Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1911-01-18
ONRI AND
AHAB
Sunday School Lesson for .Jaa. e, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

Dry Verses 25. 30.
GOLDEN TExT-"Righteousne Ex-
alteth nation: but sin is ,reproach to
any people" Prov 14:34.
TIME-Omri reigned u years from B. c.
s5s (or $3.50 to s25 (or $50. Abab. his son..
from B. G. 925-90s (Ss1).
PLACE-They were kings OF Israel.
with their capital at Samarie-
In the thirty and first year Of Asa
king Of Judah began omri to reign
! over Israel. Omri was the general OF
Israers army in the unsettled and
. troublous times that followed Baa-
sha's reign. Before his call to be king
we know nothing about him. He was
the sixth king of Israel, and founded
the fourth dynasty. which lasted sixty
years, with four kings. When first
brought to notice he was fighting for
his country against the Philistines at
/. Gibbethon. Another general named
Timri was put forward as king, and
there was war for several years be-
tween these two warriors. Finally
Omri had full possession of the king.
dom. ~,
His first work was to choose bet
ter site for his capital, for Tirzah had
doubtless been injured in the siege.
and its location was not the best for
defense. He bought the hill Samaria
for his capital This choice proved
his sagacity as a. general and states
man. The superior strategic position
of Samaria, conical hill standing 400
: feet above the base Of the. broad val
ley, is evidenced by the long siege
which it endured, and the stout resist
ance which it offered to the armies OF
Sargon.
omri wrought evil. We are not told
the particulars Of Omri's sin. but Mi
cah says: For the statutes of Omri
are kept" 1--WE cannot doubt that.
4 these statutes of Omri' were. measures
adopted for more completely isolating
the people Of Israel from the services
of the house OF the Lord at Jerusalem,
and of perpetuatihg perhaps of in-,
creasing their idolatrous practices"
Men thought him rich and prosperous,
Uhl GOu lOOhb Ou bnC hCo2S cAo ASS
en- outward appearances.
The retribution for Omri's course
did not come all at once for the ma
-tion, but the seeds Of ruin were COM
ing up like upas trees. Ahab, the son
of Omri, followed his father Omr In
his military traditions and prowess;
but still more in the idolatrous ten
dencies, the debased morality, the al
lance with heather nations, the neg
lect of true religion, the downward
4 course toward ruin, which character,
lied Omri's reign. Instead of being
positive, creative force for good, he
sailed with the downward tide, as
boat without engine or rover down
the rapids of Niagara toward the falls.
4tIt takes live fish to swim'up stream"
2 "a boys will is the winds will"
Ahab twas man not destitute of
ability. not devoid of patriotism, not
wanting in, courage, at times not un-
kingly, butt Sperfectly Indifferent to the
obligations Under which he lay as
S ruler of nation which God had taken
Into covenant with himself" He was
egotistical, covetous, selfish, cruel, the
worst Of Israel's evil kings. He took
to wife Jezebel, the daughter of Eth
( baal
"The shadow of Queen Jezebel falls
dark for many years over the history
OF Israel and Judah. She was one Of
those masterful, indomitable, implac-
able women who, when fate places
them in exalted power, leave a terri
Bile mark on the annals of nations.
What the Empress Irene was in the
history of Constantinople, or the She
wolf of France in that of England,
or Catherine de Medicl in that Of
France, that Jezebel was in the his
tory of Palestine.
Jezebel stands out OH the page OF
sacred history as the first supporter
of religious persecution Such fanat-
icism is frequent concomitant of
guilt. She Isl the authentic authoress
of priestly inquisitions. If no king
so completely "sold himself to work
! wickedness" as Ahab, it was because
"Jezebel his wife stirred him up.
He went and served l3aal, and wor-
shipped him. The downward course
of religion is marked If not measured
by the fact that while Solomon al
: lowed his heather wives TO worship
their gods, but did not join in the wor-.
ship, Ahab rejected Jehovah by join
ing his wife in worshiping the idol.
It is of the utmost Importance to
avoid false friendships and compan-
ionship with the bad. Every power
for good In true friendship is power
for evil, in the false Our environ.
ment, the persons with whom we come
In contact, especially If we admire
them, are among the most potent fac
tors for good or evil In our lives. A
great deal Of evil comes from false
friendship. The danger is doubly
Z great because it comes under the
guise of friendliness-a wolf in sleeps
clothing. "Giye me-" says one, "a
roaring devil rather than sleeping
one; for a slesning devil makes me
slumber, but roaAng ones provoke me
to run to my Master"
Many are ruined by bad com
partnership! How large part OF
drunkenness comes fvcm the custom
OF social drinking! Flow many are
\ kept away from Christ and heaven
by fear Of their friends!
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