The Pickens sentinel. (Pickens, S.C.) 1911-2016, 1915-09-30

nnd YOU out Mum 32:23.
Ahab dtsobcycd God and called to
follow up his victory over nen.Ilndad
(ch. 20:3l,3D. Thereupon one of tho
prophets rcsorted to u plan whereby
Ahab was rcbukcd and also received
n message that scnt him "to his houuc
heavy and displcascd" W. 43). All Of
this needs to bc borne in mind when
We study Ahab's course OF action re-
lated in this lesson. Learn by heart
tho tenth commandment; also Luke
l2;l
|. The Schemes Of Men, w. tito.
Ahab had hocn king Cor twenty years
QS. &. 9o6?). lcarCcl WAS his summer
capital. about twenty miles northwest
Of Samaria Tho chief actors In this
tragedy were Nnboth. q wclltodo citi.
zen; Ahab, pctulant monarch to
whom Naboth refuses TO sell his vinc.
yard; Jc2cbol. tho Lady Macbeth Of
Ahab's court; elders and mobiles Of
Je2ree(, willing tools in the transac.
ton; false witnesses. cXecutioncr. and
Elijah the servant OF God. who con-
frontcd 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 S67; Lev. 2S;23; also Eek
46:l and sturdily stood out for his
God-Sivcn rights. These land laws
were rigid, but at the same time wise
and beneficial. Instead OF yielding to
Gods law Ahab sulks like petted
child (v A and thus again runs coun-
ter 10 Gods Word (see tenth com.
mandment. At this juncture Jezebel,
his wife, appeals to his pride and
power as the king (v. y, and offers
70 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 10 be on guard lLuke 1915;
Eph- S:5). The first sinner was covet-
Gus Gen. $50, so also were the
chosen people Of God Gosh. 7:2I), and
il was this tha, caused the first dis
ss1sio2 among Christian believers
tActs 5:l-3l. Jezebel most graciously
gave Ah2b that which belonged TO
Others; how free We all can be with
the p-ope-t! Of others She also
closked her designs with the mantle
OF religion (s-i3).
II. The Sentence Of God, w. 1920.
The dead Naboth was happier than his
neighbors Of Jezreel, the king and
~ ~
ticipants Ahab began b. breaking
the first com mmandment Il Kings 1S:3l;
DeuL SD and thus laid the ground
wo-k 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
p!of,ed thereby, but Dow he was TO
hear Inc Woyd Of God and il was not
to be 30 Welcome Recently We saw
Elijah set aside, following his fight
from Iezebel but ne is not entirely
beycnd use and Coo now gave him a
new commission, one more task IN
connection with his old opponent.
There is nothing indicating cowardice
~ Elijah's bold challenge Of Ahab and
thsre is also suggestion Of a guilty
4 conscience in Ahab's exclamation,
Hast thou found me o mine enemy"
4 (r 2QJ? .Ahab had gone down TO the
vineyard Of Naboth" ". 1G) TO enjoy
the pleasure Of possessing his ill-got
ten treasure only TO hear again his
WORD of doom (ch. 20:42; 21-13). IT
was & poor exchange Ahab made
(Mark $50, a throne and his life in
exchange for the carrying out of his
Own Will and the possession Of vine
/ yard IN that exact spot where Ma
both had been foulfy 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 80
| 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,
! Nun. 32:23).
~. The Summary. Coyetousness is
not the mere desire for things we do
not possess, but 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.
| Covetousness seeks to gain at the OK.
penge Of higher and better things; 1t
| Is the extreme opposite OF the spirit
of him who gave all"
The greatest danger Of our land and
the chief source Of sin is covetousness.
The source ana fountain Of covet-
BUSINESS Is selfishness. Hence the one
and only cure is in changed heart,
one consecrated to God and devoted
to the service OF others.
Love God, obey his Word, strive
with all our ransomed powers to build