Evening star., 1922-03-25
REVIEW-Devotional Reading,
Psalm 130.
GOLDEN TEXT-"Jehovah is
righteous in all his ways and
gracious in all his works"
Psalm 1877.
BY REV, HUGH T. STEVENSON.

History is the divine method of
teaching by example. During the
quarter we have studied tho annals
of the ten tribes from the time Of the
rebellion under Jeroboam I, in 937
b. c., to the downfall Of Israel. In
721 B. C.. Although the period COW
cred was but little more than two
centuries we have missed the mean
ing Of the quarters lessons II we
have not seen the presence and power
of God in the records Of men and in
the dark story of the revolving scenes
of treachery, civil disorder and revo-
luton that characterized the history
Of Israel. In the period of six gen.
crations Of men, nine different dynas-
tics ruled the northern kingdom be-
cause Jeroboam failed to obey the
commands of God, who had placed
him upon the throne as the first King
of Israel. Not only did he sin, but
all the other eighteen kings who fol-
lowed him did evil in the sight OF God.
During our studies we have seen
how history repeats itself, for we
have been brought face to face with
political. social and international
questions that men are facing at TINS
The division of the kingdom OF David
and Solomon tool place in a day;
but the causes leading up to it had
long been at work" There had been
great industrial unrest, due to the
autocratic policy Of solomon. fs VINO
The people were burdened by exces-
sive taxation to keep up the splendor
of his establishment, which threatened
the Hebrew race by the fntroductlon
Of foreign customs and c1vlllZatlon.
The Introduction Of heather religious
ideals and gods had tendency to
place Jehovah upon an equality with
the gods of other nations. 1t was
this national danger that called forth
Ahijah, the prophet, who inspired
tory. 1t was he that picked out
Jeroboam and summoned him to the
task. 1t was another prophet. She
maiah, who convinced Rehoboam that
it would be folly for him to seek to
stop the revolution Of the ten tribes
Whenever Israel was threatened
with a serious political calamity,
God called forth a prophet to battle
for righteousness and Jehovah. Sew
eral of these religious heroes have
been the subject ;n,s Of bss our ,sft studSs she
greatest impress of all the prophets
upon Hebrew race, has been the CEN
tral figure in five Of our lessons. The
abrupt appearance OF Tishbite in the
court Of Ahab. predicting the COM
ing Of days which would be without
dew or water, revealed that in the
mind Of the prophet that the welfare
OF the state depended upon faith
fulness to Jehovah. Fired with re-
ligious zeal. rarely excelled in history,
in an effort to stay the evil tendency
toward the Introduction OF a re-
ligion foreign to that upon which the
Hebrew nation was founded ana
vastly inferior as a moral power. He
made his appeal to the people in an
in predicting the famine. which would
be looked upon as sign OF GODS
displeasure. but in the contest upon
Mount Carmel that drew from the
multitude the confession that Jehovah
was God.
Elijah contended not only for true
service of Jehovah, but he was also
a champion of the rights of the peo-
pie against the aggressions OF the
throne. Ahab's policy of absolutism
and Rehoboam. 1t revealed itself in
his desire to enlarge his palace build
ings and suppress the prophets who
dared to challenge his authority:
Prosperity has tendency to lead
men away from depending upon God
he coveted NdDOlH uot
the peasant, out of loyalty to Jeho-
vah and love for his ancestral home.
refused to sell his birthright. Our
lessons have brought Elijah face to
fact not only with Ahab. but also in
conflict with his heather wife, Jeze-
bel. whose influence all but exter-
minated the worship of Jehovah in
Israel. The prophet had fed from
fear of her power to the desert. but
when he faced the king in Naboth's
vineyard it was to condemn not only
Ahab, but TO pronounce the doom of
the house of Omri for attempting to
gain possession of the vineyard SO
iniquitiously. The grasping greed of
men whose selfish love for gain and
gold makes them blind to the rights
of their fellow men. can count upon
meeting the retributive justice of the
Almighty. who is not blind to the in
justice of men to their fellows.
Elijah had learned the value OF
keeping Gods word before he ccm-
YINTTTEDC A