Jasper County Democrat, Volume 14, Number 3, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 15 April 1911 — OLB TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN LABERNACLE BIBLE-STUDIES [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

OLB TESTAMENT TIMES BROOKLYN LABERNACLE BIBLE-STUDIES

EASTER SUNDAY’S LESSON II Kings 11:1-2S—April 16 "BZessed are they that keep hie testimony, and that seek Mm tcilh the tchole heart."— Pnta 119.4 TZEBEL’S daughter, Athaliah. on the death of her husband, became Queen Dowager of the Kingdom of Judah, her son Ahaziah becoming King. In Oriental lands the King’s mother is still the highest authority in the Kingdom, as, for instance, in China. This was the custom with the Jews. As Queen Dowager, Athaliah had exercised a powerful and baneful influence against the true God and His worship and in favor of Baal worship. Hers is not the only instance In which the Intermarriage of the kings of Israel with the daughters of foreign kingdoms brought great injury. Her mother Jezebel was another notable illustration. And we remember that it was Solomon’s foreign wives who ensnared him. A proper recognition of the antitype, or spiritual significance of that item of Jewish law, should be observed by

all and is applicable to Christians, who constitute, from the Divine standpoint, “a holy nation, a peculiar people.” Christians are not to be u n e q u a 1 ly yoked with unbelievers. Christians are to come out from the world and be separate. This,

however, does not apply to nominal Christians, but only to the spirit-begot-ten class, who have made a full consecration of themselves to the Lord. These are counselled to marry "only in the Lord’’—only the consecratedThose Who disregard this Divine injunction endanger their own spiritual development, as well as their own happiness and the happiness of the worldly person with whom they become yoked. Murdering For Power When King Ahaziah was slain by Jehu, his mother, the Queen Dowager, realized instantly that this meant her loss of rank and power—the power and honor and riches which her selfish, proud heart so loved. She realized that the moment her grandson ascended the throne she must vacate her position in favor of her daughter-in-law. Her selfish, proud heart resolved that on no account should this be. Rather, she would be a murderess. Forthwith she caused her grandchildren to be slain, except one, an infant, who was hidden by his aunt in a room used for the storage of sleeping mats, and, in our lesson, styled a bed-cham-ber. Subsequently, he was nursed until his seventh year, in one of the rooms connected With the old temple, which was in disuse during Queen Athallah’s reign, as she favored and

upheld the worship of Baal. One lesson for us here is the power of pride. We may well hope that could not be influenced to become murderers, even with such inducements. But not many of us will ever have such a temptation either to grasp a throne or to retain hold of one already possessed. Since we are not kings and queens and have not their temptations, let us note that the same principle of hardheartedness operates in the business world, in the social world and in the family. In the business world, it operates to the destruction of a rival concern. In the social world, it cuts rivals, prompts to misrepresentation, slander, etc. In the home, as between parents and children, brothers and sisters, it frequently means injustice. The correction for all this is a love of righteousness which will lead each to love and to obey the Golden Rule and. as nearly as possible, to comply with the Divine will. “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy mind and all thy being and all thy strength, and thy neighbor as thy self.” Crowning the Boy King The young King was named .Tonsh He was kept in hiding six years and. in his seventh year, was crowned. Je

hoida. the High Priest, whose daughter had rescued Joash. super intended the inauguration ceremonies. With great wisdom he called together the chiefs of the nation at a festival time, when their coming would not be thought strange Likewise the

guards were so disposed as to give every protection to the young King and leave the palace without protection. The ceremony passed off successfully. The Queen Dowager, hea> ing the shouts. “Long live the King!” came forth from the palace to the temple to investigate and. realizing the sitnation, cried. “Treason, treason!” So it is that injustice sometimes becomes intrenched and fortified in hu man mfhds so that an attempt to es tablish righteousness is considered treason, rebellion, outrage. The lesson to us all is. “Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life.”—Prov. 4:23.

Infant Joash secreted in the temple.

Crouning the infant Joash.