The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-07-09

st,ONTEXT. The division of the king
dom into two parts, Israel on the hor'h
a and Judah on the south, effected under
circumstances described last week. pre-
y scented two soveregns who naturally felt
Jealous OF each other. Rhehoboaln, the
X King Of Judah. considering himself me
successor Of Solomon, hia father was dls-
8posei To claim all the country. ana he
assembled the chief men and proposed to
recover BY force the ten tribes who mad
rehelled But this was contrary TO the
4 Divine will as announced by Shemaiah
the man OF God. Hence the preparations
for war were abandoned and the people
\ returned to their homes to engage again
In the ordinary pursuits Of peace. Then
begal, a new career for the chosen people
Each ma ton had opportunity to display
Its loyalty to God and to work out us
destiny
REs1DENCE-Cv erse 2s).-The first act
y Or teroboam. King OF Israel. was to fix his
Y capital. Jerusalem continued to be the
seat of government for Judah. Snerhen1i
= was built or rather rebuilt for the north
&nrn Kingdom. This lay between Mount
EbaI and Mount Genizlm. near the place.
where Joshua encatnped after the nva-
sion preparatory to the conquest. Shech-
ON had been a very important place IN
patriarchal history. lying midway be-
tween the Jordan and the great sea. 1t
Mas utterly destroyed by Abimelech In
1905 B. C. l(Judges 1X:4O and SO remained
IN ruins until Jeroboam's tire Crossing
the Jordan Jerohoam selected a second
residence In the tribe nj Cad on the site
$of a city In the time of Jacob, Gen.
iNXXII:3o.31) which had been DESTROYED
BY Gideon. (Judges vIlT:11) This he re-
built and It is probable that IN both cit
les he erected palaces. BY this method
y he expected to gain favor With the peo-
pie III both the eastern and western por-
Stlons Of his Kingdom. AL tthis was wise
and proper.
rs STRATEGY-Cverse 26 and 2D.-Jero-
tboam was a shrewd, but worldly states
man; he knew how to manage the affairs
of public interest so as to strengthen him
self In the kingdom His two residences
being established. he next reflected that
dheitem Of religion was of great moment.
THE people had become accustomed on GER
tain occasions to go up 10 Jerusalem
from all parts Of the land. There stood
the temple and there were observed me
various religious ceremonies. All this
tended to national4unty. With pious re-
gard for the religious customs of their
fathers, all men had faithfully repaired
year after year to the place dcarer than 4
all others There they had commingled.
talked freely of ther5common origin and
destiny. (Deut XII:5-60 All this. more
aver, was by Divine command. Jeroboam
saw plainly that 1t would be impossible
for him to maintain the kingdom which
lad been set up If this practice continued. 4
Sooner or, later the people would return 4
10 their old allegiance and he would be
put to death.
IlXPED1ENT--(v Oversees IS and 2a),-He
did mot take long to find way out of
this embarrassing condition. The simplest
plan was 10 change the national religion,
and that course was adopted after due
consultation with the state officials. 1t
was resolved to return to the religion OF
Egypt BY so doing they would be Who'll
~ separated from Judah and they would
more easily gain sympathy Of the Egyp-
t!an court. forming an alliance Of great
value The religion Of Egypt. moreover.
appealed to the lsraelites, because 1t, pre-
scented something visible 10 be worshipped.
The fathers had returned to II. Gen.
XXXlIT:N in the time of Moses. pre-
text was also made that the journey to
Jerusalem was too great. To save the
time two places were appointed and calves
of gold we're set up, one in Bethel, In the
souther1l part of the Kingdom. and one at
Dan, In the northern part. To make all
this acceptable the royal proclamation de-
clared that these were the Gods that
brought Israel out or Egypt' an appea
that would be llkely TO meet popular re-
Spouse. ~
II APPROPRIATENESS oo.-Jeropoam evil
IDENTIFY expected ms people %ouid Iolow
his ADVICE ana example. ana ne Eau soou
reason to expect 1t. There was the dis
position of the multitude, then as always
In all lands, to regard those IN authorltE,
on which he might count. BESIDES me
rebellion was popular movement result
Ing IN q ne" government, u Kings Nile
920) which every one would DC gao 10
support, and every new measure IN thal
interest would find favor. ana SO lsracl
turned away from Jerusalem 10 worship
at Dan. making p,lgrlnlages northward
instead Of southwark. abandoning the al
tars set up by Divine direction III the
city of David, abandoning also the hopes
long cherished and the sweet memories
of the Years long past 1t Is probable
that few of the more plous souls adj
hered to the ancient faith and worship,
q Kings XIX;lS), but the detection was
quite general This first ruler of the
northern kingdom went into history as
the cause of the appstasy. G. Kings
ANl1.gfD
PRlESTHOOD--(Ners 3D.--By Divine
order ono of the sons Of Jacob and his