Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-07-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON v, JULY 3I-1 KINGS,
FL: Ale,
Golden Text-"Thou Shalt Not Covet
Thy Neighbours House."-Ex. go: IL
Gradual Working Out of EIijah's
Reforms.

The section includes the rest Of I.
Kings, chaps. 20-22 A brief glance at
the silent progress of the reforms Elijah
sought, and at the steps of Ahab toward
his doom and toward the destruction of
the idolatry he upheld. The Whole Sec
tion.-In this lesson we should first, read
Ing over the whole section. note the
signs OF the fulfilment of Elijah's mis-
sion-the freedom from persecution; the
help OF the prophets. victories over enc
mics from the Lord, when Baaps proph-
cts had been vain defense the steps
toward the downfall of Ahab and his
family. who sustained idolatry and vice.
and refused to obey God. PRACTICAL
Then we can derive some very practical
lessons from the story of Naboths vine
yard. The map should be freely used.
Secular history throws considerable light
on this lesson by giving us parallels to
several portions. Time.-Probably five
or six years after the reformation on
Carmel. B. C. $780, com. chron.; or 1858.
rev. chron. Place.-Samaria, the capital
and metropolis of Israel; and Jezreel.
twenty-five miles to the north; favorite
royal residence, 1.-The Windsor of Israel"
Rulers.-Ahab, king OF Israel, Jehosha-
PLAT, king of judah, Benhadad H., king
OF Syria. now prosperous kingdom;
Shalmanezer, king of Assyria. Monu-
ments.-From the Moabite Stone (see p.
1889 We learn that Moab was tributary to
Israel at this time. Elijah. accompanied
by the young Elisha as his assistant, is
living in retirement. part Of the time.
perhaps, out of the kingdom; but prob
ably more of the time doing his work
among the schools of the prophets,
which seem to have revived q Kings 2:
80; l Kings 20: $50. Ahab was too busy
with enemies and war to pay much at
90 l. %1,Ato IL
caiah, Elisha, an unknown prophet, and
the sons Of the prophets.
4. And Ahab CAME from Jezreel,
into his house" In Samaria. as we
gather from VS.. H. 16. is, and chap. 70: 43.
And he laid down upon his bed" The
bed-chamber was in the most retired and
secret part of the palace eek. S:3;
Kings s. 12). And turned away his face.
and would eat no bread" Such an open
manifestation of i'll temper is thoroughly
characteristic Of an Oriental king.
s. But Jezebel. his wife," like ely
temnestra of Aeschylus and Lady Mac
beth OF Shakespeare, comes forward to
help her husband to sin, not to do right.
He is like wax in her hands. Satan's
most dangerous agents are not revolving
creatures. 1 have no doubt that Jezebel
was very handsome. very tasteful in her
dress, and very fascinating in her man
couraged Ahab to do wickedly.
Z. "Dost thou now govern" This
sneer expresses in bitter irony her scorn-
fsl wonder at one who lets 1 dare not
wait upon / would" arise. and eat
bread" In this invitation there seems
half-contemptuous recognition of a self
indulgent weakness of nature. II will
give thee the vineyard" ''P' is the en-
phatic word here. Compare the words of
shakespeare's parallel character: In
arm of purpose! give me the dagger,
IT we should fall" objects Macbeth.
s. 80 she wrote letters in Ahabs
name" 1t is customary in the East now.
az then, for the government to proclaim
one thing publicly. and at the same time
to give private instructions to the Of
fcials, of a very different nature, with
the design of binding the eyes of Euro
pean governments. And sealed them
with his SEAL Documents of every kind,
from a royal decree to a private letter.
are never signed with pen and ink in the
East but are simply sealed with mans
signet, which contains his name; little
ink is rubbed upon 1t, and 1t Is pressed
upon the moistened paper.
8. Proclaim q fast" AS IL some great
calamity were overhanging the city for
their sins, like a black cloud portending
q storm. (See Joel l: II: 2: -; Sam. Il:
So Something must be done Immediate
ly to avert the doom. Set Naboth on
high" On the platform of the court. to
be tried
10. Set two men, sons of Belial'' Be-
lial Is not proper noun, but simply
means "worthlessness." ''recklessness."
hence the sons of Bellal were those who
inherited the very spirit of recklessness
and derravity Only such would bear
such false witness as was required.
"Blaspheme God" THE true Oriental,
however careless his life, Is fanatically
jealous for the honor of Gods name. To
blaspheme Allah III any place where Mo-
hammedans congregate would probably
result in the death Of the blasphemer on
the spot."-Sunday-S times And
the king" 1t would be easy to find some
faint foundation for this charge in a
pious man whose soul was opposed to the
course of the king in introducing idola-
try. Such a man could not help protest.
ing against the evil done by Ahab. When
one is determined to commit a crime
against another II is easy to find an ex-
cuse, as In the fable OF the Wolf and the
Lamb. "A Spanish proverb suggests to
him that has a mind to quarrel with his
wife. to bid her bring water to him In
the sunshine. A very fair quarrel may
be picked up about the notes In the
clearest watsr."-Jacox.
And when TO sin our biased nature
leans.
The careful devils still ut hand with
means."-Dryden.
And carry him out. A ston!ng always
| took place outside the city. (See Acts q:
bS)-Cook. And stone him. The legal
| punishment Of blasphemy was indeed
death by stoning Gev. "a: 80. and Naboth
| would have persisted justly had he been
| guilty Of the crime.-Van Lennep. That
| he may die 1t appears from Kings 8:
| 2S. that Naboths sons were put to death
| at the same time. Thus. there being no
heirs. the property would revert to the
| crown.
ls. Ahsb rose up to go down to the
| VINEYARD Of Naboth. The Septuagint adds
| that he rent his clothes and put ON sack
| cloth, as though shocked at his crime.
| and anxious to prove his innocence to
| his own conscience and to the people.
| God babe him go down and meet Ahab
| In the vineyard. When Ahab came to the
VINEYARD to take possession of It, there
stood the prophet in his hairy garb. so
had Moses stood before Pharaoh. and
| Samuel before Saul. and Nathan before
| David. So was Isaiah to stand hereafter
before Ahaz, and jeremiah before Jeho-
iachim. and John the Baptist before Her.
Cd. and Paul before Nero.