Evening star., 1912-11-09

ence for him to pass through. more Sc.
we're than any Christian martyr endured
for his faith, yet ii gave to the prophet
a spiritual insight and wisdom that have
blessed all ages. 1t has lesson for our
churches, country and civilization. There
is modern application i'm the story OF
1sraefs prosperity, profligacy and peril.
X II &
Prosperity, Profigacy and Peril.
Jeroboam II, by his military achieve
ments during the first ten years OF his
reign, had raised the prestige, power and
prosperity of Israel to an unprecedented
height. The boundaries of the nation
had been extended until they nearly CO.
incided with those of the times of Solo
mon. The expansion Of territory soon
resulted in increased revenues. large in
fiuence over neighboring nations and the
development of a wealthy class that rev.
eled in their leisure. luxury and licen-
dousness. Though the last forty-tbree
years of Jeroboam were days of peace,
prosperity and power, Hosea clearly saw
that it wss in spite of the king rather
than because of him: for the pressure
Of the Assyrians upon Syria. Israel's in
veterate foe, alone had preserved the
peace of the nation with its attendant
prosperity through the development of
the natural resources of the country AMI
it's commercial life. Prosperity. that fills
a nation Win the iONe OF SOlu III pidtc
of the love of God, is menace to any
people Israel had become the prey Of
mammonism. which brought about a
moral and religious decay that was filled
with peril for the nation.
Monetary interest prevented God from
curing the social and religious evils of
Israel. Ephraim. the leading tribe. and
Samaria. the capital objected To the ex-
posure of their vicious life. just own
ers of property used for immoral pur-
forht
place the names of the owners upon
all buildings; these representative
leaders fought the public charges of the
representatives of Jehovah concerning
their secret. social and selfish SINS. for
getting to consider that their money cam
not purchase an exemption from ihe
punishment of the almighty God. They
could not deceive Jehovah by their false
professions when they continued to live
sinful lives, the results of which they
would reap at the appointed time OF
divine judgment.
The destroyers of the social stability OF
the state. who, seeking social position.
fiattered the drunken and prohisate court
by their social sins. are Representatives or
the religious condition of the people. The
poorer classes. aping the drunken, disso-
lutte and depraved wealfhier classes. had
forgotten God, which was the source or
their decline I'm morality and religion.
The iniquity of the times seen in the
moral depravity of the people-'the
family destroyed by impurity. and society
by theft and murder: the debauchery OF
the mobiles: the sympathy of the throne
with evil, no one thinking Of Jehovath-
indicated that there was not single re-
deeming trait among the people III they
would repent God would give to them an
other chance but they will not frame
their doing to turn unto their God. so as
to know His plans. presence and power
and understand how He desires to heal
their backsliding. They Were IKE many
modern men, so degenerate that they did
not understand what was evil or realize
that to know God the only sure
remedy for their commercial. social and
moral cond tion. The moral cancer that
was eating the vitals of the nations life
Hosea points out the source of the
paralysis of political power.