The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1891-02-04
AHAB'S COvETOUSNESS.
International Sunday School Lesson Il
February 8, 1891.


International sundAy-school Lesson fSr |
February Q, 1891.
Especially Arranged from s. 8. Quarterly.l
LESSON TIxT-l Kings 9l:l-ia
GOLDEN TExr-Take heed. and beware OF
covetousness 1875
CENTRAL. Observation-Disclosures IL the source OF
unnurbered evils for ourselves aud others
TIME-About d. c. 600. Five or six years
after the last lesson and four years before the
death OF Ah0b.
PLAcE-Samaria, the capital. and Jezreel
the favorite royal residence, twenty-five miles
to the north.
RuLERs-Ahab. King Of Irseal, b. C. 9is.as';
Jehoshaphst OF judah, b. c. sl4S9. Benhaaaa
H.. Of Syria
HELPS OVER HARD -LAcEs-l After these
things:" the wars described In the previous
chapter. 3. 1.-THE Lord forbid it," Nahoih re
fused because II was his home, and the home
! of his father; moreover, II was contrary to jew
| ish law to part with It, except till tho jubilee
year. LEV. 95 :23.2S). 6 "She wrote letters In
| Ahab's name:" and therefore he was RESPONSE
BILE for what she did. as he gave her permission
by yielding up to her his seal. Sealed them
! with his seal" in the East all letters and docu'
| rents are stamped with q seal, instead OF sign.
| ing the name as we do. elders and nobles:" the
| popular assembly that tried such cases. (Deut.
| l8:lS), o. proclaim FAST" as II great danger
threatened the city on account OF some great
crime. "Set Naboth on high" |. g.: bring him
before the assembly as prisoner. 10. Two
mem" because the law required two witnesses
before any one could be executed. (Deut. T'5).
"Sons Of Belial:" Belialis not.a proper name, but
means worthlessness. They were worthless
reckless fellows "Blaspheme God:" had reviled,
spoken evil of the God Of Israel "And the
King" he had probably condemned Ahab's
wickedness and idolatry. THAT he may die:"
his sons also were put TO death z Kings $3.50.
So that he would have no heirs; and as was
Q common custom, the property would revert to
the King.
LESSON COMMENTS.
First Step.-The weak King. He was
weak as we'll as wicked. The story
brings out both Of these traits Of charac-
ter. Ahab, we are told, wanted the
vineyard of certain Naboth to add to
his palace-grounds as garden of
herbs" He made a fair offer to his
neighbor, of purchase or exchange. But
Naboth declined the offer, as he had a
perfect right to do, on the ground that
he did not wish to part with his ances-
trail lands. So there the whole matter
should have rested. But babyish Ahab
was so bitterly disappointed. that he
came into his ivory palace, threw him
self like spoiled child on his bed, and
moped 1t is pity he could not have
been spanked soundly, and put on bread
and water for q week. Any man with
horses and chariots, and palace, and gar
dens, who had no more self-control than
he had, should have boon thoroughly
ashamed Of himself.
Thousands Of such weak people are
still living. They have set their hearts
on something, trifling enough in itself,
but when they can not have it they
NOPE as Ahab did. All that they pos
sess seems now worthless, merely be-
cause this new desire is not gratifled.
The child refuses to play with her old
store Of playthings, because she can
; not have the new toy that has filed her
!. vision. The man becomes snrly, be-
cause he fails to win some distinction
which he had coveted, and frets himself
almost sick on this account. The woman
finds her life soured, because certain
family has passed her by in the sending
out of invitations to party. Was Ahab
lying like baby on his bed, despicable'
So are these modern weaklings thorough
ly contemplate in their pusillanimoul
u complainings.
Q Second Step.-The wicked Queen
How utterly wicked she was, the stor,
0 shows clearly. Bribery, perjury, in
u timidation, murder, theft-all these t.
a here were mere nothings, and seeme'
q "trifles light as air." She was bound t.
u have the vineyard, and to be revenge,
e on Naboth for daring to decline the offe
r of his sovereign. I'm all this is it jus
e possible that she justified herself b
It David's terrible example in the case O
: Uriah? II SO. what an example tina
n would be Of the self-perpetuating ma
u ture of sin!] So she planned vigorousl
and executed relentlessly, carrying GU
9 her will to the bitter end. Her feeling
r might we'll have been expressed in tn
u words Of the unjust Judge: 81 fear no
" God, neither regard man." But in al
o this was Ahab guiltless? Impossible
e For he knew we'll that there was n
q honest way of getting hold Of that vine
q yard, and he knew just as we'll his wife
% satanic character. So when he let he
y go ahead to do what he dared not d
IL himself he twas a participator in he
y crime. Her guilt was his guilt, becaus
% he declined to withstand her. His let
l. ting her use his seal was an indorse
y ment of any thing she might do. Nc
II tice that this wickedness of tho Quee
l. was covered under legal forms. 1t wa
D. judicial murder. But it was murder
q none the less.
l. Alas, that still men should be wicke
enough to sin through the form Of tn
g law, as truly as Jezebel did! One of tn
g crying enormities Of our times is JUS
4, this: that men use the courts as shield
s. Of iniquity, and lawyers often use thei
$. skill to defend criminals and to defrau
NJ honest toi.s. Many bills that men try {
g! pass through our Legislatures are pa,
'r emit swindles, and as devilish in thei
e. way as was Jezebels plan in her way
1t Yes, neither the Jezebels nor the Ahat
ID are dead yet.
re The wrathful prophet. All thi
le time God was watching Jezebel, an
1t marking all that she and Ahab die
T. When the time came, he sent Elijah {
m the King, just as Ahab was going to rea
I'd the fruit Of his wife's evil scheme. Di
al Ahsb enjoy the possession Of the vine
r yard now? Nay, just as he was about
Mt reap the benefit Of this plan, it a.
n, turned into gall. His hated enemy
n Elijah, appears and wrathfully d.