577
T H E
K I N G ’ S
B U S I N E S S
September 1924
God’s house was completed. It stood in a large courtyard where were placed the brazen altar for sacrifices, and the huge brass bowl, resting on the backs of twelve brazen oxen,— called the laver for the priests. A stone porch sup ported by two beautifully carved pillars led into the temple which had carved walls and doors all overlaid with fine gold. When everything was finished King Solomon called the people from the north and the south— and the east and the west— to come to the house of God while the Levites carried in the golden Ark. Where had King David kept the Ark? (review). Everyone came and brought an offer ing to God. In the courtyard, arrayed in their spotless robes of white, stood all the singers and musicians with their harps, cymbals, viols, and the priests with trumpets. When the Levites came in with the Ark and the priests sounded the trumpets with a loud blast and there was great rejoicing as they sang, “ Praise the Lord, for He is good; for His merCy endureth forever!” King Solomon knelt before the brazen altar where the sacrifice had been prepared for God and stretching out his hands toward heaven while all the people bowed, the King asked God’s blessing upon the new temple. After King Solomon’s prayer, God sent fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice; showing that his prayer had been heard. Then a radiant cloud of light filled the whole temple with the glory of the Lord. And the people rejoiced for they knew that God, Himself, had come to dwell upon earth with them. After a week of feasting they returned to their homes happy that they had built a house for God. Let us thank God for sending the Lord Jesus to dwell in our hearts and to be the foundation of our lives, which we are building for God. (Repeat memory verse). Golden Text: “Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strang ers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” 1 Pet. 2:11. Outline: (1) Provisional Promise, Ch. 9. (2) Fame and Fortune of Solomon, Ch. 10. (3) Sin and Sentence, Ch. 11. Introduction: In the previous chapter we heard the prayer of Solomon, and saw thei answer in the fire from heaven (2 Chron. 7: 1, 2). Hero we have recorded a second appearance of God to Solomon. The king’s palace and the house of God LESSON had been completed, and now the Lord EXPOSITION came with a gracious and solemn message T. C. Horton to him,— a gracious promise of blessing and a solemn warning against apostasy. . (1) PROVISIONAL PROMISE, Ch. 9. “ If thou wilt walk before me**** but if thou shalt at all turn” vs. 4, 6. The promise is wonderful. God revealed Himself to Sol omon! What condescension! What evidence of His love and holy desire for Israel! How could the Creator bestow such favor upon a creature? But is not that like our Lord? Listen to the words of the Lord Jesus: “He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and shall be loved of my Father; and I will love Him, and will manifest myself to Him.” (John 14:21). SEPTEMBER B l, 1924 LESSON 51 THE APOSTASY OF SOLOMON 1 Kings, Chapters 9-1 1
the plan which the architect draws. They all work to gether, each doing his own hit of building until the great school or beautiful church is completed.
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Do you know that God says, “We are labourers together with God— ye are God’s build ing!” 1 Cor. 3:9. We must build our lives according to God’s plan. Which is built first,—-the roof of the school? Oh no, the foundation! God says there is just one founda tion upon which we can build for Him, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ/ who came from heaven and died and rose again for us. We must begin our
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building for God by taking Jésus Christ, His Son, as our very own Lord and Saviour. Our Bible story today is: How the People Helped to Build God’s House Everyone in Jerusalem was excited and happy! For young King Solomon sent out word that he was going to build a great house for God, according to the plan which God had given King David, and David had given to his son, Solomon. King Solomon said, “And the house which I build is great, for great is our God.” King Hiram, who lived in Tyre, a city in the north, near the snow capped mountains of Lebanon, promised to fur nish the cedar trees for the building. From the stone quarries near Jerusalem, huge granite and marble stones were to be made into the foundation and used for carved pillars. But oh, so many, many people were needed to do this work! King Solomon chose 10,000 men each month to go to the Lebanon mountains and cut down the tall cedar trees. King Hiram’s men helped too, and the woods must have rung with the sound of axes, chopping, chopping, as the men worked, merrily calling to one another, for they were happy to be helping to build God’s house. And as the great trees fell, one after another, perhaps they whis pered through their branches, “Oh, I’m glad to be a part of God’s temple!” After the trees were cut into logs, strohg men carried them down the mountain to the sea; made them into large rafts and floated them down the Mediterranean to Joppa, which was a seaport about 100 miles south, where other strong men carried the logs over the mountains, thirty miles to Jerusalem. Besides the men who were chopping the trees and carrying them over the mountains, there were thousands of men hewing out great pieces of marble and costly stones for the foundation of God’S house; all happy to be building for God. And I think the boys and girls who lived in the Jordan plain were just as happy and excited as the men who worked, for they must have watched the men along the banks of the Jordan moulding in the clay the beautiful golden candlesticks, and bowls, and pans, and great brass lavers to be used in this new temple. Then, too, there were hundreds of men who put the building together; fitting each piece of wood and stone before it was brought into the city, so that God’s commandment would be obeyed,— that no sound of axe, or hammer, or iron tool should be heard. What place do you suppose God chose for His temple? Mt. Moriah, the very place of Farmer Oman’s threshing floor, (review). After seven years of hard, but happy work,
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