Times-promoter., 1908-02-14

worshiped. Nathan had always held
a strong influence over his royal mas
ter, and up to the time of his death
had maintained the spiritual condi-
tions of the kingdom at a compare
lively high level, but when Nathan
was gone, other influences were soon
at work to turn the heart of the king
in other directions than that of the
worship and service of the true God.
Chief among these influences was
that of the many beautiful women
whom King Solomon hac taken to
wife among the nations about. More
and more was it apparent that in the
absence of the strong influence Of Ma
than the power Of the women over the
king was becoming stronger and
stronger. In fact, in the course Of
time as King Solomon got along In
years it became recognized fact that
the quickest way to secure a favor
from him was to obtain it through the
intermediation of one of his favorite
wives.
1t is not strange, therefore, that one
of the marked changes which should
have taken place had to do with the
religious condition of the people, for
not one of the heathen princesses
who had been taken to wife by Solo,
mon but had brought with her her
gods, and with the ascendancy of their
influence over Solomon came the re-
quest that high places be built for
these gods where public worship
might be held. And when the favor
ite women had all been thus provided
for, there came the clamor from the
other women that their gods be hon
ored in similar way, and that high
places be built in which they might
worship.
Ahijah the prophet of God had long
been watching the trend of events,
and his mind was deeply troubled.
Time and again he had sought audi
ence with the king and had spoken
against the growing idolatry, but the
king had put the matter away as cf
light concern, saying that it was but
natural that these princesses should
wish to serve the gods whom they had
known and served in their own
lands.
But" Ahijah had urged, "these
idolatrous practices will not long be
confined to these foreign princesses,
the wives of my lord the king, for the
people, beholding, will be drawn into
similar practices"
But the king only laughed at the
prophets fears, declaring that he ard
his people knew that there was but
one God and he the God of the peo-
pie of Israel, and that the worship of
strange gods by the princesses would
not make any difference with the peo-
pie of Israel.
Thus time had gone On, and one by
one the high places had increased,
until now all the strange gods had
been honored. There were high places
and beautiful groves to Ashtoreth, to
Milcom, to Chemosh, to the terrible
Moloch, and to all the other gods, so
that Jerusalem and the surrounding
country was dotted with these places.
Ahijah watched all this with i'll
creasing concern and heart-ache.
What more could he say than he had
said? What more could he do to
check the idolatrous tendency of the
people?
Filled with these thoughts he felt
impelled one day to go forth and visit
those high places. The one in par
ticular toward which he directed his
footsteps was that erected to the god
Chemosh, the abomination of the peo-
pie of Moab. 1t had been built on the
hill opposite to Jerusalem and in plain
view Of the temple which years before
Solomon had taken such delight in
building to his God.
"Oh, can it be possible!" he ex-
claimed, that Solomon has thus
dared to defy and dishonor his God?
Has he no regard for the God who
made him what he is and hath given
him all the great prosperity which
hath marked his reign? No, it cannot
be that Solomon knows of this latest
iniquity. 1t must be that some one of
the women more presuming than the
others has caused this work to be
wrought without the knowledge of the
king. | will see him at once" And
turning around hastily Ahijah re.