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slew Elah and all Baasha's sons, and reigned seven days, and burned himself in his palace when Omri was about to take him prisoner. Omri became king over half of Israel, and Tibni over the other half; Omri, after four years' war, defeated and slew Tibni, and reigned twelve years (including the four years of civil war); Ahab reigned twenty-two years. While these kings ruled over "Israel" (the ten tribes) at Shechem and Samaria, the following ruled over "Judah" (the two tribes) at Jerusalem: Rehoboam, seventeen years; Abijam (or Abijah), three years; Asa, forty-one years; Jehoshaphat, twenty-five years; the latter king had ruled about four years at the time of the death of Ahab, king of Israel (see p. 84).

ORDER OF KINGS OF ISRAEL.-(50.) Nadab. (51.) Baasha. (52.) Elah. (53.) Zimri. (54.) Omri and Tibni. (55.) Omri alone. (56.) Ahab,

TO THE SCHOLAR.-Study with care the names and order of the kings of Israel from Jeroboam to Ahab, and also the names and order of the kings ruling over Judah at the same time. This will aid you in gaining a clear idea of this por. tion of Bible history.

NOTES.-A'-sa, third king of Judah, after the division, son of Abijam and great-grandson of Solomon. He obeyed God, and had a long and prosperous reign of forty-one years.-Om'-ri, sixth king of Israel after the division, and founder of the third dynasty; he was captain of the army, defeated Zimri the murderer of King Elah, and also defeated Tibni, who was made king by part of the people. Omri reigned twelve years, six at Tirzah and six at Samaria, which he founded and made the capital of Israel.-Tir'-zah, an old city, noted for its beauty; had a royal palace; possibly was a temporary capital before Samaria was built. Its modern name is Tellúzah, in the mountains, north of Nablûs.-Sa-ma'-ri-a, a city, and capital of Israel after the division; founded by Omri; twice attacked by Syrians; taken by the Assyrians; improved by Herod; the ruins are found at Sebastiyeh, a poor village about seven miles northwest of Nablus.-A'-hab, seventh king of Israel; son of Omri; married Jezebel; established Baal-worship; was very wicked; died of a wound received in battle, and the dogs licked his blood.Jez'-e-bel, a Phoenician princess, daughter of Eth-baal, and wife of Ahab, a wicked woman; slew the prophets of the Lord; supported a large number of priests of Baal and Astarte; caused Naboth's death; was slain and eaten by dogs. 2 Kings ix. 30-37.-Eth'-ba-al, a Phoenician king of Zidonia; he slew the ruling king, and usurped the throne about fifty years after King Hiram of Tyre.-Zi-do'-nians, people of Zidon or Sidon, a Phoenician town about twenty miles north of Tyre, now called Saida, and has about ten thousand population.-Ba'-al, the great idol-god of the Canaanites and Phonicians. Jer-i-cho, a city near the mouth of the Jordan. (See Hand-book, Part III., p. 16.)

LESSON OUTLINE AND EXPLANATION.

Lesson Topics.-(I.) SINS OF OMRI. (II.) SINS OF АНАВ.

I. SINS OF OMRI. (23.) Asa... Omri

...

Tirzah.

see Notes. (24.) Samaria, see Notes; two talents, probably equal to about $3500. (25.) wrought evil.. worked at evil; worse than all, was not content to follow others, but must exceed them in wickedness. (26.) the way of Jeroboam, his evil way (ch. xii. 28); vanities, idolatries. (27.) might that he shewed, in the wars with Syria (see 1 Kings xxii. 2); chronicles, not the "Chronicles" of the Bible, but a work known when this book of Kings was written.

I. Questions.-Who succeeded Jeroboam as king? 1 Kings xv. 25. How long did he reign? Who was king after Nadab? How did he gain the throne? ch. xv. 27. How long did he reign? Who was the next king? For how long? How was he slain? How long did Zimri reign? State his chief act. How did he die? v. 18. Name the two persons next chosen kings. Which finally became sole king? What was the character of these kings? Whom did they follow in sin? Which of them outdid Jeroboam in sin? State the central truth of this lesson.

II. SINS OF AHAB.-(30.) did evil. .. above all, Omri was more wicked than any before him; now Ahab is more wicked than Omri. (31.) Jezebel, God had forbidden such marriages. Deut. vii. 3. See Notes. (32.) house of Baal, temple built for this idol. (33.) grove, or Asherah, a goddess (Heb.); hence her image or statue which Ahab set up. (34.) In his days, wickedness became so common that Hiel dared to build Jericho in the face of the prophecy.

II. Questions.-Who became king after Omri? What was his character? Who became his wife? Whose daughter was Jezebel? What temple did Ahab build? What did he place in it? What is a "grove"? What fact shows that the people also

became very wicked? How was Joshua's prophecy fulfilled? What facts in this lesson teach us

(1.) The danger of beginning to do evil?

(2.) The power of sinful companions over us? HYMN, "Jesus, keep me ever near thee."

THE OLD BAAL ALTAR found at Kanawat was of hard stone, the horns broken off and base of altar broken. The bowl at the top was for the blood. The picture shows the Baal side; on the other side AT KANAWAT, IN was a figure of Astarte,

[graphic]

ANCIENT BAAL ALTAR BASHAN.

or Asherah.

[blocks in formation]

ELIJAH THE TISHBITE.-1 Kings xvii, 1–16. [About 910 B. C. RECITE VS. 5-7, 13, 14.

1

And Elijah the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said unto Ahab, 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.

2 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee 3 hence, and turn thee eastward. and hide thyself by the brook 4 Cherith, that is before Jordan. | And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed 5 thee there. So he went and did according unto the word of the Lord: for he went and dwelt by the 6 brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. | And the ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning, and bread and flesh in the evening; and he 7 drank of the brook. | And it came to pass after a while, that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.

8 And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, | Arise, get 9 thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain 10 thee. So he arose and went to Zarephath. And when he came to the gate of the city, behold, the widow woman was there gathering of sticks: and he called to her, and said, Fetch me, I pray thee, 11 a little water in a vessel, that I may drink. | And as she was L going to fetch it, he called to her, and said, Bring me, I pray 12 thee, a morsel of bread in thine hand. | And she said, As the LORD thy God liveth, I have not a cake, but a handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse: and, behold, I am gathering two sticks, that I may go in and dress it for me and my son, 13 that we may eat it, and die. | And Elijah said unto her, Fear not; go and do as thou hast said: but make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it unto 14 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 15 upon the earth. | And she went and did according to the saying of Elijah: and she, and he, and her house, did eat many 16 days. And the barrel of meal wasted not, neither did the cruse of oil fail, according to the word of the LORD, which he spake by Elijah.

GOLDEN TEXT.-In famine he shall redeem thee from death. -Job v. 20.

CENTRAL TRUTH. The Lord provides.

T.

DAILY READINGS.
M. 1 Kings xvii. 1-16.
Lev. xxvi. 14-30.
W. Matt. vi. 25-34.
Th. Ps. lxxviii. 15-32.
F. Luke iv. 25-32.
Sat. Matt. xxv.,31-46.
8. Mal. iii. 8-12.

CONNECTED HISTORY.-The "man of God," Ahijah, Hanani, and Jehu were prophets of Judah. The first two had given terrible warnings to Jeroboam because of his sins, and the last to Jehu. Elijah is the first and the greatest of the prophets in the "kingdom of Israel;" he pronounces the Lord's judgment against Baalworship by the Israelites.

ORDER OF EVENTS.—(57.) Elijah foretells three years' drought.

TO THE SCHOLAR.-Notice how God takes special care of his servant: sends him to a safe hiding-place; feeds him there; and at just the right time, sends him to Zarephath to preserve the life of the poor widow, and his own life also.

NOTES.-E-li'-jah (my God Jehovah), a prophet, perhaps born at Tishbi, or Thisbeh; lived in Gilead, east of the Jordau. He prophesies against Ahab; is fed by ravens; by the widow of Zarephath; raises her son to life; calls fire from heaven; destroys the prophets of Baal; brings rain from heaven; flees to Horeb; calls Elisha; again calls fire from heaven; prophesies against Ahab and Jezebel; is taken to heaven in a chariot of fire.-Che'rith, a stream "before Jordan," or facing the Jordan. Robinson and Tristram count it the Wady Kelt, 60 feet wide and 3 feet deep, running into Jordan south of Jericho. Some suppose Cherith to be Wady Fasail, farther north, or some stream on the east side of the Jordan.-Ra'-vens, any bird of the crow tribe; very numerous in Palestine, and now seen in flocks about the Wady Kelt, the supposed "brook Cherith."-Zar-e-phath, a town of Phoenicia, 7 miles south of Sidon; the Sarepta of Luke (iv. 26); now in ruins.

EXPLANATIONS AND QUESTIONS.

Lesson Topics.-(I.) ELIJAH'S PROPHECY. (II.) ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS. (III.) ELIJAH FED BY THE POOR WIDOW.

1. ELIJAH'S PROPHECY. (1.) Elijah, see Notes; Tishbite, born or living in Tishbi; Gilead, a wild, mountainous country east of the Jordan; before whom I stand, a solemn form of speaking, as if under oath in court; dew nor rain, this punishment had been threatened for idolatry. See Deut. xi. 17; xxviii. 23. I. Questions.-State the name of the prophet mentioned. Meaning of his name? Where did he live? Why called Tishbite? What kind of a country was Gilead? To whom did Elijah prophesy? State his message.

II. ELIJAH FED BY RAVENS. (3.) eastward, from Samaria; Cherith, see Notes. (4.) ravens, these birds abound there still. (6.) bread and flesh, so Israel was fed in the wilderness. See Ex. xvi. 12-15. (7.) after a while, Heb. "at the end of days," probably a year or more; brook dried, as small streams now in summer. II. Questions.-Whither was the prophet directed to go?

By whom? Where was this brook? Of what was he to drink?

How was he to be fed? By whose command? How was it fulfilled? v. 6. What happened to the brook? Where? Why did it dry up?

III. ELIJAH FED BY THE POOR WIDOW. (9.) Zarephath, see Notes; sustain thee, the brook fails, but the Lord provides for Elijah and the widow also. (10.) gate of the city, it must have been a walled town with gates for entrance as at Jerusalem now; fetch me... water, which was very scarce from the long drought. (11.) morsel, a piece, mouthful. (12.) a cake, thin cake baked on hot stones or in the ashes; barrel, pail or small vessel (Keil) (see picture); cruse, flask or little pitcher; dress it, prepare and bake it; eat it and die, the famine must have been very severe in Phoenicia. (13.) little cake first, said, not from a selfish spirit of the prophet, but to try the woman's faith. (14.) God of Israel, the widow was not an Israelite, but a Phoenician, and perhaps a worshipper of Baal. "Baal-worshippers would admit Jehovah to be a God." v. 12. (Cook.) (15.) many days, or "a full year." (16.) wasted not, the promise faithfully fulfilled.

III. Questions.-When the brook dried up, where did Elijah go? By whose command? How far was Zarephath from Cherith? [Probably about 140 miles.] To whom was he sent ? Where did he find her? What doing? How did he greet her? What more did he ask than water? How did the woman answer? What did Elijah propose? Why ask for his cake first? How did he encourage her faith? On whose promise? With what effect upon the woman? How far was it fulfilled? What facts in this lesson teach us

(1.) That God will punish those who neglect to worship him? (2.) That he can provide food for his servants?

(3.) That he can bring unexpected help to the poor?"

HYMN, "I am trusting, Lord, in thee."-Calvary Songs, p. 31.

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