JEHU THE KING.-2 Kings x. 20-31. [About 884 B. C.

RECITE VS. 28, 29.

20 And Jehu said, Proclaim a solemn assembly for Baal. And they 21 proclaimed it. | And Jehu sent through all Israel: and all the

worshippers of Baal came, so that there was not a man left that came not. And they came into the house of Baal; and the 22 house of Baal was full from one end to another. | And he said unto him that was over the vestry, Bring forth vestments for all the worshippers of Baal. And he brought them forth vest23 ments. And Jehu went, and Jehonadab the son of Rechab, into the house of Baal, and said unto the worshippers of Baal, Search, and look that there be here with you none of the servants of the 24 LORD, but the worshippers of Baal only. | And when they went in to offer sacrifices and burnt offerings, Jehu appointed fourscore men without, and said, If any of the men whom I have brought into your hands escape, he that letteth him go, his life shall be for the life of him.

25

25

And it came to pass, as soon as he had made an end of offering the burnt offering, that Jehu said to the guard and to the captains, Go in, and slay them; let none come forth. And they smote them with the edge of the sword; and the guard and the captains cast 26 them out, and went to the city of the house of Baal. And they brought forth the images out of the house of Baal, and burned 27 them. And they brake down the image of Baal, and brake down the house of Baal, and made it a draught house unto this day. | 28 Thus Jehu destroyed Baal out of Israel. | How29 beit, from the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, Jehu departed not from after them, to wit, the golden calves that were in Beth-el, and that were in Dan.

30

And the LORD said unto Jehu, Becanse thou hast done well in executing that which is right in mine eyes, and hast done unto the house of Ahab according to all that was in mine heart, thy children of the fourth generation shall sit on the throne of 31 Israel. But Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the LORD God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sing of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin.

CONNECTED HISTORY.-Benhadad II., the "king of Syria" referred to in several of the preceding lessons, died, and Hazael succeeded him. Jehoranı, or Joram, king of Israel, in alliance with Ahaziah, king of Judah, fought against Hazael, was wounded and returned to Jezreel; there he was killed by Jehu, who had been anointed king at Elisha's command. Jehu also caused Jezebel and seventy of Ahab's sons, together with all his kindred, to be slain; he then destroyed the worship of Baal in Israel.

ORDER OF EVENTS.-(88.) Jehu anointed. (89.) Destroys the kindred of Ahab. (90.) Destroys Baal-worship.

NOTES.-Je'-hu (Jehovah is he-i. e., is God), the tenth king and founder of the fifth dynasty of Israel; son of Jehoshaphat and grandson of Nimshi (2 Kings ix. 2); was with Ahab when he took Naboth's vineyard (2 Kings ix. 25); anointed and proclaimed king at Ramoth-Gilead; drove to Jezreel; shot Jehoram dead; trampled Jezebel under his horses' feet; slew all Ahab's kindred; destroyed Baal-worship, but not the golden calves; reigned twenty-eight years, and was buried in Samaria.-Ves'-try, the robe-chamber either of the temple of Baal or of the royal palace.-Vest-ments, the sacred robes used in worship.-Je-hon'-a-dab (Jehovah incites), son of Rechab, founder of the order of the Rechabites, whose menibers did not drink wine, build houses, nor plant vineyards. Jer. xxxv. 6, 7.-Im'-a-ges. Dean Stanley suggests that these were figures of the Phoenician divinities carved in wood and set on pillars; while the image they "brake down" was of stone, and perhaps erected in front of the temple. (See picture, p. 20.)

EXPLANATIONS AND QUESTIONS.

Lesson Topics.-(I.) THE BAAL-WORSHIPPERS GATHERED. (II.) BAAL DESTROYED. (III.) THE GOLDEN CALVES SPARED.

I. THE BAAL-WORSHIPPERS GATHERED. (20.) a solemn assembly, such as the Israelites were commanded to hold for Jehovah's worship (Lev. xxiii. 36; Num. xxix. 35, 36). (21.) not a man... that came not, they were threatened with death if they stayed away, v. 19; from one end to another, "brimful" (Speaker's); "full from wall to wall" (Lange); vestry... vestments, see Notes. (23.) Jehonadab, see Notes; be here... worshippers of Baal only, the very presence of those of another religion would profane the rites: hence this exclusion did not excite suspicion.

I. Questions.-What did Jehu say to the people? How had Ahab served Baal? 1 Kings xvi. 30-33. Whom did Jehu order called together? For what purpose? What did he threaten to those who absented themselves? What was his secret motive? In how great numbers did the Baal-worshippers assemble? Who went with Jehu? How did he keep out all the servants of the Lord? Why would not this excite suspicion?

...

II. BAAL DESTROYED. (24.) appointed, stationed; his life. for the life of him, his own life shall be taken in place of the one who escapes. Compare 1 Kings xx. 39. (25.) guard captains, the royal body-guard; go in, they seem to have been stationed at the gates; city of the house of Baal, the stronghold (Lange) or the inner temple. (26.) images, see Notes; house of Baal, the temple built by Ahab, 1 Kings xvi. 32; draught house, a dunghill. See Ezra vi. 11; Dan. ii. 5; iii. 29. (28.) Baal, Baal-worship.

II. Questions.-State the command Jehu gave to his soldiers. What penalty did he threaten if any escaped? Relate the story of the massacre. What was done with the images? With the image of Baal? With the house? What was the result of this action of Jehu's?

III. THE GOLDEN CALVES SPARED. (29.) sins of Jeroboam, who set up golden calves at Bethel and Dan, see 1 Kings xii. 28-33. (30.) thy children... on the throne of Israel, Jehu's family ruled Israel for more than 100 years, until his great-great-grandson was assassinated. 2 Kings xv. 10.

III. Questions.-What idols did Jehu spare? Whose sins did

JONAH AT NINEVEH.-Jonah iii. 1-10. [About 825-780 B. C.

RECITE VS. 7-10.

1 And the word of the LORD came unto Jonah the second time, 2 saying, Arise, go unto Nineveh, that great city, and preach 3 unto it the preaching that I bid thee. | So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.

Now Nineveh was an exceeding great city, of three days' jour4 ney. And Jonah began to enter into the city a day's journey, and he cried, and said, Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.

5

So the people of Nineveh believed God, and proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them even to the 6 least of them. | For word came unto the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, and he laid his robe from him, and 7 covered him with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. | And he caused it to be proclaimed and published through Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste any thing: let them not feed, nor 8 drink water: But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry mightily unto God; yea, let them turn every one from his evil way, and 9 from the violence that is in their hands. Who

can tell if God will turn and repent, and turn away from his fierce anger, that we perish not? 10 And God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not.

GOLDEN TEXT.-The men of Nineveh shall rise in judgment with this generation, and shall condemn it; because they repented at the preaching of Jonas; and behold a greater than Jonas is here.-Matt. xii. 41.

CENTRAL TRUTH.-Repentance stays judgment.

DAILY READINGS.
M. Jonah i.

T.

Jonah ii.

W. Matt. xii. 34-45.
Th. Joel ii. 19-28.
F. Ezek. xviii. 12-27.
Sat. Jer. xviii. 1-12.
S. Jonah iii. 1-10.

CONNECTED HISTORY.-Jonah prophesied probably some time during the reign of Jeroboam II., about 825 to 784 B. C. When God commanded him to go to Nineveh he attempted to flee to Tarshish; the vessel was overtaken by a storm; Jonah was thrown overboard; swallowed by a great fish (Jonah i. 17.); after three days thrown out

on dry land. Then he was a second time ordered to Nineveh. He preached there; the Ninevites repented, and God stayed his judg. ments.

ORDER OF EVENTS.-(91.) Jonah at Nineveh.

TO THE SCHOLAR.-Read the whole book of Jonah; find out all that you can about the great city of Nineveh.

NOTES.-Jo'-nah (dove), son of A-mit'-tai, of Gath-Hepher, a town of Zebulun, later in Lower Galilee, which has been identified with El-Meshhad, a little village 21⁄2 miles north-east of Nazareth, where the traditional tomb of Jonah is still pointed out; probably born about 850 B. C.; prophesied during the reign of Jeroboam II. (2 Kings xiv. 25); one of the oldest of the prophets; Christ asserts the truth of the story of Jonah, and shows its analogy with himself. Matt. xii. 39-41; xvi. 1-4; Luke xi. 29-32.-Nin'-e-veh, first mentioned in Genesis x. 11; founded by Nimrod; the capital of the Assyrian empire; stood upon the banks of the river Tigris. Its walls, according to Diodorus, were 60 miles in circumference ("three days' journey"), 100 feet high, and so broad that four chariots could drive on them abreast. If there were 120,000 children, "not knowing their right hand from their left," the population was probably 600,000. The site of Nineveh, long unknown, has been discovered, and many marvellous ruins found, extending over a space of 25 by 12 miles. The summers are very hot; the thermometer reaches 115° in the shade in that region. (Compare Jonah iv. 8.)-Sack-cloth, a dark coarse cloth made of goats' hair (Isa. 1. 3; Rev. vi. 12); used by mourners and penitents, and sometimes worn next the skin.

EXPLANATIONS AND QUESTIONS.

Lesson Topics.-(I.) JONAH PREACHES. (II.) THE NINEVITES REPENT. (III.) GOD'S JUDGMENT STAYED.

I. JONAH PREACHES. (1.) Jonah, see Notes; the second time, for the first time see Jonah i. 1. (2.) preach, make proclamation; I bid thee, am about to tell thee. (3.) word, command; Nineveh, see Notes; exceeding great city, Heb. "great unto God”—i. e., regarded of God as a great city; three days' journey, it would take three days to walk around it. (4.) began... and he cried, began to enter and preached as he went; a day's journey, this might take him across the city, it being three days' journey about it.

I. Questions.-Relate the story of God's first command to Jonah and his attempted escape from obeying it. What does God say the second time? To what place was Jonah to go? Describe Nineveh. How large was it? When did Jonah begin his preaching? What did he proclaim? State how God had overthrown other cities. Gen. xix. 24, 25; compare Isa. i. 7. II. THE NINEVITES REPENT. (5.) believed God, speaking by the mouth of Jonah; proclaimed a fast (com