SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Oct 29, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 43.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) What houses did Solomon build, and how long was he in building them? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) What occurred when these houses were finished? Verse 2. (3) What did the Lord say he had heard? Verse 3. Note 2. (4) What did the Lord say he had done for the temple? Same verse. Note 3. (5) How did the Lord desire Solomon to walk? Verse 4. (6) If he would walk as God wished him to, what blessings would follow? Verse 5. Note 4. (7) What would a turning from the Lord lead the people to do? Verse 6. (8) What judgments did the Lord say would follow such a course? Verse 7. (9) How would the temple be regarded? What question would be asked? Verse 8. (10) What answer would be given? Verse 9. Note 5.

NOTES.

1. Building.—The houses referred to were the temple,—the “house of the Lord,”—and the king’s own palace,—the “king’s house.” Seven and one-half years were occupied in building the temple, and thirteen years in building his own house, which was erected near the former. 1 Kings 6: 37, 38; 8: 1; 2 Chron. 8: 1. Thus this lesson finds Solomon in the twenty-fifth year of his reign, at the height of his glory.

2. I have heard, etc.—Thirteen years had passed since Solomon made his prayer at the dedication of the temple, but the Lord speaks of it as tho it were recently come before him. This visitation was for a special purpose. Having all the heart desired, there was great danger that Solomon might fall from his integrity and misuse the power entrusted to him as king. So his frame of mind of years before is presented to him again, together with all the Lord had been pleased to do concerning the temple. This illustrates the constant care of the Lord for his children, and that, when needed, admonition, warning, reproof or instruction are faithfully given.

3. Forever.—By the positive promises that he would put his name in the temple forever, and that his heart would be there perpetually, the Lord shows his intention to fulfil his part of the covenant made with Israel. They would remain as long as the temple remained and the people were true to him.

4. There shall not fail thee a man.—The house of David did not fail, but Mary, the mother of Jesus, descended through Nathan, a brother of Solomon. Joseph, his legal father, was a direct descendant of Solomon.

5. Because they forsook the Lord.—Solomon himself went into idolatry, altho he returned to the Lord before his death. The history of subsequent kings and of the nation is well known. They did what the Lord warned them not to do, the temple was destroyed, and captivity followed. Nevertheless, for his name’s sake, the Lord brought them back again, as Solomon had made request in his prayer. But all that had been mentioned concerning the “proverb and a byword among the people” has come upon the Jewish nation. Note that they were told to keep the commandments and statutes of the Lord lest they forget him and turn to other gods. Four hundred years after this the Lord through Ezekiel recounted the acts of his chosen people from Egypt on through the centuries, and the particular sin mentioned again and again is that of Sabbath-breaking. Following immediately on this is the utter forgetting of God and relapse into idolatry. The reason for this last result is that the Sabbath was a sign between them and God. Eze. 20: 12, etc. Sabbath desecration is pointed to at the present day as the cause of the lack of spirituality the world over. This is undoubtedly true, for the Lord makes himself known as the Creator of heaven and earth in the Sabbath commandment only,—the fourth precept of his great ten-word constitution. But it must not be forgotten that a full turning to the Lord brings us to the Sabbath he has blessed and made holy,—the seventh day of the week, and not to any day men may choose for themselves. If men were justified in choosing Sunday, for instance, which God has never blessed nor made holy, then they can not be condemned for trampling upon the Sabbath of the Lord. But God means what he says, and all who knowingly disregard his holy law as did Israel will part with his favor as surely as they did. But a special spiritual blessing—a blessing through Christ—is promised to every one who honors his holy day, the day he has appointed. Isa. 58: 13, 14. Reader, are you coming short in this respect in the observance of that law by which all shall be judged? If so, study most carefully the plain instruction of God’s word. Would you desire richer blessings, try God’s way. God is worshiped in spirit and in truth, but note that the spirit and the truth always go together.