The Red Cloud chief., 1911-03-16

$500 'Af'' W. W 80 H'h'
drink. Prov, 3l:4.
TIME This lesson belongs between los,
sons VIII and IN, during the latter part
Of Eliah's mission.
PLACE The syrian kingdom, with it,
capital at Damascus. adiolnri Israel on
the north. At this period. not long before
the revived Assyrian power and aggr"s-
sion came I'm contact with Israel. syria
under Bcnhadad II was tho most powerful
nation on the Mediterranean coast. nuG
was normally a hitter enemy of northern
Israel Il was always a group ot related,
hut not united. petty kingdoms OF tribes,
Rcnhadad, the Syrian king. gathered
together the 80 kings OF the smaller
tribes allied to his Kingdom and made
an o~vqrpOweriug raid upon lsraCl, de.
stCoying villages aud farms and or
chardg, paralyzing business. rayagipg
the homes and driving the people to
the more strongly fortified towns.
They we're like "a tempest OF hail. a
destroying storm. n food Of mighty
waters Overlooking, An overwhelming
soourgc," These epithets describe in
vivid speech the irresistible violence,
the devastating force with which the
Syrians were about to overwhelm
them. 1t is almost impossible for US
to realize the devastating power Of
such half savage hordes who lived
upon the country, who raVaged VII.
lagos, who murdered women and chill.
dren, who had an unrestrained power
They were worse than tho ten plaques
of Egypt. .., ..t ..., ~. ...,,t .,.
I. What the invaders sought was the
wealth, the harvests and all kinds OF
valuables, without paying for them.
and entirely without regard TO the wel-
fare of the people. Into our goodly
country lntemperance, from drinking
alcoholic liquors, has come anu Is do
ing our country more damage. so it's
people, to its wealth and prosperity,
than the SyHans did to Palestine, the
Promised Land, by their invasion.
King Alcohol comes with an army of
tributaries and allies, such as the 240..
600 saloons, the distilleries, breweries,
hotels, clubs, personal invitations to
drink, advertisements in magazines
and papers, cocaine and opium habits,
All invading US for the sake of their
own personal gain at the expense OF
the community.
When the invaders had reached the
capital with their army and horses
and chariots in an unresisted march.
Benhadad sent messengers to Ahab
demanding that he yield UP his throne,
which is implied in his imperious con-
ceit of power; Thy silver and thy gold
is mine; thy wives also and thy chill
dren, even the goodliest, are mine. And
Ahab was so overwhelmed at the
power backing the demand that he
basely yielded and replied: My lord,
o king, according to thy saying, am
thine, and all that have. Such are
the demands of King Alcohol! rf'
The cost of liquors each year in this
country is nearly $1,400, 100000. The
drink bill in England in 1908 was over
$500, 600, 900. Take the national liquor
bill and divide It by the number OF
saloons and $5,945 becomes the aver
age cost to the people Of each saloon.
On the average the saloon pays back
for nation, state and city taxes $500.
This $500 is eagerly taken from a
grateful country in lieu of $5,945. Thus
King Alcohol demands our homes, our
wives, our husbands, our silver and
gold. And we have yielded too easily
10 It's demands.
Benhadad then sent word that his
officers were coming and would search
Ahab's house for every pleasant thing
ne had and would take it away. And
not only Ahab's house, but the houses
"a ri, ~ ,nr, n,l InnlA,e u'hta nanoaA
a revolt. The king summoned his
I leading people to a conference and
they decided not to yield 10 the de-
mands of Benhadad. The weak Ahab
/ declared that for himself he would
yield all he had promised, but he must
deny the increased demand.
King Alcohol became so greedy in
his demands, the results of his evil
! work became so great that the people
were aroused in Indignation against
him. At first 1t was agreed to allow
wine and beer and moderate drinking
but to resist the ravages OF the more
fiery drinks. But this was a failure,
Temperance societies were formed,
Local and state prohibition were in
duBuIdlcu' toIbdtlo hihuc'
Pledges taken.
In their great distress a prophet
came to King Ahab with a message
from Jehovah: Hast thou seen all this
great multitude? 7 win deliver II into
thine hand this day. Why? And thou
shalt know i am the Lord. yhe vic
tory was wrought to bring them back
to the true God. to obedience and wor'
ship: which was vastly more impor
tant to their true welfare than the
loss of all their property could have
been, .l g., e#
And Ahab said, BY whom? And he
said, Thus saith the Lord. by the
young men Of the princes Of the prev
inces. Who shall order the battlei
And he answered, thou-the king, the
head of the nation. q He numbered
mustered, 232 of the young princes,
God, the true religion, is the one
source of victory oVer the power OF