579
September 1924
T H E
K I N G ’ S
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10:14 Solomon’s income was enormous, estimated at from ten to twenty million dollars annually. He had navies on many seas, carrying on commerce with points as remote probably as the east coast of Africa and the southern part of India. The nation arose to a high point of prosperity. Solomon departed from the Lord in the latter part of his reign.— Tract. Coxa. 11:1-8 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? (Cf. Prov. 31:1-3 and Eccles. 4 :1 3 ).— Gray. Mental power is no safeguard against the grossest sins. It is a lovely sight to see wisdom combined with humility, a giant intellect in union with a childlike simplicity of character. No one single mind possesses all the truth on any subject. Intellectual greatness propounds to itself the sublimest tasks. The colossal intellectualism of Solomon did not protect the purity and genuineness of the religion of his youth. The degradation of Nebuchadnezzar was all the more conspicuous because of the loftiness of his vaunt- ings.— Horn. Com. Solomon did not openly or wholly apostatise. He con tinued his attendance on the worship of Jehovah, and punctually made his offerings three - times a year in the temple. But his heart was not perfect with God. Heathen temples were built on the southern heights of Olivet in the very sight of the Holy Temple; and from the abominable rites that were practised there, a name of infamy was given to the whole mountain. It was called— and still bears the name of-— the Mount of Offense. This flagrant idolatry roused the displeasure of Jehovah and the conse quent disruption of the kingdom was plainly foretold, (vs. 9-13).;—Horn. Com. For the sinful human heart, a constant outward prosper ity is allied to spiritual dangers (Matt. 16 :26 ). Thus it is that trial and sorrow are often blessings for time and eternity (Heb. 12:6-12). If a Solomon can fall, a Solomon brought up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and walking in the ways of God, in old age, a Solomon the wisest man of his time, how necessary is it for us all to watch! In the great prosperity and delight of this life, Solomon forgot prayer, which he had so well practised in earlier years (chaps. 3, 8).-—Lange. 11:9 It is the fashion with many to expatiate on the Divine benevolence while they ignore the Divine anger. But the fact of that anger is one of the plainest and most awful revelations of the Bible (Isa. 13:13; Jno. 3:3.6; Rom. 1 :1 8 ). The punishments that fell upon Solomon show us— 1. The holiness and righteousness of God. (Psa. 145:17; Jer. 17:10; Luke 12 :4 7 ). 2. His faithfulness and mercy (vs. 12, 13). He knows how to punish so that His gracious promises remain firm (2 Tim. 2 :1 3 ; Rom. 3 :3 ). God makes known to us His judgments through His Word so that we may have time to repent and to turn unto Him (Ezek. 3 3 :2 ). If judgment fell specially on Solomon, notwith standing the fact that the Lord appeared unto him twice in a dream and he was honored with distinguished grace, what judgment must we expect, to whom He has appeared tend erly in Christ Jesus (1 Cor. 1 :30 ; Heb. 2 :3 ; 10 :2 9 ).—- Horn. Com. A mighty shadow clouds his latter days; and there, in Holy Writ, he stands depicted— one part of his life and character in strangest contrast with the other— the grand est and saddest personage of sacred history.— Whedon.
serve God and Ashtoreth? “He went not fully after the Lord his God as did David, his father.’’ David sinned through lust, and was led to murder, but he repented. Sol omon’s heart was weaned from God through the idolatry of his wives. God had warned him (9 :6 , 7 ): “But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them i Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people.” The Sentence, vs. 9-25, “ I will surely rend the kingdom from thee.” The Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, but the judgment was not to come in his day (v. 12) but in the days of Rehohoam, Solomon’s son (v. 31). The lessons here are searching. Solomon was chosen of God. He was human; he must he punished; his son must suffer; Israel must suffer. It does not take many chapters in the Bible to tell great, fundamental truths. Kingly power fails in human hands. That is the history of the world. In every age, under every condition, man has proven a failure. Adam, Noah, the Patriarchs, the Kings, Israel, Popes, Potentates,^—one result always, written in words big with meaning: “Man is a failure.” One Man, only, has proven perfect and He laid down His life in proof of it— -Jesus Christ, God’s Son, God manifest in the flesh, by Whom all things were created, rejected by men, but the promised Ruler of the universe. He must take the scepter, and He will. The moral consequences of sin flow on and on— seed-sow ing, harvest-gathering. Sow to the flesh, reap corruption. Corrupt leaders^corrupt people. A great lesson for our •day. The destiny of the poor old world is determined. It is recorded in God’s Word. Read, reflect, resolve, rally to the Word of God. It cannot be broken. Topics for Study (1) Is Romans 11:22 a suggestive comment on our lesson? (2) Was God’s sentence in 9:6, 7 too severe? Compare Rom. 11:33. (3 ) Are all of God’s promises provisional? (4 ) Was the promise of 9:5 possible of fulfillment? (5 ) Would Solomon’s problems have been solved had he followed his own statement in Prov. 3 :5, 6? ( 6) Is it possible to hear from a convert such words as the queen uttered in 10:7, 8? ( 7) Was the attitude of the queen that which we should look for in an inquirer,— heard, came, proved? (8) Is wealth and power a hindrance to a happy Chris tian life? (9) What would you suggest as a cure for it? (10) Does God ever; change any of His laws, or does He introduce new ones? 9:7-9 These verses are a prophecy finding a sad fulfil ment >n our time because of Israel’s unfaithfulness. Their location in the record at this point leads up to the story of the king’s worldly ambitions which were the beginning of the nation’s decline.— Gray. COMMENTS 10:1 One result of expansion by the FROM THE sea was the visitors it brought as illus- COMMENTARIES trated by the queen of Sheba, whose V. V. Morgan country cannot be identified except in a general way as indicated by our Lord
ELEMENTARY Mrs. 8. W . Barrett Scripture: I Kings 10:1-13; 2 Chron. 9:1-12.
Memory verses: Matt. 5 :16 ; Matt. 10:32; John 8:12. Let us name the Gospels together. The Gospel accord ing to Matthew; the Gospel according to Mark; The Gos pel according to Luke; The Gospel according to John.
(Matt. 12:42; Luke 1 1 :3 1 ).— Gray.
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