The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1891-01-07

Sixty-five years after the division
of the kingdom, we come again
among the Kings" Jeroboam, who
had "made Israel to SIM" reigned
twenty-five years, and was succeeded
by his son, Nadab, who reigned two
years. He was slain by Baasha, who
reigned twenty-four years. Then
Elah succeeded for only two years
and was slain by Zimri, who was
king but seven days. A military
ruler, Omri, was placed on the throne
by the army, and civil war followed,
when the people proclaimed Tibni
their king. Tibni was defeated and
slain, and Omri was established in
the kingdom, and Samaria was made
the capital. Omri died B. c.. 91S,
and was succeeded by his son, Ahap.
Strife, bloodshed, tumult, constant
degradation marked the whole peri
cd of sixty-five years. The lowest
level was reached under Ahab. Gle
did evil in the sight of the Lord
above all that were before him"
He had married pagan woman,
Jezebel, the daughter of the king of
the ZidOnians, and herself the high
priestess of Baal, the Phenician di-
vinity. Under her influence the
weak and corrupt Ahab abandoned
the worship of Jehovah, tore down
the affairs of Israel, and established
in the = consecrated land, among
Gods peculiar people," the filthy
worship of Baal and Ashcroft, the
Jupiter and the Venus, perhaps the
sun and the moon, of a debased and
polluted religion. There was almost
a total extinction of the worship of
the God of Israel. The wicked
queen herself waged a fierce perse-
cution of the prophets, and all that
could be found were slain. 1t was
a reign of terror to the remnant of
Jehovah's people, who died by the
sword or fled to remote hiding
places Suddenly there appears on
the scene one of the grandest charac-
tiers of the Church of God. In the
time of utmost need God raises up
a great man, strong in the power of
God, to stand for righteousness and
contend for the faith delivered to
the saints" Elijah, the Tishbite,
In the mountains of Gilead, in the
secluded life of a lonely prophet,
had linked himself to the God of
heaven and earth by his "fervent,
effectual prayer" and now goes
forth to do His bidding, and receive
His watchful and sufficient care.
/. He stands before Ahab. A start
ling apparition he would be coming
suddenly before the guilty king, in
the garb of the wilderness, with long
hair and coarse mantle. In the very
palace at Samaria, alone and fear
less, he stands before Ahab, and
"beards the lion in his den" A
stern message he has to deliver. GAS
the Lord God of Israel liveth." The
Lord had been rejected and profaned
and defied. But He would have
Ahab to know He was living, and
was the God of Israel, and would
never yield His claims, as He could
never surrender His power, over the
people and their king. The prophet
asserted and magnified his office.
when he added, before whom
stand" The supreme authority of
the King of kings had sent him Ia
Ahab. Jehovah was not without
one servant to stand and wait; and
then to run to do the kings bust
ness. And this was the threatened
judgment, "there shall not be dew
nor rain these years, but according
to my words" 1t was Jehovah s
challenge and defiance of Baal, who
was wOrshipped as the God of nature
and the giver of rain. If dew and
rain were withheld where would be
the favor and power of the Pheni.
clan deity? Who should save them
from drought and the famine that
would scourge the people high and
low?
Three years and a half, we Learn
from New Testament passages. the
famine continued. Not one season
nor two, but three and more, made
the judgment more terrible. dis
PEELED all thought of mere natura
causes, exposed the vanity of trusf
i'm Baal, and declared with fearful
emphasis that the scourge was from
Jehovah.
A daring visit that was of Eliial
to Ahab. From the jaws of the lior
he went forth "uniuiured and un.
awed." The people of God are safe
i'm the hollow Of his hand and Inc
who goes at Gods command npeC