The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1885-07-16
The Sunday Schools.

LESSON FOR NEXT SUNDAY
Third Quarter 10, 1ss
LESSON III. .OMRI AND AHAB
l Kings 16. 1884.
% In the thirty a. first year of Asa king o
Judah began Omri to reign over Israel, twelv
years: six years reigned he in Tfrzah.
"a And he bought the hill Samaria of Sheme
for two talents of silver, and built the hill
and called The name of the city which he built
after the name of Shemer, owner of the hill, Sa
maria.
25 But Omri wrought evil in the eyes of th
LORD, and did worse than all that were before
him.
26 For he walked in all the way of Jeroboan
the son of Nebat, and in his sin wherewith HI
made Israel to sin, to provoke the Lord God o
Israel to anger with their vanities.
q Now the rest of the acts of Omri which hi
did. and his might that he showed. are they
not written in the book of The Chronicles of the
kings of Israel?
% So Omri slept with his fathers, and was
stead.
| 90 And in the thirty and eighth year of Asa
king of Judah began Ahab the son of Omri to
reign over Israel: and Ahab the of Omr
reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty and two
| years.
80 And Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the
sight of the Lord above all that were before
him.
81 And it came TO pass, if it had been a
light thing for him to walk in the sins of Jero-
boam the OF Nebat, that he took to- wife
Jez+ bel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king OF the
Zidonians, aid went and served Baal, and
worshiped him.
80 And he reared up altar for Baal in the
house of Baal, which he had built in SamaIia.
33 And Ahab made a grove; and Ahab did
more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to an
ger than all The kings of Israel that were before
him
"a In his days did Hiel the Behelite build
Jerico: he laid the foundation thereof in Abb
ram his first-born, and set up the gates thereof
in his youngest son Segub, according to the
wold of the Lord, which he spake by Joshua
the son of Nun.
GOLDEN TExT.-The way of the wicked is an
abOmination unto the Lord. Prov 10. 8.
TIME.-Omri's accession, B. G. 925; Ahab's,
B. c. 91S.
PLACES.-1. Tirzah, the second capital of the
ten Tribes nine miles northeast of Shechem; 2.
Samaria, six miles norI b west of Shechem; 8.
Zidon, on the Mediterranean Sea, near Tyre; A.
Jericho, in the Jordan Valley, the Dead
Sea.
The imaginary reforms of Jeroboam
resulted in drawing his people away from
God, making them race of idolaters,
and bringing about his own downfall.
Bloodshed followed, and the throne was
siezed by Omri. The reign of Omri and
his son Ahab was period of success,
viewed from the standpoint of the poll
tical world. The wars between the two
Kingdoms were blotted out, and a royal
intermarriage between the two houses
followed
Omri bought the hill Samaria. The
kings-in most Oriental Commissioners
supposed to own all the lands, and have
reign over all their subjects, but
the rights of the people of Israel were
more carefully guarded, and the king
had to respect their rights. Upon the
mill he built the city of Shemer, which re-
mained the Capital of the ten tribes.
Omri, who started out well, from a
worldly point of view, fell in with the
downward current of sin, the flow of
which found it's head-waters in idol-wor-
ship, and wrought evil in the sight of the
Lord and he was considered really worse
than all before him. He walked in the
way of Jeroboam, who is regarded as
"the man who made Israel to sin," and to
provoke the Lord by their vanities, that
is their self-conceit and idolatrous prac-
tices. "The acts of Omri' are his con-
duct of war with Syria, and the prOwess
displayed in that contest. Omri "slept
with his fathers" This expression re-
fers to sepulchre in the earth where all
were buried on an equality. And Ahab,
his son, reigned, This monarch reigned
TWENTY-FIVE years. and was a brave and
warrior, holding in check the
power of Syria, and as statesman he
showed great skill, settling the feud be-
tween Judah and Israel by an alliance
which lasted nearly Il century. He also
built up palaces and cities, but he mar
ried heather princes, who made him |
ler tool and slave If Omri was worse
than Jeroboam, Ahab was still worse
han Omri. The leading spirits in this
were still travelling rapidly on
5he downward road of sin.
1t had been the custom of the kings to
marry among their own people, but Ahab
)roke the custom and welded JeZebel,
Who was bold, fearless women, and slew
he Prophets of God, and brought into
srael the wicked worship of Baal. Ahab
cared up an altar to Baal. Hiel, the
3ethelite builded Jericho, city north of
he Dead Sea destroyed by Joshua, and
ebuilt shortly afterward, remaining un-
vailed for 500 years until the unbeliev-
ng age of Ahab.
This lesson points out to us clearly the
vii and the danger of fursaking God.
No man can stand in his own strengh,
lor prosper in a mode of life contrary to
he will of the Divine Father. Also, the
fleet of one mans sin upon another.
,in is contagious, and of rapid growth
Men are prone to fall in with the practi-
es and methods of those about them,
md as righteous example may be in
trumental in elevating the moral tone
# humanity, so an ungOdly example may
work corresponding evil. Also, that the
aw of God must be obeyed, or the un-
aithful child must suffer the inevitable
consequences of his disobedience.
Judge Miller went out to Bloomfield
Township last week to see old Mrs. Kee-
on There has been a great deal OF con-
rovprsy concerning this old lady, among
he children. She is eighty-four years
Id. The Judge seems to think she is ca
,ahla of ATTENDING tD her own buSinaSS