The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-06-16
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson XII. 49, Second Quarter,
For June 10, 1911. j
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson, ~ Kings xvii,
f.i4-Memery Verse, 14-Golden
Text. Prov. xxx, documentary
Prepared by Rev. o. M. stsarns.
A brief summary Of the story OF the
ten tribes and their sin is found in
verse 81 Of our lesson chapter in these
words. HE rent Israel from the house
Of David. and they made Jeroboam.
the son Of Nebat, king, and Jeroboam
drave Israel from following the Lord
and made them sin great sin" Our
whole lesson today In a summary of
the sin Of the ten tribes From their
first king, Jeroboam, to their last, Ho-
shea, they had, including these two,
nineteen rulers covering a period OF
geo years, part Of which was an inter-
regnum and part a time of anarchy.
There was not one good ruler among
them all. nor any real turning to the
Lord, though he sent them from time
to time as His messengers to plead
with them, the unnamed man of God
from judah and the prophets Ahijah,
Elijah. Micaiah. Elisha. Jonah. Hosea,
Amos and oded. The record OF their
persistent rebellion and sin is given
briefly In verses IA to IS OF our lesson
chapter, and what a record IL Isl They
would not hear, did not believe in the
Lord their God, rejected His statutes.
left all His commandments. followed
vanity and became vain, sold them
selves to do evil in the sight of the
Lord The record concerning Judah
over q hundred years later reads thus:
They Knocked the messengers Of God
and despised His words and misused
His prophets until the wrath OF the
Lord arose against His people till
there was no remedy" OIL Chron.
xxxvi, 16).
Last days have always been times OF
great rebellion against God, as were
the days OF Noah before the food
| tGen. vi. 8. IL, 12), and, according 10
the testimony OF our Lord Jesus. such
will be the case again at the end or
this age just before He shall come in
His glory to set up His kingdom OF
righteousness and peace on this earth
| CMatt. xiv. 37-3o: Luke xvii. 26-30).
The present unbelief in high places, In
pulpits and In many theological semi
naries Il a sure indication that we are
in the last days of this evil age. which
are described in II Tim. I'll. Is: iv. 8.
4; II Pet III. 81. AS truly as the food
came IN the days OF Noah. the captivi-
ties Of Israel and Judah in their day.
the destruction OF Jerusalem and the
scattering OF Israel among all nations,
so surely shall the judgments come that
are to close this age and introduce q
better one OF peace and righteousness.
The warning as to what would come
upon them II they turned away from
the Lord and served other gods is writ
ten very plainly in Deut- Nv. 25-27. and
elsewhere, and. though the purpose OF
| God may be delayed. whether for mer-
| cy or judgment, It cannot be frustrated
Qsa. xiv. 20. God gives many q warn
ing before he finally lets the stroke
fall. In the days OF the king proceed
ing Hoshea a king OF Assyria carried
away many captives Chapter XIV. 2os,
but the warning was not needed.
This was probably the Sargon OF
lisa. xx, i. On what is known as sar-
CONS cylinder, exhumed from Nineveh.
are found these words, IT besieged the
city OF Samaria and took It. carried
or q $50 Of the citizens. ! chose fifty
chariOts for myself from the whole
number taken. All the other property
Of the people Of the town left for my
servants to take. In the place Of those
taken into captivity / sent thither in-
habitants OF lands conquered by me-
and imposed the tribute on them which
require from Assyrians." This reads
very much Hike verse "a OF our lesson
chapter, and the following verses tell
how this mixed multitude under the
teaching OF one OF the priests Of Israel
learned TO fear the Lord and serve
their own gods after the manner
OF the nations (verse 33). They fear
ed the Lord and served their craven
images" (verse ~, which means that
they did not in any true sense fear the
Lord (verse 80. They are described in
lisa. xxx. 13 as those who honor God
only with mouth and lips, but have re-
moved the heart far from Him. ana
their fear toward Him is taught by the
precept Of men. See also Ezek. xxxiii.
81, and the words Of the Lord Jesus In
Matt. XIV, To. The last days of this
present age are described in III Tim. Ill.
4 Israel had been brought out Of Egypt
ana placed In the land given to Abra-
ham. Isaac and Jacob that they might
be = peculiar people unto God. set
apart for Himself. unlike other ma
tons. having God Himself as their
king, Judge and lawgiver eek. xix. 40:
lisa. xxxiii, 20. But first secretly and
then openly they turned from God to
idols and did as the heather whom the
Lord carried away before them oversees
e-12). Though He sent many messen-
gers who entreated them to turn from
their evil ways and return to the Lord.
they would not hear, but hardened
their necks like 70 the neck Of their
fathers. that did not believe in the
Lord their God oversees 10. I4).
It Is written IN Tit ii. II concerning
present day believers that "Our Saviour
Jesus Christ gave Himself for as that
he might redeem MS from all iniquity
and purify unto Himself people for
His own possession" trevised version).
When we consider the conformity to
this present age OF the great mass OF
church members instead of their @ana-