May 1924
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K I N G ’ S
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us. There are plenty of people who easily absorb, chame leon like, the colors that surround them.” Lord save us from being among them.
full justification; for, while Athaliah was a usurper, and belonged to a race devoted by Divine denunciation to de struction, even his own wife had a better and stronger claim to the throne; the sovereignty of Judah had been divinely appropriated to the family of David, and therefore the young prince on whom it was proposed to confer the crown, possessed an inherent right to it, of which a usurper could not deprive him. Jehoiada was most probably the high priest whose oflicial duty it was to watch over the due ex ecution of God’s laws. In additon to all these considera tions, he seems to have been directed by an impulse of the Divine Spirit, through the counsels and exhortations of the prophets of the time.— J. F. & B. Joash had reached the age of seven, and an Eastern lad of that age would be far more mature than a seven year old boy with us.—Peloubet. (V. 12) The king does more honour to himself than to the Word of God when he openly accepts that Word as the guide and directory of his regal career.—Horn. Com. (V. 16) While Satan, through Athaliah, was destroying, God was preserving his chosen. In the days of the rule of the Antichrist when lawlessness seems to be in supreme control, David’s greater Son will come suddenly to His tem ple to be acclaimed King of kings. Compromise always ends in disaster. In shielding a child Jehosheba saved a king and a nation. This incident illustrates the nemesis which follows those who dishonor God’s house: the temple had been plundered and profaned by Athaliah, but in it was hidden her'successor, and the treasured arms of David, by one of which doubtless she was put to death.—Prac. Com. The leading people of this lesson afford an excellent op portunity for character study. One can hardly say too much in praise of Jehoiada and his wife, Jehosheba. He was a man of clear vision and deep convictions, with a holy zeal for DEVOTIONAL God, and remarkable efficiency in mak- COMMENT ing and executing plans. It goes with- John A. Hubbard out saying that he exerted a tremen dous influence for God and for good. In death he was honored by a burial among kings. “ They buried him in the city of David among the kings, because he had done good in Israel, and toward God and his house” (2 Chr. 24:16). His good wife worked hand in hand with him, and their lives were like beacon lights amid the spirit ual darkness of their day. In sharpest contrast stands Athaliah— a veritable person ification of wickedness. Like her “ brilliant but wicked mother” Jezebel, she was ready to go to any lengths in order to carry out her selfish purposes and unholy ambi tions. “ She arose and destroyed all the seed royal.” But she too, like her mother, reaped what she sowed. Her ignominious death was a fitting outcome of her ignoble life. “Without a note of sympathy or a hand raised to help her, she fell in her own blood, rendering blood for blood for the murders and outrages that have so well entitled her to be called the ‘Bloody Mary’ of her time.” How great a disappointment was Joash, with his fine and promising beginning, but sad and tragic end! Like a host of others, he had no moral backbone. “ Joash did that which was right in the sight of the Lord all the days of Jehoiada the priest. Now after the death* of Jehoiada came the princes of Judah, and made obeisance to the king. Then the king harkened unto them” (2 Chr. 24:2, 17). Then follows the story of his apostasy, going so far as to slay the prophet Zechariah, Jehoiada’s son. He in turn was assassinated by his servants, “ and they buried him in the city of David, but they buried him not in the sepulchres of the kings” (2 Chr. 24:25). Joash “ did not possess those elements of personal character and fixed principle without which the best examples can be of no permanent value to
Kind Woman Saves a Baby King 2 Kings 11:1-4, 11-18. Memory Verse.— “ I will fear no evil for thou are with me.” Psa. 23:4. Approach.—How many of you like to go out to the zoo and see the animals? James why are you not afraid of the lions and bears, and the other wild animals? Because they are in cages and cannot harm you. Do you know boys and girls there are some things ELEMENTARY that can harm us and are more dan- Mabel L. Merrill gerous than the animals, and we need protection every day, and there is just one who can always watch over us, for He can see us where ever we are, and He can also see the danger that is near us. Do you know who that one is? Yes, God. Let us bow our heads and thank Him foy his love and care over us. Lesson Story.— In our beautiful story last week, we learned how a little girl helped. Ruth you tell us how this little girl who was in a strange land helped her master. That was fine Ruth, and I know we shall be glad to meet this girl up in heaven and have her tell us all about all the other things that happened. Today our story is about a woman saving a baby king from being killed. We have a number of stories in the Bible showing how God watches over and loves the babies, and today we are to learn how He guarded a little baby boy. When this little boy was just a tiny baby he was in great danger. His wicked grandmother, Athaliah, had ordered every one killed who might be made king and this baby, whose name was Joash, belonged to the line of David. But God put it into the heart of Joash’s aunt to hide him so his life would be saved. She loved little Joash, who was only a year old. She took him to the temple, and there with his nurse, he was hidden away in a store room. This kind aunt was the wife iof the priest of the temple. The house of God was a very safe place for little Joash, and as he grew up we can picture him running about and playing in the temple courts. Perhaps his aunt and uncle told him about Samuel, who also lived in the temple with Eli when he was a little boy. We are sure that little Joash was taught to know and love God and to obey Him. Time passed along uritil little Joash was six years old. God can bring good for those who love him out of the wick edness of those who disobey and defy him. Just think what good was brought to God’s people out of Joash’s years of hiding in the temple, for he learned to know God and to put God into his life so that when he became king he would lead the people,to serve and obey the true God. When Joash was seven years old the uncle and aunt felt they should present him to the people as their ruler, for he was the true king, and Athaliah had no right to rule over the people. So the uncle gathered some priests, guards and officers in the house of God, and after taking a very solemn promise of them, he showed them the little boy, Joash, and told them he was the real king. The priests and officers were very much pleased to know about the little king, and promised to keep the secret until he was crowned. They placed a special guard around little Joash, as the people filled the temple court, and every one was watching the temple porch. Pretty soon they saw the uncle, who was priest, lead the boy Joash toward the front porch where every one could see. The secret was told
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