The National tribune., 1891-02-05
SUNDAY MEDITATION.

| International Sunuay-schOOl Lesson APP
pointed for Feb. s, 1891. 1 Xxi, 2I.I-I6.
lone reading these notes should first carefully
study the paragraph from the holy Scriptures rs
indicated above.
| SUBJECTS: /. AuAB AND NABoTH. ri. AHAB
AND JEZEBEL. III. NABoTH's TRIAL- ".
AHAB IN POSSESSION OF NABoTHs VINE
YARD.
lesson continued from last iBscE)
IL JEzEnEL Braces UP AuAB.
]. Data.
Q Time.
Notice under limo IN paragraph above. We
may suppose Jezebsl acted on the spot and
that little interval existed between the refusal
Of Naboth and his death.
,. Place.
The account rs a whole shows that Ahab
returned 10 Samaria, where Jezebsl was; where
Ahab took to bed where his wife berated him
for his lack of executive ability; and where
Jezebel concocted the plan for Naboth's ruin.
1. The FJcts Stated.
Naboth's refusal made Ahab miserable. He
had conquered Ben-hadad by the sword, but he
cannot subdue the conscientious determina-
ton of Naboth. Physical forces are often more
easily overcome than conscience Ahab went
| 10 his palace "heavy and displcased. y accord
ing to the ReceiUai Version angry and fretting,
! in the Douay; pOuting aud sulkiur in plain
| English. Mad and sad, he threw himself down
/ on his bed with his face turned toward the
| wall either TO conceal his vexatiOn or To expose
| il so rs TO elicit sympathy. or out Of shame ut
| his state of mind. And he would not eat: a
very natural effect Of anger or grief q Sam,
| Il l6. IL, 2l.) Ii would seem he was given to
/ such fits. q XII, 20: 49, His wife, Jezebel,
I noticed how agitatcd her husband was aud in
4 rod ia rpa IL wnla hn led.
WHO is King? Who rules this Kingdom ?"
/ She was in the spirit OF one who to-day burts
| out, Who runs this mlchine?" And we find
! very soon who the ruler OF Israel was IL was
neither Ahab nor NabOth, but Jczcbel. There
/ is good reason for rendering the question ".
/ =, " DOst thou now govern the Kingdom of
/ Israeli" ironically. The Douay rather incIines
tOSuch understanding. translating thus: Thou
art OF great authority indeed, and governest
/ well the Kingdom of Israel" As much rs to
/ say, You are a bright ruler You are Of great
\ importance. People will tremble at the very
thought of you; won't they, though ?" Cheer
up" says Jezebel; A." will attend TO this mat
/ ter. You shall have the vineyard"
,. Less9HS
!. Respect the conscientious feelings Of other
persons. Naboth was loyal, kindly disposed TO
/ all. and respectful TO his King. But his re.
| lieious education and convictions forbade his
| acceptance of Ahab's propositions Many men
| are not spiritually delicate enough 10 give 20
any person credit for sincerity based on scru-
pies Of conscience They cannot appreciate
righteous motive. Ahab should have considered
i the religions scruples OF NabOth. IL would seem
/ he did not; for in the fourth verse we notice he
says nothing TO Jezebel about the reason why
| Naboth declined 10 sell. The explanation would
probably have had no effect on the Queen, as
wonld have been the ease had Naboth's serupIes
| risen from any reverence for Baal. She cared
less for anOther's conscience than did Ahab.
2. Momenisof detection are dangerous Weak
/ ness leads % wickedness. Tempters and tempt
! resscs are numerous, and they well know when
| 10 use their artful appliances.
2. Away with cUvEtOusness IL violates
| specific commandment IL renders its subject
unhappy, yea often makes him sick-a-be
\ There is not satisfaction even in plenty while
one yet enyies another and c0vets his posses
sions.
4. BE contented. Naboth was wealthy. He
had two palaces and ample income. lie sees
man happy in his vineyard and thinks he must
! have that persons prnPerty. lie makes him
1 self utterly miserable because the yinedresser
| prefers 70 keep his ancestral home and TO hand
IL down 10 his children rs he had received it
from his fOrcfatheTs. Some one has said, Dis
content is q sin that Is its own punishment"
With an elegant home on the hill Of Samaria,
which Omri honght and adorned ll6: 2il; with
palace built Of ivory i22 30; just fresh from
victories over Ben hadad tChap. 20); the Occn-
pant of throne; with gardens. parks fouu-
tains; with royal HsSouroes yet, We see Ahab
moody, whining, sad. unable to eat. because he
cannot have in addition bit of land owned
by one Of his subjects To eOntented man,
says Gray,
- The neanesi foweret Of the vale
Tue simplest note that swels the gale.
The common sun, The air. the skies,
To him are opening paradise"
L.
tent is our best having" Happy for Ahab
could he have gotten into the spirit Of the
widow OF Heyetius. who said 10 Napoleon:
You cannot conceive how much happiness
there can be found on three acres of land"
What philosophy in Mackintoshs statement:
" IL is right TO be conteuted with what We have;
not with what we are"
8. DO not marry Jezebel. Ahab was not so
bad as weak. Jezebel stirred him up to evil
81: 25) Happy man whose wife ever points
him TO good! PRO, IL 22.) Some men can
stem against all the DeTsuasiOus OF an evil com
paniOn. So did job. Job. go l0) IL is
stated as "A reason WHY J0horan did evil. was
because ne married Ahab's daughter. y XII,
1 s:lsj Who does not remember how Lady
1 Macbeth stirs up her husband 10 murder the
| King Of Scotland? He intimatcd, I'VE may
fail" She answers. ave fail but screw your
| courage 10 the sticking place, and we'll not
4 fail" He hesitatEs. She eKcaims, "Infirm
| OF purpose! Give me the daggersi" Great
men often make fearful mistakes in the matter
| of marriage. Think Of John Wesley, Byron,
| BuweT. We must not forget the womanIy,
/ wIiely side of JsZebel. She noticed her hus-
band felt sad, and, out of real sympathy, il
| would seem, was anxious 10 know the cause.
4 This WAS well so far, but no woman should be
so concerned for her husbands happiness as to
manipulate the robbery aud murder Of some
other wife's companion IN marriage. mans
| future JOY in this world and largely in tine
4 world 10 come depends on his uxorial choice.
| Goethe suffered 10 years with drunken
4 wife. Dickens aud wife had hard time of il.
John Ruskiu married unfortunately, and the
two separated, she afterwards marrying Mil
1 lais. the famous London painter. Addis0n's
| wife was a terror. Emerson, LORgielow, Low
| ell. Richard Grant White. Richard s. SpoffUri,
| Burnett, J. w. DE Forest, Clemens, Julian Haw-
1 th0Tne, Charles Dudley Warner. were all very
| happy ia marriage.
With "A devout sincere, loving WIFE Ahab
| would probably have made ut least tOlerably
acceptable King.
NABoTH's TRIAL AND DEATH.
| j. Data.
XII, 2I:s-I3.
2. Statement Of Facts
Now we reach the plot of the Queen-cOnsort.
| What must have besn,fhe moral state of things
when Jezebei could successfully plan murder
| he alh and NJ ha aif