The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1911-01-20
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson lV.--First Quarter, For
Jan. q, 1911. a,sis
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Prov. xiv, 34-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. .. M. Stearns.
Today we are introduced to two of
the worst kings in all the history of
the ten tribes, Omri and Ahab. OF the
former 1t is written that he wrought
evil in the eyes of the Lord and did
worse than all that were before him,
and Of the latter it is written that he did
evil in the sight Of the Lord above all
that were before him and did more to
provoke the Lord God of Israel to an
ger than all the kings of Israel that
were before him oversees %, 80, 33).
What a record of increasing iniquity
and how great the long suffering of
Jehovah that could bear with it! But
we must consider that ever since the
serpent tempted Eve, and how much
longer we do not know, God has pa.
tiently borne with the devil and will
continue to bear with him till the time
of Rev. Xxx, 1-3. While there is no
hope for that great adversary revealed
in Scripture, as to men it is written
that the Lord is long suffering toward
us, not willing that any should per-
ish, but that all should come to re-
pentance Oh Pet. i'll, 81.
The greatest sinner may be saved IL
he win only turn from his sin to God,
but for all who win not turn there is
naught but the flaming fire and venge-
ance OF II Thess. i, s, 9, the lake
which burneth with fire and birthstone
of Rev. xxi, s. If any will not receive
the truth God will let them believe a
lie, and for all who will not bow to
the word of God there is no morning
for them QI Thess. ii, IL, II; lisa. viii,
20, margin and r. W. In all the his
tory of the ten tribes there was not
one ruler who feared the Lord, but all
walked in the way of Jeroboam, the
son Of Nabat, who made Israel to sin
oversees %, 81.
During the forty-one years of the
reign of Asa over Judah, who was on
the whole good king and most of the
time did right in the sight of the Lord,
six OF the kings of the ten tribes either
reigned or began to reign, and each
one is mentioned by name in connec-
ton with the year of Asa's reign when
he began to reign (xv, %, 2S, 80; xvi,
s, 10, Is, %, 29). No less than eight
times do we find Asa mentioned in
connection with the names Of these
kings, and it is to me suggestive of
the wheat and tares of one Of our
Lords parallels, concerning which He
said, LET both grow together till the
harvest" In this case it was not diff
cult to distinguish the righteous from
the wicked, but often we cannot tell
here, wheat and tares in some stages
Of growth look so much alike.
The wicked prosper, are not in trou-
bic Ike other men, they are proud and
lofty and very often die peacefully Ps.
lxxiii, 2-12), and Asaph is not the only
one perplexed thereby. The righteous
and the wicked die, and often their
bodies lie side by side in the cemetery.
and where is the difference? The up
right shall have dominion over them In
the morning of the first resurrection,
when only the bodies of the righteous
shall rise from the dead Ps. xix, IA.
When we return with Christ then shall
we more fully discern between the
righteous and the wicked, between him
that serveth God and him that serveth
Him not (Mal iii, 49,.
Rulers like Omri and Ahab will -four
fish greatly at the end Of this age under
the patronage of the antchrtst and
his companion the false prophet who
will not hesitate to blaspheme God and
His name and make war with the
Lamb and His people, but they shall
be suddenly overthrown Rev. xiii;
xvii, Ia; xix, 10, 20). Then shall be
fully fulfilled that which had a fulfill
ment when Christ was here in humilia-
ton: why do the nations rage and
the people imagine vain thing? The
kings Of the earth set themselves, and
the rulers take counsel together against
the Lord and against His anointed."
The Lord shall have them in deri-
sion, speak unto them in His wrath,
and his king in Zion shall break them
with a rod Of iron and dash them in
pieces like a potter's vessel (Ps. I'D.
The lofty looks Of man shall be hum
bled, and the haughtiness OF men shall
be bowed down; and the Lord alone
shall be exalted in that day" ''For
the Lord of hosts hath purposed it. to
stain the pride of all glory and to bring
into contempt all the honorable of the
earth" Qsa. ii, IL, II; xiii, %. This
woman Jezabel, whom Ahab married
and Of whose desperate wickedness we
shall hear more in future lessons, re.
minds US of another Jezabel of Rev.
ii, 20-23, some of whose relatives are
working great mischief and leading
many astray in our own day. This
form of iniquity viii be consummated
in the woman Of Rev. xvii, Babylon
the great, and great viii be her over
throw both as system and a city.
AS truly as the ten tribes were car
ried away into captivity because Of
their sin after God had borne long
with them so surely will God punish
the world for their evil and the wicked
for their iniquity in the day Of His
fierce anger Qsa xiii, 9-13). A strong
word of warning for every individual
sinner is found in Prov. xxx, /, "He
that, being often reproyed, hardeneth
his neck shall suddenly be destroyed.
and that without remedy"
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