576
September 1924
T H E
K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
Solomon’s prayer was Scriptural; it gave the glory to God “ none like Him.” He pleaded God’s promises, and for the verification of those promises; pleaded for God’s forgiveness when Israel repented of their sins; confessed that God only knew the hearts of men; pleaded for God’s acceptance of the prayer of all men who lifted up their hands in supplication (2 Chron. 6:17-19). When Solomon had ended his prayer, God’s acceptance was manifested by fire from heaven (2 Chron. 7:1-3) and Solomon blessed the people (vs. 54-61). This was followed by sacrifice and rejoicing (vs. 62-66). A hundred and twenty thousand sheep and twenty-two thousand oxen were offered, and on the eighth day Solomon sent the people home to tell the wonders of the story, to which we are devoting a few minutes study. Topics for Study (1) The temple a type of Christ: the outer court, the holy place, the holy of holies,— also a type of the redeemed man, -body, soul and spirit. (2) Was the building of the temple without sound, a type of the growth and development of Christian character? (1 Pet. 2 :4 ,5 ; Eph. 2 :2 1 ). (3) What does David mean by 1 Chron. 28:19? (4) What influence should v. 60 have upon us for service ? (5) What advantage have believers over Israel access to God? in (6) Where is God’s temple now? (7) Is the dedication of the temple and the cloud of glory in any way typical of the descent of Holy Spirit in Acts 2? the (8) How should believers be influenced by the state ment of 2 Cor. 6:16? (9) Does God seek worshippers? GO) Has God any priests now, and who are they? Pet. 2 :9 ). (1 Solomon’s great work, and that for which his reign is most noteworthy, was the building of the temple with which his name is connected, David had made magnificent preparations for this building, and Solomon entered heart ily upon the undertaking.tj-Pract. Com. COMMENTS Solomon’s Temple, The erection of a FROM THE permanent house of the Lord, instead COMMENTARIES of the movable tabernacle was proposed V. V. Morgan by David, and the necessary materials were largely amassed by him (2 Sam. 7; 1 Kgs. 5 :3-5; 8 :1 7 ; 1 Chron. 2 2 :2 8 :1 1 ; 2 9 :9 ). He gathered 100,000 talents of gold and 1,000,000 talents of silver for the prospective structure and its furnishings (1 Chron. 2 2 :1 4 ), and added from his own private fortune 3000 talents of gold and 7000 talents of silver, and the princes contributed 5000 talents of gold, 10,000 darics of gold, and 10,000 talents of silver (2 9 :4 -7 ), making a total of 108,000 talents of gold, 10,000 darics of gold, and 1,017,000 talents of silver. This sum is equivalent to nearly 4900 million dollars or, if it may be legitimately reckoned by the lighter system of weights, nearly 2450 mil lion dollars. This store of precious metals was placed at the disposal of Solomon for the use of the temple, but it was not all expended (1 Kgs. 7 :51 ; 2 Chron. 5 :1 ). Sol omon began the work in the fourth year of his reign and it was completed in seven years and six months (1 Kgs. 6:1, 38). Its general plan*was that of the tabernacle, but the dimensions were double and the ornamentation was richer.— Davis Diet.
Alone and isolated in its grandeur stood the Temple Mount. Terrace upon terrace its courts rose, till high above the city, within the enclosure of marble cloisters, the temple itself stood out, a mass of snowy marble and of gold, glittering in the sunlight against the half-encircling green background of Olivet. . . Nor has there been in ancient or modern times a sacred building equal to the temple, whether for situation or magnificence.— Edersheim. 5:9 Compare chapter 9:20, also 2 Chron. 2:17, 18 and 8:7-9 from which we gather who were the laborers Solomon laid tribute upon for this work. The stones in verses 17 and 18 are still seen in the lower foundations of the site of the ancient temple.-—Gray. 5:17. These great beveled or grooved stones, measur ing some twenty, others thirty feet in length, and from five to six feet in breadth, are still seen in the substructures about the ancient site of the temple; and, in the judgment of the most competent observers, were those originally employed to lay the foundation of the house.”— J. F. & B. 6:2 The dimensions are given in cubits, which are to be reckoned according to the early standard (2 Chron. 3 :3 ) or holy cubit (Ezek. 4 0 :5 ; 43:13) a handbreadth longer than the common or later one. It is probable that the internal elevation only is here stated.— J. F. & B. 6:7 A subterranean quarry has been very recently dis covered near Jerusalem, where the temple stones are sup posed to have been hewn. There is unequivocal evidence to be found in this quarry that the stones were dressed there, for there are blocks exactly similar in size, as well as in the nature of the stone, to the ancient remains. Thence, probably, they would be moved on rollers down the Tyropean valley to the very side of the temple.— Tent and Khan. 7:1 Solomon was building his own house thirteen years. Because no previous building preparations had been made for the palace as for the temple, and there was less urgency about the king’s house than that God’s Holy Place should be prepared wherein He and His people might meet; Solo mon was more zealous in his work for Jehovah than for Himself.— Horn. Com. 8:3 Though Solomon was well aware “ the heaven and heaven of heavens” could not contain the God of Israel, yet he built the Temple with the declared purpose of pro viding a house for Jehovah to dwell in— a settled place for His abode. He could, therefore, have entertained no such thought as that by dwelling in the Temple God ceased to be omnipresent; but the Temple was specifically the place where Jehovah recorded His name, and therefore the vis ible sign and pledge of His covenant with Israel.— Horn. Com. 8:22. For the place where the king stood and knelt see 2 Chron. 6:13. How strange that the king should have thus ministered and not the high priest? But it was law ful for him to minister about holy things though he might not minister in them.— Gray. 8:59, 60 Jehovah blessed Israel with a marvelous history, with deliverance, successes, and affluence which reached their climax of grandeur and power in the age of Solomon, but He did it all for His name’s sake; and to fit the nations for its great mission in making known His salvation to all people. Every temporal blessing has its moral significance, and increases the responsibility of the recipient. Wealth, intellectual genius, spiritual influence, that is not used for God will only intensify the sorrows and sufferings of the unfaithful possessor.— Horn. Com.
ELEMENTARY Mrs. S. W . Barrett
Scripture: II Chronicles Ch. 2-6. Memory verses: I Corinthians 3:9, 11, 16.
Have you seen a school or church being built? Carpen ters and stone workers do their own kind of work, but how do they.know what they are to build? They have to go by
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