Fitzgerald enterprise. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1895-1912, 1911-01-05
PLEASANT FIELDS OFHOLY WRIT
The international S. S. Lesson.
First Quarter, Lesson IL; Jan. 8,
1911: Kings XII:25; XIII:1-16.

The genesis Of a new empire is
always fascinating, but a special liz
terest attaches to the rise of the
kingdom of Israel. The cleavage
between Ephraim and Judah seemed
inevitable. It was postponed by the
craftsmanship Of David, but it be-
gan under the abuses Of Solomon,
and was precipitated by the insolent
incompetence of Rehoboam. The
most significant incident of the mar
rative is that which describes the
means which Jerob0am took to
ALLEVIATE his subjects permanently
from Jerusalem. Humanity speak
ing it was imperative that he should
take steps to preserve the autonomy
of the new kingdom. The thing
most threatening to this was the
rule of the Hebrew religion which
required the presence of every male
three times a year in the temple.
1t was evident that if the new king
doms were to be kept separate po-
litically, they must first be separat-
ed religiously. No one can dispute
the cleverness of Joroboam's device.
He set up symbols of religion at the
most sacred shrines within his own
territory which happened also to be
most conveniently located. He ex-
cused his subjects from the long
and expensive journeys to Jerusa-
lem. In the place of the Levites
who had deserted to Judah, he
created new priesthood in which
all sections and classes are repre-
scented. AS a pure piece of state
craft this was a master stroke. 1t
confirmed the separation of the two
Kingdoms for all time. Without it,
to all human appearances, Israel
would ultimately have been reab-
sorbed by Judah. By this device
Jeroboam buttressed his throne and
perpetuated his dynasty, and for
doing so current opinion would GER
tainly commend him. But this
whole transaction must be viewed
from a standpoint absolutely extra
ordinary. Jeroboam was at fault
in throwing himself dead against
the fundamental principles Of the
Mosaic law and ritual. He carried
his worldly policy into a sacred realm
and poisoned the stream OF national
life in it's very fountain.
The Teachers Lantern.
The key to JeroboamS character
is found in the word policy Who
made Israel to SIM" is a menacing
refrain repeated twenty-three times
concerning the successive kings Of
the Northern kingdom. To the
Oriental mind a young bull is the
symbol of creative energy or power
to bring into being. For this reason
it was adopted to represent the
Deity. A modern analogy to the
change of the harvest feast is found
in the attempted abolition Of the
seven-day notation in order to
obliterate Sunday-a decimal sys-
tenn being substituted. This was
done by the French Revolutionists
A wrong sense is conveyed in the
authorized version of the translation
he made priests of the lowest OF
the people, He did not elevate
Tom, Dick, and Harry" to the
priesthood. He was too shrewd for
that. What he really did was to
buttress his throne by choosing for
ecclesiastical order from among all
the people" Gas in the Revised Yer
sion); that is, capable men, where
exer he found them. The Levites
living in Israel showed themselves
self-respecting men. They curried
no favor. With one accord they
surrendered their ivings and made
an exodus to Judah. A modern
analogy to this is found in the Scoth
clergy. The loss sustained by Israel
was very great. 1t was like the
exodus of the HuguenOtS from
France.