The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-04-14

2.
| Our last lesson In the history o
Judah was about king Jehoshaphat
Jehoshaphat was a good man and h.
made "A good king, but he also mad,
terrible mistake, He entered int,
| an alliance with Ahab. This is mucf
Ike saying that he entered into al
alliance with Satan. This allianc,
was sealed. according to custom, b,
the marriage of his son with Ahab'i
daughter. Jehoshaphat never drea m
I'd that he was doing any harm, bu
when he brought Athaliah to Judah
to he the wife OF his son Jehoran
he exposed his whole Kingdom to 9
moral pestilence. 1t would have beer
bad enough If Athaliah had had tn.
smallpox; hut she had a malady tina,
was thousand times worse than the
smallpox. Call it Baalism. Thi.
abominable religion--the most fata
pestilence that ever swept through
the East--was introduced into the
northern kingdom by her mother.
Jezebel. and It laid waste the nation
Yet. In a matter OF a smatrimonia
alliance Jehoshaphat could not see an,
danger sin bringing Jexehefs daugh-
ter into his own Kingdom.
1t was a. case OF like mother like
daughter, and the Inevitable hap
pened, The whole land became in
fected with Baalism and wallowed in
It's filth. Athaliah's husband, Jeho-
ram. reigned eight years and was
succeeded by his son Ahaziah Aha
ziah and the king of Israel united
in campaign against Syria. on
returning from the war to Jezreel
they were surprised and slain by
Jehu, the scourge OF God, who had
been anointed king of Israel by Eli
sha's command. The furious Jehu
did not end his work until he had
destroyed the house Of Ahab.
When the news came to Athaliall
that her son Ahaziah was dead she
seized the throne. and to make her
self secure. according to the Eastern
custom, proceeded TO destroy all the
male members of the rovai family.
In the midst of the massacre Jehosh-
eba. stepdaughter OF Athaliah, and
wife OF the high, priest, caught up the
infant son OF Ahaziah In her arms
and fed with his nurse to room
in the palace used for the storage
OF beds and touches. Later she man
aged to make her way with him to
one of the chambers adjoining the
temple, and there for six years the
little fellow was kept with his nurse
In hiding. The people were now SO
weary of Athaliahs reign that they
were ready for any sort of a change.
and Jehoiada the high priest, feeling
that the time was ripe for tho resto-
ration Of the house of David to the
throne. called together the chief men
of tho nation and after taking a SOL
emn oath from them, showed them
the kings son. whom they supposed
10 be dead. The rest was easy. On
an appointed Sabbath. when the guard
was about TO be relieved. Jehoiada
instructed those who were To go off
duty at the kings palace to repor.
at the temple, while the new guard
were informed OF what was about to
happen, and stationed around the
palace.
Tho lesson Text in EVERYDAY Dress
1t was the Sabbath and a. great
crowd had gathered in the court or
the temple. AT signal the guard
which Jehoiada had armed with king
bavid's spears and shields. marched
across the area from right 10 left
along by the altar and stood facing
the crowd. Then little Joa III. led by
me high priest came forth and stood
by a pillar. where he was crowned
kind amidst tho joyous acclamations
OF the people. The hIare OF trumpets
and the shouts of the multitude fell
upon the ear of the queen In har
~ lace, and She rar to the tsrs, ME
A glance was enough, and screaming
at Are top Of her voice, Treason
treason. she turned to run back. At
Jehoiadas command. however. an
oi1cer and his men hurried after her.
but did not lay hands upon her until
she had passed the sacred precincts
OF Inc temple and was entering the
patsee yard by the stable gate, There
she was slain.
Meantime j eh6ka3a' ff,s priest as
the representative OF Jehovah had
received from the king and his mao
pie their solemn promise OF loyalty
10 Jehovah; also from the king his
vow 10 faithfully serve his naopla
ana from the people their vow or al
legiance 10 their king. Then the
great crowd FASTENED to the temple
of Raal and utterly wrecked II. ana
slew the pagan high priest before
the altar. Finally the new king was
carried In state to his palace amid
the joyful shouts Of his people
The Heart of the Lesson.
The government of Israel was I'm
the hands Of the heather. A Vile
Baal worshipper was on the throne
Inc house of David was apparently
extlnet. The sword Of Athaliah had
done its work so well that II seemed
that not so much as a babe Of the
royal family remained. The whole
nation was stepped In idoiatry. and
IT looked as If the very name or To-
hovah would he blotted out.
SO il appeared one fine morn;,,r
when Athaliah awoke in her palace
BEFORE night came she was dead
Baalism was outlawed. The worship
pers OF Jehovah had Returned n
power and on the throne sat a king
OF the house of David
what wrought the wonaarfuI
change? "A woman's pity for a haba
about 10 be slain" says one. "Tbs
shrewdness and faithfulness Of Ia
hoiada." says another. "Athaljab hsr-
self. who by her wretched rule hro,,yh,
the trouble upon her own head -
SAYS n third. But all this is like saw
ing that your little child carseH hi.
little wooden toy. when as MAI
ter Of fact YOU held the knife IN his
little list and carved 1t yourself n
was not the aunt OF Joash who ala
.nI EN- v