The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-07-06
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
By w. T. ELLIS


For July 8 Is "Ahaz. the Faithless
king.'-II Chron., Chapter IS.
The Man Who Would Not Be King.
While mulling over this lesson 1 met
in dining car yesterday a young
man, who, somehow, fixed himself in
my mind as an up-to-date King Ahaz-
Perhaps the comparison is unfair to
my pleasant spoken acquaintance He
was a tall, handsome, red-headed
young American, who had been
football player at one of the great
eastern colleges. Doubtless at least
two women consider him a model
young man.
Nevertheless, as he talked enter
tainingly about things in general, 1
perceived that here was a young man,
of royal equipment and opportunity
who had never got firm grip on eS-
sential values. 1 do not question his
personal morality, but on moral and
ethical iss1es he was as wobbly as
King Ahaz. This war, for instance.
frankly bored him. He could not see
why the nations should not call it all
off at once. 1t is killing lot of fine
young men, and it should be stopped
right away. There is really nothing
at stake worth fighting for. l made
some effort, but 1 fear in vain, to help
this handsome young athlete to per-
ceive that there are now in contest
certain great moral and ethical and
| spiritual issues that are more impor-
tant than even his comfort and con-
venience. and that it is better far for
a man to die nobly than to live in
| ignoble indifference to the supreme
| values. The least of all the wounded
Canadian soldiers, returning from
France, who passed up some miles
|
| standards than this favored son of
opportunity, who apparently has no
standards concerning which he is not
| willing to negotiate.
Mr.. Red-Headed Athlete is one of
the men-they are few, thank God!-
OF whom Ahaz was an ancient type
| They are crowned, but fling their
crowns into the mire. They are self
ish, craven, truckfess. What is easy
makes more appeal to them than what
is right. They would rather be popu-
lar and successful than true. Their
birthright is openly in the market
place. To get along means more to
them than to stand steadfast. They
are the conformers; who are ever the
heaviest burden that Progress carries
upon it's shoulders.
A Man on the Monuments.
This King Ahaz, who reigned more
than twenty-five hundred years ago.
in the little kingdom of Judah, has
the interesting distinction of being
| known to history not only for the rec
ords of the Old Testament, but also
| from the Assyrian monuments. The
archaeo1ogist's spade has dug up the
| cuneiform record cut in stone, of the
| triumphs of Tiglath- pilneser, king of
Assyria, who once brought Ahaz to
heel. Thus the inspired story of the
| decadent kings defeat is confirmed by
evidence from the sands of Mesopo-
tamia; which is the sort of evidence,
strangely enough, that skeptical
| world is more ready to accept than
it is that of the clear pages of Holy
Writ
So Alaz got reputation but it
was a bad one. Ambitious for dis
! tinction, and with vanity that would
sacrifice all things in order to stand
well in the world, Ahaz really sue
| eeeded only in winning infamy. He
has left an fmperishable name, but it
is an od1ous one. History uses him
as red light, to hang on the pathway
OF time as danger signal What a
horrible fate it is, to have missed no.
bic success and to win an Immortality
of shame.
Historically, Ahaz and his kingdom
are less important than homiletically
They serve their chief end in showing
the ways of God with men. AS a king
Ahaz was only one of a long line,
VINO, apart from their mission of be-
ing bearers of Gods Promise to the
race We're no more important than
ten thousand other monarchs who
have lived and died and been forgot
ten. But as type, Ahab has his
present use He stands forth wildly
as one who did rot play the king
game in king-eashion. He lost his
crown and his soul
Fathers and Sons.
| ha Sc
flower of many lands, we are facing
certain great biological facts about
fathers and sons. Ahaz represents a
real problem in this. He was the bad
son of a good father, and the bad
rather of good sen. 1t looks rather
as If, in things of character, every life
stands on its own feet. In his meaty
little book. THE Manysided David, =
Philip E. Howard deals with this
question, and he quotes the conclu-
SION reached by quaint old Thomas
Fuller upon the subject. II see Lord,
from hence, Fathers piety cannot be
entailed; that is bad news for me. But
see, also, that actual impiety is not
always hereditary. That is good news
for my son."
For every father who is grieving
tonight for a son dead in France, Il
still feel the pressure of the handclasp
OF one such1, there are two who are
mourning that their sons have PLAYED
the fool and gone like Ahaz, into the
great conformity of sin. 1t should be
an influence with every noble boy
that he has his fathers happiness in
his keeping. A reasonable incentive
to clean living is the joy that will be
brought to a fathers heart. No rake
ruins himself alone; he brings hurt
and shame upon the one whom it is
his first duty to honor. OF the other
delicate and allied question, the dis
dressed to her. Queer, She opened it
and read:
Dear Miss Edith saw you go up
into the tree I hope you won't come