PERIOD VI.] ASA CONQUERS THE ETHIOPIANS. When worldly snares without, Our God, our Father, hear! Disclosing, dread, sublime; Our God, our Father, hear! 77. ASA'S GOVERNMENT. 1 Kings xv. 12-22; 2 Chron, xiv-xvi. 10. Asa commanded all Judah to seek the God of their fathers, and to obey the law, and the commandments. He built fenced cities, and strengthened them during the years of rest. Zerah, the Ethiopian, came against him with a million of men and three hundred chariots at Mareshah, in the valley of Zephathah. And Asa cried unto the Lord his God, and said, "Lord, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power; help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O Lord, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee." So the Lord smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah and the Ethiopians fled. : Asa then smote all the cities about Gerar, and returned to Jerusalem with ASA IS REPROVED. [975-606 B.C much spoil. The prophet Azariah, the son of Oded, came to counsel Asa. He said, "The Lord is with you while ye be with him; and if ye seek him, he will be found of you; but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you." Asa then took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all Judah and Benjamin. And many came to him out of Ephraim, and Manasseh, and Simeon, when they saw that God was with him. And they offered unto the Lord seven-hundred oxen, and seven-thousand sheep; and they entered into a covenant to seek the Lord God of their fathers, and whosoever would not do so should be put to death. There were many wars between Asa and Baasha, and Asa sent the silver and gold that were left in the treasury of the temple to Benhadad, the king of Syria, at Damascus, to hire him. to come and assist him against Baasha. At that time Hanani, the seer, came and reproved Asa, because he had relied on the king of Syria, and not on God; he said, "Were not the Ethiopians and the Lubims a huge host, with very many chariots and horsemen ? yet, because thou didst rely on the Lord, he delivered them into thine hand. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars." Asa was wroth with Hanani, and put him in prison; he also oppressed some of the people the same time. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. Zerah-rising;' the Ethiopians or Cushites, of whom this Zerah was the leader, were, according to some, Arabians; while others maintain that they were Africans. It has also been conjectured that most of this immense army had come up with Shishak, (Less. 75, 'invade'), for it is said the people who came with him "were without number," and that, instead of going back to their own country when Shishak returned home, they remained as nomades, or wandering shepherds, in that extensive territory which lay between Egypt and Palestine. Here their numbers rapidly increased by the addition of other tribes of the same families, which suggested the design of an invasion of Judea, with the hope that their success would not be less certain than that of Shishak. against thee-every nation fought, professedly, under the auspices of some presiding deity, hence the honour of the gods was at stake as well as the lives of the warriors, and the independence of their respective nations; the Jews (Judah) fought in the name of Jehovah, the success of their enemies, therefore, would be represented as the victory of Lesson 31, an idol over the True God. ' name.' Azarab—he red of Jehovah.." rise Lesson 25, - aprenant.” many-Lessor B2, “Je put to death-100 AS A CHIÈTE offence in Isra beruse waS POSUTE rebelson aɛkes: God their KUT, KEL, NST his government and lows, and against the mbona COF÷HEL 78. seat-in cases of danger it was EWENS heit law Ì NO EM SE "PAĆ ""BESTMES in de ener of the ro1222y, but in "his case there waS BO BE DECERS.TV. Goc ind already assisted Asa, and promised Lim further protection assist-Barsha being determined to ent of all intercourse between Iorge and Judah, begin to bald fort frations at Ramah, a border town situated on a Lil about six miles north of Jerusalem, and overlooking the high road leading from Las dominions to the "ety of God" but bearing of the invasion of the northern parts of his kingdom by Bentadad, be abandoned his project at Ramah, and went to fight with the. Syrians. As soon as be left, Asa's people took away the stones and timber brought by Baasha, and with them built Geba and Mizpab. chariots-these wild, unsettled, and barbarous nomades delighted in war, hence they had every known convenience in: spaces. It is said that the Greeks wtowed from them the custom of LIDERSINS Sour horses to their chariots & Less. 26. - chariots.' he un mered-Benbadad was on terms of pollino friendship with Baasha, Asa cil wrong, therefore in offering a bribe N cause him to violate his pledges; but It cod worse in placing reliance on BUmar æd, and not on the arm of God. Bad be trusted in God, he would have made him victorious over Baasha as he Ind done over the Ethiopians and the eyes of—this beautiful expression shows us that God continues his favours only to those who serve him with an right and sincere heart; it is of no consequence to begin well if we do not persevere. GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. MARESHAH & city of Judah in the ralley of Zephatbah; of this city the prophet Mican was probably a native. LUBIMS-inhabitants of Lybia, a country of Airica, west of Egypt, and extending to the gulf of Syrtis. They consisted of different nomade tribes wandering in wild independence over their deserts. Swarms of them went up with Zerah's army against Judah. SEEKING GOD. “IF YE SEEK HIM HE WILL BE FOUND OF YOU." O Source of Good! around me spread That ceaseless flows to soothe and heal! SUCCESSIVE KINGS OF ISRAEL. [975-606 B.C. No chain to bind the wondering soul, The voice of prayer in heaven is heard! E. TAYLOR. 78. OF BAASHA, ELAH, ZIMRI, OMRI, AND AHAB. 1 Kings xvi. Then the word of the Lord came to Jehu, the son of Hanani, against Baasha, saying, "Forasmuch as I exalted thee out of the dust, and made thee prince over my people Israel, and thou hast walked in the way of Jeroboam, and hast made my people Israel to sin, to provoke me to anger with their sins; behold, I will take away the posterity of Baasha, and the posterity of his house and will make thy house like the house of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat." Baasha died after he had reigned over Israel twenty-four years. His son Elah then became king; he reigned only two years, and was slain by Zimri, the captain of half his chariots, as he was drinking himself drunk in the house of his steward. Zimri then slew all the house of Baasha, and the word of the Lord, which Jehu the prophet had spoken against the posterity of Baasha, was fulfilled. The Israelites were then at war with the Philistines at Gibbethon. When Elah was slain, the Israelites at Gibbethon made Omri, the captain of the host, king over Israel. Omri went and besieged Tirzah. When Zimri saw that the city was taken, he set fire to the palace, and destroyed himself. Half the people then made Tibni king, but Omri prevailed against hin, and Tibni was slain. Omri bought the hill of Samaria, PERIOD VI.] OMRI BUILDS SAMARIA. of Shemer, and built on it a city which he called Samaria, This city was the capital of the kingdom of Israel so long as the kingdom existed. Omri reigned over Israel twelve and followed the sins of Jeroboam. years, He Ahab was the son and successor of Omri. He took to wife Jezebel, the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Zidonians. not only followed the sin of Jeroboam but he also worshipped Baal. He did evil in the sight of the Lord above all who reigned before him. He reared up an altar for Baal in a temple of Baal, which he built in Samaria. In his days Jericho was rebuilt by Hiel, the Bethelite, whose first-born son died when he laid the foundations, and whose youngest son died when he set up the gates of the city. Thus was the curse of Joshua fulfilled, who had said, "Cursed be the man before the Lord that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho; he shall lay the foundation thereof in his first-born, and in his youngest son shall he set up the gates of it." Jehu-'he that is.' NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. I exalted-the wicked designs of men can only succeed by the permission of God, either to execute his judgments, or for other wise purposes; Baasha's exaltation was apparently obtained by cruelty and treachery. out of the dust-from one of the humblest and most insignificant families in the kingdom. in the ray-followed the very same line of policy, by trying to consolidate his kingdom under a form of religion contrary to that which had been ordained by Jehovah. hast made-how awful was his responsibility and guiltiness. like the house-this threat was remarkably executed; Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, had reigned but two years when he was slain by the conspirator, Baasha, and Elah, the son of Baasha, was slain by Zimri, another conspirator, after he had reigned but two years. Zimri-a sanguinary policy marked his accession to the throne, for he slew all the kinsfolk of Elah as well as those more immediately related to him, so that there might not be one' avenger' left; but the speedy and signal punishment with which he was visited showed that there is a God who judgeth in the earth. The ruin that overwhelmed him became proverbial, and we find the wicked Jezebel referring to it in these words, "Had Zimri peace who slew his master?" Lesson 95. Omri- sheaf;' having besieged one rival, he next had to contend with another, whom many of the people preferred to himself. bought-he gave Shemer two talents (£684) for the hill; the destruction of the royal palace at Tirzah was the occasion of this purchase. so long-Lesson 108, took Samaria.' the sins of the infamy of Jeroboam was attached to his name and memory, while his idolatry continued to prevail. Ahab father's brother;' he was the seventh king who sat upon the throne of Israel during the reign of Asa over Judah, who had seen six kings of Israel die in ignominy or vice, or destroyed with |