The Tupelo journal., 1911-04-14

LESSON TExT--2 Kings l1:1-9o. Mem
cry Verse IL.
GOLDEN TExT-"Blessed are they
thai keep His testimonies. and that seek
Him with a whole heart."-Psa. 1872
TIME-Athaliah came to the throne IN
$40 BIC. (Hastings) or 500 B. c. (Beecher1'
Joash. sS b. e. lHastings) or SS7 =. 9.
Beecher).
PLACE-Jerusalem. the capital Of Ju-
dab.
Jehu in Israel. Hazael in Syria. Shai-
manezer II in Assyria-
God always finds ways to Illustrate
the evil. John Wilkes Booth did not
reckon on the flag which tangled his
feet when he tried to escape. He
killed a Lincoln, but up started a host
of others to undo his evil deed. The
kingdom Of God is not q pillar which
can be thrown PROSTATE In the dust,
but a cube that always falls upon .
base as broad as that from which 1t
has been dislodged. In fact, 1t is
rather like the Irishman's stone fence,
which he built three feet high and
four feet wide, so that If 1t was tipped
over it would be higher than it was
before.
How can we apply this incident to
our modern boys and girls? For every
one of them a kingdom is waiting, the
kingdom Of a noble, happy and useful
manhood or womanhood. This is the
real kingdom, for Joash, and for every
boy and girl. Every young king and
queen is surrounded by perils, as ter
rible as those that threatened Joash;
and the only safety now Is the safety
that he found then-the protection OF
the church and of a godly home.
A noble has done her part
in saving the young king-the part
that mothers play In the preservation
of the young kings Of our modern
homes. Now a man steps in. as the
father comes to have the chief influ-
ence over the life of the growing boy.
Jehoiada. the high priest, was a man
of ability and fine character. Prob
ably 1t was becoming increasingly DIFF.
ficult to hide the growing lad. and
longer confinement would be most in
furious for him physically and mental
ly. The first step toward placing him
on his rightful throne vas to gather a
sufficient force of loyal adherents.
After obtaining the assurances,
in addition to their W weapons,
which of course they would bear, they
were furnished by Jehoiada with the
spears and shields that, as relics OF
David's time, hung somewhere within
the sacred precincts, just as his pre-
David himself the sword of Goliath.
These would remind them that 1t was
for David's heir they were contending.
Wise steps were taken, under the
leadership of Jehoiada, In the opening
OF the young kings reign. A covenant
king and the people. This was a re-
aewal of the original compact, in
which Jehovah and his people bound
themselves together-a compact bro
ken by the Baal-worship of Athaliah's
reign. What was the second step? The
immediate and thorough destruction
of the temple of Baal. with its affairs
and licentious images, and the execu-
ton Of its high priest Mattan. 1t
seems to be implied that the house
Of Baal" stood on the temple mount,
in ostentatious rivalry with the sane
tuary of Jehovah. And the third step?
Jehoiada appointed officers owe the
house OF the Lord. re-establishing the
courses of the Levites, and proceed
ing at once to assign the custody OF
the temple to a particular course. And
the final step? Leaving the Levites
to keep order in the temple, Jehoiada
and the soldiers conducted the boy
king to the palace through the gate of
the guard, doubtless that through
which the king regularly passed from
the temple to the palace and back
again, accompanied by his bodyguard.
What a change for the lad who had
been a prisoner so long.
When young Solomon started out in
his reign he was offered his choice of
blessings, and chose not long life or
riches or power, but wisdom; and in
that choice he gained the other bless
ings also. When Christ started out in
his great reign he was found in the
temple, seeking wisdom. When the
girl Victoria learned that she was to
become queen of earth's mightiest
empire she quietly said: Il will be
good" If u young kings and queens
would be well furnished for their
sovereignty they must go to the Bible
and to the Bible school, and there they
will learn what true royalty is, and
what are the secrets Of power and
success.
1t is appropriate that we have for
Easter Sunday the story of q corona
ton. for Easter is the anniversary OF
the greatest Of all c~oronations, the
day when all mankind received the
possibility. at least, of the crown OF
life.
This is the crown to which all our
young kings and queens should look
forward as the blessed reward of no
BILE reigning over the kingdoms that
God has given them. st. James wrote
blessed IS the man that endureth
temptation; for when he hath been ap.
proved, he shall receive the crown Of
life, which the Lord promised to them
that love him."
81 John was hidden TO write 10 the