The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-07-29
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, THIRD QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, JULY 81.

xx' i7-Commentary by the Rev. ID. nj.
stearns.
t. And Ahab came into his house
heavy and displeased because of the word
which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken
unto him, for he had said, will not give
thee the Inheritance of my fathers. " There
lore like q sulky child he went to bed,
turned his face to the wall and would not
eat. 1t was law in Israel that the prince
should not take of the peoples inheritance
py oppression Geek. XVI, 49, but Ahab
seemed to know no law but his own will.
de offered to buy the field from Naboth,
but the inheritance Of his fathers was
more to Naboth than money. The Holy
spirit, by whom we are sealed. is the ear
nest OF our inheritance (Eph. 1, 10, IA
Are we DESTROYS that He shall not be
grieyed by any misconduct of oursf
D, o. But Jezebel, his wife, came to
him and said unto him, Why is thy spirit
so sad that thou eatest no bread?' And
he told her the cause. Contrast the sad
ness OF heart of Neh. Ii, 2. and of Dan. x,
., 3, with this selflshness of Ahab. He
should have been, like Nehemiah and
Daniel, full of desire for the welfare of the
kingdom and for the glory of God, but no
such thoughts filed his mind. On the con-
trary, he was full of desire to add little bit
Of property to that which he already. pos
sessed He had not yet learned that a
mans life consistent not In the abundance
OF the things which he possesseth duke
XII, 15).
z. "And Jezebel, his wife, said unto
ka La
Of Israel? Arise and eat bread and let
thine heart be merry. Twill give thee the
vineyard of Naboth, the Jezreelite." The
devil quickly suggests to his well trained
servant his favorite method Of removing
those who are in his way, and she as
quickly sees the whole thing as good as
done and tells her husband that she will
give him the desired field. There was none
like Ahab who did sell himself to work
wickedness In the sight of the Lord, whom
Jezebel, his wife, stirred up (verse 25).
They coveted fields and took them by vio-
lence; they defrauded a man and his her.
itage (Mic. ii, %.
s. $50 she wrote letters in Ahab's name
and sealed them with his seal, and sent
the letters unto the elders and to the no
bles that were In his city dwelling with
Naboth." Which was worse, these or the
death dealing letter of David tho king in
III Sam. XII, IA, Is? God is the judge. How
much better the life giving letters of Es-
Their and Mordecai In Esther vii, z, 81 The
Son of Man came to save, not to destroy,
mems lives The devil is the deyourer and
the destroyer.
o, 10. "And she wrote in the letters,
saying, Proclaim fast and set Naboth on
high among the people, and set two men,
sons of Belial before him to bear witness
against him, saying, Thou didst bias
phemo God and the king, and then carry
him out and stone him that he may die. "
This is the DEVILS favorite pastime. He
began it on Abel and has been at 1t ever
since. He worked it vigorously with the
little children In Israel about the time
that Moses was born and with the children
in Bethlehem when Christ was born.
Through an INSCRIPTIONS woman he had
John tho Baptist beheaded and tried to
kill Joseph In Egypt. When the time
came, he was allowed to kill our Lord
Himself. But in reference to this worst
the devil can do to us wo are told not to fear
1t. "Fear not them which kill the body
and "Fear none of those things which
thou shalt suffer" (Math. x, 80; Rev. ii,
10)
IL, 12. "Apd the men of his city, even
the elders and the mobiles who were the
Inhabitants in his city, did as Jezebel had
sent unto them and as 1t was written in
the letters which she had sent unto them.
Perhaps they were indebted to her or to
the king for the possessions they occupied.
However that may or may not have been,
they evidently feared to disobey her orders.
Those who fear not to do right at any cost,
like Joseph and Daniel, did not abound In
the high places in Naboth's town, nor do
they abound in high places anywhere as
rule.
10. "And there came in two men, chill
dren of Belial, and sat before him, and
the men of Belial witnessed against him,
even against Naboth in the presence OF tho
people, saying, Naboth did blaspheme God
and the king. Then they carried him
forth out of the city and stoued him with
stones that he died." No Justice on earth
for such as Naboth who dared to stand
against the will of the king; no justice
for Stephen or Paul; none for the Lord
Jesus Himself when He stood in our place
to deliver us from tho hand of the enemy.
But there is an abundant welcome for all
such in heaven, and the time will como
when their righteousness shall shine forth
as the sun.
IA. "Then they sant to Jezebel, saying,
Naboth Is stoned and is dead. 1t would
seem from ii Kings TX, 20, that his sons
were stoned also. 1t is not according to
Gen. iv, 10, that dead men tell no tales, for
the voice of Abel's blood cried to God and
the voice of every wrong thing on the
earth is still crying to God, and He will
yet sec to it (Hab. ii, IL; James v, a.
Although God seems to keep silence and
let men do as they please, yet He sees and
notes everything, and II is written "Our
God shall come and shall not keep silence.
a fire shall devour before Him, and IL shall
be very tempestuous round about Him"
(Ps. !, 81. AS to the dead who die In the
Lord, 1t is always blessed for them (Rev.
xiv, 13), for they rest from their labors,
and their works follow.
Is. "Jezebel said to Ahab, Arise, take
possession of the vineyard Of Naboth the
Jezreelite, which he refused to give thee
for money, for Naboth Is not alive. but
dead" The God of Naboth still lived, but
of Him she took no account Her heart
said unto God, Depart from me- What can
A. A,,x,schxv 40 En- y,,a3 fJoh YYif- 17l