The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1904-07-26
1 THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JULY 81.

Subject: 0mri and Ahab. j Kings, fvs.,
23-33-Golden Text, PROV. XIV, 54-
Memory Verses, sO-33 = coIninentary
on the Days Lesson.
Tntroductions Omri and Ahab we're
both infamous Kings. Their wickednesa
knew no bounds. OF each it was sad thas
he did evil in the sight OF the Lord ABOVE
ssall that were before him" The King
dom Of Israel continued only 254 years at
ter the division of the kingdom, ana our.
ing that time there were nineteen dlf1erens
Kings mot counting Tibni, Omri,s rival,
Of nine different houses or dynastles AL
of these Kings were ungody and seven
usurped the throne by bloodshed Omrl
was the sixth King Of Israel and the
founder Of the third dynasty. Ahah, the
son and successor of Omri. fully established
Baal worship. No King Of the Jews has
left sadder record. Under him ldoiatTy
and wickedness became fearfully prevalent,
the prophets Of God were slain and His
worship forbidden.
Commentary. The reign, character
and death of Omri Tvs. 23-28). %. Be-
gan Omri" No account is here taken OF
the four years he was contesting the king
dom with 1ibni. From verse u we see
that his reign must really have begun in
the twenty-seventh year Of Asas 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 reignt -four years with
Tibni and eight years alone. There IS,
however difference Of opinion as to
the chronology here. In Tirzah. He
reigned six years in Tirzah and SIX IN Sa-
maria
"a. seThe Hill samaria.y The palace Of
Tirzah being. in ruins. Omri, in seiect-
IL - s,f
urally influenced by considerations both OF
pleasure and advantage. In the centre Of
wide amphitheatre of mountains about
six miles from Schechem, rises an ob'ong
hill with steep, yet accessible sides, and
long fat top extending east and west, and
What Omri probably built as mere
palatial 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 me eesr nIll was va
called Shomeron or Samaria. Two tai
ents.'' About 1890. This was large sum.
Is. 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 iniqnity
by law. end forcing his subjects to comply
with him in it; for we read IN Micah GIG
of the statutes Of Omri,' the keeping OF
which made Israel desolation" We cam
not doubt that these statutes of OmTi
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 their idolatrous
practices. &c. Made Israel to SIM Note
the power Of wicked life l.. II Is the
more dangerous when associated with ma
terial prosperity ". 24). 2. 1t transforms
King into tyrant Tvs. %, 26). 3. 1t
capacity w. ~. A. It entails suffering
and woe on succeeding generations. N.
And his might" It 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. A 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 a natural DEATH
ii. The reign and character Of Ahab
Tvs. 29-33) 49, Year Of Asa" Asa saw
six Kings of Israel buried Began Ahab.v
More particulars are recorded of Ahab
than Of any of the other Kings Of Israel.
30. did evil II. Above all. He even
exceeded the iniquity of his wicked father.
81. "A light thing" He not only sbroke
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, name even
more infamous than his own; and his
formal establishment of this gross and
palpable idolatry as the iehgion of the
state. "Jezebeln 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 clso powerfully felt in Judah.
"Ethbaal" JezebePs royal father was a
priest of Baal and murdered his own
brother, King Philetos. He was. fit
parent of this woman. "Zidonians.' This
much latitude. Josephus calls Ethbaal
King Of the Tyrians and Zidonians. 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 unholy
alliance would never be entered into if the
soul were not first demoralized. The re-
suits show that mixed marriages are dam
gerous. A want of mutual religious con-
victions between the husband and wife is
almost certain to impair the sacred rela-
LOuSDlp.
so. 'sReared 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 sensuoue
accompaniment of all kinds music, stat
nary, 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 hcentious excuses.
30. Made a 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 deities, 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 SO. 1t is not the
greatness of our sins which causes our con-
domination, but the unbelieying rejection
OF the Saviour. When we reject Christ we
nave nothing Of value left--hep, happiness
and hope are forever gone, and like YES.
sci without rudder or sail we drift toward
the rocks OF eternal destruction and
despair.
The Turkish Coal Fields.
The coal district IA Asia Minor is known