Jasper County Democrat, Volume 18, Number 61, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 October 1915 — MURDERS HER GRANDCHILDREN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

MURDERS HER GRANDCHILDREN

t Kings October SI. Jezebel’s Daughter Became Queen of Judah Her Baneful Influence as Queen Dowager—Serious Results of Deviation From the Divine Law. Selfishness Leading to Murder—The Boy Joash Crowned at the Age of Seven. “The house of the wicked shall be overthrown; but the tent of the upright shall flourish.” — Proverbs daughter, Queen AthW aliah, on the death of her hus- ■ band became Queen Dowager of the kingdom of Judah, her •son Ahaziah becoming king. As Queen Dowager, Athaliah exercised a powerful and baneful Influence against the true God and in favor of Baal worship. This 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 instance. We remember also that Solomon’s foreign wives ensnared him. The Divine command to all Israelites was that they should not intermarry

with other nationalities. Every de; vlation from the Divine Law brought with it serlo u s penalties. This is strictly in harmony with God’s arrangement with that one nation alone, thatthey should be His people in a peculiar sense, that other nations were not

His people, that obedience to His Law would bring blessings and disobedience adversities. That Law is still upon the Jews, but not upon others. Christians, who from the Divine standpoint constitute “a holy nation, a peculiar people,” are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. (1 Peter 2:9; 2 Corinthians 6:14.) Christians are to come out from the world and be separate. This does not apply to nominal Christians, however, but only to the spirit-begotten. Those who disregard this Divine injunction endanger their own spiritual development, as well as their own happiness and that of the worldly person with whom they become yoked. Murdering For Power. When Ahaziah, king of Judah, was slain by Jehu, the Queen Dowager, his mother, realized instantly that this meant her loss of rank and power; that the inoment her grandson ascended the throne she must vacate her position in favor of her daughter-in-law. Her proud, selfish heart resolved that on no account should this be. Forthwith she caused her grandchildren to be slain, except one, an infant, who was bidden by his aunt in a room used for the storage of sleeping mats. Subsequently he was nursed until his seventh year tn one of the rooms connected with the Temple, which was in disuse during Queen Athaliah’s reign, as she upheld Baal worship. One lesson here is the power of pride. Other illustrations of the power of pride leading to murder in the interest of a throne are mentioned in history. No wonder the Bible declares that the fallen man’s heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked! (Jeremiah 17:9.) The Bible tells us that during Messiah's Reign the stoniness of man’s heart will be taken away and a heart of flesh given him —a proper human sympathy such as the perfect man had when he was created in the image and likeness of God. The principle of hard-heartedness operates all around us. Tn the business world, it operates to the destruction of a rival concern. In the social world, it cuts rivals, prompts to misrepresentations, slander, etc. In the home, it frequently means injustice. The correction for all this is a love of righteousness which will lead each to love and obey the Golden Rule. Crowning the Boy King.

The young king was named Joash. He was kept in hiding for six years, and was crowned in his seventh year. Jehoiada, the high priest, whose daughter had rescued Joash, superintended the inauguration ceremonies. With great wisdom he called together the chiefs of the nation at a festival time, ' when their coming

wou 1 d not be thought strange. L i k e w is e the guards were so disposed as to give every protection to the young king and would not let him leave the palace without protection. The c e r e m ony passed off successfully. The Queen Dowager heard the

shouts, “Long live the king!” and came to investigate. Realizing the situation, she cried, “Treason! treason!” So it is that sometimes injustice becomes so intrenched and fortified in human minds that an attempt to establish righteousness is considered rebellion. The lesson to all the Lord's consecrated children is, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” W hen the crown was placed upon the young king’s head, on top of it was laid the Testimony—the parchment scroll of the Ten Commandments. This indicated that the Divine Law was superior to the crown. Such should be the estimation of the matter in every wellbalanced mind. Divine Law comes first; human laws second. Human laws are usually up to as high standards as the people making them are worthy.

Joash made King.

Jehoiada the Priest.