Daily Kennebec journal., 1911-01-25
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BIBLE STUDIES.
JEHosAApHAT's ONE MISTAKE

Matt. 6,33.
While Ahab was king of Israel Jc-
hosnaphat succeeded to the throne OF
Judah. He had the advantage that
his parents We're godly people--a great
advantage. IS suggested in our last
study, the ini1uity ami idolatr, OF Is
rael reacted fdNorably upon Judah.
just as the drunkenness and profigacy
of a parent sometimes reacts upon his
children who perceive his folly and
learn by his mistakes Moreover th;,
idolatry OF Israel. whicn drove its most
sanity cnaracters Of all the tribes of
Judah. enriched the ia,ter nation in
moral tone ana character. THIS in
cinded all of the priests and Levites
who were still loyal to God and to the
WORSHIP which he had established.
Encouraged thus. the young king be-
gan general crusade against every
idelatrous place and custom in his
KINGDOM. AS Ali al exceeded his faith
or GIari as an evildoer, so Jehosha phat
exceeded his father Asa as an upholder
of the Divine Law. Indeed we remem-
ber that in Asas later years he be-
| came proud and seI-conseious and in
q measure for a time reDelliols against
the HiViDe arrangements.
Prosperity in Divine Favor
| 1etsisNaphats kingdom prospereu
He fortified its various boundaries. es-
| peeially toward IKE lard of Israel, Ju-
dahs nearest neighbor. Neighboring
| smaller nations sought Judah's favor
ana fer It paid tribute and presents
| until Johoshapha,s Kingdom was very
| prosperous. Thus fidelity to the Lord
vas rewarded with prosperity. II
some from this are trying to draw the
| lesson that ell prosperous persons and
| natiors arc honorable righteous and
| in Divine fellowship, they surely err.
| Those also err who claim that adyersi-
ty. poverty, sickness are sure evidcn-
ees OF Divine disfaVor and . sinful life.
Not only should we remember that
the Tad kings. Omri and Ahab, We're
prosperous, but We remember also that
many wicked nations and iniouitous
| customs have prospered and are pros
pering today. Prosperity. therefore. is
not always a sign of Divine favor. To
JehoshaI hat and his kingdom, how
ever. prosperity was a sign OF favor
because Judah still represented Gods
chosen nation in a special manner Ac-
cCrding to Gods Covenant with them
| they would be blessed in proportion as
they maintained their lotalty to their
agreement their loyalty to God.
Bat this promise or Covenant was
not made with mankind in general,
but merely with the one nation of Is
rael, which. at the time of our study,
was specially represented by the king
| dom of judah. If we would sec that
| Righteousness does not always bring
peace and worldly prosperity, we have
only to look at the Master himself and
at the most taithful followers to see
the contrary. Moreover this is the
| Masters assurance to his followers:
In the world we shall have tribula
| tiCn. but in me y shall have peace"
Put when Messiah's reign shall be-
| gin. all this will be changed and every
wrong act and word and thought will
receive prompt punishment. and every
good effort will be rewarded and en-
| rlgcd. Thus the Scriptures de-
| clare, when the judgments righteous
| dealings) of the Lord are abroad in the
| earth. the iuha bitantS OF the world will
learn righteousness. TIL blessed OPP
| portunitieS of that tim" VIII belong to
all mankind except the Church. The
| spe cially called class of this Age have
| the special blessing of hearing ears
and understanding hearts and a call
| to thc heaverIv portion-the High
Calling
Thus. my dear readers. we see that
our trials and difficulties, rightly ap-
preciatel and accepted, are blessings
for us. hecausc they thus work out for
Us a far more exceeding ard eternal
weight "f slorY--th2n the world will
receive. Tie highest rewards for the
world will be restitutionarr, earthly
to attain perfect manhood. Thus We
see Gods provision in Christ to he
eternal human life for mankind in gen
eral, and .teraal life on the spirit
plane for the elect Church, and eter-
nal death for those who, after eXpe-
riepc:ne tn the full Divine mercy and
opportunity, shall sin wilfully.
Jehoshaphat's One Mistake
Like others. this .aing. no doubt
made many mistakes blunders. but
his most important mistake was in
aftilia;ing with Anab, king of Israel.
There is Il lesson here for all OF Gods
people. BE not unequally yoked to-
ge,her with unbelievers"-neither by
marriage ties nor by business partner
ships and close friendships. What
communion hath light with darkness"
- Cor. 14-lS
Ahab made var anG invited Jehosh-
aphat to go with him. 1t was expect
ed to be an easy conquest, but the
Lords blessing was not with it. as
JenoshaEhat Iater learned. escaping
barely With his 'ifr. But his still ear
lier mistake was in arranging a mar
riage between his son ana the daugh-
ter of Ahab and JeZebcl Nc doubt he
considered this a wise method of ulti-
mately re-uniting the two Kingdoms
but it was the wisdom from above.
The Lords disapproval of Jehosha-
phat's fellowship with Ahab was in
dicated. The Prophet was sent to him.
saying, "Shouldst thou help the un-
yodlv and love them that hate the
Lord? Therefore wrath is upon thee
from before the Lord. - Chron. 1872.
Our Golden Text refers to the King
dom to which spiritual !srae!ites are
now invited. TO seek it means to seek
a place with the Redeener in the glory
and power of his coming Kingdom.