The Holt County sentinel., 1911-06-16
DOWNFALL OF
SAMARlA

LESSON TEXT-2 Kings Fills
MEMORY XERSE-iA

pCsDi'iN f-N - lie That Being Ofen
Reprovcd iIardrneth his Neck. Shall Sud.
denly be Destroyed and That without
Remedy. PROV. gai.
T1ME-Hoshea became king In tho
twelfth year OF Ahaz q Kings i7:D. b.
&. I2e ,Beecher,, 100 UIastingsI. Sainaria
fell b. Z. us tBeecher,. ~ Hastngs).
PLACE-samaria, the capital " the
northern kingdom. about % miles north
Of Jerusalem.
KINGs-Hez.kiah In Judah. carrying
out his reforms. In Assyria and Baby
lon. shalmaneser ", followed ny sarson
II. In Assyria and M.rodach .balsdsn In
Babylon. In Egypt. Saboka 800.
PROPHETs-lssiah and perhaps Hossa
and Micah.
What was the character of HoshsaS
The Implication Of v. 2 10 that, though
ne allowed the practices Of idolatry
and the other evils Of his predsceo
tAsy. Perhaps the teachings Of Hosea
had reached his heart. About his
personal character We know little. We
may infer that II lacked decisive en-.
ergy and lofty patriotism. Bsginnins
his reign a. . mere puppe< In A.
syria's hands. he shaped his career a.
IN opportunist. He vas too astuts to
offend any national suscsptibiiities By
abandoning the worship Of Jehovah,
too cautious and polite TO play the
role Of . purist In religious practices
The impartial historian will not Judge
this last king Of Ephriam too severely,
out will unhesitatir ely admit that he
lived In times Of direst difYiculty and
peril. when nothing but miraculous
divinely guided ststesmanship. like
that Of Isaiah. could have saved the
realm from overwhelming disaster
The Northern Kingdom had had ~.
chance. and mad thrown II away
There In less hope for us each year
and day we live In sin. Every hour
we are drifting out to seattle help
less. helmless bark 10 leaving tho los
sening shore farther and farther be
hind. Our disease becomes incurable
Like those stones which. though soft
a. clay on being raised from the quar-
ry. grow hard az flint through az
posture to the weather. our hearts are
growing harder day by day"
Hosheas imprisonment IL a fair
sample Of the result OF dependence
upon men rather than God. Trust In
Egypt WAS lsrael's snare from IN,
hrst. The prophets compared Il to
trusting In a shadow or making a star.
out Of a bruised reed. THE bankrupt
who asks bankrupt 10 set him up ir
business again Ii only losing time. Tn,
prisoner does not beg his fellow pris
orer to set him free. The shipwreckeG
sailor does not call upon his ship
wrecked comrade 10 place him safe
ashore" In our troubles we are no.
to scorn the aid Of men. but we are
to know that without Gods favor and
assistance all human help Is vain.
What measures did Shalmanesei
take to reduce TO submission his re
belli0us vassal? lie sent tor led ir
person. an army az iinst him. Profess
sor Rogers thinks that Hosheg
marched out to meet this army. and
was then captured and sent to As
syria IA a prisoner. Al any rate
"Samaria prepared for a siege. There
Ia something heroic In the very
thought II was surrounded and
hemmed In by territory over which II
had once ruled In undisputed sway
but which had long been controlled by
Assyrian governors and filled with Az
syrian colOnists. As Shalmaneser ad
vanced closer he would. of course
destroy and lay waste everything about
the city which might have furnished
any aid or comfort to II. From the
villages and towns thus destroyed the
people would flock into tho capital
until II was crowded. The people OF
Samaria may have hoped for help from
Egypt, watching with sick hearts for
signs Of an approaching army OF sue
cor. They knew what surrender
meant In the loss Of their city, and In
probable deportation to strange lands
They were fighting to the bitter end
for homes and for life.
What God had done: BY q marvel
Gus deliversnrs. he had brought them
out Of their bondage In Egypt. He
had driven out the Cansanitss from
before them. He had given them the
end full and wise
laws. He had made covenant with
them. over and over. promising them
all blsssinss II they would obey him
He had sent them the prophets and
sesrs. the best and wissst Of men. te
declare his will and lead the way
What Israel had done: They had
fallen into . worse bondage. becoming
slaves Of an abominable idolatry. They
had fallen to worshiping the very gods
Of the Csnsanites. thus proved power
less. They had broken the command.
nents. especially the most solemn and
important, that against idolstry, They
had failed to keep their part Of the
covenant. and could not expect God
TO keep his part. They would not lis,
ten to the prophets. but persisted In
all iniquity. setting up idolatrous obe,
lisks, and Asherim. and even sacrihc.
Ing their children to the fire god Mo.
flech.