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240  THE CONVENTION TEACHER 

Lights on the Lesson
BY REV. BERNARD O BYRD 

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Light No. 1. The keeping of the historic events in the books of the Bible has enabled us to keep space with the experiences of men in their relationships and dealings with God. This history becomes a very informative guide for men of this present day; they learn from the life-happenings and destinies of men of the past, how they should act to obtain the blessings of God. 

Light No. 2. Among the many chronological passages of the Scriptures, the narratives on the life of Solomon are so outstanding that modern Christians would think it to have been a great loss to every pilgrim for it to have been excluded. The life of this great king was informing, inspiring, and yet provoking of warnings to the careless believer. 

Light No. 3. True historic records are not based upon desire, opinions, or con- 
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victions; it is simply a record of facts showing events as they occurred. These facts are presented according to the best knowledge of the people collecting this history. This fact is born out in the accounts of the great deeds of Solomon and then the displeasure his actions provoked from God.

Light No. 4. Perhaps one of the outstanding things about history in the Bible and especially the Old Testament, is that we have not only the history of man's doings, but also history of God's actions with and for, and even against man. Notice that this history reveals that Solomon was honest in relating to men his experiences with God; he told of the blessings provided by God and also of the unpleasantness predicted by the Heavenly Father. 
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Editorial Reflections
BY REV. S. A. PLEASANTS, D. D. 

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Here we have a King with great possessions. There was not anything named in his day necessary that he did not have for his possessions. Flour, meal, oxens, sheep, harts, roebucks, fallow deer, fatted fowls, kings and all kinds of people. Forty thousand stalls of horses for his chariots, twelve thousand horsemen, barley and straw for the horses, dromedaries, in fact he did not lack for anything or any body.

God also gave him wisdom and understanding exceeding much and largeness of heart, even as the sand on the seashore. Having such possessions, and largeness of heart, wisdom and understanding, and knowing that it all came from God, to see it from a Christian's view-point, he should have stayed on his knees night and day, giving thanks unto the Lord for all of his benefits.

To have such without keeping one's mind on Christ Jesus every minute, would cause one to become selfish, and hence fall into temptations, as did Solomon. God gave him wisdom, understanding, and largeness of heart, so as to manage all God had given him to possess.  At will, he could have used the same wisdom, understanding and largeness of heart to obey the commandments, in that he let God control his mind, heart, spirit and body, and thus not fall into temptation to do evil. 

After all his worldly possessions, that men praised him for, and admired to 
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the end, that many wished for his ability and opportunity. The history of his life says, that Solomon did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord as did David his father. And the Lord was angry with Solomon because his heart was turned away from Him, the God of Israel, who had prepared unto Him twice, and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods, but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.

This is the blackness and darkness, that now spoils all that which was beautiful and grand, and now comes the doom that cannot be changed, because the Lord has spoken it, and will not change.  Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, For as much as this is done of thee, and thou hath not kept my covenant, and my statutes which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend thy kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant. 

This is very sad and sorrowful. God is Truth and always is true. He tells the story of one's life just as it is. He does not add, nor take anything from the life of one, when He gives it to us in Scripture. He told all the good about the life of Solomon, and would have ended it there, but Solomon in the conduct of his life made it bad, and giving the good side, for it to be true, as he spent it here. He had to give us the bad side. 
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THE CONVENTION TEACHER  241

Lesson V.                                October 31, 1948

WISDOM LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE
(TEMPERANCE LESSON)

SENIOR TOPIC: WISDOM LITERATURE IN THE BIBLE 
 Proverbs 10:1-9; Ecclesiastes 2:1-3 

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AUTHORIZED VERSION 

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1 The Proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.
3 The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish: but he casteth away the substance of the wicked. 
4 He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. 
5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is  a son that causeth shame. 
6 Blessings are  upon the head of the just: but violence covereth the mouth of the wicked. 
7 The memory of the just is blessed: but 
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the name of the wicked shall rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. 
9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely; but he that perverteth his ways shall be known. 
1 I said in mine heart, Go to now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also is vanity.
2  I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it?
3 I sought in mine heart to give myself unto wine, yet acquainting mine heart with wisdom; and to lay hold on folly, till I might see what was that good for the sons of men, which they should do under the heaven all the days of their life.
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REVISED VERSION 

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1 The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father; But a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother.
2 Treasures of wickedness profit nothing; But righteousness delivereth from death. 
3 Jehovah will not suffer the soul of the righteous to famish; But he thrusteth away the desire of the wicked.
4 He becometh poor that worketh with a slack hand; But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
5 He that gathereth in summer is a wise son; But he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
6 Blessings are upon the head of the righteous; But violence covereth the mouth of the wicked.
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The memory of the righteous is blessed; But the name of the wicked shall rot.
8 The wise in heart will receive commandments; But a prating fool shall fall.
9 He that walketh uprightly walketh surely; But he that perverteth his ways shall be known.

1 I said in my heart, Come now, I will prove thee with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure: and, behold, this also was vanity. 2 I said of laughter, It is mad: and of mirth, What doeth it? 3 I searched in my heart how to cheer my flesh with wine, my heart yet guiding me with wisdom, and how to lay hold on folly, till I might see what it was good for the sons of men that they should do under heaven all the days of their life.
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MOTTO TEXT--He that walketh uprightly walketh surely. Proverbs 10:9. 

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LESSON SETTING 

Time: B. C. 1000; 977
Place: Jerusalem.

LESSON OUTLINE 

I. Wisdom Shows the Value of Righteousness and Riches. (VV. 1-2.)

II. Wisdom Shows the Use and Neglect of Opportunities. (VV. 3-9.)

III. Wisdom Shows the Vanity of Worldly Pleasures. (VV. 1-3.)
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DAILY HOME READING
October 25-October 31

M. Warning Against Laziness and Poverty. Proverbs 6:6-15.
T. Seven Things Which the Lord Hateth. Proverbs 6:16-19.
W. An Appeal to Chaste Living. Proverbs 6:26-35.
T. An Appeal to Wise Living. Proverbs 8:1-11.
F. "A Wise Son Maketh a Glad Father." Proverbs 10:1-9.
S. "This Also Was Vanity." Ecclesiastes 2:1-11.
S. "The Wisdom from Above." James 3:13-18.
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INTRODUCTION 

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The emphasis in the Book of Proverbs is on the priceless value and infinite importance of wisdom. "The underlying conception of all wisdom is that of God Himself, the All-Wise. His wisdom is expressed in all His words and works. Man is wise in proportion as he recognizes these truths and applies them in the conduct of his life. The perfectly wise man is the one who in his whole being lives
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and thinks and acts in right relationships to the all-wise God. Accepting the fact that there is a Supreme Being, Creator, Sustainer, Ruler and Judge of all, then wisdom is to understand as far as man's finite intelligence can go, to accept the guidance of the all-wise One in showing us how to apply the God-given wisdom to human knowledge and to turn all we do to practical account. Wisdom is
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