The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1915-08-10
The Religious World
\ POLITICIANS BIGGEST
BiUNDER.
The international Sunday SchOOi
Lesson for August Is is "JerOboah
Leads Israel Into SIM hlngs,
1g:21-33.
(By William T.. Ellis.)

Politics is not only something we
read about i'm the days newspaper:
il, has existed, and quite according TO
type, from the earliest days Oh or
eanized society. Our Sunday scnooi
lesson is about a king VINO was d
politicjan when he should have been
a statesman. The difference between
the two has been defined as, "A states
man thinks of my country, whereas
a politician thinks of my district. A
politician is bent first on pleasing
people; a statesman on serving them'
A land may be cursed with politicians,
but il can be only blessed with states
men. The former busies himself
while in office with his own re-elec-
ton and self-interest, approprlating
government funds in ways that Will
serve himself, even Though vast ma
tional interests are imperllled. A
statesman will sacrifice his future for
a principle. Jeroboam was a shreWd
politician. who purchased popularity
at a price which has sent his name
ringing down the ages with a phrase
OF ~opprObrium attached to 1t. He is
the king who made Israel to sim"
Suppose we first Of all fix the place
Of the lesson story. We all know
Jerusalem, R~ehoboam's capital, which
at the time Of the lesson was the CAPT.
tai only of Judah and Benjamin.
When the ten northern tribes revolted
from Solomon's son they elected Jero-
beam, a commOner, but a man OF
force who had been obliged to flee
from suspicious eye to
Egypt. where he had a fine training
I'm public affairs. One of the north
Arn prnnhnfc hnI nra6iofa6 that ha
would be king Of Israel.
The seceders chose Shechem as
their capital, at the foot Of Mt. Geri-
zim. and Mt. Ebal, where the law had
been read Near Shechem was Sy-
char. where Jesus talked with the
woman at the we'll. A touch of cur
rent interest is given to the locality by
the fact that here dwell all who re-
main Of the ancient Samaritans-
about three hundred persons. During
the present stress of suffering in Pal
estine. these Samaritans are beins
maintained by an American. Mr.. E
X. Warren. OF Michigan, president O
ISOLATION. These Samaritans are
mixed people; it will be recalled
wherefore the Jews have no deal
ings with the Samaritans."
Shechem well represents the north
ern kingdom in that it was subject t
suC u u tfdoe anu lIdNcl ana Wa
which swept over this part Of Israel
Our Lord was reared in this liberia,
cosmopolitan part Of the land, i
touch with many peoples. The stu
alton Of the seeding ten tribes mad
for prosperity. as well as for liberal
mindedness. Their territory wa
about nine thousand square mile.
twice as large as Judah. and it wa
richer land than that to the sout
Also 1t was in a more advantageou
position for trade, as we'll as for Gu
ture. Jeroboam had a rare opport,
nifty to build up a strong kingdom.
The Ties That Bind a Nation.
Fear and avarice are the twin d,
mons that Turk behind every offic,
holders chair, be he king or const:
bic. From the first Jeroboam w;
afraid that he might lose his job ar
his kingdom. He saw ghosts in eve,
patch of moonlight. His first gre;
rear was that the religious impuls
which Is strongest of all mankind
sentiments, might send his peop
back to Jerusalem. He knew Il
power OF habit and devotion.
So he and the other politicians D
their heads together and decided tn
1t would be a fine thing to have
modified state religion. with co
venient national shrines. and an east
form OF worship han rigid NOR
theism. He knew that people a
susceptible to the worship of a g
made in their own image. Our OK
time sees plenty such: and the ,
cent return Of DR.. b. Fay Mills fire
the fields of New Thought
evangelical Christianity is a sympte
widely commented upon. Substit,
religions do not continue to satis1
even as Israel never was happy w
her modified faith.
Two extremes of the pendulum {
represented by the two rival kings
judah and Israel b had
yielded enough to popular deman,
yielded too much. He M
the politicians mistake Of cultivati
the mcaner. bnsef side Of human
ture. and or failing 10 appeal To
nObIer sentiments Jerobonm thou,
that AN easy. debase,1 form Of relip
would he popular and so he made y
VISION Tor ". thus tempting the y