9. 1 There was nothing in the ark 2 save the two tables of stone which a covenant with the children of Is'ra-el, when they came out of the land of Egypt. Mo'ses put there at Hō'reb, a when the LORD made a covenant 10. And it came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of the LORD, place, by reason II. So that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud : for the glory of the LORD had filled the house of the LORD. Ex. 25: 21; Deut. 10: 2. 2 Deut. 10: 5; Heb. 9: 4. 3 Ex. 40: 20. 4 V. 21; Ex. 34: 27, 28; Deut. 4: 13. golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded' as well as the tables of the covenant." But the author of Hebrews is speaking of the tabernacle, not of the temple. So there is no contradiction. Made a covenant. That he would be their God if they would be his people. THE PRESENCE OF GOD MANIFESTED. The chorus, accompanied by the orchestra, sang, "For his mercy endureth forever," as the priests came out of the Holy of Holies; and the Shekinah, the shining cloud, filled the temple (vs. 10, 11; 2 Chron. 5: 11-14). 10. The cloud filled the house of the Lord. The article before cloud denotes that it was the well-known cloud which betokened the divine presence. "The cloud was the veil that hid (v. 11) the glory of the Lord, for that glory was too bright to be seen by mortal eyes. This was the same as the pillar of cloud and of fire that guided the people through the wilderness, which had rested on the tabernacle on the day it was dedicated (Ex. 40: 34), "and had apparently been specially displayed at certain junctures in the history of Israel (Num. 12: 5, 10; 16: 42; Deut. 31: 15). It was thus the acknowledged symbol of God's presence, and as such was a visible sign that he now accepted the temple, as he had formerly accepted the tabernacle, as his shrine and dwelling place." THE DEDICATION SERVICES. The order of the dedication services following this manifestation of God's presence is thus given by Prof. Willis J. Beecher. 1. Sentences, the king facing the sanctuary (vs. 12, 13; 2 Chron. 6: 1, 2). 2. He turns and blesses the congregation (v. 14; 2 Chron. 6: 3), all standing. 3. Address, by Solomon (vs. 15-21; 2 Chron. 6: 4-11), standing. 4. Dedicatory prayer (vs. 23-53; 2 Chron. 6: 14-40), kneeling (v. 54; 2 Chron. 6: 13). 5. Psalm 132 (2 Chron. 6: 41, 42): "Arise, O God." Fire descended, the glory filled the house, and the people prostrated themselves (2 Chron. 7: 1-3). 6. "For his mercy endureth forever," by the congregation (2 Chron. 7: 3). 7. Closing address (1 Kings 8: 54-61), standing. İLLUSTRATION. "Dr. James M. Gray has frequently told of a company of boys who were standing wistfully at the east entrance of the building in which the great exhibition of the Mechanics' Charitable Association was being held. They wanted to go in, but they had not the price. A gentleman, seeing them, said, 'Boys, would you like to go in?' There was a vociferous affirmative. 'Then run down to the center door, and just say — Mr. Jenkins of the New York "Tribune," and the marshall will let you in.' 'Do you think we're so green as to believe that ?' the boys shouted in answer. All but one— the son of Dr. Gray. He thought it was worth a try. Stepping out slowly from the others, and approaching the door cautiously, he uttered the talismanic words, and gained admission. With a yell and a rush his companions followed. Not one of them was admitted. But the boy who had the faith to use the strange words was at liberty to enter, not only on that day, but with a single exception -on every other day of the fair during the three Prize Illustration in the Sunday School Times, 1907. months of its continuance." III. A Personally Conducted Tour through the Temple. We will better understand the power of the temple in the religious development of the Israelites, if we in imagination go through the temple and notice the progression of its teaching. The temple and all connected with it had a religious teaching for the people, most of whom could not read, but could understand symbols and visible expressions of great truths. St. Mark's at Venice was built and decorated on the same principle. The stories of the Old and New Testaments are expressed in carvings and paintings; and the order of these teaches the religious progress of the soul. The temple taught the presence of God, and made it real. The arrangement of courts and rooms expressed the progress of the religious life, from the outer world into the court of general worship, then into the more sacred court, the Holy Place, the Holy of Holies. 1. We enter into the court of the Gentiles through one of the gates which lead into it from the outer world. Men of every kind, from every race, could enter, and come within the influence of the true religion. 2. Entering the inner court is coming into the church and under its influences. It means a decision to begin the new Christian life. 3. We first come to the great altar of burnt offerings, made of brass, thirty feet square and fifteen feet high. It symbolized sacrifice for sin, some atoning power, expressing our need of forgiveness and God's willingness to forgive. It also expresses consecration to God, giving ourselves to Him and to his service. 4. Next we come to the great brazen sea fifteen feet in diameter and seven and one half feet high, placed on twelve brass oxen. This with ten lavers were for cleansing, symbolizing the "washing of regeneration," the cleansing of heart and life from sin, as does Christian Baptism. 5. Thus cleansed and forgiven we enter the Holy Place, expressing the holy and useful life of the people of God. Here we find the golden candlestick, signifying the light from heaven by which the Christian walks; the table of shewbread symbolizing the bread of life, and the altar of incense symbolizing the life of prayer. 6. We look through the hangings into the Holy of Holies, the presence of God himself, the perfected life of heaven, toward which every true child of God is moving all his life, his ideal, his hope, his joy, his eternal home. CITIZEN OF THE UNIVErse. "This is not evening twilight-'tis the dawning, I am not folding up my hands from labor; Freshly I lift them while the fading star Melts into light. O vaster, grander, grows the world before me; The shadows vanish in the rising ray; I am not aged, I am just beginning through God's great universe to make my way; With soul alert, I'm pressing toward a day - Harriet N. W. Fairbanks. IV. Some Further Lessons for To-day. - FIRST, AS TO OUR CHURCH BUILDThe cost of the temple was very great, at least $1,000,000,000 in gold and silver, gradually collected during many years. INGS. Why should so much money be spent in this way? No community can long prosper which gives its time to material things, and neglects the spiritual; which builds beautiful dwellings, but neglects its schoolhouses and churches. The buildings which represent and cultivate the higher nature should be the noblest and best in the community. Wise colonists or builders of towns always build churches, schoolhouses, and libraries among the first things they do. One great hope of our civilization is the fact that more prominent than any private buildings or business buildings are the churches, the university buildings, the libraries, the schoolhouses, the hospitals; and next to them are the public utility buildings, as government buildings and railway stations. These are the public proclamation of our regard for religion and education and loving service and helpfulness to others. So the temple was to that age the visible expression to all nations of the living God. It was necessary also for the people themselves always to have before them the means of worship, and the visible symbols of worship. Whittier sings in "Our State" : "Nor heeds the sceptic's puny hands, While near the church-spire stands the school." "God demanded such honors for himself, and accepted for himself such local dwelling. And for what reason? There was but one reason, and that an eternal one; that as the covenant that he made with men was accompanied with some external sign of its continuance, and of his remembrance of it, so the acceptance of that covenant might be marked and signified by men, in some external sign of their love and obedience, and surrender of themselves and theirs to his will; and that their gratitude to him and continual remembrance of him might have at once their expression and their enduring testimony in the presenta tion to him, not only of the firstlings of the herd and fold, not only of the fruits of the earth and the tithe of time, but of all treasures of wisdom and beauty; of the thought that invents and the hand that labors; of wealth of wood, and weight of stone; of the strength of iron, and the light of gold.". – Ruskin, in Seven Lamps of Architecture. The giving for the church building is often an awakening in many of the spirit of sacrifice for God and his kingdom. Costliness at the expense of usefulness is a crime. Costliness that takes from the upbuilding of God's spiritual temple out of all the souls of the world is a crime. But the contrast is not between the church building and the heathen or the poor, but between our houses and the church. "Of course it is worth while to build churches, found hospitals, and help the poor but it is worth while also to cultivate friendships with Christ. The Chinese have a saying, If you have two loaves of bread, sell one and buy a lily.' Some people toil only for loaves, never thinking of lilies. Friendship with Christ, close, constant, confidential, going on through the busiest days—nothing else is more worth while. Time thus spent is never wasted.' "" Sunday School Times. ILLUSTRATION. On the cover of one of his books Ingersoll placed three crosses and under them the legend "For the glory of God"; and three telegraph poles with their cross bars, which bore a resemblance to crosses, and under them the legend, "For the good of man." But without the crosses there would have been no telegraph poles. All the blessings of civilization are from the trees that grow upon the banks of the river of life. And whatever enriches man's soul, whatever inspires him to good deeds, is more for "the good of man" than are the outward conveniences of civilization. NOTE that the modern church is more and more giving its attention to the children's part in the church buildings, yet I continually observe the building of large and expensive churches in cultured communities which provide everything most beautiful, most helpful, and most convenient for the adult worshipers; but not only fail to give the children that come to the church comfortable seats, where their feet can reach the floor, but give far from equal accommodations for the Sunday school and the children and the adults that attend the Sunday school service. The best machinery for its purpose in the whole world should be that which enables religious education to accomplish its purposes. More rapid than the improvement of all methods and means for carrying on the business of the world should be the improvement in the means of education; and swifter than the progress of school buildings and apparatus for the day schools should be the progress in Sunday school buildings, and all the aids to teaching the Bible and training children for the kingdom of God. ILLUSTRATION. Mr. Patterson du Bois tells that over the entrance gate to a certain playground established for the benefit of the London poor, is this motto: "No adults allowed to enter unless accompanied by children." That church will do its best work, have the best preaching, do most for the kingdom of God, when the adults and the children worship and study and work together. SECOND. All expense, all devotion and sacrifice, time, money, skill, energy, ingenuity, business ability, should be used in building up God's spiritual temple in the world and for the world. That is what the church building is for, as a visible center of power for the redemption of the whole world. Children should have part in building this temple. Show them in what way. "Bright as a vision, silent as a thought, Slowly ascending cloudlike to the skies, Drawn heavenward by soft warblings faintly caught "A grander temple now, unseen, is growing, LESSON XII. December 20. A CHRISTMAS LESSON. FROM TWO POINTS OF VIEW. 1. REALIZING THE NEED FROM SOLOMON'S DOWNFALL. I Kings II: 4-13. 2. FINDING A SAVIOUR IN THE COMING OF JESUS. Luke 2: 8-20. GOLDEN TEXT. - For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. LUKE 2: 11. 4. For it came to pass, when Sol'o-mon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of Da'vid his father. 3 was 4 5. For Sol'o-mon went after Ash'to-reth the goddess of the Zi-dō'ni-ans, and after a Mil'com the abomination of the Am'mon-ites. 6. And Sŏl'o-mon did that which was not fully after the LORD, as did 1 Deut. 17: 17. 21 Kings 8: 61. 3 Kings 9: 4. 4 V. 33; Judg. 2: 13. a Called, Molech, v. 7. LEARNING THE NEED OF A SAVIOUR FROM SOLOMON'S EXPERIENCE. 1 Kings 11: 4-13. READ Ecclesiastes. SOLOMON'S ONE PURPOSE-TO UNIFY THE NATION IN PEACE Dr. Matheson thinks that "we are under a widespread misapprehension as to the character of Solomon. The popular view is that he is the delineation of a double personality a life divided between wisdom and folly. . . . But to my mind every incident of his life is the expression of one and the same tendency. I do not think he ever deviates from his political purpose." It requires great genius to keep a great people -a commingling of an infinite variety of interests and tendencies, thick sown with the seeds of dissension in a peaceful and united condition for many years. There are two ways of promoting unity. One is by means of a common enemy, as has often occurred in the history of nations. The other is by a common interest and purpose. It was this unity which was wisely sought by Solomon. Baal Lord Master. Baal an epithet applicable to all gods. PERROT AND CHIPIEZ. But with each means to this end there always came a great danger, and from these dangers Solomon's wisdom did not wholly preserve him. First Method. Alliance with Idolatrous Nations by Marriage. Vs. 4-II. Contrary to the divine law of his kingdom (Deut. 17: 17), Solomon multiplied wives till he had seven hundred wives and three hundred concubines (v. 3), partly for the sake of political alliances, and "partly from that sensualism which is the most common failing of Oriental monarchs." Cook. The statement does not say that he had all these at any one time. Ellicott. Many of them were foreign princesses, the daughter of Pharaoh, and women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites, heathen women who brought their heathen natures, training, and customs with them. THE GREAT DANGER TO HIS RELIGIOUS LIFE naturally followed. 4. His wives turned away his heart after other gods. 5. Solomon went after Ashtoreth. The Oriental Venus. Milcom, the same idol that is called Molech in v. 7. "The Rabbins tell us that this idol was made of brass and placed on a brazen throne, and that the head was that of a calf, with a crown on it. The throne and the image were made hollow, and a furious fire was kindled within it. The flames penetrated into the body and limbs of the idol, and when the arms were red hot the victim was thrown into them, and was almost immediately burned to death, while its cries were drowned by drums.". Schaff's Bible Dictionary. 7, 8. Solomon went so far as to build on a hill near Jerusalem an high place for the |