Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1904-07-28
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR JULY 81.

SubJecE Omr1 ana AhaD' hi"se' AS's
23-33.-Golden Text, Prov. XIV, ID
Memory Verses, 3O-33- Commentary
OH the Days Lesson.
Introduction and Ahab were
both infamous Kings. Their wickedness
knew no bounds OF each it was said that
he did evil in the sight of the Lord above
"all that were before him." The king
dom of Israel continued only 254 years at
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 dynastles. All
of these Kings were ungodly and seven
usurped the throne by bloodshed. Omri
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 a sadder record. Under him idolatry
and wickedness became fearfully prevalent,
the prophets of God were slain and Hls
worship forbidden.
Commentary. The reign, character
and death Of Omri Tvs. 2328). %. BE.
gan Omri." No account is here taken OF
the four years he was contestng the KING
dom with 1ibn. From verse 10 we see
that his reign must really have begun N
the twcnty-seventh year OF Asa reign;
and comparing the two statements we con
clude that four years later at the dea.n
of Tibni, in the thirty-first 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. "1n Tirzah.. he
reigned six years in Tirzah and SIN in "a
maria. ;, ,r, =
Tirzah being in RUNS. Omri, IN seiect
inp the site of his royal residence, was nat
urally influenced by considerations both OF
pleasure and advantage In the centre OF
a wide amphtheatre of mountains, about
six miles from Schechem, rises an ob.one
hill with steep, yet accessible SIDES, ana
long fiat ton extending east and west, and
rising 500 or 600 feet above the valley.
What Omri probably built as mere
paatial residence, became the capita, OF
the kingdom instead of Shechem., me
choice of Omri was admirable in selecting
n nos;tion which combined strength, beauty
and fertility. "Shemer.' The leDre"
form of Shomer, from whence the hill was
called Shomeron or Samara 'Iwo tai
ents." About $500 This was large sum.
%. civil. Worse than all" lie was
worse than the wicked Kings who had
reigned before him. ale went farther
than they had gone in establishing lniqn'ty
by law. end forcing his subjects to comply
with him in it; for we read IN Mean Oily
of the statutes of Omri, the Keeping Oh
which made Israel dcsolaton." We can.
not doubt that these statutes of Omri
were measures adopted for the more com
pletely isolating the people from he house
OF the Lord at Jerusalem and OF p?rpctu
ating-perhaps increasng-their ldolatrous
practices. 2G. made Israel to sin Note
the power of wicked life: l., Il is the
more dangerous when associated with ma
terial prosperity ". 24). ,. 1t transforms
a King into tyrant Tvs. -, 26). 8. IL
is the less cXcusablc IN man OF Naior ana
capacity ". 20. a.. 1t entails suffering
and woe on succeeding generations. ~:
"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 iarthest
from God. \ man may be skl.iui aud use,
full to himself and others III all material
and worldly things, while IN spiritual ana
divine. things he works only mischief and
destruction. What without religion Is 80 50.
called civilization! %. "Omr slept lie
died a natural death.
II. The reign and character of Ahab
Tvs. 29.33). 90. year OF Asa Asa saw
six Kings of Israel buried. Began Ahah.
More particulars are .ccordcd of Ahab
than Of any of the other Kings OF Israel
80. Did evil Above all lie even
exceeded the iniquity OF his wicked father.
81. "A light thing" lie not only broke
the second commandment by introducing
false gods, but he broke the first also by
bringing III henlnt' "'',,,1;Inl aL;rr
SIN OF AhaV' "h''h 49,. 49,,
of the worship of Baal, consequent upon
ms marriage WIN 'e"tie'' n""'. ~
more infamous than ms own, ana n'I
formal eStanlishlhehI Oh 'nIs s.oSs "I,'
paIpablc idoIa'ry a. the .ttlls.on VI h .ne
state. JeheDei', onr Oh tnt WORST ca
actcrs mentioned III thc ECilP'uIts' 'He
used every rhor. 10 e>,ao,'sn iuo."LiN ~
Samaria ana eS'erhil'a'r tne "olSu'lIu ~
God: PROPHET ana Pe"ple were 'o,l'Pe,iIcn
to h'de from the storm VI n'I NAV" AK
influence was iso po"'flui'S ieIt Ill 'uua",
'Ethbaal: 'ezehel roNai laI"et was a
priest OF Baal ana murdered MS 'W.
brother, Ming fhlletoS; ne N"SS, r, u.
parent OF tins woman. Id1,''ahS' ms
term was used among the hebrews W''n
much lahtude' Joseph's cans h'hn'Hl
klng OF the lyrans ana Hlu"nia,''' ~ -
probable that both Tyre ana Muon, WIN
the adjacent towns, were often under one
government. Served Baai' Inc c.isl
male god among the rhoeniclahs' as HSh
torcth was the temaic divinity. An unholy
alliance would never be entered into II the
soul were not first demorallHcd. Inc re
suits show that mixed MARRIAGES are dan
gcrous. \ want of mutual religious con
vlctlons between the husband ana W'le IS