Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-03-16
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
For March 10. III Kings 17:1-18
BY DIR. MARION NH. HULL

Golden Text: righteousness ex-
alteth nation, but sin is reproach
to any people" Prov. 14:3.
The Northern Kingdom came to d
disastrous end under the reign of
Hoshea, the son Of Elah- The land
Of Israel had been divided out to
them by Hoshea (Joshua-the names
are synonyms the sun of Nun; it
was taken away from them and they
from it under Hoshea, the son of
Elah. The one followed the leader
ship Of God; the other rejected God,
and sought alliances first with AS
syria and then Egypt.
The Curse
Never did a kingdom begin with
brighter prospects than did the
Northern Kingdom. Solomon's SUI
perstructure ON David's foundation
had been a magnificent piece o.
work. The best Of the land and the
strongest Of the tribes were given
to Jeroboam with the same promise
Of permanercy on certain conditions
that God had given-David Yet the
whole history of the Kingdom Of
Israel was one of decline spiritually,
and with one or two exceptions, po-
litically as well. Under JeroboarI
T. a great advance had been made,
but his son was a weakling and held
the kingdoni only six months; Shat
lun, his son only reigned one month.
The kingdom was practically in 4
state of anarchy. Menahem sue
ceeded him. and reigned Cor ten
years, and he in turn was succeeded
b. Pekah; but he was murdered by
Hoshea, the son Of Elah, in the
twentieth" year of lothian (Which
was really the fourth year of AhaZ),
but did not begin to reign until the
twelfth year of Ahaz, eight years
later. During that interregum Israe!
was getting weaker and weaker,
while Assyria was growing more AMI
more powerful.
Finally Hoshea was put on the
throne by Shalmaneser, King Of AS
syria, and Isreal was put under the
heavy burden of having to pay to
him $2,000,000 in taxes each year.
Later Hoshea ceased to pay the tax,
and sent to king Of Egypt to as
sit him. Shalmaneser sent an army
to collect it. Boshea seems TO have
been captured and put in prison, but
the people refused to surrender. The
King of Assyria laid siege to Smaria,
but was resisted for three years.
During this time he died, but the
siege was continued by his success
sor, Sargon, and the city finally cap.
tured. Twenty seven thousand two
hundred and eighty Of the inhabl-
tants were taken into Assyria as cap.
tlves, and placed in Halah and in
Habor by the River Of GoEan, and
in the cities OF the Medes. These
composed the leaders and the best of
the people of the ten tribes. There
were some of the poorer and worth
less people left. Some Of these inter
married with the captives from
Babylon, Cuthah, Ava, Klamath ard
Sepharvaim who were imported
there by Sargon, and whose naongrel
descendants were the despised Sa-
rnaritans Of the time of JESUS. The
ten tribes never returned to Pales-
tine. They are spoken of as the
Lost Tribes" of Israel, but they are
not lost. Some think they intermar-
RED with the people of Mesopotania-
and thus lost their identity; this is
highly improbable. Some think they
migrated to northern Europe and
the English and Americans are their
descendants. While there are many
interesting things connected with
this British-Israel theory, it is who'll
y Impossible for many reasons. The
most probable explanation is offer
&c by David Barron, Christian Jew,
who pointed out that they were