The Carlisle independent., 1915-09-30

Ahab disobeyed God and failed to follow up his victory over Ben-Hadad (ch. 20: 31-3D. 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" (v. 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 12:15.
 l. The Schemes of Men, w. 11-16. Ahab had been king for twenty years | (B. c. 9060. Jezreel was his summer capital, about twenty miles northwest | of Samaria. The chief actors in this tragedy were Naboth, 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 nobles of Jezreel, 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 36:7; Lev. 2523; also Ezek. 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 (v. 4) 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 (v. D. 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 Uuk0 12:15; Eph. 5:5). The first sinner was covet- ous (Gen. 3:6), so also were the chosen people of God (Josh. 7:2D. and It was this that caused the first dis I Bension 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 (8-13).
 II. The Sentence of God, w. 17-2o. The dead Naboth was happier than his neighbors of Jezreel, the king and | queen or any of the other evil par ticipants. Ahab began by breaking the first commandment q Kings 16: 31; Deut- 5:D 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 was to hear the Word of God and 1t was not to be so welcome. Recently we saw Elijah set aside, following his flight 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 suggestion of guilty conscience in Ahab's exclamation, Hast thou found me, O mine enemy" | (v 20)? Ahab had gone down to the vineyard of Naboth" (v. 16) to enjoy the pleasure of possessing his ill-got- ten treasure only to hear again his word of doom (ch. 20:42; 21-19). It was a poor exchange Ahab made (Mark 8:37). a throne and his life in own will and the possession of 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. 32:23).
 III. The Summary. Covetousness is not the mere desire for things we do not possess, but a deep longing which Is willing to do wrong, to injure oth- CTS, to profit by the evil deeds of oth- CTS in order to come into possession. Covetousness seeks to gain at the ex- pense of higher and better things; it 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 and fountain of covet- ousness 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 up and advance hls kingdom and | covetousness will vanish as mist be- l for the summer sun.
 | Covetousness is unsuitable, it Is | never satisfied.
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