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The Bible Year

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 1, 1916

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 93, No. 27.

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The Bible Year

Assignment for June 4 to 10

June 10: 2 Kings 7 to 9.

The Bible a Popular Book

“It is because it is made for the whole people; it is the book of the common people, and when they know it, they love it. The popularity of it is indicated by its sales and distribution. When, in the providence of God, Johann Gutenberg, at Mayence, invented the movable types, and used them first to print the Bible; and when Baron Karl Hildebrand von Canstein used the first stereotype plates, in 1712, to print the New Testament, so that the poor of Germany might have it, then God gave to his Book the first place among all books. And it has been kept there. There is no book of any kind—the classics or common fiction—which has sales equal to the Bible. Every year there are sold as many Bibles as the combined sales of ten of the most attractive novels.
The British and Foreign Bible Society—the great Bible society of the world—while in its first year issued 5,000 Bibles, and in its centenary year issued 6,000,000 copies. The three great Bible societies of the world sent out 9,000,000 copies in a single year. The estimated output for a century was 316,000,000 copies of the Scriptures. The figures are staggering. Thirty-four millions of copies were issued outside of England and America, showing that the English-speaking people are first in the work.
“It is interesting to note the distribution of Bibles among foreign nations. In a single year China receives 1,874,000; Japan, 187,000; India, 600,000; South America, 188,000; West Indies, 190,000; Africa, 186,000; Central America, 27,000; Mexico, 41,000; Philippines, 91,000; Burma, 16,000; Ceylon, 2,700; Korea, 30,000; Siam and Laos, 40,000; Oceanica, 18,000; Malaysia, 84,000. Our attention is called to the great fact that China purchased a larger number of the Scriptures than was purchased by all the Christian nations of the world in the first year of the last century. This means a new life for an awakening people.”—R. G. Seymour, D. D.

Post-Davidic Psalms

The four psalms in this week’s assignment were “written presumably by Asaph and others during the reign of Asa and Jehoshaphat. Asaph was a Levite, eminent as a musician, appointed by David to preside over the sacred choral services which he organized. He was celebrated in aftertimes as a prophet and poet. The titles of eleven of the psalms bear his name.”

First and Second Kings

“The books of Kings form but one book in the ancient Hebrew manuscripts. They give us the history of the death of David, the reign of Solomon, the divided kingdom, and the captivity.
“The truth of this history stands to-day beyond question. The contact with Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon is confirmed, supplemented, and strikingly illustrated by the cuneiform and other inscriptions. ‘Berosus, Manetho, Menander, and Dius, the heathen historians of these countries, join with the monuments in the support which they furnish to our author’s truthfulness and accuracy.’ . . .
“David, shortly before his death, made a declaration in favor of his son Solomon, who was placed upon the throne. Then began that brilliant reign for which David had made preparation by his wise policy at home, his conquests abroad, and the great store of material and treasure which he had accumulated. Solomon’s rule began and continued for a while in a blaze of glory, but the end was shrouded in clouds and darkness.”—H. T. Sell.

Shalmaneser and Jehu

A PAVEMENT SLAB.—Early in the reign of Omri, king of Israel, the power of Assyria began to increase. The first great king of this period was Assur-nasir-apli; and his son, Shalmaneser II, came to the throne in the closing days of the reign of Jehu. Hazael of Damascus, who obtained the throne of Syria by treachery and murder (2 King 8), is frequently mentioned in the records left by Shalmaneser. On an old pavementslab is preserved the record of an expedition against this Hazael by the Assyrian monarch. According to this account, Shalmaneser defeated Hazael in battle, killed his soldiers, captured his chariots and horses, destroyed his plantations and towns, and shut up the fleeing monarch in the city of Damascus. The inscription ends with the statement,—
“At that time I received the tribute of the Tyrians and Sidonians, and of Jehu the son [successor] of Omri.”
THE BLACK OBELISK.—Another interesting relic of that campaign is preserved in a small black stone obelisk, discovered by Layard in the great mound of Nimrud. The four sides of this obelisk are covered with pictures engraved in the stone, and above them are cuneiform inscriptions explaining their meaning. One of these pictures represents “a figure with marked Jewish features” kneeling before Shalmaneser; behind him are slaves bearing gifts. Over the group is this inscription:—
“The tribute of Jehu the Son of Omri, silver, gold, basins of gold, bowls of gold, cups of gold, buckets of gold, lead, a royal scepter, staves, I received.”