The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1915-08-12
The international Sunday sehoe
Lesion for Aug. IS. is "Jeroooan'
Leads Israel into Sin. - KING
12:2S-33.


DIV WtEGiSW -
/ Politics is not only something ws
read about In The days newspaper
II has existed, and quite accordh
10 type. from the earliest days o
orga nixed society. Our Sunda>
school lesson is about king Wis
Iva, politician when he Shouts
have been q statesman. The dine
ence between the two has ben dehn
ed as. a statesman thinks OF my
country whereas politician thinks
OF my district" A politician is bent
FIRST on pleasing people: states
| man. on serving them. A land may
be cursed with politicians, but il can
be only blessed with statesmen,
The former busies himself while In
ONCE with his own reelection ani
selfinterest. sppropriating govern
ment funds in ways that will serve
himself, even though vast national
interests are imperilled. A states
man will sacrifice his future for q
principle. Jeroboam was a shrewd
politician. who purchased popularity
Ut . price which has sent his name
ringing down the ages with phrase
Of opprobrium attached to it. He is
the king ~who made Israel to sin. =
Suppose We first Of all fix the place
Of the lesson story. We all know
Jerusalem. Rehoboam's capital.
which 1t the time OF the lesson was
the capital only Of Judah and Benja-
min. When the ten northern tribes
revolted from Solomon's son they
elected Jeroboam, . commoner, but
. man Of force who had been Obliged
to nee from Solomon's suspicious
eye to Egypt. where he had fine
trimming In public affairs. One OF
the northern prophets had predicted
that he would be king of Israel.
The seceders chose Shechem az
their capital. at the foot OF Mt.
0erixim and Mt Ebai. where the
law had been read. Near Shechem
Was Sychar. where Jesus talked with
the woman At the well. A touch OF
current interests In given to the
locality by the fact that here dwell
all who remain OF the ancient Samar-
itsns--about three hundred persons.
During the present stress and suffer.
Ing In Palestine these Samaritans
are being maintained by an Amer
lean, Mt. z. X. Warren. of Mich.
| gan. president Of the Interna tional
Sunday School association. These
,Samaritans are mixed people: II
will be recalled wherefore the
Jews have no dealing with
Samaritans."
Shechem well represents the
northern kingdom. in that II was
subject to the tides of trade and
travel and war which swept over
this part OF Israel. Our Lord was
reared In this liberal. cosmopolitan
part Of the land. in touch with man,
peoples. The situation of the seced
ing ten tribes made for prosperity
% well as for Observation-Disclosures
Their territory was about nine thou
sand square miles. twice as large a!
judah. and II was richer land thai
that to the south. Also II was in
more advantageous position 70
trade. 40 well as for culture. Jerc
beam had q rare opportunity 4
build up . strong kingdom.
The Ties That Bind . Nation.
4 Fear and avarice are the twil
demons that Turk behind ever.
o6iceholder's chair. be he king o
constable. From the first. Jeroboan
was afraid that he might lose hi
job and his kingdom. He saw ghost
In everp patch Of moonlight. HI
first great fear was that the reIis
ious impulse, which Is strongest o
all mankind's sentiments. Nigh
send his people back to Jerusalem
He knew the power Of habit and de
: votion.
So he and the other Politician
put their heads together and decid
, ed that II would be fine thing I,
, have q modified state religion. Will
convenient national shrines, and AT
easier form OF worship than rigit
mOnotheism. lie knew that peopl.
are susceptible to the worship OF
god made In their own image. Oul
own time sees plenty such: and IN.
recent return of Dr. u. ray MN!
from the fields OF New Thought" 1,
evangelical Christianity Is : symp
tom widely commented upon. $40
\ eti,ute religions do rot continue
1 satisfy: even az Israel never wa.
happy with her notified faith.
\ Two extremes Of the pendulum
ese represented by the two riva
arU Of judah and Israel. Reho
peens had not yielded enough 1.
lpsos'ar dsnands; ,erobeam yielded
y q S. ..4 ~. 4. ~ .cir.tt -.