"SELF-DEPENDENCE." their families by usurpers, in recompense for their ingratitude to God, and disobedience of his laws. Jezebel 'not dwelt in;' being educated in the idolatries of her native country, she soon introduced the worship of Baal and Ashtaroth into Israel; she maintained 400 priests at her own expense, and her husband Ahab sustained 450 more. The wickedness of Jezebel became proverbial; Less. 82 & 85. above all-Jeroboam's crimes were little in comparison with those of this monster of iniquity, who openly set up the worst kinds of idolatry. Hiel- God giveth; five hundred years before his day, Joshua pronounced a curse upon the man who should rebuild Jericho. Hiel being an inhabitant of Bethel, lived in the very seat of idolatry; the law being but little read, he either did not know the judgments denounced against the rebuilder of Jericho, or he impiously disregarded them. He soon experienced the truth of the Divine threatenings; his first born died when he commenced the building, and his other children died during the progress of the work-the youngest expiring as soon as the city was finished. [975-606 B.C. Cursed the curse implied that the city was devoted to God as the first fruits of Israel's conquests in Canaan; Less. 30, curse;' 31, took.' GEOGRAPHICAL NOTES. SAMARIA-the capital of the king. dom of Israel, about thirty-four miles north of Jerusalem, was built by Omri, who bought the hill Samaria of Shemer, and called the city after his name. The hill is large and insulated, surrounded four hills, one on each side; the site by a deep, broad valley, environed by possessed many natural advantages in a military point of view, and was in other respects advantageous. ZIDONIANS-a commercial people of Zidon or Sidon who were worshippers of Baal; their god was Melkart, a representative of the Sun, to whose guid. ance they attributed their success; he was the god of the Phoenicians universally, and his worship, by means of the maritime enterprise of that active people, was introduced into many countries. The fire was kept constantly burning upon his altar, and his worship was accompanied with many disgusting rites. Melkart means the king of the earth-the heat and animating influence of the sun being diffused over all creation. FOLLY OF SELF DEPENDENCE. The swift not always in the race Shall seize the crowning prize; Not always wealth and honour grace The labour of the wise. Fond mortals but themselves beguile Evil and good before Thee stand, The blessing comes at thy command, O Lord, in all our ways we'll own Intrusting to thy care alone PERIOD VI.] JEHOSHAPHAT SUCCEEDS ASA. 79. ASA'S DEATH. JEHOSHAPHAT'S PROSPERITY. 2 Chron. xvi. 11-xviii. 1; 1 Kings xxii. 41-44 After Asa had reigned thirty-eight years he began to be troubled with a disease in his feet, yet he sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians. He died in the forty-first year of his reign, and was buried in his own sepulchre in the city of David. His son Jehoshaphat succeeded him, and he walked in the ways of his father, and did that which was right, though the people still offered incense on the high places. Jehoshaphat made peace with the king of Israel. There was then no king in Edom. The Lord was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of David, and sought not to Baalim; but sought to the Lord God of his father, and walked in his commandments, and 'not after the doings of Israel. Therefore the Lord stablished the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought to Jehoshaphat presents; and he had riches and honour in abundance. And his heart was lifted up in the ways of the Lord: moreover he took away the high places and groves out of Judah. Also in the third year of his reign he sent to his princes, to teach in the cities of Judah. And with them he sent Levites, and priests. And they taught in Judah, and had the book of the law of the Lord with them, and went about throughout all the cities of Judah, and taught the people. And the fear of the Lord fell upon all the kingdoms of the lands that were round about Judah, so that they made no war against Jehoshaphat. Also some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat presents, and tribute of silver; and the Arabians brought him flocks, seven-thousand-and-seven-hundred rams, and seventhousand-and-seven-hundred he-goats. And Jehoshaphat waxed great exceedingly; and he built in Judah castles, and cities of store. And he had much business in the cities of Judah and the men of war, mighty men of valour, were in Jerusalem. But Jehoshaphat joined affinity with Ahab, by allowing his son, Jehoram, to marry Athaliah, the daughter of Ahab and Jezebel. Much evil afterwards resulted from this marriage. NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. physicians-this is the first mention of physicians as a distinct class among the Israelites; the simple and healthy mode of life common to all classes, rendered them comparatively free from bodily ailments; the disease to which the Israelites were most liable-the leprosy, was cured by the priest only, according to the directions given by Moses; as a consequence the estimation of the priests' healing power would be enhanced, and lead to their being consulted in other distempers. There was no evil in Asa consulting physicians respecting his disease, his sin was in trust ing to their skill rather than to the goodness of God. Jehoshaphat- Jehovah's judgment.' though Lesson 75,' high places.' made peace-he did not compromise the true religion which he was bound to uphold, nor his own independence as a sovereign, but he acted from kind feelings of brotherhood towards the people of Israel, as well as from the conviction that national prosperity would be retarded by harassing wars. first ways-serving the Lord in simplicity and godly sincerity. not after his covenant with Israel did not diminish his zeal for the true worship of Jehovah. brought-presents-his people loved him; the more there is of true religion among a people, the more will there be of conscientious loyalty." lifted up he was not elated with human pride because he was prosperous, but stimulated to more active and cheer. ful obedience. [975-606 B.C. The princes-there was no mysterious or dubious language in the precepts and teachings of Moses; they were written for the personal study and guidance of every individual in the nation. union of priests and princes in this religious tour had a most happy effect not only on the people, but on the minds of the princes, creating in them a practical interest in the religions prosperity of the people. had the book-it appears that copies of the law were not then numerous, which accounts for the many lapses of the nation into idolatry. fear-true religion, exemplified in a life of practical obedience to the Lord's precepts, and a zeal for the glory of God produces a feeling of awe and reverence even in the minds of the irreligious. while the profession without the practice of religion causes it and its false professors to be contemned. castles he took prudent and lawful in the event of troubles arising from measures for the defence of his kingdom, without. business he encouraged trade, and promptly engaged in whatever would tend to increase the wealth and prosperity of his people. stated he had a much larger army than men of war-according to the numbers David; 2 Chron. xvii. 14-19. affinity-became connected, by the marriage of his son with Ahab's daughter. Athaliah-remembered of Jehovah.' HAVE MERCY, LORD! Lord! have mercy when we strive Oh then have mercy! Lord! PERIOD VI.] ELIJAH SENT TO REPROVE AHAB. Lord! have mercy when we lie Oh then have mercy! Lord! Lord! have mercy when we know Oh then have mercy! Lord! MILLMAN. 80. ELIJAH'S MISSION TO AHAB. 1 Kings xvii.-xviii. 18. Now Elijah, the Tishbite, who was an inhabitant of Gilead, came unto Ahab, and said, " As the Lord God of Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." And the word of the Lord came unto him, saying, "Get thee hence, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. Thou shalt drink of the brook, and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there." So be went, and did according unto the word of the Lord: and the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he drank of the brook. And after a while, the brook dried because there had been no rain in the land. up, According to the word of the Lord, Elijah went thence to Zarephath, at which place God had commanded a widow woman to sustain him. Elijah found her gathering sticks at the gate of the city. He asked her to fetch a little water, and to bring a morsel of bread in her hand. She said she had no bread, but only a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse, which she was about to dress for herself and her THE FAMINE IN SAMARIA. [975-606 B.C. son that they might eat it and die. Elijah said unto her, "Fear not; make me a little cake first, and bring it unto me, and after make for thee and thy son. For thus saith the Lord God of Israel, The barrel of meal shall not waste, neither shall the cruse of oil fail, until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth." The word of the Lord was fulfilled. After these things her son fell sick and died. The widow thought Elijah had been sent to cause his death; but Elijah stretched himself upon the child and prayed to God to restore him to life, and the soul of the child came into him again. Elijah delivered him to his mother: whereupon the widow said, "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth." After many days Elijah was commanded to shew himself to Ahab, and God promised to send rain upon the earth. There was a sore famine in Samaria, and Obadiah, the governor of Ahab's house, and Ahab, went through the land in separate directions to all the fountains and brooks, to find grass to save the horses and mules. Now Obadiah feared the Lord greatly; for it was so, when Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water. Obadiah met Elijah and knew him. Elijah told him to go to Ahab, and say, Behold, Elijah is here." Obadiah feared to go and tell Ahab, lest the Spirit of the Lord should take Elijah away, and Ahab should slay him. He told Elijah that Ahab had sent to seek him in all nations, and kingdoms. Elijah said, "As the Lord of hosts liveth, before whom I stand, I will surely shew myself uuto him to-day." So Obadiah went to meet Ahab, and told him; and Ahab went to meet Elijah. 66 NOTES AND EXPLANATIONS. Elijah-the strong Lord; we have no information concerning his lineage or early life. He was a strenuous vindicator of the worship of the true God in opposition to the idolatrous kings under whom he lived. Tishbite-it is uncertain whether he came from Thisbe, a town of Galilee, or iroi Tishbe in Gilead. before whom I stand--as God's ambassador ready to bear his messages to men ; Lesson 8, angels.' The phrase also imp'ies the prophet's belief in the Omnipresence of Jehovah. de nor rain-the importance of dew in such a country as Palestine cannot be over estimated, for the heat and dryness of the atmosphere parch the ground |