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TRHCK THROUGH THE BIBLE
By G. CAMPBELL MORGAN, Westminster Chapel, London, England,
Appearing Ebery Week Vurint 1907. {Copyrttht American Serial Rithts Supplied Ter by The Golden Pite Tublishint Co. All Rithts Reser bed.}
I. KINGS—DISRUPTION.
A. The Passing of B. Solomon. C. Division. D. Elijah.
David, i.—ii. 11 ii. 12 —xi. xii.—xvi. xvii.—xxii.
I. The Rebellion of I. “In all His Glory.” I. Rehoboam and Jeroboam. I. The Curse pro-
of Adonijah. ii 12 —x. xii.—xiv. nounced. xvii.
i. 1-37 i. Solomon and the i. The revolt of the ten
Traitors. ii. 12-46 tribes. xii. "Th® Judgment of
ii. The first Divine ap- ii. Warning to Jeroboam. Carmel. xviii.
pearing. iii. 1-15 xiii.—xiv. 20 11 ' Elijah in the Wil-
iii. The Greatness of Solo- iii. Rehoboam’s reign. derness. xix.
11. The Crowning of mon ' Hi- 16—iv. xiv. 21-31 )v The Downfall of
Solomon iv - His life work. The Ahab . xx ._ xxli .
i. 3S-53 Temple. y. viii. u. Kings of Judah, xv. 1-24 i. Benhadad. xx
v. The second Divine ap- j. Abijam. ii. Ahab and Na-
pearing ix. 1-9 ji Asa. both. xxi. 1-16
vi. Material Magnificence. jy Elijah pro-
ix. 10—x. J(| Kjngs of |srae| nouncing
v V ok xvi judgment.
111. The Last Charge| ' XVl ' xxi 17-29
and Death of "■ The Passing of the Glory. >. Nadab. MicaVs nre
naw ;. .. .. Xi n. Baasha. iv. Micaian s pre-
David. n. 1-11 diction and
i i. Degeneracy and U1 -
Doom. 1-13 iv. Zimri. Ahab s death,
ii. Execution of judg- v. Omri. T^-
ment. 14-43 vi. Ahab. v * The of
Israel and
Judah.
xxii. 41-53
I KINGS.
"I HE two books of Kings appear in the
Hebrew Bible as one. They practically
cover the whole period of kingly rule
over the ancient people. In the reign
of Solomon the kingdom reached the
height of its material magnificence.
I With his passing the kingship really
ceased to be the medium of divine gov
ernment. The prophet period was in
tn • • i »ni • i
i n—y
troduced with the appearance of Elijah. This first
book may foe divided thus, the Passing of David
(1-2: 11), Solomon (2: T2-1L; Division (12-16);
Elijah (17-22).
A. THE PASSING OF DAVID.
The days of David’s feebleness created the op
portunity for rebellion against him under Adoni
jafo in which Joab and Abiathar took part. In con
sequence of this rebellion Solomon was crowned
before the passing of David. The action of Solo
mon toward Adonijah was characteristic of the best
side of his nature. It was one in which clemency
and dignified authority were blended. The last
charge of David was one in which he indicated the
path of safety for Solomon. It was that of abso
lute loyalty to God. That part of it in which
David referred to Joab and Shimei has been very
severly criticised. Much of this criticism would
be impossible if some very simple things were
borne in mind. First, David knew these men by ex
perience, and appreciated their danger to the state.
Secondly, he had kept his covenant with them,
and spared their lives. Thirdly, in each case he
left the matter of how to deal with them in the
hands of Solomon, assured of his wisdom. Finally,
his words concerning the death of each arc pro
phetic rathejr than vindictive.
B. SOLOMON.
This division fails into two parts, first, that
which reveals Solomon in all his glory, and, sec
ondly, that which tells of the passing of that
glory.
Among the first acts of the new king were those
in which he dealt with the leading men of the
kingdom, in whose 'hearts were the impulses of
treachery. There was no vindictive vengeance, but
there was no vacillating weakness.
Early in his reign, Jehovah appeared to Solomon
in a dream. \\ ith that appearance came Solomon’s
-great opportunity, both to .manifest himself, and
to obtain the best. His choice was characterized
by great wisdom as it revealed his cpnsqousnes.
Tbs Golden Age for April 4, 1907.
of personal inability for all the work devolving
upon him. God gave him what he asked, and ad
ded thereto the things he might have chosen, yet
showed his wisdom in passing by. The account
of his choice is followed by a picture in which he
is seen exercising the gift for which he had asked,
and which God had granted to him.
He gave himself to a careful organization of
his kingdom, gathering around him a company of
officers of state, each having his own department
for which be was held responsible. These were the
days of the nation’s greatest material prosperity.
The people lived in merriment, and dwelt safely be
neath their own vines and figtrees.
Directly he had set his kingdom in order, Solo
mon turned his attention to the building of the
temple. It is evident that he appreciated the
real purpose of his coming to the throne. The
greatness of the work may be gathered from the
account of the enormous amount of labor employed.
Like the tabernacle of old its chief splendor was
within, where everything was encased in gold, nei
ther wood nor stone being visible.
The temple being finished it was solemnly dedi
cated. With great care, and impressive ceremony,
they carried the ark into the holy of holies, and
the glory of the Lord filled the house. The king
offered the dedicatory prayer standing by the al
tar of burnt offering Following the prayer, of
ferings were presented. At the close of the cere
monies the joyful people returned to their tents.
It was the most perfect moment of national reali
zation in the land. The temple was erected, and
the presence of God visibly manifested.
Jehovah now appeared to Solomon for the sec
ond time, declaring to him that his prayer was
heard and answered, and urging the conditions
which the people must fulfil. The material magnifi
cence of the kingdom was marred by the admix
ture of failure. Gities were presented to Hiram,
but he was dissatisfied with them. Gities were
built within the kingdom, but they became hotbeds
of evil. A commerce with other lands was estab
lished, but it became the medium of bringing into
the land things which, in their effect, were evil.
The coming of the Queen of Sheba reveals how
far the fame of Solomon had spread abroad. An
account of the king’s wealth cannot be read with
out the consciousness that the weaker, if not the
baser, side of his nature is manifested in the
abounding luxury with which he surrounded him
self.
Suddenly the glory passed away, and in the rapid
movements we behold his degeipracy and doom,
His alliance with commercial enterprises led him
into contact with surrounding* peoples, and giving
himself over to Oriental custom, he allowed his
heart to go after sitrange women. The wrong thus
begun invaded higher realms. He built temples for
the strange women who crowded his harem, and
gradually but surely there followed the demorali
zation, both of the king and his people, until at
last the terrible words are written, ‘‘The Lord
was angry with Solomon.’’ The .judgment of God
began to operate immediately. Adversaries were
raised up against him. At last there ended in
gloom and failure a life full of promise, and that
because the heart of the man turned from its loy
alty to God in response to the seductions of his
own sensual nature.
C. DIVISION.
Following the death of Solomon we have an ap
palling story of the breakup and degradation of
the people covering a period of about sixty years.
The kingdom was rent in twain. Jeroboam’s sin
cursed the whole after history of the people.
The judgment of God proceeded immediately. Its
first stroke was that of the sickness of Jeroboam’s
son, and in connection therewith the prophet
Ahijah uttered the doom of the man, declaring
that because of his sin, be and all his were to be
swept away. In the meantime, Judah was also
sinning. Thus so quickly after David, the nation
was steeped in idolatry, and utterly failed to bear
to the surrounding peoples the testimony to the
purity of the divine government which was the
purpose for which they had been created. In
Judah under Abijam the process of deterioration
went forward. The corruption was not universal,
for God maintained a lamp in the midst of his
people. With the accession and long reign of Asa
there was a halt in the downward progress. In
the history of Israel the government of God can
be traced, proceeding in a series of judgments
against the continuity of sin which characterized
the reigns of successive kings. Nadab, the son of
Jeroboam, reigned for two years, and his influence
was wholly evil. At last he was slain by Baasha.
who succeeded him. He carried out the judgment
of God on the house of Jeroboam, and the destruc
tion of all his sons, but for twenty-four years
continued in the same line of evil. He was suc
ceeded by Ela, a man utterly corrupt, who, in
turn, was slain by Zimri. He carried out the
judgment of God upon the house of Baasha, and
after four years of civil war, died by his own hand.
All this is indeed appalling. The throne of the
chosen people was possessed by men of depraved
character who came into power by conspiracy and
murder. After the death of Zimri there was di
vision even in the house of Israel, half of the peo
ple following Tibni, and half gathering to Omri.
Victory, however, was with Omri, who for six
years, continued in courses of evil. He was suc
ceeded by Ahab, who was a veritable incarnation
of the forces of sin. He united Jezebel with him
self in the actual throne of power. She was a
woman of great strength of character, an appall
ing instance of the fact that a strong woman fall
en is the most terrible thing in human failure.
During this period there was hardly a ray of light,
for although as subsequent declarations reveal, a
remnant still existed loyal to God, their testimony
was overwhelmed by abounding wickedness.
D. ELIJAH.
With the appearance of Elijah the voice of the
prophet was raised to that of national importance.
I rom this point onward in the economy of the
divine government, the prophet was superior to
the king. Elijah appeared with startling and dra
matic suddenness. Without apology he declared
himself the messenger of Jehovah, and at his word
judgment fell upon the people. The story of the
trial by fire on Carmel is full of majesty, and
jieeds no comment. The lonely figure of Elijah is
(Continued on page 11.)