From Solomon to Malachi E-Book

J. R. Miller

• Herausgeber: Darolt Books
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020

Seitenzahl: 384

Beschreibung

From Solomon to Malachi is a message of meditation based on the Bible and written by James Russell Miller (20 March 1840 – 2 July 1912) was a popular Christian author, Editorial Superintendent of the Presbyterian Board of Publication, and pastor of several churches in Pennsylvania and Illinois. James Russell Miller was born near Frankfort Springs, Pennsylvania, on the banks of the Big Traverse, which according to his biographer, John T. Faris, is a merry little mill stream which drains one of the most beautiful valleys in the southern part of Beaver County. His parents were James Alexander Miller and Eleanor Creswell who were of Irish/Scottish stock. Miller was the second child of ten, but his older sister died before he was born. James and his sisters attended the district school in Hanover Township, Beaver County, Pennsylvania until, when James was about fourteen, his father moved to a farm near Calcutta, Ohio. The children then went to the district school during the short winters and worked on the farm during summer. In 1857, James entered Beaver Academy and in 1862 he progressed to Westminster College, Pennsylvania, which he graduated in June 1862. Then in the autumn of that year he entered the theological seminary of the United Presbyterian Church at Allegheny, Pennsylvania.

Leseprobe

PREFACE

From Solomon to Malachi

In the limited number of volumes planned for in this Devotional Series, it is not possible to give more than a very few Scripture passages, with the readings upon them. The present volume covers a great scope of history, from the time of Solomonto the close of the Old Testament era. From some of the books not any selections have been made, from others only one or two have been chosen.

Solomon Anointed King

Solomon's Wise Choice

Building the Temple

The Temple Dedicated

God's Blessing upon Solomon

The Fame of Solomon

Solomon's Sin

The Kingdom Divided

Jeroboam's Idolatry

Omri and Ahab

God's Care Of Elijah

Obadiah and Elijah

Elijah on Mount Carmel

Elijah Discouraged and Restored

Naboth's Vineyard

Elijah Taken to Heaven

Elisha Succeeds Elijah

The Widow's Oil Increased

The Shunammite's Son

Naaman the Leper

Elisha at Dothan

Saved from Famine

The Boy Joash Made King

Joash Repairs the Temple

The Death of Elisha

Captivity Of the Ten Tribes

The Assyrian Invasion

Returning from Captivity

Rebuilding The Temple

Dedicating The Temple

Ezra's Journey to Jerusalem

Nehemiah's Prayer

Reading the Law

Haman's Plot Against the Jews

Esther Pleading for Her People

Isaiah's Call to Service

The Suffering Savior

The Gracious Invitation

Daniel's Principles

Nebuchadnezzar's Dream

The Fiery Furnace

Daniel in the Den of Lions

Sin the Cause of Sorrow

Israel Often Reproved

Jonah Sent to Nineveh

Joshua the High Priest

Power Through the Spirit

Lessons in Giving

Solomon Anointed King

1 Kings 1:28-39

The life of David was troubled to its close. The tragic death of Absalom ended his rebellion against the kingbut David found little of that love and restful quiet which make old age ideal in its peace. There were continuous strifes and dissensions in his kingdom. In his own home also there were jealousies and quarrels.

David incurred the divine displeasure by numbering the people, and had his choice of judgments. Three days of pestilence was followed by the king's setting up an altar and offering sacrifices in the threshing floor of Araunah when pestilence ceased. When the king was very old another rebellion was plotted by Adonijah. Bathsheba, aided by Nathan the prophet, aroused David to have Solomon declared king at once, before Adonijah could be crowned. It was a strong appeal which was made to the king. "Is this thing done by my lord the king," demanded Nathan, "and you have not showed unto your servants who should sit on the throne of my lord the king after him?" David replied: "Call Bathsheba." And she came into the king's presence.

The mother was very deeply interested in the future of her son. She was ambitious for him. What true mother is not interested in her boy's career, and ambitious for his success? No mother wants to see her boy make a failure of his life. It is a part of mother-love to wish great things for her children. They need not always be things that are great in this world's estimation. Indeed, the mother who has the truest aspirations for her children, cares far more that they may live worthily and grow into noble character; into "whatever things are true, . . . whatever things are lovely" and fulfill God's purpose for their lifethan that they may win high places in this world.

Yet every mother has lofty yearnings for her children. The mother of James and John craved for her sons places at the right and left hand of Jesus in His kingdom. Bathsheba wished to see her son crowned a king. As we think of these longings in the universal mother-heart, we need not be surprised at Bathsheba's eagerness and earnestness in this matter. She was quick to have Solomon's right to the throne protected. Boys do not know what great things their mothers dream for them, and how they strive and toil to have them win honor and attain lofty and worthy things. It ought to be every boy's aim not to disappoint his motherbut to become what she wishes him to be.

David had sworn to Bathsheba in the pastthat Solomon, her son, should reign as king. He now declares to her that his oath will be sacredly kept. He would not disappoint her. We should learn a lesson here on the sacredness of keeping engagements and promises. Whatever we have solemnly pledged ourselves to dowe should do at any cost to ourselves. One of the marks of the man who shall abide in God's presence, we are told, is, "That he swears to his own hurt, and changes not." Many people's conscience needs toning up in this regard. There is altogether too much carelessness in keeping promises. Too many people find it very easy to "forget" to do what they have solemnly said they would do. Pledges sit very lightly upon their conscience. Vows are thoughtlessly madeand just as thoughtlessly broken. We ought to learn a lesson from David's assurance to Bathsheba. He had made an oath to her, and now he declares to her that he will certainly do what he has sworn to do.

The solemnity of an oath should not be needed, however, to make an engagement sacred and inviolable. One's simple word should be held irrevocably bindingjust as binding as one's most sacred oath. We should be absolutely true. To speak anything but the truth is a degradation of our whole nature. Forgetfulness is no excuse for failing to keep a promise. We have no right to forget things that we promise. If our memory is defectivewe should put down our promises in writing, and keep them so before our mind that it will be impossible for us to forget them. We ought to be so careful in keeping our word even in the very smallest mattersthat people shall learn to trust absolutely every lightest promise we make. One who can be implicitly relied upon, who never fails those who trust in him, is like a fragment of the Rock of Ages.

David's assurance to Bathsheba must have given strong comfort to her. It was a great thing to succeed such a man as David. Indeed, it is a great thing, a high honor, for any boy or young man to be the successor of a good and worthy father. Many young people who study this lesson, have fathers and mothers who have lived nobly, who have brought to them a rich inheritance of blessinga good name, honor, influence, if not money. It is a high honor to a son to be a successful father's successor in business. When a father dies, and the son is called to take up his work, it is as if a crown had been put upon his head. Every son should seek to be a worthy successor to his father.

We may profitably compare Adonijah and Solomon, two sons of the same royal father. Adonijah sought to be his father's successor in place and in powerbut sought it in such a way as to make himself a criminal in the eyes of the world. On the other hand, Solomon was thoughtful, studious, faithful to all duties as a young man, discarding the vices that his brother Adonijah loved, and striving after the true, manly virtues.

So far as we know, Solomon himself made no claim to the throne and made no effort to get it. He was God's choice for David's successor. Whatever we may say about his later life, he certainly began well. He was worthy to take his father's place.

We find these two types of sons in a great many homes. We find those who desire to profit in a father's inheritancebut have no desire to wear the garments of a father's worthy name and character. There are too many prodigal sons who demand their portion of the father's substancebut have no intention of succeeding their father in character, in moral principle, in his place in the Church, and in the doing of good. A young man who would be a worthy successor to a good father, must remember that he has his father's name to bear and to keep unsullied before the world, as well as to share his father's patrimony. The responsibility of being a godly man's successor is very great. We have a sacred trust committed to us which we must guard with sedulous care.

David showed his old-time spirit and energy in the way he carried out his determination regarding Solomon. He called Zadok, Nathan, and Benaiah, and commanded them to make Solomon king. "Take with you the servants of your lord, and cause Solomon my son to ride upon mine own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anoint him there king over Israel."

The old fire in David's heart flamed up into brightness again. Although he had been so feeble, when he now saw his throne about to be seized unlawfully by his prodigal son, all the man in him awokethe old warrior, the brave master of circumstances.

We must admire his promptness, his firmness, his courage, and his unfaltering purpose. He knew it was God's will that Solomon should reign in his place, and he was eager to carry out God's thought for Solomon. No nobler ambition could be in any parent's heart than so to lead his child that the child shall fulfill the plan of God for his life. A great many parents are ambitious for their children, without asking what God would have them to do. David's example is better. He was swift in duty, although so feeble, because he knew what God's will was, and he was determined to carry it out. He was ready to make a sacrifice of himself, giving up the throne in order that Solomon might be crowned at once.

The swiftness of David's course probably saved him and the country from a repetition of the experiences which marked the time of Absalom's rebellion. If he had lingered a little longer, Adonijah would have been declared king, and probably would have had a great following among the people. David might have been driven away from his palace, Solomon might have been killed, and the future of the empire imperiled. But the promptness of David saved the country from this danger and himself from humiliation and sorrow.

Many men lose all the best opportunities of their life for lack of promptness. They dally until it is too late to do anything. Then they wake up and try to do their dutybut the time is gone! They might as well sleep on now and take their rest.

The men whom David had charged with the duty of anointing Solomon lost no timebut carried out the king's commandment instantly. "And Zadok the priest took the horn of oil out of the Tent, and anointed Solomon."

The oil was the symbol of the Holy Spirit. The anointing was a type of the anointing of the Spirit. The meaning of the ceremony was that, as men anointed the young king with oil, so God would anoint him with divine grace, setting him apart as king and gifting him for His service. Something like this is the sacrament of baptism, when water is used. The water has no power to cleanse or change a heartbut it is a symbol of the Divine Spirit. As we baptize with water, we pray that God may baptize with His own grace. When Jesus was being baptized He prayed, and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him. Thus He was anointed for His ministry as Redeemer of the world. God anoints every one of us, as we wait at His feet in consecration, giving us His Spirit to fit us for His work.

Solomon must have felt a new responsibility in his soul as the holy oil touched his brow. New duties were his now. He was separated from his fellowsand set apart for a new life. It is related of a Russian prince that he was in Paris, having for his companions certain rich young men who passed their time in reveling. One night they were feasting, and in the midst of their revels a sealed message was handed to the prince. He opened and read it, then, rising, said to his companions, "I am emperor now." He then turned away and left them, separating himself forever from his past life. When we are called to any new duty we should break with whatever in our past life has been unworthy.

Solomon's Wise Choice

1 Kings 3

Solomon began well. He evidently desired to be a godly king, to perform faithfully the duties of his position, and to lift up his kingdom to nobleness and strength. He was deeply impressed with the sense of his responsibility as David's successor, sent to carry on the work which his father had begun. He was also conscious of the inadequacy of his own wisdom for ruling, and his need of divine help. There is no doubt that this vision at Gibeon came in answer to the longings of Solomon's heart. He had gone to Gibeon to hold a great convocation of the heads of the people. The occasion was an urgent one. He offered on the brazen altar a thousand burnt offerings. The night following he had this dream, that the Lord appeared to him and asked him what He should give to him. "Ask what I shall give you."

God comes to every one in youth, if not in such a dream as Solomon's, at least in some other way quite as real. The question the Lord asked Solomon, is one that every young person hears. Someone may say, "If God came to me and gave me my choice out of all the things people desire, I would try to make a wise choice, too." But God really does give to every one in youth the same privilegethe choosing of things to live for. Christ says, "Ask, and you shall receive." But we do not avail ourselves of the munificence of His offers of good things to us. The days are like messengers sent to us from God, and we do not know what treasures they carry in their hands.

"But why must I make a choice?" Someone asks. "God is far wiser than I am. He knows what are the best things in all the world for me. Why does He not choose for me, giving me that which is best? Why must I, in my ignorance and inexperience, choose for myself?" One of the conditions of livingis that we must make our own choices. Even a mother cannot choose for her child. She may advise, persuade, and urgebut she cannot decide. Even God does not choose for the feeblest of His children. To every one He comes, saying, "Ask what I shall give you." And what we choose to take, He will let us have.

Solomon's heart was full of gratitude. He thought of God as the Giver of all his blessings. He was thinking of what he owed to his father. Those of us who have or have had godly parents, never can repay our debt to them. That is one reason why we ought to choose good things. Think of all a godly parent hopes, dreams, plans, longs for, asks for in prayerfor a child. Then think of the bitter pain and disappointment when the child grows up and makes a bad choice. Solomon felt under obligation to live and rule worthily because of the favor which God had shown to his father.

We talk about the responsibility of parents for their childrenwe should think sometimes also of the responsibility of children for their parents. A child may make a father's life a failure. Before David died, he gave Solomon this counsel: "I am going the way of all the earth: be strong therefore, and show yourself a man; . . . that Jehovah may establish His Word which He spoke concerning me." That is, the fulfillment of God's promises to David for the success of his kingdom, would depend upon Solomon's faithfulness. What David had done was but the beginning; it was Solomon's mission to take up and continue David's work until it was complete. Many a son wrecks all his father's hopes, and tears down all that through years of toil and sacrifice and sore cost his father has built up. An honored parentage is a good heritagebut it puts one under a tremendous burden of responsibility, for its blessings are a sacred trust, and must be kept unsullied and then accounted for at last.

It is a grave and serious moment in a young man's lifewhen his father dies and the care of the family and of the business passes into his hands. It tests his character. If he is true-hearted, it makes a man of him. If he is weak and without strong principle, he breaks under the burden. Solomon realized that now the responsibility was his, and he resolved to meet it like a man. Suddenly there had been set upon his brow, the crown of a great kingdom. From a careless, lighthearted youthhe had suddenly become a man, with a man's burden on his shoulders. There comes to many young men such a moment some time in their life. A new duty is suddenly put into their hands. They are called to face a new responsibility. What should we do when we find ourselves before new responsibilities?

There is a great deal of beauty in the humility of Solomon as we see him that night before God. "I am but a little child; I know not how to go out or come in. And Your servant is in the midst of Your people which You have chosen, a great people." We need not take these words literally. The tradition that Solomon was only twelve years old when he began to reign, probably came from a misunderstanding of Solomon's meaning here. He was almost certainly oldereighteen or twenty. Still he was but a little child.

That was a holy moment in Solomon's life. He saw his duty in all its largeness, and he saw himself in all his littleness. He was only a child in knowledge, experience, and wisdom. He knew nothing about the duties of a king, and he was aware that he knew nothing. We call Solomon the wisest man; he never showed greater wisdom than that night at Gibeon, when he felt the pressure of the crown upon his brow and realized his own inability. Not always do young people experience such self-distrust as they take up new responsibilities. Sometimes they have too much self-confidence, and realize no need of help. Such a beginning is always fraught with danger.

Then Solomon made his prayer to God. "Give Your servant therefore an understanding heart to judge Your people." There is a fine ring in these words. Solomon wanted to be a good king, and to rule wisely and justly. He did not want to dishonor God, to do God's work negligently or mistakenly, to be a failure as a king. So he looked up into God's face and said: "You have made me king. The work is great, and I am but a little child in preparation for it. Give me wisdom to be a good king." That was Solomon's choice. That should be the choice of every young person starting out in life. We should want always to do our work well, whatever it is.

Some people fail to understand that all of life is sacred. They think there is great responsibility in being a preacher or a Sunday-school teacher. Men must answer to God for these things. But they do not think of the responsibility of being a carpenter, a shoemaker, or a plumber.

The old shoemaker and told the preacher that his shoemaking was just as religious a business as his pastor's preaching. If he should mend the shoes poorly, and a boy should catch cold and get pneumonia, and diehe would be responsible. "I cannot afford, as a child of God, with the hope of heaven in my heart," he said, "to put poor work into that job, for much depends upon it. I would not like to meet that boy's parents, and have them tell me he had died, because I was not a faithful shoemaker."

The old man was right. All work is sacred, and we need God's help in the commonest experiences.

The answer showed divine approval: "Because you have asked this thing, and have not asked for yourself long life, neither have asked for riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemiesbut have asked for yourself understanding." God was pleased with the choice Solomon had made.

He had not chosen long life. Long life is not the most desirable gift from God. There are people who have lived seventy yearsand would better not have lived at all. The truest, completest, most perfect life ever lived on this earth was only thirty-three years in length. Let no one choose to live longbut rather to live godly.

Riches was another thing Solomon had not chosen. Some people seem to think that money is the best of all possessions. No doubt, if the choice were offered, many men would choose riches before anything else. But it would be a sad, impoverishing, fatal choice!

There is a Russian story of one who entered a diamond mine in search of gems. He filled his pockets with the precious stones and then, as he went on, he would throw away those he had already chosen, to make room for the larger ones he had now found. At length he became very thirstybut there was no water. He heard what seemed the flow of watersbut when he came to them they were only rivers of diamonds. At what seemed the sound of a waterfall, he hastened forwardbut only to find a cascade of precious stones. With all this marvelous wealth round him, he was dying of thirst. All the riches within his reachwould not buy him a drop of water! This is a true parable of the seeking of wealth. It is not life's best choice. It will not give men true blessing.

Another thing Solomon had not asked for was the life of his enemies. This would have been a most selfish choice, indeed. The law of Christ is love, and hate never can be the best thing.

The Lord was pleased with Solomon's choice, and gave him his requesta wise and an understanding heart, that he might be a good king and rule well. Then He gave him also moreriches and honor. Riches are a blessingonly when one has the wisdom to use them rightly. Honor is a blessingonly when one knows how to use it for Christ. When one's heart is right, God loves to give him this world's good thingsto add to his power for doing good. As we read the words of God to Solomon, we think of the words of one still wiser, "Seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Money and honor are not the first thingsthe first things must always be God and godliness. But when we make God and His kingdom our first choiceGod often gives us besides, other good gifts to add to our power of usefulness and service.

Building the Temple

1 Kings 5

The temple was David's thought. He was not permitted to build it, however, because his work was conquest, the establishing of the kingdom. But his thought was not rejected; it was approved and commended. He was allowed to make vast preparation for the work. He purchased the site for the building and gathered gold and other materials for it. In the fourth year of his reign, when Solomon was secure in his kingdom, he began to build the temple. He entered upon the work with great enthusiasm. He was a lover of magnificence, and spared nothing in making the sacred building the most splendid in the world.

Solomon received help from the king of Tyre. It was more than a commercial league that existed between these two kingsthere was also a close personal friendship between them. So when work on the building was about to begin, Hiram sought an opportunity to assist. This is another of the blessings which came down to Solomon from his father. Hiram had been a lover of David, and he wished to continue with David's son, the friendship which he had maintained so long with the father. A father's friends become the inheritance of the children. This is a rich legacy when a man has lived a true and worthy life and has made good friends.

Of course, everyone really has to win his own friends. No son can go very long on his father's friendships. He must make them his own by a true life, by worthy conduct, by an unselfish spirit. But those who have been the father's friendsare disposed to be friendly to the son. He can make them his friendsif he desires. They are ready to become his friends for his father's sake. The "good will" of a long-established business, is the result of a man's wise, liberal, and honest dealing through his lifetime. He has built his own character into it. This the son may make his ownif he will maintain his father's character and principles and continue his father's honesty and truthfulness. So in all lifeit is a great thing to have a good and worthy father, and the son may enjoy the benefit from the friendships his father has formed, unless by his own lack of worth and worthiness, he flings away his blessings.

Solomon reminded Hiram, that David had desired to build a temple to the Lord, and told him that now, since peace had come to his kingdom, he was going to build it. This rest from war and strife made the present, the time for the work. The temple could not be built in time of war.

Just so, times of quiet and restfulness in one's life should not be idle times. There is other work to do then, besides rushing activity. These are days for temple building. True living is not all struggle, conflict, conquest, gathering money, toiling with one's hands. Building of character is the great work of life. This goes on best in the quiet.

A man who had been himself occupied in business for a great while, with scarcely a day's rest or pause, was stricken down with a partial paralysis. He was compelled to lie still for months. His mind was clear and active, while his body was inactive. One day he said to his pastor, "I have grown more in these quiet monthsthan I did in all my long years of rushing activity!" He was now really building up the temple of God in his own soul. Ofttimes days of suffering, or pain, or sicknessare one's very best days. We ought not to wait for necessary inactivity to compel us to be still; we should get the quiet into our lifeeven in our busiest times. We should train ourselves to it. We should teach our hearts to be stillamid all possible confusion. Only thus, can we be ready for our best work. We must have a restful spirit, if we would build up the inner temple of our lives. There should be "silent times" in every day's life.

The secret of Daniel's noble character, while carrying a great part of the burden of the kingdom of Babylon, was that he never forsook the quiet place of prayer. Not even the threat of the lions' den could make him neglect the season of devotion. There is no other secret of a true and noble life, amid the world's strifes and trials. We must keep quiet withinthat we may build up in our hearts the temple of God.

Solomon told Hiram of the work he had in hand for God. He purposed to build a house for Him. He knew what God's plan for his life was, and he purposed now to realize it. He knew that God wanted him to build a templeand he set about building it. We should all seek to know our dutyand then do it. God has a plan for every life. For every child that is born in the worldj there is some purpose in God's thought, something which He wishes that child to do, some place He wishes it to fill.

But how can we ever find out what God's plan for our life is? Solomon knew what God's plan was in this case, for God had told David, and David had told his son. But most of us do not have such direct revealings of our duty. How then can we know what God wants us to do? The answer is, that if we will quietly follow Christ day by dayHe will make known to us what His plan for us is. He may not tell us at the beginning what He would have us do years and years hence. But as we go on, doing each day the things that He giveswe shall in the end accomplish all His plan.

God's purpose begins with the little child. He found David when he was only a boy, keeping sheep. It was a long while before David would be a kingbut every day of his shepherd life, was a part of God's plan in his preparation for being king. So we need not worry about what God wants us to do; we may simply do each daythe things He gives us to do, and then at the close of our life, if we have been faithful all the while, we shall be able to say, "I have finished the work which You gave me to do." We may not know in advance what we shall have to do any daybut as we go on, we shall know. Doing God's will as far as we know itwe come to know more and more of it, and thus finish it at last!

Solomon sent to Lebanon for cedar trees for the temple. Why did he not use the trees that grew in his own country? The reason was that the cedars which grew on Mt. Lebanon were the finest woods that could be found anywhere in the world. Solomon was determined to put into the temple, nothing but the best. He must have the finest stones, the best timbers, the purest gold, the richest precious stones, the most beautiful works of art in all departments. The temple must contain in its materials the best things the world could furnish. Nothing imperfect, nothing poor, nothing unworthy must go into that noble building!

We get a lesson here for ourselves. In the building of our character, nothing that is not beautiful, that is not the best, should be used. We should read the best books, so as to build into our life-temple the greatest and noblest thoughts in the world. Nothing stained or unholy should ever be used.

Our friendships have very much to do with the making of our character, and we should have only good, true, and worthy friends. Unworthy companionships build blotched stones into our life temple. Above all we should read the Bible, for it contains God's thoughts and God's words, which make the best building material. They are all white and of the purest marble, and there is no blemish or flaw anywhere in them!

Then above all companionships, we should have that of Christ, for He is the truest, the most inspiring Friend that any mortal can have. Let us be sure that we build only the best things into our temple fabric.

We should put into God's work what we do in other livesonly the best. We should never give a touch to any character, through word, or disposition, or act, or influence of oursthat is not clean enough to appear before Christ's holy eyes.

The laborers of Hiram brought the trees from the mountains of Lebanon to the sea. Thus the men of Tyre and Sidon became helpers in building the temple. It is interesting to notice that not only were many of the materials brought from heathen landsbut much of the work was done by heathen builders and artists. This suggests to us, that in the great temple of God that is rising in heaven, men of all nations do their part. Today the missionaries are carrying the gospel to all parts of the earth, to every nation under heaven, and many converts from heathen lands, are at work on the walls of the great temple. It will be seen at last, that there has been no nation under heaven which has not furnished some souls for heaven's great family.

Solomon devoted himself with enthusiasm to the work of building the temple. He did what God gave him to doand then God gave him wisdom for each new duty and responsibility. God always keeps His promisesbut His promises depend upon our obedience. If we will not do our part, neither can we have God's promised blessing. The lepers were cleansed "as they went." That is, they obeyed Christ's command to go and show themselves to the priests, and as they departed, healing came.

God promises us guidance in all our life's pathsbut to get His guidancewe must go on, taking each step as He shows it to us. The guidance comesonly as we obey. God promises us strength according to our daybut to get the strength we must do the duty which the day brings. The strength is not given in advancebut it comes only as it is needed. If we will not go forward in the way of God's commandswe must not expect to get God's help.

There is a promise which says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God." But if we would get this wisdom, we must do our part. Wisdom is givenonly as it is used. The lesson is one we should never forget, that all God's blessings depend upon our obedience and faithfulness.

The Temple Dedicated

1 Kings 8:54-63

The temple was seven and a half years in being built. It rose silently. The stones were dressed in the quarries and all the timbers were made ready in the shops, so that no ax or hammer was heard in its erection.

Thousands of workmen were engaged in the construction of the temple. The building was magnificent, with its terraced courts, its marble cloisters; then within all this mass of splendor, the temple itself, rising above all, a pile of marble and gold.

Then came the dedication. It was a great day. All that vast and costly building had been erected for a definite purpose. It was not to be a great place of meeting for the people, like a Christian cathedral, or a modern church. While the people came to the courts of the temple, none ever entered the temple itself, except the priests. The temple was built expressly to be the home of the ark of God. It would have had no meaning, but for that little wooden chest, with the golden lid, surmounted by the cherubim. So the first thing when the building was finished, was to carry the ark from its old dwelling place in the tabernacle, which Moses had made for it, to this new abiding place now prepared for it.

We are to be temples of the Holy Spirit. Our lives, however beautiful, cultured, and worthy they may be, do not reach to their real glory or the divine purpose in their existence, until God is enshrined in them. This is the object of our creation and redemption. If we miss having God in uswe have failed in our highest purpose.

A great sacrifice was offered. That was the way they worshiped God in those days. The offerings told of praise and rejoicing in the people's hearts. It was a great day, not only for the king who had built the templebut for the people who had watched its rising. The offerings also spoke of the divine holiness, and of the atonement that must be made for sin. We know that there was no real spiritual efficacy in the sacrifices themselves, which were offered at that service. They had no power to put away sin. They did not cleanse the temple and make it fit to be God's dwelling place. The Lord did not draw near to the people because of the many animals offered up by them in sacrifice to Him. Yet these offerings had their meaning. They declared that "apart from shedding of bloodthere is no remission of sin."

We know, too, that they had another meaningthat they prefigured the great all-availing sacrifice, "the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world." There came another day, a thousand years afterwards, when upon another hilltop close by, the Son of God offered Himself without spot to God as the Redeemer of the world. In His sacrifice, He actually opened the way to God for all who will come to Him. The sacrifices which Solomon and the people offered that day, had their fulfillment and their real meaning in Christ's sacrifice, when on Calvary He gave His life a ransom for many.

After the offering, the ark of God was brought in and taken into its place in the inner sanctuary. This holy apartment was not open to the people. Indeed, no one of them was ever admitted, excepting the high priest. This was not meant to teach that men were really shut away from God; for God is merciful and has always welcomed sinners to Him. The exclusion of men from the Holy of holies, taught that God was holy and that sin could not dwell in His presence. It taught also that access to God can be had only through the Great High Priest. Heaven's gates are wide openthey are never shut; but we can enter only through Christ. "He is able to save to the uttermost all who draw near unto God through Him."

"The cloud filled the house." This was the Lord actually taking possession of the house which had been built for His dwelling place. It was not an ordinary cloud at all, as we understand the use of the word, that filled the house that dayit was the sacred symbol of the divine presence. It was an expression of the wonderful condescension of God, that He should actually accept an earthly temple as a dwelling place. It showed His love for the people of our race. We understand, too, its remoter meaning. This coming of God into the templewas the prefiguration of the Incarnation, when the Word was made flesh and tabernacled among us. Christ was the true temple. Thus God came down and dwelt with us in very truth.

There is still another fulfillment which is to be realized only in the heavenly Jerusalem. This is pictured for us in the book of Revelation, where we read, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God." In another place in Revelation, we have a glimpse also of the same glory: "Therefore are they before the throne of God; and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He who sits on the throne shall spread His tabernacle over them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun strike upon them, nor any heat: for the Lamb that is in the midst of the throne shall be their Shepherd, and shall guide them unto fountains of waters of life: and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes."

It was a wonderful prayer that the king offered that day at the dedication of the temple. He asked God to accept the house he had built, and make it His dwelling place. We have a temple to dedicate to the Lord. It is a great deal more wonderful building than the house Solomon erected. It is in our own heart! The king asked, "Will God indeed dwell on the earth?" We know that God wants to dwell on the earth, not in houses of marble and cedar and goldbut in human hearts. God has two homes, "I dwell in the high and holy place; with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit." So we may have a home for God in our heart, which we can dedicate to Him, to be used by Him as a temple. If we have not yet dedicated it to Him, why should we not do so now? Then God will come into our heart.

It is said of the king: "He arose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling . . . with his hands spread forth toward heaven." There are three things in Solomon's attitude in prayer which are suggestive.

He prayed before the altar. The altar was the place of sacrifice, and sacrifice meant atonement. All our prayers should be made before the altar; that is, in dependence on the atonement of Christ. That is what we mean when we ask for blessings and favors for Christ's sake. To pray anywhere but "before the altar" is to pray at unopened doors. We must come in Christ's name, if we would gain access to the mercy-seat. "No one comes unto the Fatherbut by Me."

The second thing to notice in Solomon's attitude, is his posture of kneeling. This indicated reverence, humility, submission. Kneeling is always a fit posture before God. He is infinitely greater than we are, and infinitely holy and good. Kneeling also implies submission. A conquered prince kneels to his conqueror, thus indicating surrender, the laying down of arms, and a full allegiance. Whatever may be the posture of our body in prayer, our hearts should always kneel before God.

The third thing to mark in the king's praying, is the spreading of his hands forth toward heaven. Holding out the hands open and empty toward heaven, implies that we expect blessing from God and are ready to receive it. This, too, should be part of every true prayersense of need, confidence that God will give us what we desire, expectancy, emptiness to be filled.

In the building of the temple, Solomon saw the fulfillment of a promise which God had made to Moses hundreds of years before. He praised God for this and testified that not one word of all His good promise had failed. We can say now just as confidently as the king did that day, that in all these centuries since, not one word of all God's good promise has failed any one of His people. No believer has ever leaned upon a divine promiseand had it give way under him. No one has ever trusted the Word of Godand had it fail of fulfillment. The most real and sure things in this worldare the Words of God. In every one of them, God's own almighty hand is gloved; we clutch them and find ourselves clutched by Divinityout of whose clasp we never can fall, nor can anyone ever snatch us.

We lean upon these Words, and find ourselves encircled and upborne by the everlasting arms! We pillow our heads in weariness or sorrow upon God's Words of love and comfortand find ourselves drawn close to our Father's heart and held in His warm bosom and soothed by His tenderness, which is greater and gentler than a mother's. So all through life in every experience, we may trust the promises of God and commit all our interests to them, and not one of them ever will fail us. We may trust them, too, in death, and we shall find everything just as God has saidthe divine presence in the dark valley, dying but going home, and absent from the bodybeing at home with the Lord.

It is a fit prayer to be always on our lipsthat God may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments. Our hearts are prone to wanderand need divine keeping. Fenelon's prayer was: "Lord, take my heartfor I cannot give it to You; and when You have it, O, keep itfor I cannot keep it for You; and save me in spite of myself." God will never compel us to be good and obedientbut He will incline us, persuade us, draw us, help us. We need continually, therefore, to pray Him to throw over usthe mystic influence of His Holy Spirit, that we may desire holiness and may seek to walk in God's ways.

Solomon asked that God might not forget his prayers, that they might be kept before Him day and night. Many prayers are for more than one answering. When a mother pleads for her childshe would have her petition kept before God day and night. She would have God keep His eye ever on her boy, wherever he may be, whatever his danger may be. It is a precious thought that we do not need to be always reminding God of our desires for our friendsbut that our prayers stay before Him, are not filed away and forgotten, as are so many requests we make in places of powerbut are always remembered. Even if sometimes we forget to pray, God does not forget, for He knows our love and our heart's wishes, and will do more for usthan we ask or think. Our prayers are kept in heaven. We are told that God keeps our tears in His bottlethat is, He remembers our sorrows, and our cries are sacred to Him!