The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-02

GOLDEN TExT-Be sure your sin viii
find you out.-Num. 1928.
Ahab disobeyed God and failed to
follow up his victory over Ben-Hadad
(ch. 20:31-34). Thereupon one of the
prophets resorted to a plan whereby
Ahab was rebuked and also received
a message that sent him ito his house
heavy and displeased" ". 43). All of
this needs to be borne in mind when
we study Ahab's course of action re-
lated in this lesson. Learn by heart
the tenth commandment; also Luke
1915.
!. The Schemes of Men, v y. 11-16.
Ahab had been king for twenty years
(B. G. 906?). Jezreel was his summer
capital, about twenty miles northwest
of Samaria. The chief actors in this
tragedy were Naboth, a well-to-do citi-
zen; Ahab, a petulant monarch to
whom Naboth refuses to sell his vine
yard; Jezebel, the Lady Macbeth Of
Ahab's court; elders and mobiles Of
J%ezreel, willing tools in the transac-
ton; false witnesses, executioner, and
Elijah, the servant of God, who con-
fronted the monarch in his newly
gained possession. Ahab was con-
stantly in conflict with the purposes
of God and with his Word. Naboth
had no right to sell his vineyard (see
Numbers S6:7; Lev. 25:2S; also Eek.
46:16) and sturdily stood out for his
God-given rights. These land laws
were rigid, but at the same time wise
and beneficial. Instead of yielding to
Gods law Ahab sulks like a petted
child ". ~ and thus again runs coun-
ter to Gods Word (see tenth COM
mandment). At this juncture Jezebel,
his wife, appeals to his pride and
power as the king ". y, and offers
to procure the coveted possession. The
methods of mankind whereby vast pos
sessions are accumulated do not al
ways bear investigation; murder and
rapine, broken hearts and shortened
lives, weakened bodies and stunted
children can largely be traced to the
sin or -covetousness, against which we
all need to be on guard duke 1915;
Eph. 5:5). The first sinner was covet-
Ouo NNChs osOJt 6O diSO nClS II
chosen people of God Josh. 7:21), and
it was this that caused the first dis
sension among Christian believers
(Acts 5:1-3). Jezebel most graciously
gave Ahab that which belonged to
others; how free we all can be with
the property Of others! She also
cloaked her designs with the mantle
of religion (s-13). Notice she did not
go to Jezreel herself, but wrote let
tiers" and intrusted the wo-k to others
who did her bidding quickly, lest they
be prevented. Their readiness Is
proof of the corruption which Jezebel
had wrought in Israel. The worlds
most hellish atrocities have frequently
been enacted in the name of and by
protested disciples of God and of his
Son. Unconsciously Jezebel was
sharpening the iron which pierced her
own soul I'll Kings, 10:1-7). "Whatso-
ever a man soweth that shall he also
reap" Jezebel was a constituencies
heather, but Ahab had been in touch
with Jehovah, hence his was the
greater guilt when he profited by her
acts.
II. The Sentence of God, w. 1920.
The dead Naboth was happier than his
neiChbors of Jezreel, the king and
queen or any of the other evil par
Elephants. AhaL began by breaking
the first commandment Il Kings 16:3 81;
Deut. SD and thus laid the ground
work of the whole train of evil for
which he and his household and his
reign are famous. The elders readily
obeyed the word of Jezebel and Ahab
profited thereby, but now he vas to
hear the Word of God and it was not
to be so welcome. Recently we saw
Elijah set aside, following his fight
from Jezebel, but he Is not entirely
beyond use and God now gave him a
new commission. one more task in
connection with his old opponent.
There is nothing indicating cowardice
in Elijah's bold challenge of Ahab and
there is also a suggestion of a guilty
conscience In Ahab's exclamation.
Hast thou found me, o mine enemy"
". 20)? Ahab had gone down to the
vineyard of Naboth" ". 16) to enjoy
the pleasure Of possessing his ill-got-
ten treasure only to hear again his
word OF doom (ch. 20:42; BID. 1t
was a poor exchange Ahab made
Mark $3.50, a throne and his life in
exchange for the carrying out of his
own will and the possession of a vine
yard. In that exact spot where Ma
both had been foully stoned the dogs
would lick up the blood of the king.
AS is usually the case, the guilty sin.
ner called the righteous servant of
God his enemy" yet had Ahab
obeyed the Word of Jehovah as so
frequently spoken by Elijah he would
have discovered him to be his true
and best friend, not his enemy. Ahab's
sin had found him out Golden Text,
Mum. 1898. Having had his sin
discovered. Ahab hears from Elijah
his doom. though God graciousiy ex,
tended the time in response to his bit,
ter repentance wv. 27-29),
III. The Summary. C~ovetousness is
not the mere desire for things we dc
not possess, but a deep longing which
is willing to do wrong, to injure 9th
ers. to profit by the evil deeds of 9th
ers In order to come into possession
C~ovetousness seeks to gain at the ex
pense of higher and better things; II
is the extreme opposite of the spirit
- r. ~ ---~ III %