May 1924
T H E X I N ' . G ’ S B U S I N E S S
293
I n t e r na t i ona l Ser i es of Sunday School Les sons EXPOSITION OF THE LESSON, BLACKBOARD OUTLINES, - DEVOTIONAL COMMENT, - - COMMENTS FROM THE COMMENTARIES, ELEMENTARY, - - - ■ ■ - - Frederic W. Farr Fred S. Shepard John A. Hubbard - H. G. Dean Mabel L. Merrill
MAY 11, 1924 JEHO IADA ’S V IC TOR Y OVER B A A L Golden Text: “ Be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.” Eph. 6:10. Lesson Text: 2 Kings 11:1-4; 11-18. Devotional Read ing: Psalm 1. (Read 1 Kings 14:21 to 15:24; 22; 2 Kings 11 and 12.) H and o f God in ) _ , „ „ 1 a rr • l" Eph. 6:10 uman Affairs j God had said that David should never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel, Jer .33:17. When it was announced that all the seed royal had been put to death, what must the faithful in Israel have thought! Did it not seem as if the promises of God had failed? LESSON Had God been taken by surprise? Had His EXPOSITION purpose been defeated? Nobody knew of F. W. Farr the tiny babe stolen from the bloody mass acre and hidden away in the chambers of the temple; that is no one but the faithful wife of the priest who saved the child’s life and the child’s nurse. Upon the fragile thread of that single life hung the fulfilment of the Divine promise and the accomplishment of the Divine purpose. When one considers the gauntlet of disease and accident through which a child must pass before reaching maturity and the countless perils that surround his path, it seems truly marvelous if not miraculous that he ever reaches man hood. It has been estimated that .three-fifths of the human race die in infancy. God watched over this particular baby’s life. Seven years passed without his safe hiding place being discovered. The heathen queen who had brought Baal worship into the nation would never enter the temple courts of Jehovah. Here the heir apparent of the throne abode in peace and safety. Then the priest Jehoiada organized a conspiracy to depose the wicked queen and place the rightful prince upon the throne. He whispered in the ear of every man whom he could trust the astonishing news that the king was not dead as every one supposed. He assured them of his life and health and said that he only awaited the proper time to claim his inheritance. He sent for the chief captains of the army and aroused their patriotism to a flame by giving them an interview with the prince. A successful coup d’etat was arranged by bringing him out before the people. It was a daring scheme but it was crowned with success. Joash stood by the pillars of the porch of the temple where. the kings were crowned, surrounded by the men of arms. He was offered to the people as their legitimate ruler. They
put the crown upon his head and ratified his claim by clap ping their hands and shouting “ God save the king.” This story seems a picture and a parable of the present age. Jesus is the true king and ruler of mankind. The world believes, however, that He is dead and buried. In deed the world saw the last of Him when they took Him down from the cross and put Him in the grave. There are a few people on earth who know that He is alive. They have had personal interviews with Him and transacted business with Him. A heavenly secret has been entrusted to them by the Holy Spirit, that Jesus is not only alive but that He is coming back to earth again to take the throne and reign for a thousand years. The promulgation of this message may be called the Gos pel of the kingdom. It may be proclaimed in connection with the Gospel of the grace of God which is the good news that sinners may be pardoned by believing God’s testimony concerning Christ and accepting Him as a personal and all-sufficient Saviour. It is the avowed purpose of all who accept the crucified and risen One as Saviour to make Him king over all the earth. The isles wait for His law. After His coronation the nations shall learn war no more and the glory of the Lord shall cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. (V. 1) On the death of Ahaziah, she found her position seriously imperilled. The crown would have passed natur ally to one of her grandchildren, the eldest of the sons of Ahaziah. She would have lost her position of queen-mother which would have passed to the widow of Ahaziah, the mother of the new sov ereign.—Pulpit Com. Such was the sad fruit of the unequal alliance be tween the son of the pious Jehoshaphat a daughter of the idolatrous and wicked house of COMMENTS FROM THE COMMENTARIES V. V. Morgan and Ahab.—J. F. & B. (V. 2) The order in the Hebrew is, “ even him and his nurse, and they hid him,” which clears the sense. Jeho- sheba stole away Joash and his nurse, and they, i. e. Jeho- sheba and the nurse together, hid him between them. In the bedchamber; rather, in the chamber of mattresses— a room in the palace where mattresses and perhaps coverlets were stored.—Pulpit Com. No one can tread down him whom God sustains. Thus, Pharaoh would have been glad to destroy Israel; Saul would have slain David; Herod the child Jesus. They could not accomplish it. They only injured themselves and per ished, as Athaliah did.—Horn Com. (V. 3) He, i. e. Joash, was with her, i. e. Jehosheba, his aunt— hid in the house of the Lord, i. e. the temple. We learn from Chronicles (2 Chron. 22:11) that Jehosheba was married to Jehoida, the high priest, and would thus have ready access to the temple.— Pulpit Com. She took the first opportunity to transfer the baby prince and his nurse to a safer hiding place.— Peloubet. Would God that we were all as wise as Jehosheba, and knew that the church of God is the best hiding place.— Talmage. (V. 4) The conduct of Jehoiada, who acted the leading and chief part in this conspiracy, admits of an easy and
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