The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-06-15
DOWNFALL OF
SAMARIA
Sunday School Lesson for June l8 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

MEMORY VERSE-l4.
GOLDEN TEXT-"He That Being Often
Reproved Hardeneth his Neck. Shall sud
denly be Destroyed, and That without
Remedy PROV. 29:l.
TIME-Hoshea became king In tho
twelfth year OF Ahaz q Kings H:D, B.
C. 726 (Beecher). 73O (Hastings). Samaria
fell B. C. us (Beecher) 722 GIastings).
PLACE -Samara, the capital Of the
northern kr&dom, about 30 miles north
OF Jerusalem.
KINGS-Hezekia In Judah. carrying
out his reforms. In Assyria and Baby
lon, Shalmaneser ~, followed by Sargon
II. In Assyria and -baladan In
Babylon In Egypt. saboka (so).
PROPHETS-Isaiah and perhaps Hosea
and Micah.
What was the character OF Hoshea?
The implication Of v. 2 Is that. though
he allowed the practices OF idolatry
and the other evils OF his predeces'
sors, yet he was better man than
they. Perhaps the teachings of Hosea
had reached his heart. About his
personal character we know little. We
may infer that It lacked decisive en-
ergy and lofty patriotism. Beginning
his reign as mere puppet in AS
syria's hands. he shaped his career as
an opportunist. He was too astute to
offend any national susceptibilities by
abandoning the worship OF Jehovah,
too cautious and polite to play the
role of purlst in religious practices.
The impartial historian will not judge
this last king Of Ephriam too severely,
but will unhesltatingly admit that he
lived in times of direst difficulty and
peril, when nothing but miraculous
divlnely guided statesmanship, like
that of Isaiah, could have saved the
realm from overwhelming disaster"
The Northern Kingdom had had its
chance, and had thrown II away.
There is less hope for us each year
and day we live in sin. Every hour
we are drifting out to seattle help
less, helmless bark is leaving the les.
sening shore farther and farther be-
hind. Our disease becomes incurable.
Like those stones which, though soft
as clay on being raised from the quar-
ry, grow hard as flint through ex.
posure to the weather, our hearts are
growing harder day by day"
Hoshea's Imprisonment Is a fair
sample of the result of dependence
upon men rather than God. Trust In
Egypt was Israels snare from the
first. The prophets compared 1t to
trusting In a shadow or making a stan
out of bruised reed. "The bankrupt
who asks a bankrupt to set him up In
business again Is only losing time. The
prisoner does not beg his fellow pris-
oner to set him free. The shipwrecked
sailor does not call upon his ship
wrecked comrade TO place him safe
ashore" In our troubles we are not
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 Shalmaneser
take to reduce to submission his re
bellious vassal? He sent Tor led In
person. an army against him. Profes.
sor Rogers thinks that Hoshea
marched out to meet this army, and
was then captured and sent to AS
syria as prisoner At any rate,
"Samaria prepared for a siege There
is 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 As
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 the capita
until II was crowded. The people Of
Sams ria may have hoped for help from
Egypt, watching with sick hearts fol
signs OF an approaching army of sue
cor They knew what surrender
meant in the loss Of their city, and ir
probable deportation to strange lands
They were fighting to the bitter enc
for homes and for life.
What God had done: BY a marvel
GUS dellverance, he had brought them
out OF their bondage in Egypt. He
! had driven out the Canaanites from
before them. He had given them the
commandments, and full and wise
laws. He had made covenant with
them, over and over, promising them
all blessings II they would obey him
He had sent them the prophets and
seers, the best and wisest OF men, to
declare his will and lead the way
What Israel had done: They had
fallen into a worse bondage, becoming
slaves OF an abominable idolatry. They
had fallen to worshlping the very gods
of the Canaanites, thus proved power
less. They had broken the command.
ments, especially the most solemn and
important, that against ldolatry. They
had failed 10 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 ODE
llsks, and Asherim. and even sacriic-
ing their children to the fire god Mo
lech.