Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1915-10-27
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON FOR OCT. 81
SECURED EXCLUSIVELY BY THE
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ACCORDING TO THE
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Text of the Lesson, III Kings XI, A.
IL. Memory Verses, IL, I2-GOld-
en- Text, Prov. XIV, 11-COmmen-
tary Prepared by Rev. ID. M.
Stearns.


boam, who made Israel to sin, and that
OF good King Asa. The story of the
ten tribes and their kings was bad all
through, and, although Jehu destroyed
Baal out OF Israel, yet he took no heed
to walk in the law of the Lord God OF
Israel with all his heart, but departed
not from the sins of Jeroboam Oil
Kings X, 81 AS TO judah, the two
tribes, Jehoshaphat who succeeded his
father. Asa. was Il good king on the
whole. but his fellowship with the king
OF Israel was bad and lie was reproved
| for il In these words. "Shouldest thou
help he ungodly and love them that
hate the LordT Ql Chron. xviii, /;
xix. - See also III Chron. Xxx, 30.
| Jehoshaphat was succeeded by his son.
JehOram. who reigned only eight years,
| but made his mark decidedly for evil
for lie married the daughter of that
wicked pair. Ahab and Jezebel, and
walked in the ways of the kings of
| Israel like the house Of Ahab. He suf
| fered terribly in his body and from his
enemies. according TO Il message from
the Lord by Elijah. and departed with
out being desired I'll Chron. xxi. 5, o:
xiii 10: xviii. 20l. All his sons were
| slain except the Youngest Ahaziah, and
he became king ut the age of forty
two and reigned only one year. He
walked in the ways of the house of
Ahab. fOrJ his mother. Athaliah. and
others of the house of Ahab were
his counselors to do wickedly CT
Chron. xxi, IA He was slain by
Jehu, and when his mother saw that
her son was dead she slew all the seed
royal OF the house of judah, or thought
she did. But the living God. who will
let nothing OF His word fall to the
earth. was watching over the seed of
the kingdom QI Kings Y. 10; xi. /.
! margin
The sister OF Ahaziah, who was the
wife of Jehoada the priest, somehow
stole the baby Joash and hid him and
his nurse in a bedchamber In the house
| of God for six years, during which
time Athaliah reigned over the land,
and what a reign it must have been!
QI Kings xi, >, 3; III Chron. xii. 1922
But in due time deliverance always
comes, and in the seventh year Jehoiada
the priest arranged TO have Joash pro-
| claimed king, taking every precaution
to have everything done In due order
and TO prevent any miscarriage Of
events. He gathered the Levites and
the rulers and the captains by hun
dreds in the house of the Lord and
showed them the kings son and said,
Behold, the kings son shall reign, as
the Lord hath said OF the sons of Da
vid." and all the congregation made Il
covenant with the king in the house
Of God Verse 4 and III Chron. xiii.
13). As one day IS with the Lord as
thousand years and thousand years
as one day, one cannot help thinking
OF the seventh thousand years when
the devil. whom Athaliah so well repre-
scented. shall be shut up in the pit and
there shall be ful1llment OF the words
"Yet have | set my King upon my holy
hill of Zion" ops. ii. o. All through
the book there are so many foreShad
owings of the coming kingdom upon
which our hearts should be constantly
set. for all the sufferings Of this pres
ent time are not worthy 10 be com
pared with the glory that shall lie re-
vealed in us (Rom. viii. ISL Jehoiada
arranged all In their places. with in
structions To those with weapons 10
compass the king roundabout. and he
brought forth the kings son and anoint-
ed him, crowned him. gave him the
testimony and made him king, the peo-
pie clapping their hands ard saying,
God save the king verses 8, IL, ~.
Jehoiada made a covenant between the
Lord and the king and the people that
they should be the Lords people, and
all the people of the land rejoiced, and
the city was quiet.
Joash was seven years old when he
began to reign oversees Il, 20, 21). They
broke down the house of Baal and
broke in pieces thoroughly his affairs
and his images and slew Athaliah, that
wicked woman with the sword, and
the priest appointed officers over the
house OF the Lord verses IS, 20). 1t
must have seemed like a change from
hell TO heaven for the people of judah.
What will It be for the whole world
hilE Snull ltlEH IlBultOuS-
ness, and the work OF Righteousness
shall be peace. and the effect of right
eousness quietness and assurance for
ever! Qsa. XXI. /. H. The readers
OF these lesson notes may think that /
quote some passages very often, but
It Is because they mean so much to
me. They are my meat and drink.
May they all mean more to each of US!
Joash is the youngest king OF whom
we read, but good King Josiah was
but one year older when he began to
reign Oh Kings xxi, II. Every good
king was i'm some measure a type OF
Him who when He was but babe
was worshiped as King of the Jews
Matt. ii, |. 2, IL. but who Is still
waiting for His kingdom. Joash was
wonderfully preserved that the word
of the Lord concerning David and his
kingdom might not fail, and we may