Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-01-13
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
GOLDEN TEXT-"Be We strong, therefore, and let not
your hands be weak for your work shall be rewarded
Gil Chron 1870

Nations, like individuals, have their
times of depression and revival.
Solomon's sin bore fruition in the
schism under Rehoboam. Judah un-
der Rohobeam went from bad to
worse. Israel under Jeroboam be-
came more and more corrupt. Reno
boam ruled for seventeen years and
after three years was in turn succeeded
by his son Asa.
Israel continued under Jeroboam until
his death in the third year of Asa s
reign. During the forty-two years of
the latter's reign over Judah. Israel had
seven kings. Jeroboam's family and
dynasty became extinct with his son.
Another dynasty saw its rise and fall.
and still a third was instituted during
Asa's reign.
Asa's reign was marked by nothing
more than the ten years of peace which
God gave them, for from the time of
the schism there had been incessant war
between Israel and judah, for the sur
rounding nations. These years of quiet
Asa filled with constructive work. He
fortified his outlying cities, building
about them walls and towers and gates
and bars. He also built up his army
until he had three hundred thousand
spearmen and two hundred and eighty
IL.
other reforms, for he had sickened at
the idolatry and corruption in the. land
and had taken away the foreign affairs
which Solomon and Rehobdam had al
lowed to be built, he broke down the
obelisk which had been erected to the
sun gods and hewed down the Asherim.
It was a single-handed and uphill fight
that he was making, however, for dur
ing nearly two generations these evil
dAnces of idolatry had been growing In
the land. and the people did not know
anything better. Asa himself deserves
great deal OF credit, for his training
had not been such that would develop
these traits of character. He needed
some encouragement and God gave t to
him in a two-fold way-through a vic
tory and a vision. Zerah, an Ethiopian
led a great force agalns. him from the
south. He had an almost uncomfortable
force, a million men with three hum
bred chariots in addition. In those days
numbers counted more than they do now
for the battle was a hand-to-hand con-
hict. Zerah outnumbered Asa two 10
one,
But Asa was not dismayed; he came
to God with this wonderful prayer:
Jehovah. it is nothing with thee to
help whether with many, or with them
God, for we rest on thee. and in thy
name we go against this muititude. Q
Lord. thou art our God let not man
prevail against thee" In consequence
of which the Victory was won and a
great spoil taken.
THE PROPHETS PART.
on his return, a prophet met him, a
man who had had a vision. In the
midst of the idolatry. the sin, the degra-
dalton of Israel and judah, there was
this man who had contemplated the con-
dition Of his people and who had seen
God as the only hope Of his people. He
met Asa returning flushed with the
great victory which God had wrought
through him, and he spoke. He assured
him of Gods presence with him so long
as he walked in His way and acknowl-
edged Him, as he had just done. He
called attention to the deplorable con-
dition of Israel then and in the past,
when they were without law, without a
teaching priest, without God. But that