The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-09-15

Memory Verses. II, 12-Golden Text,
Hos. w. 11-commsntary Prepared
by Rev. D. NJ. Stsarns.
This is chosen as a lesson against in
temperance because of the drunken
ness of Ben-hadad and the thirty-two
kings who are said to have helped him,
all OF whom were drinking themselves
drunk in the payilions VERSES u, 49,,
and Were thus more easily overcome
by the small army of Israel. In our
own day railroad and other corpora
lions are learning that men who are
| given to strong drink cannot be relied
upon and that it is not the part of wis
dom to employ them, no matter how
| efficient they may be. Not only does
such sin and folly take away the heart
or understanding. as in the golden text,
but it is apt to become most filthy and
beastly and has been known to affect
even priests and prophets Qsa. xviii,
z, 8. 1t is utterly selfish and sensual
and turns the heart away from the
Lord Qsa. V, IL, II, 20-23J. Neither
| drunkards nor any other unrighteous
people can inherit the kingdom of God,
but there is forgiveness and salvation.
for all sinners who truly turn to the
Lord and honestly receive the Lord
Jesus Christ q Cor. vi, GID. The con-
trast to being drunk with wine is to
be filed with the Spirit (Eph. v, 49,.
and this is the privilege of all believers.
The insanity of drunkenness, with
! its Unsuitable selfishness and cruel ap-
preparation of the prosperity of others,
is seen in the demands of Ben-hadad
upon Ahab for his silver and gold,
wives and children and everything
pleasant in his home and the homes of
his servants oversees 1-6). and yet strong
drink has done and is doing just that
In numberless homes today. When the
Lord is rejected and any other ruler
installed it is always matter of take.
take, take all that one has q Sam. viii,
1918. How great the contrast to God,
who giveth life and health and all
things, who gave His only begotten
Son, and in Him life eternal and glory
and all things freely (Acts xvii, %;
John iii, Is; x, %; xvii, %; Rom. viii,
S2). How desperately wicked and
cruel the devil must be to blind people
to the love of God, who giveth all
things, that he may take all they have
for time and eternity III Cor iv, 8, A..
There Is something more and deeper
and farreaching in this lesson chapter
than the story of drunken Ben-hadad,
whom God had appointed to utter de
struction Verse 40 because of his
sins. Ahab, king of Israel. was about as
bad as man could be, under the infiu-
ence of his wicked wife, Jezebel, and
yet for ISraers sake, but chiefly for His
own great names sake. for Israel was
His people, though in rebellion against
Him, He gave Ahab victory over Ben
hadad and his associates twice, al
though Israers forces were like two
little focks of kids, while the Syrians
filed the country verse 20. He did
this that Ahab might know Him as the
true God instead of Baal, whom he
worshiped to please his wife verses
13, 2S). BY this great goodness He
would If possible lead Ahab to repent
ance, for He is not willing that any
should perish (Rom. ii. 4; II Pet. Iii, 81.
Three times in this lesson the Lord
sent special messengers to Ahab, twice
to encourage him and once to reprove
him oversees 10, %, 3S). At the first
, victory Israel slew the Syrians with a
great slaughter, but they came again,
saying, We were defeated because the
gods of Israel are the gods of the hills;
therefore we will fight against them In
the plain and surely overcome them.
Because they talked thus the Lord
said iby His second messenger that He
would deliver this great multitude of
Syrians into Ahab's hands, and so Isra-
el slew 100000 footmen of the Syrians
in one day, and a wall fell upon q, 0O0
more and killed them, but Ben-hadad
made his escape and hid in an inner
chamber oversees 28-3O).
The king of Syria's servants planned
} a scheme by which they might learn
/ IL Ahab was inclined to be merciful to
him and spare him. Ahab called him
: my brother and said, Go ye. bring
. him." so they met and made cove
nant one with the other oversees 3l-34).
This led to the Lords sending a third
! messenger with a reproof for Ahab be-
: cause he had spared Ben-hadad. and
the king of Israel went to his house
, heavy and displeased Verse 49,. We
} are reminded of Saul sparing Agag
. and also the best of the sheep and
oxen. and also of the Lords message
by Samuel, Behold. to obey is better
than sacrifice Il Sam. XIV, 8. 90.
In last weeks lesson we saw Jezebel
possessed by the devil and now we
see two men with the same trouble
Ben-hadad and Ahab. and yet the LORD
} | would have used Ahab had he beer
willing. but he preferred a compromise
with the king of Syria rather thar
faithfulness to the God of Israel who
had given him two such wonderful
J victories So it is still; the mighty
God, the God of Jacob. is ready II
hold strongly with all whose hearts
| are whole toward Him III ChrOn. xvi
y, marginl. but many professed serE
} ants of the Lord prefer to be friendly
with some Ben-hadad rather than b.
faithful to God and rebuke their sin
Busy here and there" (verse 4Ol will
many things thai are not OF God de
scribes the life of many a preacher
and rather compromising with certain
wrong things because of the standing
pit the persons who do them than re
tuke the wEpHg.
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