or der, but its teaching is most, important. It reveals the evils of intemperance as exem plified in the history o f Israel. Whether it be in thought, word, or deed, whether in forgetfulness o f and indifference to God and His claims, or whether in the wrong use o f strong drink, all intemperance is sin. We have to exercise great carq lest in our condemnation of intemperance we our selves become intemperate. Lesson 5, Gideon (Judg. 7 :4-7, 16-21). This lesson tells the story o f how God used weak things to overcome the mighty. It reveals that when a man really recognizes his own utter insufficiency and casts him self upon God, he finds his weakness sup planted by divine strength. The lesson can be taught from two passages in the New Testament: “ God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty . . . that no flesh should glory in his presence” (1 Cor. 1:26-29), and, “When I am weak then am I strong” (2 Cor. 12:10). Lesson 6, Ruth (Ruth 1 :6-10, 14-19). This lesson tells how grace overcomes even the law, and how surrender brings the soul into fellowship with the Lord. Ruth’s sur render shines forth in the lesson. She sur rendered her country, family, religion, and finally her own self. But in return she found the country, family, religion, and the person o f Boaz, who is here a type of our Lord Jesus. As the believer surrenders to the Lord, there is the compensation of receiving for what is yielded to Him all that He is and has. Lesson 7, Hannah (1 Sam. 1 :9-ll, 24-28; 2:1, 2). This lesson reveals that, when the underlying purpose in prayer is to secure the honor and glory o f the Lord,
glad and thankful the people were to God by building a house for the Lord. Lesson Story: But David was a king who had to fight a great many battles. He was a warrior. For this reason, God would not let him build His holy temple, but He promised that when David’s son, Solomon, should be king, that he, Solomon, might build the temple. So Solomon built the temple. It was a beautiful building, made of carved wood and covered with gold. For the people wanted to give the best that they had to God. When the temple Was finished, Solomon gathered together all of the people and had Lesson T ext: 1 Ki. 8:56-61. Golden T ext: “ Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might” (Eph. 6 : 10 ). The Testimony of Archaeology O ne cannot fully understand the ex periences of these Old Testament persons about whom we have been studying, nor can he fully appreciate their characters, unless he knows something of the environment in which they lived. Aside has as yet disproved a single statement of the Bible. On the contrary, most of the dis coveries which have been made have con firmed the Biblical record. Those which have not borne directly upon some incident mentioned in the Bible have supplied a wealth o f information upon the life of the people in those days. Space does, not permit a discussion of any of the particular discoveries which have been made. A general survey o f them all indicates that the people living in Pal estine in the days o f these Old Testament characters were quite highly civilized. They had a system of weights and measures and a definite money system. They carried on considerable commerce with other nations and had developed international trade. The abundance o f “high places,” itnages, and trinkets used in the worship of pagan gods indicates the strength of the false religions in those days. It is a credit to those who remained true to Jehovah, that they were able to stand firm amid such a prevalence of idolatrous worship. Review Lesson 1, Joshua (Josh. 1:1-9; 23:1,2, 14). This lesson tells the story of Joshua’s commission to service and his testimony to the faithfulness of God during that service. To meditate upon and obey the Word of God would enable him to “be strong and of a good courage.” Strength to fulfill the plan of God and courage while fulfilling it would come by obedience to the revealed will of God. Joshua became one o f the great leaders o f Israel because he persisted in believing the promises and obeying the precepts of the Lord. Lesson 2, Caleb (Josh. 14:6-14). This lesson tells o f Caleb’s remembrance of from the Bible itself, nothing has been so helpful in supplying information ab ou t those times, as the spade of the archae ologist. Indeed, the tw o g o hand in hand; one corrobor ates the other. No archaeological f i nd
What Bible Character Does This Picture Represent?
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SEPTEMBER 24, 1933 REV IEW : SOME EARLY LEADERS OF ISRAEL
The scientific, economic, legislative and human itarian viewpoints in the periodical which specializes on this subject. THE UN I ON S I GNAL the organ of the National W.C.T.U. A WEEKLY PUBLICATION Per year..............................................$1.00 6 months (new subscriptions only)...............50 8!ngle copies..............................5 cents each Published at EVANSTON, ILLINOIS
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