The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-07-27
THE SUNDAY school
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JULY 81.



on the Days Lesson.
Introduction .-Omri and Ahab were
both infamous Kings. Their wickedness
he did evil in the sight of the Lord above
''all that were before him." The king
dom of Israel continued only 254 years. af
ter the division of the kingdom, and dur
ing that time there were nineteen different
Kings mot counting Tibni, Omris rival,
of nine different houses or dynasties. All
of these Kings were ungodly and seven
was the sixth King of Israel and the
founder of the third dynasty. Ahab, the
son and successor of Omri, fully established
Baal worship. No King Of the Jews has
left sadder record. Under him idolatry
and wickedness became fearfully prevalent,
the prohpets of God were slain and His
worship forbidden.
Commentary-I. The reign, character
and death of Omri Tvs. 1929. 80 'Be.
gan Omri." No account is here taken OF
the four years he was contesting the king
dom with 1ibni. From verse Is we see
that his reign must really have begun in
the twenty-seventh year of Asa's reign;
and comparing the two statements we. con-
clude that four years later, at the death
of Tibni, in the thirty-frst year of Asa's
reign, he began to reign alone. Twelve
years" This is supposed to include the
whole time of his reign-four years With
Tibni and eight years alone. There is,
however, a difference Of opinion as to
the chronology here. "In Tirzah." Ho
reigned six years in Tirzah and six in Sa.
maria.
"a. "The hill Samaria." The palace Of
Tirzah being in ruins. Omri, in select.
ing the site of his royal residence, was nat
urally influenced by considerations both OF
pleasure and advantage: In the centre of
a wide amphitheatre of mountains, about
six miles from Schechem, rises an oblong
hill with steep, yet accessible sides, and
long fiat top extending east and west, and
rising 500 or 800 feet above the valley.
What Omri probably built as a mere
palatal residence, became the capital Of
the kingdom instead of Shechem. The
choice of Omri was admirable in selecting
position which combined strength, beauty
and fertility. "Shemer." The Hebrew
form of ShOmer, from whence the hill was
called Shomeron or Samaria. 1.-TWO tai
ents." About S332O. This was large sum.
%. EVIL. . Worse than ALL" He was
worse than the wicked Kings who had
reigned before him. "He went farther
than they had gone in establishing iniquity
by law, and forcing his subjects to comply
with him in it; for we read in Micah GIG
which made Israel desolation." We can
not doubt that these statutes of Omri
were measures adopted for the more COM
pletely isolating the people from the house
OF the Lord at Jerusalem and of perpetu
ating-perhaps increasing-t idolatrous
practices. 26 Made Israel to sim" Note
the power OF wicked life: l.. 1t is tho
more dangerous when associated with ma
terial prosperity ". pa. 2. 1t transforms
a King into a tyrant Tvs %, 26). 8. 1t
is the less excusable in a man of valor and
capacity ". 27). 4. 1t entails suffering
and woe on succeeding generations. 81
"And his might" 1t appears that he stood
well in the army, for it was in camp that
he was elected to the throne yet in his
relation to Jehovah he stood worse than
any of his predecessors and was farthest
from God. \ man may be ski.ful and use.
full to himself and others in all material
and worldly things, while in spiritual and
divine things he works only mischief and
destruction. What without religion is so.
called civilization? %. "Omri slept" He
died natural death
II. The reign and character of Ahab
Tvs. 29-33). 80. Year of Asa" Asa saw
six Kings of Israel buried. Began Ahab."
More particulars are recorded of Ahab
than OF any of the other Kings of Israel.
30. did evil :. Above ALL He even
exceeded the iniquity of his wicked father.
the second commandment by introducing
false gods, but he broke the first also by
bringing in heather deities. The great
sin of Ahab, which distinguished him
from his predecessors, was his introduction
of the worship OF Baal. consequent upon
his marriage with Jezebel, a name even
more infamous than his own; and his
formal establishment of this gross and
paipable idolatry as the .eligiop of the
state. "Jezebel." One OF the worst char.
acters mentioned in the Scriptures. She
used every effort to establish idolatry in
Samaria and eXterminate the worship OF
God. Prophet and people were compelled
to hide from the storm of her wrath. Her
influence was lso powerfully felt in Judah.
priest of Baal and murdered his own
brother, King Phletos, He was, fit
parent of this woman. "Zidonians" This
term was used among the Hebrews with
much latitude. Josephus calls Ethbaal
King of the Tyrians and Zidopians. 1t is
probable that both Tyre and Zidon, with
the adjacent towns, were often under one
government. Served Baal" The chief
male god among the Phoenicians, as Ash
toreth was the female divinity. An unhoy
alliance would never be entered into il the
soul were not first demoralized. The re-
suits show that mixed marriages are dan
gerous. A want of mutual religious con
victions between the husband and wife is
almost certain to impair the sacred rela'
tionship.
32. ''Reared Altar" etc He
built temple and in it erected an altar
where sacrifice might be offered to Baal.
! Splendid shrines were built, especially one
OF vast size in the capital, and the rites
and ceremonies OF the new cult were ex
hibited on a grand scale, with sensuous
accompaniments of all kinds-music, stat.
uary, procession OF robed priests, victims,
incense, bands of fanatics worked up to
| frenzy by religious excitement, and the
| like. Astartes emblems were erected, and
license was given, under cover OF her wor'
ship, TO tn grossest licentious excesses.
80. made grove."-The Asherah.-R.
V. This was an image to represent the
female divinity, of which Baal was the
male. "Did move" Ahab actually wor.
shipped these heather deites, and crushed
out the true religion. We can be guilty Of
no greater sin than to reject God and
the salvation He has provided through
His Son. See John 3:l9. 80. 1t is not the
greatness of our sins which causes our con-
demnation, but the unbelieving rejection
OF the Saviour. When we reject Christ we
have nothing of value left-help, happiness
and hope are forever gone, and like yes.
sci without rudder or sail we drift toward
the, rocks OF eternal destruction and
despair.