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MEN OF THE OLD TESTAMENT 
 
MEN OF THE 
 OLD TESTAMENT 
 
 BY 
 
 LEON KURTZ WILLMAN 
 
 NEW YORK 
 
 THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF 
 
 YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS 
 
 1906 
 
BSmf 
 V5-3 
 
 LIBRARY of CONGRESS 
 Two Copies Received 
 
 DEC 1 1906 
 
 cuss T xfcl; no! 
 
 Copyright, 1906, by 
 
 THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE OF 
 
 YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATIONS 
 
Introduction 
 
 This little series of Studies is "made to order." It was put 
 together at the request of the Bible Study Department of the Inter- 
 national Committee. It is the product of experience in the teaching 
 of Bible History as required work to boys in preparatory school. 
 Its sources are the Old Testament, illuminated by such popular 
 works on Old Testament history as those of Oort, Kent, Sanders, 
 Ottley, Wade, Cornill, Fry, Koenig, Farrar, Dods, G. A. Smith, 
 and others. Indebtedness is gratefully acknowledged to Mrs. John 
 Meigs, of The Hill School, for selections from the utterances of 
 modern religious teachers. 
 
 One who undertakes to teach Hebrew history to young people 
 has, at the outset, the task of gathering his own material. The 
 Old Testament is not a text-book of history. One is confronted 
 at every turn by problems of date, authorship, didactic purpose, 
 parallel and composite accounts. The teacher will find himself divid- 
 ing his material, perforce, into about three classes : knotty questions 
 that he straightens out and lays aside ; material that he teaches ; 
 vexing problems that clothe his mind like sackcloth. Only the 
 things in the second class mean anything to his students, and only 
 these things are to be taught, — but taught with enthusiasm, in 
 enforced oblivion of non-essentials and unsolved difficulties. 
 
 In the following series of Studies, an attempt is made to frame 
 what may be called, to use a figure from music, a melody of Hebrew 
 and Jewish religious history, unaccompanied by the discord of nega- 
 tive critical discussion or the harmonies of contemporary history. 
 Simply the main track of historic movement from Abraham to 
 Christ has been sought out. If the progress is clearly traced ; 
 if the mind and heart of God are better understood in this 
 shaping of the people of Canaan; if those martyr-geniuses, 
 the prophets, stand out in nobler lines; if the unseen Christ lays 
 His hand on the shoulder of the reader as he bends over these 
 Studies, then this little book may prove to have been "made to 
 order" in the very highest sense of the phrase. 
 
 L. K. W. 
 
"Sincerity in the Teaching of Bible 
 History to Children" 
 
 (An extract from the Introduction to "Bible History," by Pastor 
 Koenig, friend and co-worker of Pastor Charles Wagner, author 
 of "The Simple Life.") 
 
 Thanks to the indefatigable labors of unselfish and heroic scholars ; 
 thanks to the toil of generations of critics, who. have studied this 
 book, the Bible, as no other book has ever been studied, we have 
 arrived at a really historical conception of the Old Testament, and 
 are able to see the history of the Israelites unroll before us in a 
 clear and rational manner. Out of the nebulosity of their origins 
 emerges, little by little, a people from whose heart spring extraordi- 
 nary men, the prophets. The whole history of Israel converges 
 around them; they are the flower of the Hebrew people, its soul, 
 its heart, not to be dismissed in a line or two, as too often they 
 have been in sacred histories of the past. God seems to have stooped 
 to the level of man, and to have disclosed Himself, "unmasked" 
 Himself, little by little. 
 
 By an irreproachable method these modern scholars have given 
 us, not a new conception of Sacred History — for there was no his- 
 torical conception of the history of Israel before, only the traditions 
 of the ages, — but the historical conception of the Old Testament. 
 To-day, our faith in Christ, the Saviour, is rooted in such ground, 
 our position is so unassailable, that we have nothing more to fear 
 from the attacks to which the Bible was open when considered as 
 a book fallen from the sky. 
 
 It is not from curiosity that we study the history of the Hebrew 
 religion, as we might study the religion of the ancient Peruvians. 
 We believe that God revealed Himself especially to this peculiar 
 people, that they were commissioned to teach the world that the 
 summum bonum lies in a conscience transformed by the most intense 
 and vital religious sentiments. This truth is Israel's gift to the 
 world, and it is her glory that she prepared the way for the coming 
 of Christ Jesus. 
 
 The sacred history of Israel is nothing else than the gradual 
 preparation for the preaching of the kingdom of God; it is in this 
 light that we should teach Old Testament history to our children. 
 
Table of Contents 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction v 
 
 "Sincerity in the Teaching of Bible History/' — Koenig. ... vi 
 Directions and Suggestions : ix 
 
 DIVISION I 
 
 The Fathers 
 
 Study I. — The Patriarchs; Abraham w .—.... 2 
 
 Study II. — The Patriarchs ; Jacob and Joseph 10 
 
 DIVISION II 
 
 The Founders 
 
 Study III. — Israel Delivered and Organized 18 
 
 Study IV. — A Generation of Discipline 26 
 
 DIVISION III 
 
 The Judges 
 
 Study V. — Making a Home in Canaan 34 
 
 DIVISION IV 
 
 The Kings 
 
 Study VI. — The Beginnings of the Monarchy 42 
 
 Study VII. — David in Exile and on the Throne 50 
 
 Study VIII.— The Reign of David . . 58 
 
 Study IX. — The Reign of Solomon 66 
 
 DIVISION V 
 
 Kings and Prophets of Israel 
 
 Study X. — From Jeroboam to Ahab 74 
 
 Study XI. — Israel: The Fight for the Jehovah-Religion 82 
 
 Study XII. — Israel: The Second, or Assyrian Period 90 
 
 vii 
 
Contents 
 
 DIVISION VI 
 
 Kings and Prophets of Judah 
 
 Study XIII. — Judah : From Rehoboam to Ahaz 98 
 
 Study XIV. — The Decline of Judah 106 
 
 Study XV.— The Babylonian Period ; Fall of Judah 114 
 
 DIVISION VII 
 
 The Exile 
 
 Study XVI. — The Exile and the Return 122 
 
 DIVISION VIII 
 
 The Church 
 
 Study XVII. — Reconstruction 130 
 
 DIVISION IX 
 
 The End of the Old Era 
 
 Study XVIII. — From Ezra to John the Baptist 138 
 
 DIAGRAMS 
 
 Chronology of Hebrew History, from Abraham to the 
 
 Division of the Monarchy 146 
 
 Chronology of Israel 147 
 
 Chronology of Judah 148 
 
 The Divided Kingdom 149 
 
 Captivity to Birth of Christ 150 
 
Directions and Suggestions 
 
 TO THE STUDENT 
 
 i. The Studies that follow are planned for daily use, to cover a 
 period of eighteen weeks. 
 
 2. The best quarter-hour of each day should be set aside for this 
 
 work. Begin and end the period with prayer that God shall 
 show you the truth, and open your mind and heart to receive it. 
 
 3. Go at each day's reading with a will. Expect to put real mental 
 
 effort into it. Neither waste time, nor hurry. Keep in mind 
 the title of the Study, and glance back over a page or two. 
 
 4. When you read your Bible mark the passages that impress you. 
 
 If you use ink, you might take one color for important historical 
 or biographical statements, and another color to underline devo- 
 tional sentences that you like. 
 
 5. It is of the utmost practical importance that you memorize the 
 
 names of the books of the Old Testament in their order. This 
 is absolutely essential. The Bible is your tool, and you must 
 learn how to use it at the start. The following arrangement, 
 used as a sing-song, may be a help in fixing the order of the 
 books in the memory :-— 
 
 Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy 
 
 Joshua, Judges, Ruth 
 1 and 2 Samuel, 1 and 2 Kings, 1 and 2 Chronicles 
 Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther 
 Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon 
 Jsaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel 
 Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah 
 Jonah, Micah, Nahum 
 Habakkuk, Zephaniah 
 Haggai, Zechariah 
 Malachi 
 Here they are, roughly classified : — 
 5 books of The Law 
 12 of History 
 
 5 of Poetry \. Total, 39 books 
 
 5 of Greater Prophets 
 12 of Minor Prophets 
 Indicate the groups on the margin above, besides the names of the 
 books. 
 
 ix 
 
DIVISION I 
 
 The Fathers.— Studies I and II 
 Study I. — The Patriarchs: Abraham 
 
2 Men of the Old Testament I : i 
 
 Study I.— CJe fljatriarc&a : &fctal)am : Stnceator of tfce |)ebretos 
 
 anU iFtrjESt £Por£sI)ipnet of 3feI)ona!) 
 
 First Day : Abraham's Call and Emigration 
 
 Along the Euphrates River are found to-day mounds which con- 
 tain the ruins of ancient cities. Among them, one has been partly 
 uncovered, about two hundred miles from the Persian Gulf, which 
 is believed to mark the site of the ancient city of Ur of Chaldea. 
 Its excavated ruins tell an interesting story of the religion of the 
 inhabitants. They had in the temples images representing their 
 gods. It is also known that they had, in connection with the wor- 
 ship of these, many wicked practices. 
 
 We can imagine that a man's best nature would revolt against 
 the things which the Chaldeans did in the name of religion. A 
 man would dread the prospect of bringing up his children in such 
 surroundings. So Terah, the father of Abraham, must have felt. 
 Terah emigrated from Chaldea and journeyed seven hundred miles 
 or more up the Euphrates. After Terah's death, Abraham became 
 the head of the household. In clearer terms than his father had 
 heard, he, in turn, received a "call" from Jehovah to go out from 
 Haran into a place that should be shown to him. He went "under 
 sealed orders." 
 
 Abraham's Call and Emigration, Gen. 12:1-5 
 
 1. In what sense did Jehovah "say" anything to Abraham? 
 
 2. In what direction did they go? What was the mode of traveling? 
 
 3. This man received new light, broke old and dear ties, left an 
 
 assured prosperity, and went out from all that was familiar, 
 obedient to — what? whom? 
 
 4. Did Abraham consult his friends? Explain his course of action 
 
 to his neighbors ? Invite his friends to go with him ? 
 
 5. Would they call him wise or foolish? 
 
 So to us comes a call. The Christian life opens up at the start 
 a purpose in the world. To keep that purpose clear, sacrifices will 
 sometimes be necessary. We cannot listen to every call and be true 
 to the one Call. 
 
1:2 Men of the Old Testament 3 
 
 Study I.— W$t fl)atriard&si : &bra&am 
 
 Second Day : Abraham's Journey 
 
 We saw Abraham's caravan moving southward under sealed or- 
 ders. With the same heroic faith with which the Pilgrims "launched 
 their Mayflower and steered boldly through the desperate winter 
 sea," did this man of faith steer his "ships of the desert" toward 
 an unknown land, to be consecrated by him to a free and pure 
 worship. He probably went down the eastern side of the Valley of 
 Jordan. Half way between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea 
 he would observe on the opposite side the entrance to a rich, green 
 valley. At this point he would ford the Jordan and first set foot 
 in Canaan. 
 
 Progress Marked by Altars, Gen. 12:5-10 
 
 1. Of the four places mentioned, locate three on the map. 
 
 2. What is meant by "the South"? What are the physical charac- 
 
 teristics of that section? 
 
 3. In what sense did Jehovah "appear" to Abraham? 
 
 4. Do you find any mention of inhabitants in this land? 
 
 5. Note the religious act that marked his first and his second 
 
 encamping. 
 
 Definiteness in religious worship is made vivid here. Let us, too, 
 have our altar-places, with a time set apart daily for definite, even 
 vocal, conversation with God. "Chinese" Gordon, on his Egyptian 
 campaign, for one hour daily had his tent-flap closed while he talked 
 with God. We should pray while about our work, and also pray 
 before our work begins. 
 
4 Men of the Old Testament 1:3 
 
 Study I. — (£&e JJatriarcia : &bra!)am 
 
 Third Day : Abraham and Lot 
 
 According to the chronicler, the patriarch spent some time in 
 Egypt; the pyramids had then been standing possibly a thousand 
 years. When pasturage in Canaan was again assured, he and his 
 nephew returned. His home, after the division of the pasture lands, 
 was fixed in the plain where Hebron was built in later times, in 
 the fourteenth chapter of Genesis is given an account full of interest, 
 though obscure, showing Abraham in a new role, as a fighting man. 
 The features are : an Elamite empire, probably universal at the time 
 of Abraham's emigration; the revolt of the little tributary kingdoms 
 in Canaan; a great Elamite invasion to enforce the tribute; the 
 reconquest, and the carrying off of Lot. Abraham comes to the 
 rescue with a little force of about a thousand men. There is a 
 midnight surprise and rout of the Elamite forces, and the trium- 
 phant return with Lot and the spoils. 
 
 The Division of Pasture Lands, Gen. 13:1-12 
 
 1. What was the cause of the famine? 
 
 2. Abraham's wealth (13:2) is fitly summed up in the description 
 
 of a rich Oriental found in Job 1 '.3. 
 
 3. We are not certain whether "the plain" was at the north or the 
 
 south end of the Dead Sea. Read 13:3, 10, and consult the 
 map. 
 
 Why should not Abraham be generous when he trusted so per- 
 fectly in Jehovah ? Why should he not give Lot his choice ? Jehovah 
 took care of him. So with the man of faith in every age. He 
 is generous, and rises above the common run of men who seek 
 nothing but their own advantage. He is rich in contentment, cheer- 
 fulness, quickness of sympathy, love; — a rich inner life. Those who 
 are so rich cannot be mean (see Matt. 5 142). — Hooykaas. 
 
I: 4 Men of the Old Testament 5 
 
 Study L— C&e patriarchs : prafeam 
 
 Fourth Day : The Friend of God 
 
 Three great religions have sprung from the worship by Abraham 
 of one holy God. With him began true religion, in the fact that 
 he first talked with Jehovah as friend with friend. They made a 
 covenant or agreement. Jehovah made promises to him concerning 
 his family and his new home-land. Abraham's part was to follow 
 Jehovah's wishes and keep himself and his family separate and 
 clean from the polluting practices of the Canaanites, who combined 
 worship with wickedness. 
 
 Friend of God, Gen. 15:1, 5-7; 17:1-4* 9-" 
 
 1. What are the two main divisions of the Bible? Put the word 
 Covenant in the place of Testament. If the old Covenant was 
 made with Abraham and his people, with whom is the new 
 Covenant made? Is it out of date (Heb. 10:16)? 
 
 "The Bible connects with the name of Abraham the beginning of 
 that life of friendship and communion between God and man in 
 which true religion essentially consists." 
 
 In Jewish history, the great temple of Solomon, of marble and 
 gold, was built to enclose the holy Ark of the Covenant. In our 
 Christian times "know we not that our bodies are the temples of 
 the Holy Spirit which is in us? We are not our own, for we are 
 bought with a price; let us glorify God, therefore, in our bodies." 
 
 What must we do in order to be friends of God (John 15 114) ? 
 
6 Men of the Old Testament 1:5 
 
 Study I.— %\t patriate!)* : &fcraj)am 
 
 Fifth Day: Father of a People 
 
 The worship of one holy God is now followed by the adherents 
 of Judaism, Mohammedanism, and Christianity. How was it handed 
 down? Abraham was not a missionary, and he did no writing. 
 The connecting link between him and us is his family, and the 
 Hebrew nation which grew from that family. The spiritual truths 
 learned by this hero of faith were not to be lost. Jehovah's promise 
 was fulfilled, to the great joy of Abraham and his wife Sarah, when 
 their son was born. They gave him the name Isaac. When he 
 became a youth there came to Abraham one of the sorest tests 
 of his life. 
 
 Abraham's Faith Tested, Gen. 22:1-13 
 
 "Among the Canaanites the sacrifice of children was an ancient 
 and holy institution." 
 
 The voice in Abraham's heart urging him to offer his son did not 
 shock and horrify him as it would us, because he was acquainted 
 with the practice. The question in his heart would be: "Is their 
 fear of their gods greater than my love for my God?" 
 
 It never occurs to us that God can ask such a sacrifice of us. Yet 
 the same disposition inspires every true believer still. Thus, if in 
 times of persecution a man urges his own son to endure death 
 rather than be faithless to the truth, he offers his child as a sacri- 
 fice to the God of truth. If a father urges his son to risk his life 
 to save a neighbor, while his heart bleeds at the thought of his 
 boy's suffering and being taken away from him, he is offering him 
 to God, who gave His only Son that we might not die but live. — 
 Hooykaas. 
 
j : 6 Men of the Old Testament 7 
 
 Study I. — Cfce J)atrtatc|)£S : ^tiirafjam 
 
 Sixth Day: Provision for the Future: Centers of 
 
 Tribal Life 
 
 We have found Abraham a man of faith, an emigrant, the master 
 of a great household, and something of a fighting man upon occasion. 
 Moreover, he provided for the good of his descendants, who believed 
 with gratitude that they had the very wells that he dug, and trees 
 that he planted (Gen. 21:27-33). To the desert-dwellers nearby, 
 Palestine has always been "a land flowing with milk and honey," 
 but in reality water has to be hoarded in underground cisterns, 
 while wells are of priceless value — the centers of tribal life for 
 centuries. Further, when came the sad event of Sarah's death, 
 Abraham bought a family burial-place. The Turks to-day keep 
 jealous guard over a sepulcher at Hebron which is very ancient, 
 and which may indeed contain the very dust of patriarchs. 
 
 Purchase of a Burial Place, Gen., chapter 23 
 
 1. Here is a story that sounds as though it had been written on the 
 
 spot by an ancient newspaper correspondent. Mark its most 
 vivid features. 
 
 2. The patriarch was never willing to be in debt to strangers (verses 
 
 9, 13; also see Gen. 14:22-24). 
 
 Not only is property bequeathed, but also the influence of char- 
 acter. 
 
 Once only in the vast cycle of time, 
 
 Shall I move 'mid these scenes so cherished ; 
 But the deeds that I do, or poor, or sublime, 
 Shall stand till the world hath perished. 
 
 Shall stand ! And faces I never shall see, 
 
 And lives that I cannot guess, 
 Shall be faithful, or false, because of me — 
 
 Shall curse the world, or bless. 
 
 — Selected. 
 
8 Men of the Old Testament 1 : 7 
 
 Study I. — &f)e JJatriarc&e; : &ita|)am 
 
 Seventh Day: Provision for the Future: A Wife 
 
 Chosen for Isaac 
 
 When Abraham's life was drawing to a close he desired to see 
 Isaac married. The choosing of a wife was a matter of importance 
 to Abraham, because he must be true to his pledge to Jehovah, and 
 keep his family separate from the Canaanites. In the story of 
 Eliezer's errand is given the account of the betrothal of Rebekah 
 to Isaac. The other incidents recorded of the life of Isaac are of 
 little interest or value. He seems a colorless individual, peace- 
 loving and virtuous in a negative way. 
 
 Faithful Eliezer's Errand, Gen. 24:1-4, 10-34, 40, 49-67 
 
 1. What was Eliezer's position in Abraham's household (Gen. 15:2) ? 
 
 2. Is such work as that described in verses 18-20 properly woman's 
 
 work? 
 
 3. Describe the picture in verses 63-66. 
 
 One of the "fruits of the Spirit" (Gal. 5:22) is fidelity. 
 
 Thou hast not asked me, Lord, 
 
 To first of all love Thee, 
 But simply to believe the Word 
 
 That tells Thy love to me. 
 
 Thou dost not bid me feel 
 
 An ardent love for Thee, 
 And fear affection is not real 
 
 That does not burn in me. 
 
 But Thou hast said, "My friend 
 
 Is he who keeps My Word." 
 This I can do, even to> the end — 
 
 I can be faithful, Lord. 
 
 , —Maltbie D. Babcock. 
 
Study II. — The Patriarchs: Jacob and Joseph 
 
io Men of the Old Testament II :i 
 
 Study II.— &&e JJatrtarcJjB!: 3racob, tfte Capital J)efcreto; 
 
 3fofiiep!), t&e jFabortte of ^ejjntal) 
 
 First Day: Jacob's Successes at Home 
 
 In the Oriental household over which Rebekah presided there 
 was not always peace and harmony. She was a strong-minded and 
 ambitious woman, and had her own way with Isaac. Thus she 
 made opportunities for pushing forward her favorite son, Jacob. 
 More than once she aided him in outwitting his elder brother, 
 Esau. One such incident is given below ; another is recorded in 
 Gen., chapter 27. By such means Jacob gained the patriarchal lead- 
 ership. 
 
 The Birthright for a Dinner, Gen. 25:27-34 
 
 1. Contrast Jacob and Esau; what kind of life did each prefer? 
 
 Which was the stronger physically? Which was the stronger 
 mentally? 
 
 2. Could a man be a good hunter who reasoned as Esau did (30) ? 
 
 3. What do you consider the best and what the worst quality in each 
 
 man? 
 
 4. What was the "mess of pottage"? What was the "birthright"? 
 
 The exact opposite of the vice of self-seeking is the grace of shar- 
 ing. 
 
 Ask Him to increase your powers of sympathy. Then practice. 
 Opportunities are lost for want of thought. Share with one who 
 has fewer pleasures than you some little comfort or enjoyment 
 that you have learned to look upon as a necessary of life. — Wil- 
 kinson. 
 
11:2 Men of the Old Testament n 
 
 Study II.— C&e JJatriatc&fi; : Jacob anU 3***9$ 
 
 Second Day: Jacob's Successes Abroad 
 
 After having been cheated twice, Esau was so angry that he 
 threatened to kill his brother. Rebekah was alarmed. She decided 
 to send Jacob away. However, to her husband she did not mention 
 her fears, but asked him to send Jacob to Haran to get a wife from 
 among her relatives. Isaac readily consented, true to the family 
 covenant. So, while perhaps Esau was away on a hunting trip, 
 Jacob was sent away. "Then Jacob went on his journey, and came 
 to the land of the children of the East." 
 
 Jacob's First Night Away from Home, Gen. 28:10-22 
 
 1. Describe the vision of Jacob as he started out in life for himself. 
 
 2. What was the covenant which he made with God ? 
 
 3. Does Jacob's proposition sound like a business bargain? 
 
 The familiar hymn which was McKinley's favorite is based on 
 this incident: — 
 
 Though like a wanderer, 
 
 The sun gone down, 
 Darkness be over me, 
 
 My rest a stone, 
 Yet in my dreams I'd be 
 Nearer, my God, to Thee, 
 
 Nearer to Thee ! 
 
 Your good things it seems as if you took directly from the hands 
 of God. His hands touched your hands as He gave them to you. 
 Let them be symbols to you of your loyalty to the highest authority. 
 Let them make your life strong and gentle by keeping it in God's 
 presence. — Brooks. 
 
12 Men of the Old Testament lit 3 
 
 Study II. — SDjje JJattiatcjm : 3acob antr 3Tosep& 
 
 Third Day: The Return of Jacob 
 
 In Mesopotamia the young man found the choice of his heart in 
 Rachel, daughter of Laban. But he had to marry her elder sister 
 before he might have her, and Laban's price was many years of 
 hard service. Craft and patience and industry went hand in hand 
 to carve this typical Hebrew's success. At the end of thrice seven 
 years he finds himself master of a great household. With a caravan 
 consisting of family, servants, baggage, flocks and herds, he makes 
 his way back to Canaan. Arrived on the borders of Esau's domain, 
 news comes that Esau is approaching with a large force of men. Is 
 he coming for revenge ? Will Jacob's trickery save him now ? Jacob 
 spends the night alone. It is a second spiritual crisis in his life. 
 We may believe that he then abandoned his crafty policies. His 
 name henceforth is called "Israel," or Prince, because he won the 
 thing he prayed for (Gen. 32:24-30). 
 
 The Meeting of Jacob and Esau, Gen., chapter 33 
 
 1. What was the object of the arrangement (1, 2) ? 
 
 2. Had Esau kept his anger hot for twenty-one years (4) ? 
 
 3. Jacob had gained the birthright and blessing which would have 
 
 made him the superior of his brother. Does he claim it now? 
 What title does he give Esau? How often does he use it? 
 What does Esau call Jacob? 
 
 4. Does Jacob melt at Esau's generosity, and trust him entirely 
 
 (12-17; the first "he," verse 12, refers to Esau) ? 
 
 Love God with all your soul and strength, 
 
 With all your heart and mind; 
 And love your neighbor as yourself, 
 
 Be faithful, just and kind. 
 
 Deal with another as you'd have 
 
 Another deal with you; 
 What you're unwilling to receive, 
 
 Be sure you never do. 
 
 — Watts, 
 
11:4 Men of the Old Testament 13 
 
 Study II.— GLfyz Patriarch : Jacob an& $n&z$ 
 
 Fourth Day: Joseph, His Father's Favorite 
 
 In Canaan, the prosperous patriarch lived in Shechem, then in 
 Bethel, and later in Hebron. Esau lived in Edom. Of Jacob's twelve 
 sons, ten, in our next view of the family, were men grown. Joseph 
 and Benjamin were boys. These youngest were Jacob's favorites, 
 being sons of his beloved Rachel. He so indulged and petted Joseph 
 that the boy was very disagreeable to his brothers, and was on the 
 way to become detestably conceited. 
 
 The Favorite Son, Gen. 37:2-4, 12-28 
 
 1. Did the boy spy and tell tales (2, 14) ? 
 
 2. Was the coat a working-garment (3) ? 
 
 3. What feelings did his brothers have for him (4, 8, 11) ? 
 
 4. Locate Dothan and Gilead. Were the men in sight of the old 
 
 caravan road to Egypt? 
 
 5. How is Joseph a type of the petted boy? 
 
 It is quite the custom to sing the praises of the poor boy who 
 rises by his own exertions to a strong and useful life. He deserves 
 praise. Yet think of the stimulus he has for exertion ! But the son 
 of rich and indulgent parents, who shakes off the soft chains of 
 luxury and makes his life hard with self-denying toil, so that he 
 grows up to spend himself in the service of God and men — is not 
 he worthy of even higher praise? 
 
 Read how John Ruskin gave himself with his million dollars for 
 the good of Englishmen. 
 
14 Men of the Old Testament II : 5 
 
 Study II.— C&e |)atriarc!)g : 3facob anU Jasep!) 
 
 Fifth Day : Joseph, the Slave, Made Viceroy 
 
 The mill of events grinds on. The brothers, rough men, had 
 their opportunity to get even. They did so in a barbarous fashion. 
 Arrived in Egypt, Joseph serves the captain of the life-guards, but 
 is not yet out of hardships. With truly noble principle and strong 
 self-control, he keeps himself from evil, and in direct consequence 
 is imprisoned. Accepting his unjust sentence cheerfully, he serves 
 the jailer and the king's butler so well that he gets an opportunity 
 to serve the king. He interprets a dream that predicts a world- 
 wide famine, and then gives some practical advice which Pharaoh 
 takes kindly. 
 
 Joseph Graduated from the School of Hardship, Gen. 41:33-36, 3 8 ~49 
 
 1. What kind of man would Joseph have become under his father's 
 
 petting? 
 
 2. How does he endure hardships and injustice? In this, how 
 
 nearly does he follow the rules given in 1 Peter 2:19-24 and 
 2 Timothy 2:3? 
 
 We want to grow strong. Under wrongs and injustice, when we 
 are "not treated right," the opportunity is given us. But if we whine 
 or strike back, how then? 
 
 "Sometimes you will be neglected, and your vanity may feel 
 wounded. Never let this annoy you; be absolutely sure that in due 
 time all will come right, and you will have all the consideration 
 which you merit." 
 
11:6 Men of the Old Testament 15 
 
 Study II.— C|je Jhtriarc&s : JJacofc antf 3Fosep& 
 
 Sixth Day: The Visit of Jacob's Sons 
 
 Joseph proved an able viceroy. The common people seem to 
 have made no provision against the famine. Joseph had to feed 
 them, and he did so — for a price. Before the period was over, his 
 royal master owned all Egypt. Canaan, too, was stricken by famine. 
 When Jacob's sons came to Egypt for grain, Joseph might easily 
 have ordered their death. He did not do so, but did give them a 
 great fright in his efforts to get possession of his beloved brother 
 Benjamin. 
 
 Joseph Face to Face with His Brothers, Gen. 42:1-6, 13-17; 
 44:18-34 
 
 1. How did Joseph frighten them? Was it right to do so? 
 
 2. Judah's plea (44:18-34) is one of the gems of literature. Note 
 
 how short are the words, and how simple the style. 
 
 3. A while ago we saw Jacob face to face with the man he had 
 
 wronged ; how is this a similar situation ? 
 
 When a man does wrong he cannot leave it behind him by run- 
 ning away. These men had to face their crime after many years. 
 
 When we in our viciousness grow hard — 
 
 O misery on't — the wise gods seal our eyes ; 
 
 In our own filth drop our clear judgments; make us 
 
 Adore our errors; laugh at us, while we strut 
 
 To our confusion. 
 
 — Shakespeare. 
 
16 Men of the Old Testament II : 7 
 
 Study II.— Cjje JJatriarc^ : 3facob an& Josey!) 
 
 Seventh Day: Settlement of the Hebrews in Egypt 
 
 Learning that his father was still alive, Joseph thought better 
 of his first intention to keep Benjamin alone, and sent for the 
 entire family to come down to Egypt and live under his care. With 
 Pharaoh's full permission they were settled on the Egyptian fron- 
 tier, on the east side of the Nile Delta, the black-soil country, where 
 there was rich grazing for their flocks and herds. When Jacob died, 
 his remains were embalmed and, with great ceremony, carried to 
 Canaan for burial. The traditions about Abraham and his descend- 
 ants were handed down from father to son, and in later times were 
 put into writing. 
 
 The New Home of the Family, Gen. 46:1, 6; 47:1-6, 27 
 
 1. This is the beginning of the "Sojourn in Egypt" which was des- 
 
 tined to last for many years. 
 
 2. What spirit does Joseph show concerning the wrongs which he 
 
 had received (45:4, 5, 7, 8)? Does this accord with the rule 
 Christ has given us (Matt. 6:14, 15) ? 
 
 3. Is his conclusion at this point correct, that God so rules that 
 
 everything is sure to come right in the end? 
 
 "All things work together for good to them that love God." 
 "The Moslems have a beautiful expression which they use in com- 
 mon conversation, T take refuge with God!' That is a Christian's 
 privilege with regard to everything that oppresses his life within 
 and without. T take refuge with God' from sins, when in tempta- 
 tion, when in the midst of life's petty vexations." 
 
DIVISION II 
 
 The Founders. — Studies III and IV 
 
 Study III. — Israel Delivered and Organized 
 
18 Men of the Old Testament III : i 
 
 ♦ • — 
 
 Study III.— Jsrael SDeltomU an*' <Bx$mi2tH 
 
 First Day: The Oppression 
 
 In the land of Goshen, on the northeast frontier of Egypt, the 
 descendants of Jacob grew from a family to a group of tribes. 
 Joseph, the viceroy, was dead. The Pharaoh who was their patron 
 died also. In the course of the succession to the throne there came 
 a ruler who watched their growing wealth and numbers with alarm. 
 How easily they might turn the tide against him if they joined with 
 invading enemies from the northeast ! In the fear of such a pos- 
 sibility, he began a policy of oppression. The Hebrews were taken 
 from their shepherd pursuits and made to serve as slaves on public 
 works. Among other things, they built the store-cities, Pithom 
 and Rameses. He also ordered that male infants should be killed. 
 It is believed that the Pharaoh of the oppression was Rameses II, 
 a noted conqueror, called Sesostris by the Greeks, who lived about 
 the thirteenth century B.C. 
 
 The Birth of the Nation-Builder, Ex. 2:1-10 
 
 1. Here again (4, 7-9), as in the case of Jacob, Jewish craft is 
 
 shown ; but is it here a sign of selfishness ? 
 
 2. From verse 10 and from your knowledge of ancient Egyptian life, 
 
 what can you imagine as to the boy's surroundings and edu- 
 cation ? 
 
 3. Which influence was stronger in Moses' education, that of his 
 
 mother-nurse, or that of the royal court? 
 
 How many of us arose this morning with the deliberate purpose 
 of brightening life for others to-day? Is any day well spent that 
 leaves that out? The world needs sunshine-givers more than it 
 needs statesmen or inventors, or so-called great folk in any field. — 
 C. G. Trumbull. 
 
111:2 Men of the Old Testament 19 
 
 Study III. — $&vkzI ^Deltoetefc anU ©tffani^eti 
 Second Day: Moses in Exile 
 
 When Moses grew up, in spite of his princely rearing, he found 
 his sympathies strongly drawn toward the people of his own blood. 
 Time and again, with a swelling heart, he watched them toil and 
 fall under the whips of their taskmasters. One day, in a passion 
 of sympathy and anger, he did a deed of violence. In consequence 
 of the deed the next period of his life was spent in Midian. While 
 there he married. One day there came to him the vision of the 
 flaming bush. He had ripened for his life-work. He must reveal 
 Jehovah to the Hebrews as their God, and demand from Pharaoh 
 their freedom in the name of Jehovah. For this task he was given 
 wonderful powers, and the help of his brother Aaron as his spokes- 
 man. 
 
 Moses' Deed of Violence, Ex. 2:11-15 
 
 1. If you had been in this young man's place would you not have 
 
 preferred to stay away from these harrowing scenes? 
 
 2. Do you think Moses did wrong ? 
 
 Though we cannot commend Moses for the murder he committed, 
 yet the feelings that inspired him at that moment do deserve the 
 highest praise. Honor to the man who takes the part of the weak — 
 who risks his own interests for those of his neighbor — who "endures 
 as seeing the Invisible." While he loses earthly reward he gains 
 a glory greater than the treasure of Egypt. — Hooykaas. 
 
20 Men of the Old Testament in : 3 
 
 Study III. — ST^rael SDeltoerefc aitfi <Bv$wxi2tfi 
 
 Third Day: The Demand for Release 
 
 In the meantime, Meneptah succeeded Rameses II on the throne. 
 The brothers, Moses and Aaron, came to the elders of the Hebrews 
 and explained their mission from Jehovah, and showed their power 
 by "signs." The people received them well. The brothers then 
 brought to Pharaoh the request for deliverance. He treated it with 
 disdain (Ex. 5:2). "Who was this unheard-of Jehovah — a petty god 
 of slaves — that a king of Egypt should care about his worship !" In 
 anger, Pharaoh called them an idle people, and ordered their bur- 
 dens increased. The Hebrew overseers were held accountable for 
 the same amount of work under the harder conditions. When they 
 could not produce it, and were beaten, they appealed to Pharaoh. 
 
 The Pain of Ingratitude, Ex. 5:14-23 
 
 1. Why did the overseers appeal to Pharaoh? 
 
 2. Why was straw used in brick-making? 
 
 3. See the pitiful condition of mind of these slaves (6:9). 
 
 4. Moses was taking upon himself one of the heaviest burdens that 
 
 a man is ever called by God to carry — to serve men and be 
 unappreciated by them, misunderstood, even blamed. This 
 Jesus spoke of as "bearing the cross." But Moses was "called," 
 and only such calling enables men to bear the cross. 
 
 "Blow, blow, thou winter wind, 
 Thou art not so unkind 
 As man's ingratitude." 
 
 Do you know the meaning of this "calling" and this "strife"? 
 Many men never understand it. Sorrow is in the world, but they 
 feel no impulse to relieve it. Sin spreads havoc around them, but 
 they are fired by no indignation. But if you truly know and honor 
 God, there is a work set apart for you individually — a work in 
 delivering the wretched and fighting against every kind of misery — 
 in which you must defy the wicked world as fearlessly as Moses 
 faced Pharaoh. When such a noble task invites, and we hesitate 
 because of the sacrifices, blessed are we if the "thou must" of 
 God is victor over the "I dare not" of fear and sloth.— Hooykaas. 
 
111:4 Men of the Old Testament 21 
 
 Study III. — Israel 5Deltoertfj ana ©cganteeB 
 
 Fourth Day: The Plagues and the Release 
 
 Matters seemed to be going worse instead of better. Moses prayed 
 to Jehovah about them. Soon devastating plagues came upon the 
 Egyptians which did not touch the Hebrews (9:24-26). Hence they 
 were believed to have come because of the anger of the Hebrews' 
 Jehovah (9:27, 28, 33). With each plague Pharaoh promised to 
 grant part of the request. But Moses demanded absolute release. 
 The last punishment was fearful; the eldest child in each family 
 and the firstborn of all cattle died in one night ( 12 :29, 30) . Then' 
 Pharaoh, in terror of Jehovah, urged the Hebrews to leave the 
 country. In that night of deliverance the national freedom of Israel 
 was begun. 
 
 Sin, Penitence, Sin, Ex. 9:25-28, 33-35 
 
 1. What different motives may men have for serving God? 
 
 2. Pharaoh was cruel, was punished, repented, and made promises 
 
 to be merciful; the punishment was remitted. What did he 
 do then? 
 
 "O Lord, we have misjudged Thee quite, 
 Found only weakness in Thy word, 
 Forgot the path our Master trod, 
 Heard not His call to glorious fight, 
 His call for men. 
 
 "Repentance and submission give, 
 But heart of steel let us not lack, 
 And, shrinking, walk the craven's track. 
 May we, each day Thou giv'st to live, 
 Quit us like men. 
 
 "Grant us Thy spirit, strong and keen. 
 May we no favor show to shame ; 
 No silence, weakness, soft and tame, 
 Where rugged conflict should have been. 
 May we be men." 
 
22 Men of the Old Testament ni : 5 
 
 Study III.— ^farael SDeltoerett antt ©r^ant^e* 
 Fifth Day: The Going-Out 
 
 In that night of deliverance the national freedom of Israel was 
 begun. The Passover was adopted as an annual feast to celebrate 
 the deliverance from Egypt (Ex. 12:17). It means to the Jews 
 of to-day what our Fourth of July means to us, but it is saturated 
 with a strongly religious spirit. (Historically, it might be more 
 exact to parallel the Exodus with the sailing of the Pilgrim 
 Fathers.) 
 
 They went out in haste, not an army — for they had no arms nor 
 discipline — but a horde of slaves, with women and children, bag- 
 gage, flocks and herds. Their only dignity or hope lay with their 
 leaders, Moses and Aaron, and, back of them, in Jehovah. Then 
 came the final act in the self-destructive wilfulness of Pharaoh. 
 As his fleeing slaves were marching southward, between the steep 
 hills on the west and a shallow arm of the sea on the east, he went 
 after them with a force of chariots (14:9). The fugitives crossed 
 the sea — the waters being driven back by the strong wind — and the 
 Egyptians, following, were overwhelmed by the returning waters. 
 
 Moses* Song, Ex. 15:1-18 
 
 1. Where in this song do you find Jehovah spoken of as though He 
 
 were a Man (4, 12, etc.) ? 
 
 2. Where is the idea presented that Jehovah is the God of Israel 
 
 only? 
 
 3. Be sure you catch the tone of ringing triumph (1, 2). 
 
 4. This event, the crossing of the Red Sea, was more marked in 
 
 all Israel's later history than is the Signing of the Declaration of 
 Independence with us. It stirred religious emotions no less than 
 patriotic. In fact, religion and patriotism were interwoven in 
 the Hebrew heart. Is God's hand in our history as clearly as 
 in that of the Hebrews? 
 
 Lord of the nations of the world, 
 Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done \ 
 
 In peace be all earth's banners furled, 
 In token of Thy Son : 
 
 To Thee we pray, O draw Thou near ! 
 
 Hear us, Almighty Father, hear ! 
 
 — F. D. Sherman. 
 
111:6 Men of the Old Testament 23 
 
 Study III.— 3tael £)eltoere& anK <&x$mi$z1i 
 
 Sixth Day : The Journey to Sinai-Horeb 
 
 Moses led the great crowd along the coast of the Gulf of Suez, 
 southeastward. His goal was the wild, mountainous district in the 
 southern angle of the peninsula. On the journey the people had 
 their first experience, though by no means their last, of hunger 
 and thirst. They found a food in the wilderness which they called 
 "manna" (16:15). They also had a taste of war, we are told, re- 
 pulsing an attack of the Amalekites. A visit of congratulation was 
 received from Jethro ; and here we seem to observe the beginnings of 
 civil government among the Hebrews. "This Jethro, a priest in 
 Sinai, had no small share in Moses' work" (Cornill). 
 
 Self- Government Begun, Ex. 18:13-24 
 
 1. How was Jethro related to Moses? 
 
 2. Tell in your own words the features of the system here insti- 
 
 tuted. 
 
 3. This arrangement made Moses more free for higher duties ; how 
 
 did it also serve to train the people for self-government? 
 
 4. Did they even know how to obey? 
 
 5. What important feature of republican government is here begun ? 
 
 Attend to the duties and obey the laws of the university. It 
 requires neither brains nor courage to break the laws, and often 
 comes of a desire to get cheap notoriety through cowardice or vice. 
 Thieves and burglars break laws; true men keep them; they are 
 made for good. — Pierrepont. 
 
24 Men of the Old Testament ill : 7 
 
 Study III.— ^f&VMl SDeltoereK anU <&x&imi$z1i 
 
 Seventh Day: Receiving the Law at Mount Sinai 
 
 Here is Moses facing the tremendous task of shaping this horde 
 of escaped slaves into a nation. They were encamped on a plain 
 in the lonely mountains, close to a peak called Sinai, and remained 
 there somewhat less than a year. During that time Moses frequently 
 ascended the mountain alone. We are told that, after periods of 
 solitary communion with God, he brought to the people the law 
 written on tablets of stone. He caused the people to make a cov- 
 enant with God-Jehovah, agreeing to keep this law (19:7, 8). The 
 final form which these laws took is found in the Hebrew Book of 
 the Covenant, in Exodus, chapters 20-23 and 34. While Moses was 
 absent on the mountain the people behaved very badly. 
 
 The Feast of the Golden Calf, Ex. 32:1-6, 15-20, 30-35 
 
 1. If the Christian's moral life is below the standard of the Ten 
 
 Commandments, is his Christianity up to par (Matt. 5:17, 18) ? 
 
 2. What were the "tables" (32:15)? 
 
 3. Did Aaron take the blame upon himself? 
 
 4. See the bitter ingratitude in the rude words of verse 23. 
 
 5. See how nobly Moses identifies himself with his people in verse 
 
 32. He is carrying their sins on his heart. It is his "cross"; 
 he cannot throw it off. 
 
 My brethren, live nobly in these noble times! It matters little 
 whether your activity be great or small. Everywhere there is a good, 
 there is a bad. God save us from the bad! God help us to the 
 good, and give us all the right to say humbly at the last that which 
 His Son, our Saviour, said, "I have glorified thee on the earth!" — 
 Brooks. 
 
Study IV. — A Generation of Discipline 
 
26 Men of the Old Testament IV : i 
 
 Study IV. — & (0enerattOE of ^Discipline 
 
 First Day : On the March from Sinai 
 
 Upon leaving the region of Mount Sinai, the Hebrews marched 
 out into the desert to the north. Their next great headquarters was 
 Kadesh Barnea, a place of springs and good grazing, about a fort- 
 night's journey from Sinai, and fifty miles south of the Dead Sea. 
 The journey was marked by some suffering and a great deal of 
 complaint (Num. 11:4-6). When they marched, the Holy Ark of 
 the Covenant, which held the stone tablets inscribed with the Ten 
 Commandments, was carried before them (Num. 10:33). By this 
 and other means they were constantly reminded that 
 
 "Jehovah is the God of Israel; 
 Israel is the people of Jehovah." 
 
 Moses used a portable Tent of Meeting as the place for consulting 
 Jehovah's will. 
 
 The Tent of Meeting, Ex. 33:7-17 
 
 1. What are the mutual relations of the three mentioned in verse 11? 
 
 2. What is the double prayer of Moses (13-16) ? 
 
 3. Where do Joshua's duties lie mainly? Does it not seem a nar- 
 
 row life? 
 
 4. Two facts about Joshua are noteworthy : he filled a place of minor 
 
 duties ; he was much in the society of a great man. 
 
 As to the first: — 
 
 Many a Christian feels the irksomeness of the duties of life, and 
 feels his spirit revolting from them. To get up every morning with 
 the firm resolve to find pleasure in these duties, and do them well, 
 and finish the work which God has given us to do — that is the part 
 of Christ's follower. The humblest occupation has in it materials 
 of discipline for the highest heaven. — Robertson. 
 
 As to the second : — 
 
 Associate as much as possible with persons of true worth and 
 nobility of character. The main use of a great man is to inspire 
 others. Get close to men of energy, and see how they work — to men 
 of thought, and catch their spirit and method; get near the refined 
 and cultivated in mind and manners, and feel their charm. — Munger. 
 
IV : 2 Men of the Old Testament 27 
 
 Study IV. — ft (feneration of SDtectpIine 
 Second Day: Spying out Canaan 
 
 The continued slavish quality of the horde taxed Moses' patience 
 (Num. 11:14). The notion came to him that he might abandon 
 them and substitute his own descendants as the chosen people (Num. 
 14:12; compare Ex. 32:10). But he nobly put aside the suggestion, 
 and continued his mission. A group of seventy elders was appointed 
 to assist him (Num. 11:16, 17). On one occasion the people com- 
 plained about the manna, and wanted meat. A flock of quails was 
 driven into camp by the wind. The people gorged themselves so 
 that they died by thousands (Num. 11:33). 
 
 Arrived at Kadesh Barnea, they planned to enter Canaan, the 
 "Land of Promise," and sent twelve spies into the country to find 
 out its resources and its defences. 
 
 The Report of the Spies, Num. 13:25-28, 32, 33; 14:1-10 
 
 1. Orientals act out their emotions vividly. Read this passage and 
 
 picture its dramatic features. 
 
 2. What two things had the spies been instructed to report upon 
 
 (13:19)? 
 
 3. What was their report under these two heads ? 
 
 4. Under which head did the majority and minority reports differ 
 
 (14 7-9)? 
 
 5. Remember the names of the two spies who brought a sturdy 
 
 minority report. 
 
 6. Listen to the contemptible wail in 14:2, 3. 
 
 The two conflicting reports of the spies are the two voices that 
 speak to any man when he faces great and righteous undertakings. 
 One can undertake great things when depending upon God. 
 
 Speer tells the story of a man who once tried to dissuade a 
 Swede from going out as a missionary to India, and he urged on 
 him that it was very hot there, that the temperature went even 
 as high as one hundred and twenty-five degrees in the shade. "Veil," 
 replied the Swede, indignantly, "ve don't have to stay in the shade, 
 do ve?" 
 
28 Men of the Old Testament IV 13 
 
 Study IV. — SI feneration of ^Discipline 
 Third Day: Flinching at the Crisis 
 
 The cowardly panic of the host proved their unfitness for an 
 invasion. Hence, Moses announced that Jehovah would not lead 
 them into Canaan until every grown man of them — every man who 
 had known slavery — should have died in the wilderness. With char- 
 acteristic impulsiveness, the people then rushed to attack the Canaan- 
 ites, repenting of their cowardice; but Moses did not give his help, 
 and they were repulsed (Num. 14:44, 45). 
 
 For thirty-eight years Moses made Kadesh Barnea the headquar- 
 ters of the tribes. Here were copious springs. Out from this com- 
 mon center they wandered with their flocks for pasturage. To it 
 they resorted for judgment, for social life, and worship. 
 
 The Penalty of Distrust, Num. 14:11-19, 26-31 
 
 1. The words of Jehovah in 14:12b seem to present the opportunity 
 
 of a lifetime to Moses. What is it? 
 
 2. Give in your own words his argument in reply. 
 
 3. How is the judgment of Jehovah in 29-31 simply the demand of 
 
 common sense? Picture that horde trying to conquer any- 
 thing ! 
 
 The bigger the work, the greater the joy in doing it. The whole- 
 hearted striving and wrestling with difficulty, the laying hold with 
 firm grip and level head and calm resolution of the monster, and 
 tugging and toiling and wrestling at it, to-day, to-morrow, and the 
 next day, until it is done — it is the soldier's creed of forward, ever 
 forward ; it is the man's creed that for this task he has been born.— 
 Stanley. 
 
IV: 4 Men of the Old Testament 29 
 
 Study IV. — & feneration of ^Discipline 
 
 Fourth Day: The Wandering 
 
 The period was one of national discipline. Though rebellion was 
 directed against Moses, and even his sister Miriam disputed his 
 authority (Num. 12:1), the great leader's power was unshaken. 
 Miriam died while at Kadesh, and Aaron at Mount Hor. When 
 finally Moses gave the word to advance, it was a new and hardier 
 race that obeyed him, used to desert privations, bound together by 
 a new feeling of race ties, confident in Jehovah's might, loyal to 
 their statesman-leader. The route east of the Dead Sea was chosen. 
 A message was sent ahead to secure the right of way through 
 Edom. 
 
 The Advance Obstructed, Num. 20:14-21 
 
 1. Does the request seem reasonable? 
 
 2. What good reason might the Edomites have had for their answer ? 
 
 3. What unworthy motive may they have had? 
 
 4. The Edomites and the Israelites were cousin-peoples. Name the 
 
 two brothers from whom they descended. 
 
 Let us pledge ourselves to unceasing war against jealousy in every 
 shape — jealousy of another's success, or possessions, or place, or 
 popularity. It is a common delusion that another's success dims 
 ours, that another's failure enlarges our success by contrast. Do 
 not believe it! 
 
30 Men of the Old Testament IV: 5 
 
 Study IV. — & ^iteration of iiDisictpime 
 
 Fifth Day: Conquest of the Amorites 
 
 The churlishness of their cousins, the Edomites, put the Hebrews 
 to the necessity of a long march southward again. Their hearts 
 nearly failed from weariness and discouragement (Num. 21 14). But 
 they pressed on, and passed through Moab to the river Arnon, the 
 border between the Moabites and the Amorites. When they asked 
 permission of the Amorites to pass they were roughly attacked 
 (21 123). The outcome was that the Hebrews conquered all the land 
 east of Jordan, from the river Jabbok to the Arnon. It is also 
 said that they conquered Bashan, north of the Jabbok. These mili- 
 tary successes alarmed the King of Moab, and, fearing to use force, 
 he sent for a noted diviner, named Balaam, to come and cast a 
 "spell" on the Hebrews. 
 
 Balaam's Curse, Num. 22:1, 4b-7; 24:10-13 
 
 1. To "curse" means here to cast a spell, and so to render help- 
 
 less. 
 
 2. Just what was the idea in the mind of Balak, King of Moab 
 
 (22:6)? 
 
 3. The third of the prophecies, or blessings, is found in 24:5-9. 
 
 This is poetic in form. 
 
 4. One can almost see Balak dancing about in his vexation (23:25). 
 
 5. Again, in 24:10, 11, Balak is a ridiculous figure as he pompously 
 
 tries to convince Balaam that he has made a fool of himself. 
 Does Balaam seem to be impressed? 
 
 The exact reverse of this Balak-Balaam spirit is what we should 
 cultivate. 
 
 The people who influence you are the people who believe in you. 
 It is a wonderful thing that in this hard, uncharitable world there 
 should still be left a few rare souls who think no evil. This is the 
 great unworldliness. Love "thinketh no evil," imputes no motives, 
 sees the bright side, puts the best construction on every action. — 
 Drummond. 
 
IV: 6 Men of the Old Testament 31 
 
 Study IV. — & (feneration of ^Discipline 
 Sixth Day: The Death of Moses 
 
 A worse harm than either war or magic spells could accomplish 
 was wrought upon the Israelites by the influence of the impure 
 worship of Baal-Peor. A pestilence followed their sensual indul- 
 gence. Afterward Moses brought a fearful punishment upon the 
 Moabites with the sword. A number of important things had now 
 to be looked to, for Israel was on the borders of Canaan, and Moses 
 felt his own death approaching. His most impressive act was to 
 appoint Joshua as his successor (Num. 27:18-23). 
 
 His life-work ended, this great man went alone to the heights 
 of the Eastern Range, and from Mount Nebo looked across Jordan 
 to the Land of Promise. There he died, and "no man knows the 
 place of his burial." 
 
 Moses* Song, Deut.32:g-i2;and His Blessing, 33:27-29 
 
 1. These selections are the fragments of the two ancient poems called, 
 
 respectively, The Song and The Blessing of Moses. 
 
 2. In the first passage, note the affection of Jehovah for his people 
 
 "Jacob." 
 
 3. Is the simile of the eagle true to nature (32:11) ? 
 
 4. The second passage is as notable for grandeur as the first is for 
 
 tenderness of expression. Read both aloud. 
 
 What are the lessons that Moses teaches us from Mount Nebo? 
 He had been called to release his fellow tribesmen, he was the 
 founder of the religion and the national existence of Israel, and he 
 had been faithful in the accomplishment of his task. Yet he saw 
 but little of the fruits of his labor, and another led Israel into 
 the Promised Land and experienced the joy of gathering in the 
 fruits of his toil. "One man soweth, and another reapeth." — 
 Hooykaas. 
 
32 Men of the Old Testament iv : 7 
 
 Study IV. — & (feneration of ^Discipline 
 
 Seventh Day: The New Leader 
 
 A great responsibility was upon Joshua, for which he was fitted 
 by his faith in Jehovah, his training under Moses (Deut. 34:9), and 
 his military genius. Before him lay the task of conquest. Moses' 
 work had been that of Jehovah's statesman ; Joshua's was to be 
 that of a general. Moses, in the fullness of his faith, had assigned 
 to each tribe in advance its portion in Canaan, and had made such 
 regulations as were called for by the change from a wandering 
 shepherd life to settled agricultural pursuits. "With Moses, prophecy 
 begins" (Koenig). 
 
 Joshua Inaugurated, Joshua 1:1-9 
 
 1. There are about four items of command and the same number of 
 
 promise in this passage. Find and mark them. 
 
 2, Here begin the fruits of Joshua's obedience and fidelity in the 
 
 service of Moses, the servant of Jehovah. What is the best 
 reward of fidelity? 
 
 Do not pray for easy lives ! Pray to be stronger men ! Do not 
 pray for tasks equal to your powers ! Pray for powers equal to 
 your tasks ! Then the doing of your work shall be no miracle. 
 But you shall be a miracle. Every day you shall wonder at your- 
 self, at the richness of life which has come in you by the grace of 
 God. — Brooks. 
 
DIVISION III. 
 
 The Judges. — Study V 
 
 Study V. — Making a Home in Canaan 
 
34 Men of the Old Testament V:i 
 
 Study V. — JHafeinj a |)ome in Canaan 
 
 First Day : The Scroll of the Conquest : Scenes of 
 the Central Campaign 
 
 Let us leave Joshua on the eastern bank of the Jordan and go 
 down the years until we find the man who wrote the Book of Joshua. 
 Let us stand beside him while he unrolls before us the scroll upon 
 which he has etched the stirring scenes of the Conquest. 
 
 Scene I. — The host follows Joshua and the Ark across the Jordan, 
 walking on the dry river-bottom, Jehovah having driven back the 
 waters (3:14-17). 
 
 Scene II. — The walled city of Jericho blocks their progress. At 
 their shout, according to the directions of Jehovah, the walls fall 
 down flat. All the inhabitants are put to the sword (chap. 6). 
 
 Scene III. — Flushed with this success, the Hebrews attack the 
 next city. The assault is repulsed. The cause is found in guilt 
 against Jehovah. When that has been made right the city is taken 
 (chaps. 7 and 8:1-29). 
 
 Scene IV. — The Gibeonites deceive Joshua into making an alli- 
 ance, This involves him in war. Jehovah sends a terrible hail-storm 
 which increases the panic of the enemy. Thus ends the part of the 
 Conquest accomplished by the tribes united (chaps. 9 and 10). 
 
 The Fortunes of War, Joshua 8:18-29; and 
 The Law of Kindness, Matt. 5:43-48 
 
 1. Can you recall any war for conquest that has occurred within the 
 
 last fifty years ? 
 
 2. What other efforts are made between civilized nations before war 
 
 is resorted to? 
 
 3. Mention some respects in which war is now less cruel than 
 
 formerly. 
 
 "Keep close to Christ, if conflict sore betide; 
 Stand fast, remembering He is at your side 
 To give you strength 
 In battle, and the victor's palm at length." 
 
V : 2 Men of the Old Testament 35 
 
 Study V.— faking a |)ome in Canaan 
 Second Day: The Scroll of the Conquest: South- 
 ern and Northern Campaigns 
 
 The inhabitants of Canaan were considerably advanced in civiliza- 
 tion and the arts of war. There were two great peoples in the land, 
 the Amorites, who occupied the mountains ; and the Canaanites, 
 who lived in the plains and valleys. The latter had cavalry and 
 chariots. 
 
 Scene V of the historian's scroll shows us the army in two divis- 
 ions. We follow Caleb to the south. With the tribe of Judah he 
 conquers the Amorites, and gains a foothold in the central moun- 
 tainous district (chap. 10:28-43 and Judges 1:1-12). 
 
 Scene VI takes us northward, where Joshua leads the tribe of 
 Ephraim and kindred tribes against a coalition of the dreaded 
 Canaanites. He takes the foe by surprise and destroys their chariots 
 (Joshua 11 :i-i2). 
 
 Scene VII opens in the Vale of Shechem, between Mounts Ebal 
 and Gerizim. There the veteran Joshua has gathered the people. 
 He rehearses the laws of Moses, and pledges them to keep the cov- 
 enant with God (8:30-35, chap. 24). 
 
 Scene VIII. — Joshua's Farewell Address, Joshua 24:13-28 
 
 1. What is "the River," or, "the flood" (verse 14) ? 
 
 2. What instances are found in the New Testament of the historic 
 
 method of preaching, similar to Joshua's (see Acts) ? 
 
 3. Among what four religions does Joshua tell the people to choose 
 
 (14-15)? 
 
 4. What other statement may have weighed with them (15c) ? 
 
 5. What action does he demand (21-24) ? 
 
 Read books about Christ. Can you not spend thirty minutes of 
 your life each day in getting to know the Perfect Man? Take up 
 the biographies by those simple, earnest men, the authors of the 
 Gospels. Begin with Matthew. You read a few chapters, and you 
 fall in love with the Man. Slowly the knowledge changes character, 
 and that is changed in turn into the same image. Then you say, 
 "My Lord and my God !" — Drummond. 
 
36 Men of the Old Testament V:3 
 
 Study V. — Jftafeuiff a j)ome in Canaan 
 
 Third Day : Instantaneous Pictures of the Conquest 
 
 Taking leave of the prophet-historian of the Book of Joshua, 
 let us stand with the writer of the Book of Judges. He has written 
 stories of the Conquest which are like reproductions of photographs. 
 He, too, is a religious teacher. We may call him a lecturer. He 
 uses his pictures to enforce this idea : — 
 
 "Our ancestors who conquered Canaan by Jehovah's might were 
 often oppressed, as we are now. But when they turned away from 
 the things that displeased God, He turned to them again and gave 
 them victory" (Judges 2:11-15; 3:7; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1, etc). 
 
 The Hebrews were a pastoral people when they left Egypt, but in 
 Canaan they learned the art of agriculture. Then they added to the 
 worship of Jehovah the worship of the Baals, who were gods of 
 the harvest and the vineyard. Some of the conditions are pictured 
 by the lecturer in his introduction. 
 
 Consequences of Breaking the Covenant with God, Judges 2:1-4, "-23 
 
 1. What is the difference between innocence and virtue? 
 
 2. Should one run into temptation to prove himself strong? 
 
 3. Jehovah demanded that all altars to other gods should be de- 
 
 stroyed. How would such action safeguard the Hebrews? 
 
 It is right to make covenants or vows. God does it. But, "If I 
 do not make a promise," we say, "I shall not break one." But if 
 the thing is one we ought to do, we ought to covenant to do it. 
 The obligation is already there. The covenant does not make the 
 obligation; it simply recognizes it and accepts it. — Speer. 
 
 "Lord, let me make this rule, 
 To think of life as school, 
 And try my best 
 To stand each test, 
 And do my work, 
 And nothing shirk." 
 
V:4 Men of the Old Testament $7 
 
 Study V.— Jftaking a ^ome in Canaan 
 
 Fourth Day : Barak and Deborah against the 
 Canaanites 
 
 The Song of Deborah (Judges, chapter 5) is a very ancient mar* 
 tial poem describing the victory of Northern Israel over the Canaan- 
 ites under a general named Sisera. A prose account is placed along 
 with the Song (chapter 4). These Canaanites made life very bitter 
 for the tribes in the north for many years. The Hebrews could not 
 use the highways, and many villages were deserted. A patriotic 
 woman named Deborah stirred the sentiment of revolt. She asso- 
 ciated with her a prominent man named Barak, and at his call 
 the soldiers of six of the tribes gathered together. A battle was 
 fought in the Plain of Esdraelon. Sisera's chariots would have given 
 him a great advantage, but a flood in the Kishon River turned them 
 into a hindrance instead (5:4, 21). Barak's fierce attack decided 
 the battle, which ended in a rout. Sisera fled, unattended and on 
 foot. He came, exhausted, to an encampment of Kenites, whom he 
 took to be friends, and applied to them for food and a place to 
 rest. 
 
 The Death of Sisera, Judges 4:17-22; 5:24-31 
 
 1. Describe accurately in your own words the flight and death of 
 
 Sisera. 
 
 2. How is the anxiety of Sisera's mother described? 
 
 3. What words of praise has the Song for Jael? Evidently, then, 
 
 every act of help to Israel was regarded as an act for Jehovah, 
 and so of religious value. 
 
 Any emergency calls for prompt and strong action. It is so in 
 the spiritual and moral life. 
 
 How we shall behave in any emergency has been settled before- 
 hand. The man who habitually wastes minutes in indecision is not 
 the man who will save the day when a powerful blow for the right 
 is called for. The way to be strong for an emergency is to be strong 
 all the time. — Selected, 
 
38 Men of the Old Testament V:5 
 
 Study V.— JHatunff a J)ome in Canaan 
 
 Fifth Day: Gideon and the Midianites 
 
 All through its history, Palestine has been exposed to the raids 
 of the "Children of the East," the modern Bedouins, to whom it 
 is "a land flowing with milk and honey," in contrast with their 
 little oases. They made raids upon Hebrew territory, swarming 
 like locusts, and went back loaded with the spoils of the field and 
 vineyard. The poor Hebrews nearly starved. They took refuge 
 in the mountains. They lived somewhat as did the early settlers 
 in America in the days of Indian fighting. "Then they cried unto 
 Jehovah, and he raised up a» deliverer." Gideon's first adventure 
 (see below) proved his fitness for daring leadership. A host of 
 volunteers gathered around him, but he cared little for mere num- 
 bers. He sent home those who felt afraid, then rejected all except 
 those who, while drinking at the stream, kept their eyes about them 
 and their weapons in one hand, ready for an ambush. Three hun- 
 dred were picked. A night attack was made on the Midianite camp. 
 The Midianites awoke at the sound of blaring trumpets and crashing 
 pitchers, to see lights dancing all around them. Doubtless estimating 
 that there must be a company of men with every light, they became 
 panic-stricken. They trampled and destroyed one another in their 
 flight in the darkness. Gideon and his picked men pursued relent- 
 lessly, and "Midian was subdued before the children of Israel, and 
 they lifted up their heads no more, and the land had rest." 
 
 Gideon's Proof of Courage, Judges 6:25-32 
 
 1. What state of mind had Gideon been in about the oppression 
 
 (6:12, 13)? 
 
 2. Can you excuse his fears (27) ? 
 
 3. Consider his father's quick-witted defense (31). 
 
 Gideon imagined a bold, brave deed ; and then he did it. Knowl- 
 edge and power both come chiefly from what we do. Let us bravely 
 do to-day the best that we know, and we shall be both stronger 
 and wiser to-morrow. 
 
 "It is what we think and what we do that makes us what we 
 
 ARE." 
 
V:6 Men of the Old Testament 39 
 
 Study V.— patting a ^ome in Canaan 
 
 Sixth Day : The Later Judges 
 
 Gideon might have been king, but refused the honor. A son of 
 his, named Abimelech, made himself a petty king by wholesale 
 murder, and had a short and stormy reign in Shechem, and a violent 
 end (Judges 9:6-54). Jephthah was a Gileadite who delivered some 
 of the tribes from the domination of the Ammonites. He sacri- 
 ficed his daughter in payment of a vow. This shows a dark shadow 
 of the age (11:30, 31, 34). 
 
 The Samson stories were popular, and must have been told and 
 retold with grim enjoyment; for the people suffered much from 
 Philistine invasions. Samson was a hulking fellow, who could make 
 a riddle (14:12), and loved a practical joke on a large scale, as, 
 for instance, carrying off the gates of a town (16:3), or setting fire 
 to his enemies' fields of ripe grain (15 :4). 
 
 But the period was not all war and bloodshed. Sometimes "the land 
 had peace." While men were fighting, women and youths kept 
 the homes, looked after the flocks, fields, vineyards and orchards. 
 The story of Ruth probably belongs historically to this period. 
 
 Samson, the Man of Might, Judges 16:4-21 
 
 1. What were the three false explanations of his strength? What 
 
 was the real one? 
 
 2. What made him yield the secret at last (16)? 
 
 3. What two types of strength are represented in Jacob and Samson ? 
 
 We have strong men to-day of a far higher type than Samson. 
 "Joe" McCracken was graduated from the University of Pennsyl- 
 vania in medicine in 1901. During his course he was holder of 
 the world's record for the hammer throw, of the intercollegiate 
 record for the shot-put, captain of the track team, member of the 
 'Varsity football team, and president of the Christian Association. 
 He is now in China, establishing a Christian Medical School in 
 Canton, representing his Alma Mater. 
 
40 Men of the Old Testament V:7 
 
 Study V. — JHauinff a {>(ime in Canaan 
 
 Seventh Day: The Sanctuary at Shiloh 
 
 In this age, when the nation was struggling to establish order, 
 there were many signs of the need of one strong leader to unite 
 all forces. Worship of Jehovah was fostered at a few sanctuaries, 
 among which Shiloh seems to have been best known. Thither would 
 go a band of pilgrims from a village for worship, leading a sheep 
 or an ox for sacrifice. The fat and entrails of the animal would 
 be burnt by the priests as an offering to Jehovah ; then the pilgrims 
 would cook the rest, pay the priests their portion, and have a feast 
 on the remainder. But even the sanctuary was stained with wick- 
 edness, for the priests, sons of the aged judge, Eli, were openly 
 dishonest. 
 
 The Dishonesty of Eli's Sons, i Sam. 2:12-17 
 
 1. What was the usual custom about the payment of priests? How 
 
 did these men change the method? 
 
 2. What evidence of general resentment is given? 
 
 3. Have you seen any instances earlier in the period of the Judges 
 
 in which vice has been condemned and virtue upheld? 
 
 Men who are prominent ought to be particularly careful about 
 their example, because its influence is great. 
 
 As the sanctuary at Shiloh was rated according to the character 
 of its priests, so is every Christian association rated according to 
 the character of the men who are leaders in it. So, in a sense, Christ 
 is being estimated by the standard of our lives. 
 
DIVISION IV 
 
 The Kings.— Studies VI to IX 
 
 Study VI. — The Beginnings of the Monarchy 
 
42 Men of the Old Testament VI :i 
 
 Study VI. — C£f)e 3Seaumut£fii of tlje ;poitatc!)p 
 
 First Day : The Work of Samuel 
 
 The disastrous battle of Aphek was fought in the early days of 
 Samuel's life (i Sam. 4:2-10). Though the Holy Ark was recov- 
 ered, Israel continued to be under the power of Philistia. The 
 condition of subjection was due, not to native weakness in the 
 Hebrews, but to the lack of a strong leader to unite their forces. 
 Samuel's first act was to call an assembly of the people and urge 
 the need of fidelity to Jehovah (7:5). Under Samuel's leadership 
 the Philistines were held back somewhat, and the much-needed re- 
 ligious reforms took place. Samuel was a judge in the modern 
 sense, having a circuit including four important centers for the 
 administration of justice. He was the last of the Judges and the 
 first of the Prophets, announcing Jehovah's will to the people, and 
 superintending the "Schools of the Prophets," which he seems to 
 have founded. 
 
 Samuel, the Judge, and His Sons, 1 Sam. 7:15 to 8:3, and 12:3-5 
 
 1. Have you heard of polite methods of influencing legislatures and 
 
 officials, which cannot be proven as bribery, and yet actually 
 come under that head? 
 
 2. How do our judges come into office? Are they as subject to 
 
 bribery as are legislators? Give a reason for your opinion. 
 
 3. Have you ever known presents, or favors, or flattery, to turn 
 
 aside men in private life from strict honesty of speech and 
 action ? 
 
 "Thou shalt take no bribe [or undue praise] ; for a bribe blindeth 
 them that have sight and perverteth the words of the righteous" 
 (Ex. 23:8). 
 
 There is often nothing to reward truth and honesty except them- 
 selves. You will be longer over your work if you refuse the unfair 
 help. You will get less credit, and perhaps undeserved blame. The 
 scales are heavily weighted against truth. Well, I say, tell the 
 truth and act the truth on the first impulse, and let consequences 
 be what they may. — Wilson. 
 
VI: 2 Men of the Old Testament 43 
 
 Study VI. — C&e 3Segtntun£0 of tlje ^lonarcljp 
 Second Day: The Demand for a King 
 
 Although the defeat of the Philistines at Mizpah brought some 
 relief from their oppression, the yoke still lay heavily upon Israel. 
 The leading men presented a petition to Samuel for the appoint- 
 ment of a king. Doubtless he saw as well as they the need of unity 
 and strong leadership, but he also foresaw the abuses of royal 
 power that would almost surely come in with a monarchy. 
 
 It is likely, too, that the historian puts some of his own senti- 
 ments into Samuel's mouth; for, writing from the later centuries, 
 he had seen more of the actual mischief done by bad kings than 
 the old prophet-judge ever dreamed would be possible. 
 
 The Demand for a King, 1 Sam. 8:4-9, 19-22 
 
 1. Note three reasons given for wanting a king (5, 20). 
 
 2. Note four evils that Samuel foresaw in "the manner of a king 
 
 that shall reign/' You will find later how many of these Solo- 
 mon fulfilled. 
 
 I would not dare, though it were offered me 
 
 To plan my lot for but a single day ; 
 So sure am I that all my life would be 
 
 Marked with a blot in token of my sway. 
 But were it granted me this day to choose 
 
 One shining bead from the world's jeweled string, 
 Favor and fortune I would quick refuse 
 
 To grasp a richer and more costly thing — 
 To own this gem is to command the rest. 
 
 It is the Kohinoor called Self-Control. 
 
 — Selected. 
 
44 Men of the Old Testament VI: 3 
 
 Study VI. — €&e ^Seffimunjjs of tie iHonarcJp 
 
 Third Day : The Choice of Saul as King 
 
 There is a story in the early part of the Book of Samuel in which 
 Samuel appears as a "seer," who selects Saul, the Benjamite, as 
 king, and privately anoints him (1 Sam., chapters 9 and 10:1). The 
 later narrative of the choice of king shows us a popular assembly 
 and the drawing of the sacred lot. The choice falls on Saul. He 
 is brought from hiding — so modest he is (10:23-25). At sight of 
 his splendid physique and royal bearing, the host cries "Long live 
 the King!" It was the first time that shout had ever been heard 
 in Israel. A century later its echo might well be a groan. Now 
 there was needed only a display of military ability to make Saul 
 the people's idol. 
 
 Saul's First Military Campaign, 1 Sam. 11:1-13 
 
 1. How did the Ammonites show contempt for their enemy? 
 
 2. Compare 10:24, 27 with 11 :i2, 13. What spirit did Saul show? 
 
 Addison finely said: "A good conscience is to the soul what 
 health is to the body." Spiritual health is the more keenly delight- 
 some as the soul is higher than the body. A man who knows he 
 has done right and can do it again, who can look into the eyes of 
 his fellow-men without shame, and into the face of God with 
 thankfulness, has attained a positive delight of soul that no self- 
 indulgence, no intoxications can ever bring. — Trumbull. 
 
VI: 4 Men of the Old Testament 45 
 
 Study VI.— €&e 33e£Uitutis0 of t&e ;ptonarc|)p 
 Fourth Day : Saul's Wars 
 
 Having shown gifts as a military leader, Saul had his hands full 
 of war during all of his ten years' reign. We are told of foreign 
 wars — campaigns against Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Amalek. But 
 one wonders how he found time for wars abroad, for the Philis- 
 tines constantly occupied, or else threatened, the very heart of his 
 kingdom. 
 
 In the beginning, Saul organized a standing army of three thou- 
 sand men for defense. A while later, conditions were so bad that 
 but six hundred fighting men could be mustered. When the situa- 
 tion was at its worst, Jonathan's daring saved the kingdom. 
 
 Jonathan's Exploit and Its Consequences, 1 Sam. 14:1, 6, 7, 13, 14, 
 20-23 
 
 1. Read carefully, so as to be able to describe what took place. 
 
 2. After Jonathan's success who fought the main battle? 
 
 3. From what other two sources did reinforcements come? 
 
 The soldier who is called to the front is stimulated, not depressed ; 
 the officer who is bidden by his general to a post of great respon- 
 sibility, and so of hardship and peril, is thrilled with the joy of 
 his task. An opportunity has been given him to prove himself 
 worthy of great trust, which can be done only at the cost of great 
 trouble. — Brent. 
 
4-6 Men of the Old Testament VI 15 
 
 Study VI.— Cjje 33eatmiinfffii of tfce ;ptonatcl)p 
 
 Fifth Day : Saul's Relations with Samuel 
 
 In the pursuit of the enemy Saul showed an imkingly impatience 
 that nearly cost Jonathan's life (1 Sam. 14:24-27). Another instance 
 of the same fault was shown later. The army was encamped at 
 Gilgal in Ephraim. A campaign was on foot against Philistia. 
 They were waiting for Samuel to come and hold a religious service. 
 The prophet was late, and the king's patience evaporated. He 
 turned the camp into a religious assembly, took the place of the 
 absent Samuel, and offered the sacrifices. For this action the 
 prophet predicted that Jehovah would find another man better fitted 
 to rule Israel. Later, Saul "acted foolishly" again. 
 
 The Rejection of Saul, 1 Sam. 15:7-31 
 
 1. Compare Saul's course with the command in verse 3. In what 
 
 respects did he fall short? 
 
 2. How could Saul salute Samuel as he did? Did he not know that 
 
 his statement was untrue (20) ? 
 
 3. Upon whom does he place the blame (20, 21, and 24) ? 
 
 4. Was Samuel severe because he doubted Saul's sincerity (26) ? 
 
 5. Was Saul's main anxiety about Jehovah's opinion or the elders' 
 
 (30)? 
 
 A ship might as well try to sail north with her jib, and east with 
 her foresail, and south with her mainsail, as a man to go one way 
 in conduct, and another way in character, and another way in 
 destiny. What we do belongs to what we are ; and what we are is 
 what becomes of us. — Van Dyke, 
 
VI: 6 Men of the Old Testament 47 
 
 Study VI. — TOe 38e£mninffsi of tie JItonarc&p 
 
 Sixth Day: David's Introduction at Court 
 
 Perhaps it was the pressure of trouble from the Philistine wars, 
 perhaps the withdrawal of Samuel's support, possibly it was habitual 
 lack of self-control — whatever the cause, Saul began to show signs 
 of insanity. His temper was changeable, sometimes sullen, some- 
 times violent. Until the days of modern science, insanity was usually 
 attributed to the influence of spirits, good or bad. In Saul's case, 
 they advised that music be tried for his cure. David was found and 
 brought before Saul because he was a skilful harpist. In the mean- 
 time, Samuel had found in this young soldier and musician the man 
 who should, in due time, succeed to the throne. 
 
 The Anointing of David, 1 Sam. 16:4-13 
 
 1. Why did Eliab impress Samuel favorably? 
 
 2. Read verse 18 with verse 12, and give a description of David. 
 
 3. What was David's work at home? Was that always tame work 
 
 (17:34-36)? 
 
 4. Memorize verse 7c. 
 
 Even in these days of sordid motives and questionable methods, 
 the highest places still wait for the men of purity in thought and 
 purpose. In the future, still more than in the past, there will come 
 the Sir Galahads — the men of brawn and strength, combining ath- 
 letic vigor and moral heroism — to whom will be given the vision 
 of God. — Selected. 
 
48 Mer. cj the O'.d Testament VI: 7 
 
 Study VI. — <L\)t ^ccrmiuntrs of tfre fR.anarcljp 
 Seventh Day: Saul Sees a Possible Rival 
 
 A f-fferer.: acctunt :: David's first a;pearan:e at court is given 
 in the ever-attractive story of David and Goliath (1 Sam., chapter 
 
 17). There he appears as a "mighty man of valor," such as the 
 king was always looking for (14:52). David's reception by the 
 
 1-rir.g was it hrs: ctrthai; but as Saul's mental condition grew -.verse. 
 and David's popularity increased, and his friendship with Jonathan 
 
 became stronger, the king's ;ealcusy named often into violent rage. 
 To his morbid view, David vas scheming to get the throne. Jona- 
 than's friendship seemed to him to show either that the prince vas 
 
 son had a bitter quarrel, while David, his life repeatedly threat- 
 
 Enmity and Friendship, 1 Sam.. 18:1-16 
 
 1. Notice the vivid description of the friendship (18:1), and the 
 
 equal'. y expressive words far Saul's jealousy (g), tempered by 
 antther feeling i 15. Ant. R.V.). 
 
 2. What efhee cid David first nil (5), and what office afterward 
 
 (13) ? Give modern names for them. Is the change indicative 
 of Saul's malice? 
 3 Do you thin.!-: there was danger of David's head being turned, 
 considering his natural gifts and accomplishments (16:12, 18), 
 with general ptpularity aided (18:16)? 
 
 Popularity is a delightful thing if it comes without seeking, and 
 if the man who has it has no fear cf losing it. Not praise, but excel- 
 lence, is the ultimate end which every worker ought to have in view. 
 — The Outlook, 
 
STUDY VII.— David in Exile 2~i ;:•. :/.e I '.-.:;- e 
 
50 Men of the Old Testament VII : i 
 
 Study VI L— £)at)to in £j;tle anfc on tlje CJjrone 
 
 First Day: David in Exile: His Band of Outlaws 
 
 Being driven from court, David's first thought was for his own 
 people. On his way to Bethlehem he stopped at the sanctuary of 
 Nob (i Sam. 21:1). By deceiving the priests he was helped to 
 food and weapons. He sent his parents to the care of the King of 
 Moab. Then he found a stronghold in a cave near Bethlehem, 
 where his fame soon drew around him not only his relatives, but 
 also a group of other refugees, malcontents, and runaway debtors, 
 to the number of four hundred (22:2). They were rough, desperate 
 men. David kept them busy foraging, sometimes among the nearby 
 farmers and herdsmen, whom they protected from other maraud- 
 ers. Sometimes he may have piloted caravans for toll, or made 
 raids on desert tribes. A visit was received from Jonathan, who 
 assured the exile that he had friends at court who wished him well, 
 and were ready to warn him of danger and help him in other 
 ways. 
 
 David in Adversity, Ps. 59:1-4, 16, 17 
 
 1. Is a smooth life a sure mark of God's love? and is a hard life 
 
 always a curse? 
 
 2. Where did David learn his most valuable lessons — in court life 
 
 or in his exile? 
 
 A reason for praying : "Why should we ask God to help us, when 
 God, if He be all-knowing, knows about our needs?" But is prayer 
 only a continual asking? A greater thing than getting some boon 
 is the realization of a bond of love and confidence between father 
 and child, between God and man. This is the high result of prayer.— 
 W. B. Carpenter. 
 
VII: 2 Men of the Old Testament 51 
 
 Study VII— SDatoifc in €?iU an* on tfce CJroae 
 
 Second Day: David in Exile: Saul's Enmity 
 
 Saul could not be satisfied with David's mere exile. He spent 
 half of his energies in pursuing him. First, on the information of 
 a foreign spy, he put to death the priests of Nob (1 Sam. 22:18), 
 who had innocently helped the refugee. Then he personally led 
 a large force in pursuit. In the wilds near Maon they blocked 
 David's escape, and almost had him in their hands, when the king 
 was compelled to withdraw by the news of a Philistine invasion 
 (23:27). At a later time Saul was informed of the exile's posi- 
 tion by the Ziphites, who did not relish the neighborhood of a regi- 
 ment of hungry outlaws. Thus informed, Saul made repeated 
 efforts to surround David and his men. On at least one occasion 
 he thus placed his life at their mercy. 
 
 David Spares Saul's Life, 1 Sam. 26:6-12 
 
 1. On what errand did the two men go? 
 
 2. Why did Abishai think it right to kill the king? 
 
 3. Why did David think it would be wrong? 
 
 4. How did he think the king would be sufficiently punished ? 
 
 The principle among us known as the "Golden Rule" was not prac- 
 ticed by Saul. Memorize the words of Jesus in Matt. 7:12. 
 
 The only way to get rid of an enemy is to pray for him. Without 
 that, though you may resolve not to hate him, you surely will end 
 in doing so. Read and mark Rom. 12:20, 21. 
 
 In all the universe there are no two souls alike. There are no 
 two with the same work to do; no two whose talents are rivals, 
 or whose gifts conflict or interfere. How this thought ought to put 
 an end at once to all the envy of life ! — Havergal. 
 
52 Men of the Old Testament VII: 3 
 
 Study VII.— £)abto in €j;ile an* on tie CJrone 
 
 Third Day : A Vassal to the Philistines 
 
 Saul's promises (1 Sam. 26:21) could not set David at ease. More- 
 over, it is noticeable that the king did not invite him to return. In 
 this situation David took his six hundred men into Philistia, and 
 became a vassal to the King of Gath (27:2), occupying the town 
 of Ziklag. After the anxious, lonely months just past, these men 
 must have enjoyed living again in homes with their families. David's 
 whole position here was based on deception. He made Achish think 
 that he had turned forever against his own people. Here, as before, 
 he kept his men busy fighting, making raids in the south against 
 the enemies both of Philistia and Judah. Achish seemed very 
 ready to believe the tales he brought about these expeditions. 
 
 David's Standards of Honesty and Ours, 1 Sam. 27:8 to 28:2 
 
 1. What were the consequences to others of the deception of Achish 
 
 (27:9-11)? 
 
 2. Into what predicament did David himself fall (28:1)? 
 
 3. Can you point out the same moral issue in modern business 
 
 relations ? 
 
 Be pure, be wise, be strong, be independent. Let the world go, if 
 it is necessary that the world should go. Serve the world, but do 
 not be the servant of the world. You can minister to its life. — 
 Brooks. 
 
VII: 4 Men of the Old Testament 53 
 
 Study VII.— £)abtt in Cpile an* on t&e ©jjnme 
 
 Fourtpi Day : Saul's Last Battle 
 
 David was saved from his dilemma by the distrust of the Philis- 
 tine princes. They compelled Achish to send him back. Arrived 
 at Ziklag, David found that it had been burned by enemies, who 
 were returning southward with their captives and plunder (i Sam. 
 30:3). He followed, surprised them, and recovered all. Out of the 
 additional booty he sent presents to the influential men in Judah. 
 Meanwhile the last days of Saul's reign were passing. In the face 
 of the Philistine incursion he found that he had alienated his best 
 counsellors, and there was not a priest nor prophet on his side. 
 He seemed to himself to be deserted by God and man. He went 
 into battle, tired out in body and brain, and hopeless. The battle was 
 begun at Mount Gilboa, and ranged over the plain of Jezreel. Saul 
 and his sons were killed. The army was routed, and terror spread 
 so widely that the Hebrews who lived east of the Jordan deserted 
 their towns. David's expression of sorrow at hearing the news of 
 the death of Jonathan and Saul is entitled : — 
 
 The Song of the Bow, 2 Sam. 1:17-27 
 
 1. This dirge falls naturally into two parts ; mark the division. 
 
 2. What abilities as a soldier are ascribed to Saul? 
 
 3. Is there any trace of exultation? 
 
 4. Is the mourning for Jonathan more personal and heartfelt than 
 
 the mourning for Saul? 
 
 Who misses or who wins the prize, 
 
 Go lose or conquer as you can ; 
 But if you fall, or if you rise, 
 
 Be each, pray God, a gentleman ! 
 
 — Thackeray. 
 
 It is quite the fashion to say "sentimental bosh" to anyone who 
 preaches such an old-fashioned thing as honor; but among true 
 gentlemen it is just as real an article as ever, and it is one of the 
 few things that never rings false. It is only the man who believes 
 in such a thing as honor that is worth anything. — Walter Camp. 
 
54 Men of the Old Testament VII : 5 
 
 Study VIL— SDabiDi in C^ile an* on tl;e ©Jron* 
 Fifth Day : King of Judah 
 
 At this critical point what is David's policy? His exile has lasted 
 for about six years. He is a vassal to the Philistines. He has kept 
 on good terms with his own people of Judah, and has avoided 
 giving offence to Israel. The throne is vacant. Many have looked 
 to him as their next ruler. A man of ambition, with the temper 
 of a dictator, and such a regiment as David's at his back, would 
 have known what to do. But David, in obedience to the oracle, goes 
 peaceably to Hebron, and there is anointed King of Judah. The date 
 is about 1020 b.c. 
 
 Israel held aloof. Saul's old general, Abner, was their natural 
 leader. He placed on the throne a son of Saul, named Eshbaal, or 
 Ishbosheth, and acted as his regent. Meanwhile, though David had 
 refused the resort to violence, he did not scorn diplomacy. He sent 
 a hearty message to the men who rescued King Saul's body from 
 the Philistines. 
 
 The Message to the Men of Jabesh, 2 Sam. 2:40-7 
 
 1. How does David show himself both generous and diplomatic in 
 
 this message? 
 
 2. Does he "advertise himself"? Is an Oriental less scrupulous in 
 
 such matters than we are? 
 
 Suppose I have an impulse to express a generous thought, but I 
 hesitate, uncertain as to how it will be received. I express it. It is 
 received coldly. Shall I express the next generous thought that 
 comes to me? A woman once paid Jesus a beautiful tribute of 
 affection (Matt. 26:6-13). It cost her a great deal, and the act might 
 be called "forward," if you think of it coldly. Some of the bystand- 
 ers did think of it coldly, and sharply criticised the woman, but 
 Jesus called it one of the finest things that had ever been done. 
 Balance the criticism against that praise. Which is worth more? 
 
VII: 6 Men of the Old Testament 55 
 
 Study VII.— £>atoiU in €?iie anB on t&e C&rone 
 
 Sixth Day: King of Judah and Israel 
 
 There was some sharp fighting between the men of Abner and 
 those of Joab, David's general. In one of these conflicts a blood 
 feud was started between Abner and Joab (2 Sam. 2:12-29). Esh- 
 baal seemed to have just enough strength to resent being dependent 
 upon Abner. They had a quarrel, and the regent turned fiercely from 
 the young king, and forthwith turned all his influence toward the 
 recognition of David by Israel. When he had all the lines in his 
 hands he made offers to David, who promptly gave him a personal 
 hearing. All was being arranged when Joab murdered Abner. Close 
 upon this event followed the assassination of Eshbaal. David was 
 innocent, and, to avoid being suspected of complicity, he punished 
 the assassins, reprimanded Joab, and called for public mourning 
 (3:31). The leaders of Israel soon afterward came to Hebron and 
 anointed David as their king. All the tribes of Israel and Judah 
 were formally united at last. 
 
 Kindness to Jonathan's Son, 2 Sam. 9:1-7 
 
 1. Had David gained more or given more in his friendship with 
 Jonathan ? 
 
 Here we find David hunting about for some means of showing 
 how much he felt the value of Jonathan's friendship. 
 
 Most of the kindnesses we receive from parents and friends we 
 never have opportunity to return. In youth, very often, we are not 
 conscious of the debt. But we can pass the kindness on. We can 
 earnestly dedicate our lives to the mission of doing good. 
 
 "He that gives himself up for the service of his brethren, finds 
 himself in the service of his brethren." 
 
56 Men of the Old Testament VII : 7 
 
 Study VII.— SDabto in <£j;tie attfi on tje CH^rone 
 
 Seventh Day : The New Capital 
 
 For the new and larger kingdom a new capital had to be found. 
 Hebron was a strictly Judahite town. The tribes of Israel were 
 sensitive, and were determined to claim their share of honors and 
 privileges. The Canaanite stronghold Jebus, an eyesore to the 
 Hebrews, lay just across the border of Judah, in the limits of 
 Benjamin. David attacked and gained it by assault. He fortified 
 it, then imported materials and built in it a royal palace. This 
 "City of David" occupied the southwestern of the four hills on 
 which Jerusalem is built. 
 
 But it was not enough to have made the capital a center of gov- 
 ernment. The religion of Jehovah must have a visible center, too. 
 Patriotism and religion were one among the people of Jehovah. 
 
 Public Worship Established, 2 Sam. 6:1-5, 16-19 
 
 1. In Christian worship, what takes the place of the Holy Ark? 
 
 2. Find the four parts of this religious ceremony. What four parts 
 
 of Christian worship do these represent in an imperfect way? 
 
 3. Why did Michal scorn the king? 
 
 As to public worship: 
 
 Every right-minded man will go to church, because it is advisable 
 and expedient. If he goes he will be fed. He will be helped, and 
 he will have a better chance of survival in the higher life. — Drum- 
 mond. 
 
Study VIII.— The Reign of David 
 
58 Men of the Old Testament VIII : i 
 
 Study VI II.— Cfce Eeiffti of Datoto 
 
 First Day : The Philistine War 
 
 David probably remained a vassal to the Philistines during the 
 seven and a half years of his reign over Judah. When Israel was 
 joined to his realm these neighbors felt decidedly concerned about 
 the growing power of the Hebrews (2 Sam. 5:17). Before David 
 could prepare to meet them they were upon him in force. The 
 king took refuge in the stronghold Adullam, and there gathered an 
 army. Two battles were fought. The power of the enemy was 
 broken. The seizure of an important Philistine fortress later clinched 
 the victory. The Hebrews gained a seaport for commerce with 
 Tyre. David was now left free to organize and strengthen his king- 
 dom. His army, or "host," was probably a militia organization, 
 ready for service when called. The army was commanded by the 
 king's nephew, Joab. His bodyguard, after the Philistine war, 
 was made up largely from those former enemies. The "thirty 
 mighty men" may have been the officers of the host. 
 
 The Feat of the Three Mighty Men, 2 Sam. 23:13-17 
 
 1. Did the men do this thing to prove their bravery, or their love 
 for the king? 
 
 All men love deeds of bravery. When they cannot find things 
 to do that demand courage and strength, they invent them. But this 
 very day you will find situations that will test your courage and 
 strength. Do not miss these while you dream about the future. 
 
 ''You cannot run away from a weakness ; you must, some time, 
 fight it out or perish; and if that be so, why not now, and where 
 you stand?" 
 
VIII: 2 Men of the Old Testament 59 
 
 Study VIIL— TOe Eeiffti of £)atoto 
 Second Day: Foreign Wars 
 
 A census was taken at the king's command. It was a military 
 measure, apparently intended to be the basis of a more thorough 
 military levy (2 Sam. 24:2). It was unpopular with the people, and 
 was opposed by some of the leaders. A new levy may have been 
 the first move in Israel's foreign wars. The first of these was 
 against Moab, which resulted in making that country pay tribute 
 (8:2). Ammon and Zobah were also conquered and made depend- 
 ent. The conquest of Edom, begun by Saul, was completed by David. 
 The country south of the Dead Sea, as far as the Gulf of Akabah, 
 passed into David's realm, including ports on the Red Sea, and the 
 control of a valuable caravan-trade route. 
 
 The kingdom was organized with David as chief executive and 
 chief judge (8:15; 20:23). Under him were the following officials: 
 a commander of the army, chronicler, two high priests, secretary, 
 overseer of task-work, captain of the guard, and a group of coun- 
 sellors. 
 
 David's Idleness, 2 Sam. n :i 
 
 1. Point out the first fault here, the second, the third* 
 
 As to the use of time : 
 
 "Never be unemployed, and never be triflingly employed." — 
 Wesley. 
 
 As to temptation: 
 
 A man cannot live safely in a negative purity. His safety lies in 
 the supplanting of the old passions by new and better ones. He must 
 discover new interests which leave no room for the old. Christ 
 not only summons a man to repentance, but also supplies him with 
 a new passion. — F. G. Peabody. 
 
60 Men of the Old Testament VIII 13 
 
 Study VIIL— We Eeiffn of £)attUi 
 
 Third Day: Domestic Troubles 
 
 Family troubles and domestic rebellion marred the portion of 
 David's reign that should have been the most glorious. As his 
 domain extended, his style of living became more luxurious. He 
 had enlarged his harem by new marriages. Growing luxury led to 
 idleness ; he did not go any longer to the wars. Then, through idle- 
 ness, he stooped to an abuse of his royal power; he took for his 
 own the wife of one of his soldiers, and later caused the man's 
 death. David failed, too, to control his sons, and thus he prepared 
 the soil for rebellion in his own family. Absalom, the eldest living 
 son, was a handsome, magnetic fellow, and he went about winning 
 the hearts of the people away from his father. When the plot was 
 ripe he set up his own rule in Hebron. The movement was so 
 strong that the royal party withdrew with their king from the 
 capital and crossed the Jordan. 
 
 Absalom Plotting, 2 Sam. 15:1-6 
 
 1. Did this thing take place once, or repeatedly? Give the conversa- 
 
 tion in your own words. 
 
 2. Compare verse 4 with the methods of a ward politician. 
 
 3. Was it David's fault, or Absalom's, that the son should show 
 
 such disloyalty? 
 
 Read Proverbs 4:20-27. Memorize verse 23. 
 
 Another course may look easier and more attractive, but pursu- 
 ing duty for duty's sake is always sure and safe and honorable. — 
 William McKinley. 
 
VIII: 4 Men of the Old Testament 61 
 
 Study VIII.— CJe Keisn of £)atoti! 
 
 Fourth Day: Absalom's Rebellion 
 
 A sad procession wound its way over the brook Kedron (2 Sam. 
 15:30). David's enemies took the hour of his misfortune to come 
 out and curse him. Yet, in the general crash many remained true. 
 The entire bodyguard of six hundred men was there, and the cap- 
 tains, Joab, Abishai, and Ittai. Supplies, too, were contributed. 
 Meanwhile, Absalom marched into the capital. Counselled by a spy 
 of David's, he delayed pursuit, and the loyalists kept pouring into 
 the king's camp. When the rebels finally attacked, Joab and his 
 lieutenants met them with three divisions. In the battle that fol- 
 lowed, the rebels became confused and scattered in the thick forest, 
 and thus their heavy losses were multiplied. The arch-rebel himself 
 was caught and held fast in the gnarled branches of a terebinth 
 tree (18:9). There he was found and slain by Joab. When David 
 heard the news that the rebellion was crushed, and that his son 
 was dead, the feelings of the father overmastered those of the king. 
 Seeing his grief, the returning army felt as though they had been 
 scolded instead of praised, and they went sulking to their tents. 
 Joab's sharp reproof awakened the king from his sorrow. 
 
 David's Sorrow for Absalom, 2 Sam. 18:31-33 
 
 1. Was it the fact of Absalom's death that caused the father '§ 
 
 sorrow ? 
 
 2. What, in your opinion, was Absalom's greatest fault? 
 
 The words of the wise counsellor of the Book of Proverbs, if fol- 
 lowed by a young man, will turn his life into a very different channel 
 from that which Absalom's life followed to so wretched an end : — 
 
 Trust in the Lord with all thy heart 
 And lean not upon thine own understanding; 
 In all thy ways acknowledge him 
 And he shall direct thy paths. 
 
 —Prov. 3:5, 6. 
 
62 Men of the Old Testament VIII : 5 
 
 Study VIII.— ©Je Eetffti of £)atoto 
 Fifth Day: The Kingdom Restored 
 
 After the rebellion was quelled the king prepared to return to 
 Jerusalem. Israel volunteered for the place of escort, but David 
 gave the honor to Judah. In jealous resentment, part of Israel then 
 withdrew under a leader named Sheba (2 Sam. 20:1). Joab put 
 down this revolt with a strong hand, and in doing so he murdered 
 Amasa, whom David had appointed to take Joab's place (20:10). 
 Tn the latter part of his reign, David bought the southeastern ele- 
 vation of Jerusalem as a place on which to build an altar to Jeho- 
 vah. On this spot, in the succeeding reign, the Temple was built. 
 David's foreign conquests had brought in rich booty, which was 
 handed down to Solomon as a Temple-building fund. 
 
 The King's Song of Thanksgiving, 2 Sam. 22:1-4, 17-19, 50* 5* 
 
 1. Note the frequent occurrence of the word "my" in the first pas- 
 
 sage. By what figurative names does David call Jehovah? 
 Every Christian uses a possessive when he prays to the Father. 
 
 2. Note the frequent occurrence of the word "he" in the second 
 
 passage. What things does David say Jehovah has done for 
 him? Every Christian recognizes the Father's loving agency 
 in his life. 
 
 3. The first word of the third passage is logically significant. What 
 
 does David resolve to do? Every Christian is won by the 
 Father's goodness to be grateful, and he lets a devoted life 
 express his gratitude. 
 
 Since from His bounty I receive 
 
 Such proofs of love divine, 
 Had I a thousand hearts to give, 
 
 Lord, they should all be Thine. 
 
 — Stennet. 
 
VIII: 6 Men of the Old Testament 63 
 
 Study VIIL— €I)e Eei£tt of £)abto 
 Sixth Day: David's Army Commander 
 
 King David had a genius for making friends. Prince, prophet, 
 soldier, foreigner, all are found in his circle, loyal through prosperity 
 and through misfortune. The devotion of his captains and advisers 
 is an evidence of his strong and lovable character. Their faithful 
 services made possible his brilliant reign. Particularly does this 
 statement apply to David's army commander, Joab. 
 
 He was the king's nephew (1 Chron. 2:15, 16), and perhaps the 
 relationship accounts for his boldness in contradicting David (2 Sam. 
 3:22-26). But his boldness sometimes grew to headstrong disobedi- 
 ence, and he put his own judgment in place of the king's commands 
 (2 Sam. 18:5, 10-14). He even dared to kill the man whom David 
 had appointed in his place, and then went on with a stolid defiance 
 that must have been exasperating (2 Sam. 19:13 and 20:8-13). When 
 he reproved the king to his face (2 Sam. 19:1-8), David ought to 
 have been large-spirited enough to overlook the impoliteness, for it 
 is plain that Joab was in the right. He was indispensable, because 
 of his ability as a commander (2 Sam. 10:9-14 and 12:26-29). To 
 him is due much of the credit for David's foreign conquests. Joab 
 was rough in his manners and violent in his methods, but his heart 
 was true as steel. David seems to have feared and disliked him, 
 yet depended upon him. We are told that late in his reign he turned 
 over Joab to his son, recommending punishment rather than reward. 
 It is scarcely believable that the generous David could be so mean- 
 spirited, but he was very old at the time of the incident. 
 
 The King and His General (see references above) 
 
 1. After reading some or all of the passages referred to above, in 
 
 what respects do you consider Joab a bigger and better man 
 than .his master ? 
 
 2. What was Joab's greatest fault, and his greatest virtue ? 
 
 Are the Master's interests safe in my hands ? Do I "do always the 
 things that are pleasing in His sight"? Can He trust me so thor- 
 oughly that I do not need to be watched? 
 
 "Jesus, throughout His career, was impelled by a high sense of 
 duty. As the Father gave me commandment, even so I do.' This 
 was the governing principle of His life. In His boyhood he said, 
 'Wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business?' " 
 
64 Men of the Old Testament VIII : 7 
 
 Study VIII.— QL\)t Eeisn of £)abto 
 
 Seventh Day : Summary of David's Reign 
 
 The work that David did may be placed under two heads: war 
 and peace. Through the wars, Israel first became independent of the 
 Philistines, and then conquered her neighbors across the Jordan. 
 By these foreign conquests David enriched the treasury with booty 
 and revenue, enlarged the kingdom, and opened the way for com- 
 merce. 
 
 The work of peace was, first, the union of the North and the 
 South. Through the confidence he inspired universally, the preju- 
 dices between the tribes were smoothed out somewhat, and they came 
 together for united action. By united action the ties were made 
 closer still, and a national consciousness grew up in place of the 
 merely tribal spirit. Then commerce with Tyre was begun, and the 
 style of living improved both in the court and among the people. 
 
 But David did his greatest work in giving prominence to Israel 
 as the people of Jehovah. He established forms of worship in the 
 court and in the realm. He had close and friendly relations with 
 the prophets, who lived in their communities, or "schools," and 
 preached moral and religious truth. After his sin of adultery and 
 murder he humbly accepted reproof from a prophet. 
 
 Nathan's Parable, 2 Sam. 12:1-9, 13-15 
 
 1. What is a parable? 
 
 2. Theft is bad enough, of course, but what made this especially 
 
 bad (2-4) ? 
 
 3. Was the case in the parable as bad as David's sin ? 
 
 If your friend falls into wrong ways of living, what ought you to 
 do about it? — ignore it? drop him? talk about him behind his back? 
 Try the rule given in Gal. 6:1, 2 (instead of "meekness" read "gen- 
 tleness." — Am. R.V.). 
 
 Let us cultivate the habit of thinking about Christ. Sin begins 
 in the thoughts; so does virtue. 
 
 If I think of the world I get the impress of the world ; if I think 
 of my trials and sorrows I get the impress of my trials and sor- 
 rows ; if I think of my failures, I get the impress of my failures; 
 if I think of Christ, I get the impress of Christ. — Cobb. 
 
Study IX. — The Reign of Solomon 
 
66 Men of the Old Testament IX :i 
 
 Study IX. — C&e Kciffti of Solomon 
 First Day : Solomon's Accession 
 
 We have some glimpses of the court in David's old age, showing 
 the intrigues of an Oriental household. 
 
 There were two claimants for the throne, Adonijah, the eldest 
 son, and Solomon, son of Bathsheba, whom the king had named 
 privately as his successor. 
 
 Adonijah took matters in hand early. He won to his cause the 
 influence of Joab, organized a bodyguard, and assumed other marks 
 of royalty. He arranged a banquet for the leaders of his party, 
 scheming to have them proclaim him king then and there. But the 
 opposing party reported his actions and plans to David. The king 
 at once had Solomon anointed and enthroned. At the first signs 
 of activity on the part of Adonijah, Solomon executed both him 
 and Joab. By the death of these and other possible enemies the 
 new king smoothed the way for a despotic reign. 
 
 Solomon's Prayer, i Kings 3:4-10 
 
 1. Where was he praying? Evidently, then, Jerusalem was not the 
 
 only recognized place for worship and sacrifice at this time. 
 
 2. In what words does the young king show humility? 
 
 3. How does he show his sense of heavy responsibility? 
 
 4. What things might he have asked for (11)? 
 
 "Solomon loved Jehovah — only ." Every one of us has a weak 
 
 place. Happy the man who knows where the defects in his char- 
 acter are, and guards sternly against slipping into temptation at 
 those points. 
 
 "Watch as though on that alone 
 Hung the issues of the day ; 
 Pray that help may be sent down. 
 Watch and pray." 
 
IX: 2 Men of the Old Testament 67 
 
 Study IX— (Re Keiffti of Salomon 
 
 Second Day : The Empire : Domestic and Foreign 
 Conditions 
 
 The life of the people was simple in the days of Saul. By the 
 end of Solomon's reign the little shepherd kingdom had grown into 
 an empire, splendid and rich. The court was renowned for lux- 
 ury. The kingdom was divided into twelve districts, under over- 
 seers, and each district was compelled to furnish court supplies for 
 one month in the year. 
 
 No important wars were waged. Cities on the frontier were 
 strongly fortified. A standing army was maintained. Cavalry and 
 chariots were used by Israel for the first time. Solomon did not 
 widen his boundaries ; in fact, Edom shook off his rule, and the 
 new kingdom of Syria arose in the northeast with a threat of future 
 trouble. 
 
 The friendship of Tyre was inherited ; an alliance was made with 
 the King of Egypt. Commerce grew. With Egypt a profitable 
 trade in horses was maintained. From Tyre, Solomon imported 
 lumber for his great building operations. Skilled workmen came 
 thence. Tyrian sailors manned the Hebrews' fleet on the Red Sea. 
 Gold, spices, and other rich products of the far East were thus 
 imported. 
 
 The Choice of a Path, Prov. 4:10-19 
 
 1. Mark the two natural divisions of subject matter, and write a 
 
 title for each. 
 
 2. Subdivide the second portion, and write sub-titles. 
 
 3. Memorize verse 18. 
 
 It is impossible to classify men, and call this one bad, and that one 
 good. Nevertheless, the man who habitually does an unmanly or 
 unclean or dishonest thing is the man whose "way" is meant in 
 verse 14. "Avoid it, pass not by it; turn from it and go in another 
 direction." 
 
68 Men of the Old Testament IX: 3 
 
 Study IX.— C^e Eetffn of Solomon 
 Third Day : The Building of the Temple 
 
 Solomon's greatest accomplishment, in the eyes of later genera- 
 tions, was the building of the Temple of Jehovah. He selected the 
 site on Mount Moriah, the southeastern hill of Jerusalem, which is 
 now covered by the Mosque of Omar, the "Dome of the Rock." 
 Seven years were needed for the task. The building thus erected 
 stood for four centuries. The treasure gathered by David was used 
 in the building, and the additional needs were met by heavy taxa- 
 tion. Labor was forced from the Canaanites, probably from the 
 Hebrews also (1 Kings 5:15). 
 
 The Temple consisted of outer courts, surrounding a roofed build- 
 ing. All was made of marble, shaped at the quarries. Under the 
 roofed portion were chambers for the priests, and the Temple proper, 
 consisting of the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies. The principal 
 object in the Holy Place was the great altar of sacrifice. In the 
 Holy of Holies the Ark of the Covenant stood, shrouded in dark- 
 ness (8:12). 
 
 "Who Shall Ascend?" Ps. 24 
 
 1. Mark the natural division into' two parts. Which is the more 
 
 spiritual portion — the one that speaks more directly to your life ? 
 
 2. The latter part is probably much older than the former. It may 
 
 have been chanted while the Holy Ark was being returned to 
 the Temple after a victorious campaign. Do you think it would 
 fit such a use? 
 
 3. For "vanity" substitute "falsehood" (4; Am. R.V.). Now, to 
 
 sum it up, what preparation should one make for true wor- 
 ship (4)? 
 
 "Solomon built the house and finished it"; and that suggests a 
 resolve for to-day : This is to be a day of honest work throughout — 
 no loose ends ! Build and finish ! 
 
 What was Christ doing in the carpenter's shop? Practicing. Do 
 not quarrel, therefore, with your lot in life. Do not be perplexed 
 because temptation seems to thicken around you more and more. 
 That is your practice which God appoints you. — Selected. 
 
IX: 4 Men of the Old Testament 69 
 
 Study IX. — C&e EUign of Solomon 
 Fourth Day : Alliances and Idolatry 
 
 Solomon's Temple remained standing for four centuries. To later 
 generations it was a visible proof of the splendor of his reign and 
 also of his piety. But the Temple was only a partial indication of 
 Solomon's wealth; for it formed merely one of a magnificent group 
 of royal buildings (1 Kings 7:1). As to the royal piety, we must 
 be careful not to over-estimate. It is certain that the king built 
 temples to other gods and worshipped in them. It came about in 
 this way: in the East, increasing wealth and power is often adver- 
 tised by additions to the harem. So it was with Soiomon. His 
 wives were foreign princesses. These marriages sealed international 
 alliances; hence, possibly, the peace which characterizes this reign. 
 Nowadays every power sends an ambassador to live in the capital 
 of every friendly power; in Solomon's time, just as naturally, every 
 foreign wife brought with her the priests of her national religion. 
 So it came about that Solomon built temples on Mount Olivet for 
 these various religious cults, and perhaps even took part in the 
 worship. 
 
 Solomon's High Places, 1 Kings 11 :i, 4-8 
 
 1. This is the important fact here: the worship of these divinities 
 
 encouraged immorality, while the worship of Jehovah demanded 
 holiness. Verify the latter statement from yesterday's read- 
 ing. 
 
 2. The Jehovah-covenant again and again demanded separation. 
 
 Verify this from verse 2 of this chapter. 
 
 3. How do you account for the king's actions? Policy? Indiffer- 
 
 ence? 
 
 A man of positive ideals, who has made his life-choice of the 
 highest, and has set before him a goal for his striving, seldom enter- 
 tains the question, "What harm is there?" He never even has need 
 to ask "What good is there?" For, out of the fertility of God's 
 thought comes pouring such wealth of opportunity for the invest- 
 ment of his consecrated energies that he can keep busy doing the 
 best things. 
 
 We rise by the things that are under our feet ; 
 By what we have mastered of good and gain ; 
 By the pride deposed and the passion slain, 
 And the vanquished ills that we hourly meet. 
 
 — Holland. 
 
70 Men of the Old Testament IX : 5 
 
 Study IX. — W$z Height of Solomon 
 
 Fifth Day : Splendor and Tyranny 
 
 Solomon's empire, though the admiration of later times, was 
 founded upon tyranny. His splendor was hollow. He wrung it out 
 of the sweat of his subjects. They had to pay the price with heavy 
 taxes. They toiled in quarry and forest to build him a palace, and 
 neglected their flocks and fields. The labor was forced. Besides all 
 this, the king was unfair; for he laid heavy burdens upon Israel 
 and spared his own tribe, Judah. And all this oppression that Solo- 
 mon might "build for his pleasure"! The people knew the cost of 
 his magnificence — the throne of ivory overlaid with gold, and all 
 the rest. And when they "brought every man his tribute year by 
 year" (1 Kings 10:25), it must have been small comfort to them 
 that he "made silver to be as stones for abundance in Jerusalem," 
 inasmuch as they had earned it and he had only stamped it ! To be 
 sure, they did not feel this oppression as bitterly as we should feel 
 it now. They probably had a certain pride in the renown of Solo- 
 mon ; but there were leading spirits who were on the verge of active 
 rebellion. 
 
 Jereboam's Revolt, 1 Kings 11:26-28, 40 
 
 1. What was Jereboam's tribe (26) ? 
 
 2. The causes for revolt may be gleaned from statements in 4 :7, 22, 
 
 23, 27 and 5:13-15 and 10:25. Name three causes. 
 
 3. How nearly does this agree with 1 Sam. 8:10-18? 
 
 4. Is anything said about the nature and results of the revolt? 
 
 5. What two statements descriptive of Jeroboam are given? 
 
 If Solomon had acquainted himself with the lives and hardships 
 of his people, he might have gone back to his palace and to his 
 selfish luxuries, but he would not have gone in ignorance of the 
 cost of that kind of life. 
 
 Two of the causes of "class" prejudices are selfishness and mis- 
 understanding. We know so little about how the "other half" — 
 whichever half it may be — lives. If every rich man would exchange 
 visits one day in the year with a poor man, each might still be 
 selfish, but be less capable of misunderstanding each other. 
 
 Resolve: To-day I will make advances to a fellow who is not 
 in "my set." Perhaps he is well worth knowing. 
 
IX: 6 Men of the Old Testament 71 
 
 Study IX. — GL\)t Eetgn of Solomon 
 
 Sixth Day : Religion and the Prophets 
 
 On Mount Moriah stood the Temple of Jehovah. On Mount 
 Olivet stood temples of the foreign divinities. Between these hills 
 raged a battle that will never end until Right finally triumphs in 
 the world. It was the battle between the moral worship of Jehovah, 
 who summoned men to come to His shrine with "clean hands and 
 a pure heart," and the worship of Ashtoreth and Milcom and Che- 
 mosh, who beckoned their worshippers into degrading practices in 
 the name of religion. King Solomon built all these temples. He 
 fostered the worship on both hills. He added to the enticements 
 of these temples the force of his own example. He tried to join 
 together things that are eternally antagonistic. The common people 
 were hardly aware of the conflict, but there began to rise men who 
 saw more deeply — who declared that Israel must worship Jehovah 
 only, and have nothing to do with foreign gods. From our distant 
 standpoint it is evident that the issue of this contest was either 
 progress or extinction for Israel. Solomon's imperial splendors 
 cannot blind us to the principle which he transgressed. 
 
 The Prophecy of Ahijah, 1 Kings 11:29-39 
 
 1. What was the prophecy regarding Solomon? Regarding Jero- 
 
 boam? How symbolized? 
 
 2. Do you think it likely that these prophets were men of strength, 
 
 in perception and will? Give reasons for your answer. 
 
 3. What evidence is there that Ahijah kept in close touch with affairs 
 
 of every-day life? 
 
 So long as moral strength is counted a treasure, against which no 
 culture, art, or knowledge can be allowed to weigh, so long must 
 we exalt the party of the prophets above that of Solomon. — Oort. 
 
72. Men of the Old Testament 1X17 
 
 Study IX. — Cj)e Hetffn of Solomon 
 
 Seventh Day : The Division of the Kingdom 
 
 Now we see the double reason why the prophets were not sup- 
 porters of the government. In the first place, they felt the popular 
 burdens and heard the mutterings of discontent; further, they knew 
 that the North was restless. Israel had been bound to Judah only 
 with difficulty by the magnetic David, and by the tyrannical Solo- 
 mon. They now heard the grumbling threat of disunion. 
 
 The religious situation furnished the second reason why they were 
 ready to favor this disunion, as Ahijah's message to Jeroboam indi- 
 cates. They perhaps felt it to be the only way of saving the nation 
 from the utter corruption of Jehovah-worship. 
 
 When Solomon's death is recorded, no word of praise for his reign 
 is added (1 Kings 11 '.43). Rehoboam, his son and successor, brought 
 up in the court of an Oriental despot, was pampered and wilful. 
 Two groups of advisers were about him, — old men who had seen 
 the days of David, and young men trained like the prince. 
 
 The Division of the Kingdom, 1 Kings 12:1-17 
 
 "One of the most vivid passages of the Old Testament." 
 
 — H. P. Smith. 
 i. Did the incident occur in Judah or Israel ? What significance has 
 the place? 
 
 2. How did Jeroboam happen to be there? Is it likely that Ahijah's 
 
 influence was back of all this? 
 
 3. Note clearly the request. Was it reasonable? 
 
 4. What do you find here that suggests the temper of the American 
 
 colonists in a.d. 1774? 
 
 "If thou wilt be a servant unto this people " (12:7). 
 
 Thank God every morning when you get up that you have some- 
 thing to do that day which must be done, whether you like it or 
 not. Being forced to work, and forced to do your best, will breed 
 in you temperance and self-control, diligence and strength of will, 
 cheerfulness and content, and a hundred virtues which the idle 
 never know. — Kingsley. 
 
DIVISION V 
 
 Kings and Prophets of Israel. — Studies X to XII 
 
 Study X. — From Jeroboam to Ahab 
 
74 Men of the Old Testament X:i 
 
 Study X.— jFrom Jeroboam to &&ab : jFirst $>alf of %&xuV& 
 i&tetorp : (S5ltmpge0 of tfce Jlre^ssprtan J3erioU 
 
 First Day : Jeroboam's Religious Policy 
 
 Jeroboam had gained his throne by division ; he must now make 
 it secure by entire separation. Israel must be self-sufficient, with 
 its own capital, officials, and, above all, its own religious center to 
 take the place of the Temple in Judah. So the new king refitted 
 two ancient sanctuaries, each richer in religious traditions than 
 Jerusalem: at Bethel in the south, and at Dan in the north. Then 
 followed his master-stroke of policy, by which he made the new 
 sanctuaries very popular in Israel. 
 
 Calf Worship, i Kings 12:28-30 
 
 1, Nowhere do we find a prophet of Jeroboam's time who condemns 
 
 this image-worship. But how does the writer refer to this 
 policy (15:26, 34 and 16:19, 26)? 
 
 2. Can you see why this should be a just charge? Was the next 
 
 step likely to be upward to a more spiritual worship, or down- 
 ward to a sensual worship? 
 
 "Jeroboam pandered to the rude instinct which makes ma- 
 terialism in worship so much more attractive to weak minds 
 than spirituality." 
 
 "So the king took counsel and made two calves of gold," 1 Kings 
 12:28. With whom did he take counsel? 
 
 Let me remember that right action and good influence to-day 
 will surely result from taking counsel with God, grasping His wishes 
 and fulfilling them. 
 
 Every day, to every one of us, brings its questions, its worries, and 
 its tasks. Thus we get our daily spiritual exercise. Every day we 
 are blessed with new opportunities for the development of strength 
 of soul. — George Hodges. 
 
X:2 Men of the Old Testament 75 
 
 Study X. — Jarari, from ^totoam to &I;ab 
 
 Second Day: The Troubles of Rehoboam 
 
 Let us go aside from Israel, and see what turn affairs were taking 
 in Judah. Rehoboam set up in Jerusalem a petty imitation of his 
 father Solomon's splendor. But he was not allowed to enjoy his 
 pitiful luxuries in peace. "There was war between Rehoboam and 
 Jeroboam continually." We can easily imagine which had the worse 
 of it. Also, larger troubles came upon Judah. The Pharaoh of 
 Egypt, Shishak, has left an inscription at the famous Karnak, telling 
 about his invasion and plundering of the cities of Judah, and even 
 Israel. Rehoboam suffered heavy loss. The Temple was robbed 
 of the treasures that had been left by Solomon, and Rehoboam made 
 up a counterfeit. 
 
 Gold Shields and Brass, i Kings 14:25-28 
 
 1. Did the worship seem to go on as before? 
 
 2. Where were the new shields kept? 
 
 3. There were "brass shields" in Jesus' time — brazen formalities and 
 
 sober-faced shams in public and private worship (Matt. 
 23:25-27). What was Jesus' estimate of these? 
 
 If faith stop short of God and rest in church or creed or priest ; 
 if work stop short of actual service of our fellow men, and rest in 
 splendor of ritual, or glow of pious feeling, or orthodoxy of belief; 
 then our religion becomes a vain and hollow thing, and we become 
 Pharisees and hypocrites. — W. DeWitt Hyde. 
 
?6 Men of the Old Testament X:3 
 
 Study X.— %&xm\, from ^^obnam to &&afc 
 Third Day : The Prophecy of Situation 
 
 The natural situation of Israel and Judah furnishes us with a 
 prophecy of the history which we shall see unfolding in them. 
 
 Judah sits among her mountains, hemmed in by the Dead Sea and 
 the Desert on the east and south, the weakened Philistia on the west, 
 and Israel on the north. With one-fourth as much land under 
 cultivation as Israel, her natural resources were small, and her 
 population of shepherds and vineyard-keepers had little motive for 
 going abroad for trade, and were not apt to be plundered by in- 
 vaders. 
 
 Israel, on the other hand, rich and inviting, was exposed on 
 every side, except the south, to the covetous grasp of nations stronger 
 than herself. Like a shallow clown she often made herself the 
 sport and the prey of these neighbors whom she tried to imitate. 
 "Israel's career of two centuries was more brilliant; but Judah out- 
 lived her by a century and a half of rich spiritual discipline." 
 
 The Cultivation of Virtues, 2 Peter 1:5-8 
 
 1. What is the order of the virtues to be cultivated? 
 
 2. What is the effect of their growth in a man ? 
 
 3. Are we to have just a little of each virtue (8) ? 
 
 In our Father's school there are many benches. This life is school- 
 time. Whatever the word that God writes on the top of your page — 
 Patience, Courage, Forgiveness — copy it over and over until He 
 gives you another word. Never murmur. Do your best to solve 
 your problems. If they are hard, try hard. If you are in the dark, 
 say: "Speak, Lord, for Thy servant heareth." — M. D. Babcock. 
 
X:4 Men of the Old Testament J J 
 
 Study X. — Israel, from Sferoboam to &!wb 
 Fourth Day : History That Is Alive 
 
 What makes us eager to dig out the obscure history of the petty 
 doings of kings and armies? Only the desire to see emerge the 
 living figures of the prophets, and hear them speak in our tongue 
 their modern message. This otherwise dull history forms a living 
 background for the Hero-prophets. Hear Pastor Koenig, brother- 
 worker of Pastor Wagner of Paris: 
 
 "Is it not a thrilling story? Here are the people, stiff-necked, 
 blind; here are their kings trying to copy the civilization of great 
 empires that are founded on falsehood and violence; here are the 
 priests, believing that they have a monopoly of religion ; here are 
 the true prophets, the strongest men, the heroes, of their times.'* 
 
 The Growth of the Kingdom of God, Matt. 13:31-33 
 
 "This history of the people of God shows God gradually revealing 
 Himself to man, that man may be purified and sanctified, and pre- 
 pared for the final revelation of Himself in Jesus Christ, the normal 
 man, who gives us in His life, death, and resurrection the measure 
 of God's infinite compassion toward us." — Koenig. 
 
 Prayer: God, reveal Jesus the Man to me, and reveal Jesus the 
 Christ within me, that I may be shaped into the living likeness of 
 Him. 
 
 "It is a good thing to have a model to imitate, but it is even better 
 to have within us a living spirit which will work out our inward 
 ideal ; it is besUof all to have hoth, given us in Jesus Christ." 
 
78 Men of the Old Testament X : 5 
 
 Study X. — Israel, from Jeroboam to &I)al) 
 Fiftpi Day : A Memory-Grasp of Israel's History 
 
 Let us try to grasp the main outlines of Israel's history. 
 
 The entire scope of it is from the Division of the Kingdom in 937 
 b.c, to the Fall of Samaria, in 721 b.c, which is a little more 
 than two hundred years. The Revolution of Jehu divides that space 
 into two nearly equal parts: 937 b.c. to 842 B.C., and 842 B.C. to 
 721 B.C. 
 
 Call the first part the Pre-Assyrian Period, and the second the 
 Assyrian Period, because Jehu first paid tribute tO' Assyria. 
 
 Fix in mind the name of a king, a prophet, and a war in each 
 period: (1) King Ahab, the prophet Elijah, the war with Syria; (2) 
 King Jeroboam II, the prophet Amos, and the war with Assyria. 
 
 These statements may be compared with the diagram, page 147. 
 
 The Maker of History, Isa. 10:5, 6, 12-15, 24, 25 
 
 1. Do these foreign nations admit Jehovah's power? 
 
 2. How are they likened to a tool in the hands of Jehovah ? 
 
 3. What is His aim in the use of these foreign nations ? 
 
 The Bible is not a thing to be worshipped. A savage might bow 
 down to a telescope, but an astronomer knows better. The way to 
 know it is to use it. Find God with it. See what God was to the 
 men of the Bible, and then let Him be the same to you. See the 
 proofs of His power, and then prove that power for yourself in 
 yourself.— M. D. Babcock. 
 
X : 6 Men of the Old Testament 79 
 
 Study X. — ^j&vazl, from Setoftoam to &|ja6 
 Sixth Day : The Blood-stained Throne of Israel 
 
 We are getting ready to understand the times of King Ahab, and 
 the prophet Elijah, whose lives fall in the end of the Pre- Assyrian 
 Period. 
 
 Let us stand here in Israel, with King Omri, Ahab's father, in 
 about 880 B.C. Look back over the fifty years since the Division. 
 The track is marked with treason and assassination. Jeroboam's 
 son ruled two years, and then was murdered. The murderer enjoyed 
 a long reign, but his son was murdered after two years of royalty. 
 The assassin occupied the blood-stained throne seven days, and then, 
 at news of the coming of the general, Omri, backed by the royal 
 army, he burned down the palace over his own head. Thus, four 
 families ruled in Israel in the violent changes of a half-century, 
 while Judah to the end of her history had always a descendant of 
 David on the throne. "From the first, the curse of instability 
 rested upon a throne which had been founded in rebellion." (Ottley.) 
 
 The Trail of a Godless "Policy," 1 Kings 16:18-20, and 
 The Lamp of a Godly Life, 1 Kings 15:4, 5 
 
 1. "The way of Jeroboam" was plainly marked, and Zimri could 
 
 follow it easily. Recall Jeroboam's policy; state it. 
 
 2. How is David's uprightness stated (15:5)? 
 
 3. Does the Bible smooth over the sins of the best men (15 :5) ? 
 
 4. For how many generations does a good influence last (Ex. 
 
 20:5, 6)? 
 
 It is easy to do wrong, and difficult to do right, and when you see 
 that, you sink. That is the result of leaving God out of the reckon- 
 ing. He can turn our weakness into strength, and enable us to 
 thunder an unyielding "No" to the world, with its Godless glitter ; 
 the flesh, with its fascinating allurements ; and the devil, with his 
 seductive lie. — F. A. Atkins. 
 
80 Men of the Old Testament x : 7 
 
 Study X. — Jterael, from ^eroBoam to &!wb 
 Seventh Day : Work of the Soldier-King, Omri 
 
 Omri was the father of Ahab. He built Samaria, and made it 
 his capital. He selected for its site a hilltop which he made almost 
 impregnable. Omri was a vigorous ruler, and caused Israel's power 
 to be widely felt. He had friendly relations with Judah and with 
 Tyre, but waged wars with Moab and other neighbors. 
 
 The Moabite Stone is a most valuable record of the time of Omri. 
 It was found at Dibon, in Moab, in 1868 a.d. The stone contains 
 an inscription made by King Mesha, of Moab, and in it occurs this 
 sentence: "Omri was King of Israel, and he afflicted Moab many 
 days because Chemosh [the Moabite deity] was angry with his 
 land." 
 
 "This inscription, and the fact that the Assyrians referred to the 
 Northern Kingdom as the House of Omri, long after his family 
 had ceased to rule over Israel, shows the importance of the man and 
 his reign. What David did for united Israel, Omri appears to have 
 done in a lesser degree for his kingdom. Instead of weakened by 
 war and subject to the Syrians, he left it united and organized, thus 
 preparing the way for the brilliant return of Ahab." — Kent. 
 
 Making Conquest of Wisdom, Prov. 2:1-11 
 
 1. What is "wisdom"? and "understanding"? 
 
 2. How is wisdom to be found? 
 
 3. What will it do for the finder? 
 
 "Not looking each of you to his own things, but each of you also 
 to the things of others" (Phil. 2:4). "Seekest thou great things 
 for thyself?" said the prophet; "seek them not." Why? Because 
 there is no greatness in things. Things cannot be great. — Selected. 
 
Study XI. — Israel: the Fight for the Jehovah-Religion 
 
82 Men of the Old Testament XI : i 
 
 Study XL— Sferael: tfje jFiaJjt for tje ^ebotoa^Beliffion 
 First Day: King Ahab's Victory Over Syria 
 
 The new King of Israel found himself a vassal to Syria. Ben-hadad 
 was king in Damascus, and made crushing demands on Ahab. At 
 first, Ahab could do nothing but submit to every insult. But as one 
 demand succeeded another, at last he flashed out with the courage 
 born of despair. It was better to be destroyed fighting than to submit 
 to such shameful abuse. In reply to the last haughty message from 
 Syria, Ahab sent back this word, "Let not him that putteth on his 
 armor boast himself as he that putteth it off." When the opposing 
 forces were ready for battle, Ahab consulted the prophets for divine 
 counsel. The ranks of Israel were pitifully thin. The veterans knew 
 the hopelessness of the conflict. The prophet advised that the young 
 pages of the princes should be put to the front. These young sol- 
 diers had an enthusiasm that made them confident against all odds. 
 At noon the attack was made; the outcome was a thorough rout of 
 the Syrian forces. 
 
 In spite of defeat, Ben-hadad soon prepared out of his vast re- 
 sources for another campaign. A second time Jehovah gave Israel 
 the victory. The defeated king came and threw himself upon the 
 mercy of the victor. Ahab received him graciously, called him 
 brother, and made very mild terms for the vanquished. How must 
 the faithful soldiers of Israel have been angered to see the advantage 
 they had won at such awful hazard thrown away so lightly! 
 
 The Victory of Enthusiasm, i Kings 20:13-15 
 
 1. Were these young men experienced soldiers? 
 
 2. When was the attack made (16) ? 
 
 3. Would the enemy be prepared at that time of day? 
 
 4. Tell the outcome in your own words (16-21). 
 
 5. Was Ahab allowed to celebrate his victory (22) ? 
 
 Christianity is in a very true sense a young man's religion. Jesus 
 Christ was a young man, and, for the most part, his apostles and 
 disciples, who spread the new faith which has changed the world, 
 were young men. The world of our day will be saved by young 
 men. The call to "leave all and follow Me" is meant for the ear 
 of youth; it moves on the soul of youth with the quickest magic, — 
 W. J. Dawson. 
 
XI: 2 Men of the Old Testament 83 
 
 Study XL — 3Ts;raeI : tj)e jFigljt for t&e S'cIjaba^Eeltffinn 
 
 Second Day : Enter Jezebel ; Enter Elijah 
 
 Ahab had another inheritance from his father that tended to 
 offset the vassalage under Syria. It was an alliance with Tyre. 
 The advantages of this bond both for peace and war were manifold, 
 and Ahab was quick to make the most of it. He married Jezebel, 
 daughter of the King of Tyre and Sidon, who had been a priest of 
 Baal, and had seized the throne. Jezebel has become to us the 
 type of a powerful and unscrupulous woman. "If 'Ahab sold him- 
 self to work wickedness,' it was because 'Jezebel, his wife, stirred 
 him up'" (Farrar). Arrived in the palace of Samaria, Jezebel 
 directed the religious affairs of the kingdom. Ahab seemed com- 
 pletely under her influence. Although strong in war and keen in 
 diplomacy, he seemed to consider religion a minor domestic affair. 
 There is evidence that he did not himself abandon the worship of 
 Jehovah ; but he built a great temple to Baal in Samaria, and allowed 
 Jezebel to introduce Tyrian priests, and set up the vile symbol, the 
 Asherah, or sacred pillar. Jezebel considered the religion of Tyre 
 more attractive than that of Israel. Ahab thought it a matter of 
 indifference, and allowed his subjects to make their choice. Now 
 there comes upon the scene a man who thunders out the truth that 
 there is one God, Jehovah, who looks upon Israel as His people, and 
 His only, and who will not tolerate a divided loyalty. 
 
 The King and His Bride, 1 Kings 16:30-32, and 
 Elijah's Appearance at Court, 17:1 
 
 1. Read 16:31 and then 21:25. How did Ahab "walk in the sins 
 
 of Jeroboam," and how did he "sell himself to work wicked- 
 ness"? 
 
 2. Describe Elijah's appearance at court, using your imagination to 
 
 give the background. 
 
 3. Is it natural that a woman like Jezebel should cause the rise of 
 
 a man like Elijah? 
 
 Let a man live for duty and he lives nobly ; his life will be a 
 benediction to men. Let a man live carelessly, aimlessly walking in 
 the imagination of his own heart, and he will live weakly, shame- 
 fully. — Trumbull. 
 
84 Men of the Old Testament XI 13 
 
 Study XL— Israel: tie jFiff&t for tjje Jeioba^Heitsion 
 Third Day : The Great Contest 
 
 The story of the three years' famine is given with graphic details 
 in the Elijah stories (1 Kings, chapters 17 to 19). "The Elijah 
 stories are among the masterpieces of the Old Testament" (Kent). 
 This prophet had lived alone with God so much that kings were 
 no more to him than other men. Elijah gave Ahab no credit for 
 his brilliant deeds in war and diplomacy. All the glory of that was 
 overbalanced by the king's weak yielding to his wife's influence in 
 matters of religion and morals. 
 
 Now three years have passed since the prophecy of divine pun- 
 ishment by a drought. No rain has fallen. Almost every growing 
 thing has been eaten up. Most of the flocks and herds have died. 
 Far and wide the messengers of the king have gone in search of 
 Elijah. The vengeful Ahab blames Elijah, and not himself. On 
 a sudden the prophet confronts the king again. "Is it thou, thou 
 troubler of Israel?" says the king. And the bold answer is, "Thou 
 art the troubler of Israel, in forsaking the commandments of Jeho- 
 vah!" Then Elijah proposes a final contest, to prove who is the 
 God worthy of Israel's worship. 
 
 The Contest on Mount Carmel, 1 Kings 18:30, 36-40, 41, 45, 46 
 
 1. Contrast Elijah's simple prayer (36) with the agonies of the 
 
 Baal prophets (26, 28, 29). 
 
 2. Note Elijah's sarcastic humor (27). 
 
 3. Remembering how the people had recently followed Baal, what 
 
 sudden change of loyalty is now seen (39) ? 
 
 4. Did Jesus ever use a miracle as Elijah used this — to make people 
 
 believe in God (John 2 123, 24) ? 
 
 5. Can you justify the last scene (40) ? 
 
 There can be no compromise with sin. He who believes in the 
 ultimate overthrow of all wickedness sees the arrogant iniquity of 
 the world about him and says to it, "You are weak, however strong 
 you may seem. I have no bargain to make with you. Sometime I 
 shall see you perish." He says to the sin that lingers in his own 
 heart, "You are an intruder ; and you shall be cast out." — Brooks. 
 
XI: 4 Men of the Old Testament 85 
 
 Study XI. — Israel : t&e jFtff&t for tfee %t jobajj-Ecitsion 
 
 Fourth Day : The Queen's Wrath ; Elijah's Flight 
 
 The contest is ended. The popular verdict is rendered against 
 Baal and against Jezebel — "Jehovah is God; Elijah is his prophet." 
 It is a crushing defeat for Baal-worship. At evening came the 
 climax of the day of great things, when the rain-storm broke over 
 the famished land. Elijah, athlete of the desert, tucked up his 
 robe into his girdle, and ran the dozen miles from Carmel to Jezreel, 
 the storm chasing him (1 Kings 18:46). Imagine the bounding 
 exultation of the prophet because of a complete victory after a three- 
 years' contest ! Jehovah had won ! Imagine Jezebel's frenzy when 
 she heard from Ahab's own lips about the disgrace to her gods and 
 the death of her prophets ! In that hour she sends out a terrible 
 threat against Elijah. He hears about it, and his spirit sinks from 
 exaltation into weary discouragement. Only now does the prophet 
 feel the full effects of the day of terrible strain. He flees south- 
 ward — a night, a day — and still southward, over treeless plains and 
 bare hills, in a stupor of discouragement. It has been a lonely fight, 
 and the odds against him were tremendous. 
 
 "Right forever on the scaffold, 
 Wrong forever on the throne." 
 
 The Meeting Between God and a Disheartened Man, 1 Kings 19:9-14 
 
 1. What had Jehovah sent to Elijah first of all (19:5) ? 
 
 2. What three nature-forces appeared to this man of force? 
 
 3. How did Jehovah finally come to him? 
 
 4. What command did the prophet receive (15) ? 
 
 5. Was he correct in saying "I only am left" (18) ? 
 
 One wants to cry to every weary and discouraged Christian, "Oh, 
 keep on, however hard the work appears to be ! Be obedient. Do 
 the will of God, however bitter it may be, sure that there is sweet- 
 ness at its heart, and never resting until you have found its sweet- 
 ness." — Brooks. 
 
86 Men of the Old Testament XI : 5 
 
 Study XL— JJarael: tlje Jtff&t for tlje Sfcljotoa^jl&eiiffton. 
 
 Fifth Day : Doom Pronounced on the Tyrant 
 
 Ahab's downfall came at last, not through his toleration of Baal- 
 worship, but through his tyranny. Having power, he wanted more 
 power ; having an ivory palace, he wanted enough land around it to 
 show it off properly. A vineyard lay near by. He must have it. 
 Who could deny the wish of the King? But Naboth, the owner 
 of the vineyard, refused all the royal offers. He would neither sell 
 nor exchange. The spirit of the sturdy land-owning peasant was 
 in him. Even a king dared not break down the rights of land 
 inheritance and private ownership. Ahab, defeated, retired to his 
 palace and threw himself down upon his ivory couch in a fit of 
 sulks. There Jezebel found him, and rallied him on being so easily 
 thwarted. She promised him better results, and went to set her 
 own plans to work (1 Kings 21:8-14). The upshot of it all was 
 that in a day or two she announced the death of Naboth and the 
 confiscation of his property; the king might take possession. Such 
 an outrage might pass in Tyre, but in Israel less than a century 
 had gone by since the revolt from Solomon's tyranny. While the 
 king is walking in his new possession, Elijah appears before him 
 with a stern message of doom. "When Iniquity hath played her 
 part, Vengeance leaps upon the stage." 
 
 The King and His Conscience, 1 Kings 21:16-20, 27-29 
 
 1. Again God speaks from behind the scenes (18, 19). 
 
 2. Apply Jesus' story of the rich fool (Luke 12:16-21). 
 
 3. Was Elijah really Ahab's "enemy" (20) ? 
 
 4. Why did the king think so? 
 
 It is a terrible falsehood to say that to fall once does not matter. 
 Even by one fall there is something lost that cannot be recovered 
 again. It is like the breaking of an infinitely precious vessel, which 
 may be mended, but will never be again as if it had not been broken. 
 Again, one fall leads to others; it is like going upon very slippery 
 ice on the side of a hill ; even in the attempt to rise we are carried 
 away again further than ever. — lames Stalker. 
 
XI: 6 Men of the Old Testament 87 
 
 Study XL— Sfsrael: t&e jFiffJt for tlje 3fel)oba^KeItfl;toii 
 
 Sixth Day : Ahab's Last Battle 
 
 The prediction of the unnamed prophet, that Ahab's mercy to 
 Ben-hadad would cause his own ruin (1 Kings 20:35-43), had its 
 fulfilment. The Syrian king did not keep his pledge : Ramoth in 
 Gilead was not given up. For a long time Ahab had to suffer the 
 humiliation without redress. By-and-by an opportunity seemed to 
 be presented to force Syria to keep the terms of the treaty. The 
 situation was this: Jehoshaphat, the good King of Judah, was 
 paying a visit to Ahab. Ahab proposed that they make joint war on 
 Syria for the tecovery of their rights. Jehoshaphat consented, but 
 suggested that they inquire through the prophets for the will of 
 Jehovah. Four hundred prophets, who appeared to be well posted 
 as to the king's wishes, predicted success. Jehoshaphat seemed to 
 catch the ring of insincerity. He asked whether there was not 
 some other prophet of Jehovah; perhaps he had sturdy Elijah in 
 mind. Then the king reluctantly sent for Micaiah, a prophet whom 
 he had thrown into prison for giving unfavorable predictions. 
 
 Micaiah's Courage, 1 Kings 22:13-18, 26-28 
 
 1. What effort does the messenger make to have the matter come 
 
 out pleasantly? 
 
 2. What reply does Micaiah make to him? 
 
 3. Do you catch the scornful sarcasm in the prophet's first an- 
 
 swer (15) ? 
 
 4. What does the prediction in 17 mean? 
 
 5. Did Ahab think that a true prophet could control the answer of 
 
 Jehovah (18)? 
 
 God give us men ! A time like this demands 
 
 Strong minds, great hearts, true faith, and ready hands ; 
 
 Men whom the lust of office does not kill, 
 
 Men whom the spoils of office cannot buy, 
 Men who possess opinions and a will; 
 
 Men who have honor, men who will not lie ; 
 Men who can stand before a demagogue 
 
 And damn his treacherous flatterings without winking; 
 Pure men, sun-crowned, who live above the fog 
 
 In public duty and in private thinking. 
 
SS Men of the Old Testament XI : 7 
 
 Study XI. — 3faraei : tjje jFigljt for tlje 3e&otoaj)'-Eeli£i0ii 
 
 Seventh Day : Summary of Ahab's Reign : Foreign 
 and Domestic Affairs 
 
 We have seen that Ahab ended with Syria but little better than 
 he began. He preserved friendship with Tyre, and was bound by 
 treaty and marriage with Judah. In the East had arisen the great 
 imperial power, Assyria, now turning her attention westward. With 
 Ahab's reign ends the Pre-Assyrian Period. The great battle of 
 Karkar, of which we have no record in the Bible, is mentioned in 
 the monuments as an unsuccessful struggle on the part of Syria and 
 Israel in alliance to check the advance of Assyria. It occurred in 
 854 B.C., close to the end of Ahab's reign. After that, Assyria dom- 
 inated Israel until its end. The following words are taken from King 
 Shalmaneser's inscription: "Karkar, the royal city, have I de- 
 stroyed — 10,000 foot soldiers of Ahab of the land of Israel, etc." 
 
 Ahab built up a luxurious court, with Solomon, apparently, as his 
 model, whose blunders of idolatry and tyranny he imitated. He 
 intended that religion should be a matter of minor importance; but 
 neither Jezebel nor Elijah would have it so. The prophet was 
 determined that the peculiar mission of Israel should not be for- 
 gotten. While revolt was stirring against Ahab's dynasty, Elijah 
 was making sure of the succession of fighters for the Holy God 
 of Israel. Although Elijah did not totally destroy Baalism, he did 
 preserve Israel's Jehovah-worship. 
 
 The Choice of Elisha, 1 Kings 19:19-21 
 
 1. What was Elisha's occupation? 
 
 2. Was he a man of some wealth? 
 
 3. Did Elijah have to urge him to take up the prophet's work? 
 
 4. Elisha's farewell feast reminds you of what similar celebration 
 
 by one of Jesus' disciples (Matt. 9:9) ? 
 
 At first Elisha seems almost to have been stupefied by the sudden 
 necessity for so tremendous a decision. The thought of giving up 
 all the comforts of ordinary life and severing so many dear and 
 life-long ties was mixed with anguish. So, in our time, Father 
 Matthew shrank from his great temperance efforts, till one day, 
 rising from long prayer, and at last convinced of his destined task, 
 he uttered this homely resolve, "In the name of God, here goes !" — 
 Farrar. 
 
Study XII. — Israel: The Second, or Assyrian Period. 
 
90 Men of the Old Testament XII : i 
 
 Study XII. — 3Tstael: t|)e ^econU, or $sspuaii JJerioU 
 
 First Day : The Schools of the Prophets and Elisha 
 
 In the times of Elijah and Elisha the schools of the prophets 
 again came into prominence (Study VI, first day). These "Schools" 
 were communities of religious men, situated near the great sanctua- 
 ries at Bethel, Gilgal, and elsewhere. "Sons of the Prophets" they 
 called themselves. They accepted the authority of some great 
 leader. Elijah was such a leader, and afterward Elisha. The open- 
 ing chapters of the second book of Kings (chapters 2 to 6, and 13) 
 contain more than a dozen stories about Elisha. They tell about 
 wonders and marvels that Elisha was believed to have performed. 
 Some contain a high grade of spiritual teaching, like the Healing 
 of Naaman, the Leper (chapter 5). Others contain no moral teach- 
 ing, and nothing of interest except the purely marvelous (6:1-7). 
 One has the flavor of a practical joke (6:8-23). Elisha was very 
 different from Elijah. The latter, as we have seen him, was a rough 
 man of the desert, coming and going like a whirlwind, his message 
 usually one of warning and condemnation, backed by the weight of 
 a tremendous personality. Elisha, on the other hand, was a creature 
 of civilization, in early life a farmer, later living in towns. He 
 was interested in public affairs, advised people in every-day mat- 
 ters, went with the army on a campaign, and gave advice to kings. 
 The chief task inherited from Elijah was to bring about the downfall 
 of the family of Ahab, by stirring up a revolution. 
 
 The Lord's Hosts at Dothan, 2 Kings 6:14-17 
 
 1. What general difference is to be marked between the miracles 
 
 of Jesus and those credited to Elisha? 
 
 2. Is our faith in Jesus based upon His miracles? 
 
 3. What spiritual lesson does one learn from the vision at Dothan? 
 
 "The hosts of God encamp around 
 The dwellings of the just; 
 Deliverance He affords to all 
 Who on His promise trust." 
 
XII: 2 Men of the Old Testament 91 
 
 Study XII. — ^fsvnti: the ^econU, or ^saprian JjJerioH 
 
 Second Day : The Torch of Revolution 
 
 Ahab had made a host of enemies. He offended the prophets 
 when he married Jezebel, and brought into Israel her Baal-religion. 
 He offended everybody by his acts of oppression like that against 
 Naboth. People could see Jezebel's hand in all the domestic policy. 
 But the discontent did not break out during the king's lifetime, 
 and not until after his second son had made an attempt at ruling 
 the country. At last, one day, when everybody had become tired 
 of Joram's feeble rule, rebellion flamed up. Elisha, backed by 
 the prophets, kindled the torch. He sent a young prophet running 
 to a frontier fortress to find a young captain of cavalry named 
 Jehu, and anoint him as king. The account of the event is most 
 vivid (chapter 9). At once Jehu found support among his fellow 
 officers. Quickly and fiercely he struck. With a force of cavalry 
 he set out for Jezreel. There King Joram and his nephew, King 
 Amaziah, of Judah, came out to meet him, and fell before his fierce 
 onslaught. The revolution was begun. The day prophesied by 
 Elijah had come upon the house of Ahab. 
 
 Partnership for the Overthrow of Wrong, 2 Kingg 10:15-17 
 
 Jehonadab was a Rechabite (Jer. 35:1-11), of a family that ab- 
 stained from the use of wine ; a desert man, who followed the simple 
 tent life of the old days. He was likely known as a fierce opponent 
 of the royal family. 
 
 1. Frame in your own words the conversation between Jehu and 
 Jehonadab. 
 
 Whenever you do a good work you will find other men doing the 
 same kind of work, and probably doing it better. Envy them not. 
 Fortify yourself with the grace of large-heartedness. Only one 
 thing truly needs the Christian envy: the large, rich, generous soul 
 which "envieth not." — Drummond. 
 
9 2 Men of the Old Testament XII 13 
 
 Study XII.— 3farael : tjje &econU, or toprian JJerioDi 
 
 Third Day : Jehu's Revolution 
 
 After Jehu's wild ride to the capital he proceeded to put to death 
 all possible claimants to the throne. He secured the death of the 
 two kings, and drove his chariot horses over the body of Jezebel, 
 and caused the death of over one hundred princely descendants of 
 Ahab. Then this man of blood felt reasonably certain of his posi- 
 tion. His next work was to show to the prophets his "zeal for 
 Jehovah." A Baal-festival was proclaimed ; the temple was thronged 
 with Baal-worshippers ; Jehu himself deceived the crowd by offering 
 the sacrifice. Then the soldiers fell upon the worshippers with their 
 swords, and not one escaped the massacre. Images, altars, temple, 
 all were destroyed. Thus ended Baal-worship in Israel. It is a 
 mark of the barbarous customs that were common in that age that 
 we do not read of a single protest being uttered against Jehu's 
 cruelties until a hundred years later, when Amos and Hosea con- 
 demned his brutality (Hos. 1:4, Amos 7:9). 
 
 Self-Conquest, Rev. 6:2 and 3:20, 21 
 
 1. What is the secret of self-mastery (3 :2o) ? 
 
 2. What state of mind does this victory cause in us (John 16 '.33) ? 
 
 Man, who man would be, 
 Must rule the empire of himself ! In it 
 Must be supreme, establishing his throne 
 On vanquished will, quelling the anarchy 
 Of hopes and fears, being himself alone. 
 
 —Shelley. 
 
XII: 4 Men of the Old Testament 93 
 
 Study XIL— Jsrael : tl)t I>ecanfc, or Qstyxim flerioti 
 
 Fourth Day : The Last Great King in Israel 
 
 Sixty years after Jehu's revolution, years of misery and humilia- 
 tion for the kingdom, Jeroboam, the fourth in the line of Jehu, 
 came to the throne. Unwonted peace prevailed because Israel's 
 enemies were busy fighting one another. In peace Israel flourished. 
 Jeroboam extended his borders until he ruled as large a realm 
 as David's. Agriculture and commerce were developed. Wealth 
 increased. Foreign customs and fashions were introduced; there 
 were rich feasts where the banqueters reclined on ivory couches. 
 With the increase of wealth poverty increased also. The cities 
 contained palaces and slums. The rich were pitiless; they "op- 
 pressed the poor and crushed the needy." Merchants were habitually 
 dishonest, using "balances of deceit." Bribery was common, and jus- 
 tice was twisted in the courts. Yet, with all the injustice and 
 immorality, the worship of Jehovah, represented by golden calves, 
 flourished. The temples at Bethel and Gilgal were crowded. Priests 
 competed with one another in holding splendid religious festivals. 
 The offerings in the temples were many and rich. But religion had 
 no influence over daily life. Priests and people alike thought the 
 two things had no connection. They thought they were pleasing 
 Jehovah with a magnificent ritual and rich sacrifices, and that He 
 was showing His favor by sending them victory and prosperity. 
 A stern-faced stranger who had come to Samaria and Bethel on 
 business noted all these things with keen eyes, and went on his 
 way southward, to his home in the hills of Judah. 
 
 The New Covenant, Heb. 8:8-12 
 
 1. Where were the Laws of Moses written? 
 
 2. Where were the laws of the new covenant to be written? 
 
 3. What was the great commandment of Christ? 
 
 To drift along as some people do, through this world of sin, as if 
 there were nothing in it to fear; to sport and dance, and eat and 
 drink and sleep, as some people do, under the arch of heaven, as 
 if there were no One above it to fear — this is the part of the fool, 
 who hath said in his heart, "There is no God ; there is no sin ; there 
 is no judgment." — Van Dyke. 
 
94 Men of the Old Testament xil : 5 
 
 Study XIL — 3ferael: tie J^ensafc, or ftsttprian JJertoH 
 
 Fifth Day : The Shepherd-Prophet Amos 
 
 The stranger from Judah, a shepherd named Amos, showed him- 
 self to be the keenest and strongest man of his time. He had 
 observed the self-satisfied prosperity of Israel's people. He saw 
 the mighty storm gathering in the East which must soon burst in 
 an invasion ; hence all Israel's wealth looked to him like a bubble. 
 His thoughts ranged through a wide world. He saw Jehovah as 
 the God of the nations of the whole earth, not as the local God 
 of Israel. He believed that God Jehovah would move nations at 
 His will. Further, he understood Jehovah as the God of Right, 
 who required men to be clean in life, honest in dealings, merciful 
 to the weak, unselfish in sharing, simple in mode of living. Com- 
 pared with these great matters of character, what were sacrifice, 
 and ritual, and vestments? But in 760 B.C. nobody had grasped 
 these thoughts except Amos. What should he do? If he spoke 
 he would be met with unbelief and scorn. Amos added the great- 
 ness of action to the greatness of thought. He went to Bethel 
 and spoke out his message. With magnificent strength and art he 
 denounced wrongs, threatened judgment, invited penitence. Then 
 he wrote out the message, and we have it to-day, fresh and modern, 
 in its timely meaning for this century. 
 
 THE MESSAGE OF AMOS 
 
 (a) Conditions of society in Israel's cities, Amos 6:4-6 and 
 5:10-12. 
 
 (b) False worship of Jehovah, and true worship, 5 121-24, 14, 15. 
 
 (c) The death of the nation foreseen, 5 :2, 27 and 9 14, 8-10. 
 
 (d) Jehovah the God of all nations, 9:7 and 6:2. 
 
 (e) Result: the prophet is threatened by the angry priests, 7:10-15. 
 
 1. Mention some signs of luxury. 
 
 2. Point out social wrongs. 
 
 3. What is Amos' manner under the priest's bluster? 
 
 The moment we begin to act upon our real convictions, to encour- 
 age within our minds the growth of real thoughts ; to ask not 
 what is popular, but what is right ; not what everybody does, but 
 what we ought to do; not how easily we can get through life, but 
 how righteously ; in that hour we become men ; nay, more, we become 
 heroes. — W. J. Dawson. 
 
XII: 6 Men of the Old Testament 95 
 
 Study XII. — Jgrael: tje J&ecotft, or gtesprtan JJertofc 
 Sixth Day : Hosea 
 
 Hosea was a native of Israel, who spoke and wrote his message 
 a little later than Amos. The book of Amos reads like one con- 
 nected speech ; but that of Hosea seems like a collection of frag- 
 ments of speeches delivered at various times. The last part prob- 
 ably belongs to the troubled days after Jeroboam II, about 735 B.C. 
 
 Hosea had married a woman whom he loved ; but she became 
 unfaithful to him, and abandoned her home and children. Time 
 passed. Hosea learned that his wife had fared miserably, and was 
 about to be sold as a slave. He bought her freedom, and forgave 
 and loved her again. 
 
 So, Hosea says, Israel had been unfaithful to Jehovah. Her 
 ''people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." They have made 
 "hired alliances." Their priests are corrupt. Therefore they shall 
 be carried into exile and scattered among the nations. But God 
 loves His people still, and yearns over them like a father over his 
 children. "Thus Hosea proclaimed the supreme truth of religion 
 that God is Love" (Kent). So God moved forward step by step 
 in making Himself known, until Jesus Christ fully revealed the 
 Father (Study X, fourth day). 
 
 THE MESSAGE OF HOSEA 
 
 (a) Jehovah's bitter rebuke, Hosea 4:1, 2 and 8:4. 
 
 (b) The divine Father's unceasing love, 11:1-4, 8, 9. 
 
 (c) His earnest invitation, 6:6 and 10:12 and 12:6 and 13:14. 
 
 1. Amos was all sternness. Select a passage that shows Hosea's ten- 
 
 derness of heart. 
 
 "Hosea's touching, heart-born tones sob out and caress us." 
 
 — Cornill. 
 
 2. What is the invitation of Jehovah? 
 
 When Stanley found Livingstone in Africa, he tried to prevail on 
 him to return to England. The queen would knight him, the people 
 would honor him ; he might spend his last days in ease. But Living- 
 stone had something better than honors and comforts. He had a 
 great duty. He said to Stanley: "I must finish my work." And 
 he found a joy in that duty that no rewards could possibly have 
 given him. — Trumbull. 
 
96 Men of the Old Testament XII : 7 
 
 Study XIL— -Jsrael: tit ^econU, or teprtan {Jeuofc 
 
 Seventh Day : The End of Israel 
 
 The warnings of the prophets were not heeded. "The unthinking 
 mass of the people, led by worthless kings, false prophets, corrupt 
 statesmen, and unscrupulous priests, was doomed" (Ottley. See also 
 Study X, fourth day). The mighty hand of Assyria closed over 
 Palestine in 734 B.C., and tore away all but a fragment of Israel. 
 Syria was destroyed. Ten years later the pitiful remnant in Samaria 
 revolted. Again the Assyrian army invaded, and after a siege 
 destroyed Samaria in 722 B.C. Shalmanezer's inscription says, "I 
 carried away 27,000 inhabitants. In their place I settled the men of 
 conquered countries." Thus was founded the mixed race of Samari- 
 tans. 
 
 The writer of the book of Kings sums up the causes of Israel's 
 destruction (2 Kings 17:7-18). "But for the main causes we must 
 look to the pages of Amos and Hosea. A religion that did not 
 touch the heart, heathen customs in worship, social oppression, selfish 
 wealth, these things in all ages — ours, as well as theirs — lay states 
 in the dust at last" (Fry). 
 
 No Saviour but Jehovah, Hosea 13:4, 9 and 14:1- 
 
 1. Where is the blame put for Israel's downfall? 
 
 2. What had Jehovah done for His people? 
 
 3. What was He ready still to do? 
 
 4. Where had they looked for help (7:11)? 
 
 Be strong! 
 We are not here to play, to dream, to drift; 
 We have hard work to do, and loads to lift. 
 Shun not the struggle : face it ; 'tis God's gift. 
 
 Be strong! 
 Say not the days are evil — who's to blame? 
 And fold the hands and acquiesce — O shame! 
 Stand up, speak out — and bravely, in God's name 
 
 Be strong! 
 It matters not how deep intrenched the wrong, 
 How hard the battle goes, the day how long; 
 Faint not, fight on. To-morrow comes the song. 
 
 —Maltbie D. Babcock. 
 
DIVISION VI 
 
 Kings and Prophets of Judah. — Studies XIII to XV 
 
 Study XIII. — Judah: From Rehoboam to Ahaz 
 
gS Men of the Old Testament XIII : i 
 
 Study XIIL— ST&e tofffccmt of 3toa& : jFrom Re&oboam to 
 
 &I)a2 : %\z T^xt&myxxm |3erio5i 
 
 First Day: Relations of Judah and Israel 
 
 Let us pair off Judah's history with Israel's. Refer to Study X, 
 fifth day. Consult the diagram on p. 148. Place beside each king 
 of Israel one of Judah. 
 
 Beside Ahab put Jehoshaphat, who made alliance with him. Beside 
 the rebel king Jehu put the reforming king Joash. Beside the 
 prosperous Jeroboam II put the equally prosperous Azariah, called 
 also Uzziah. 
 
 Summary : Ahab and Jehoshaphat ; Jehu and Joash ; Jeroboam II 
 and Azariah. Compare the diagram, p. 147, with that in connection 
 with Study X, fifth day. They can be fitted together. 
 
 The father of Jehoshaphat was "the good king Asa." Two things 
 in Asa's reign are of interest : he removed his mother, Maacah, from 
 the palace because she introduced the worship of "a horrible image" 
 (1 Kings 15 :i3) ; and he bought the aid of Syria against Israel with 
 the use of Temple treasure. 
 
 Asa's Prayer, 2 Chron. 14:8-12 
 
 1. Was his army large? Why pray, then? 
 
 2. What advantages and what dangers surround a man who is rich 
 
 in money and friends, in his efforts to work for God (Lu. 
 18 124-27) ? 
 
 One day, as Mahomet was crossing the desert, after a weary 
 march, when they were encamping, he overheard one of his follow- 
 ers say, "I will loose my camel and entrust it to God." The prophet 
 immediately exclaimed, "Friend, tie your camel and entrust it to 
 God." We cannot expect an indulgent Providence to make up for 
 our neglect of proper effort. No amount of faith is an excuse for 
 laziness. — Stevenson. 
 
XIII: 2 Men of the Old Testament 99 
 
 Study XIIL-— 3Fttfia& : Jrom Eejjofcoam to &!m2 
 
 Second Day : "The Good King Jehoshaphat" 
 
 Jehoshaphat began to reign in the prime of his young manhood. 
 Judging from his conduct in the battle of Ramoth Gilead, one might 
 doubt the man's personal bravery (1 Kings 22:32). However, he 
 was an enterprising king, and developed the resources of the realm, 
 built castles and store-cities. The alliance made by marriage be- 
 tween his family and Ahab's (Study XI, sixth day) had far-reaching 
 consequences. At once it put him on friendly terms with Phoenicia, 
 with its high civilization. Consequently, it is not surprising to learn 
 that Jehoshaphat had ships on the Red Sea with which he proposed 
 to make voyages for the gold of Ophir. But if the builders of 
 the ships were Phoenicians, the sailors were Hebrews ; and they 
 had the vessels wrecked before they were fairly out of harbor. 
 The alliance with Jezebel had further and more serious results for 
 Judah. Athaliah was a true daughter of Jezebel, with "the same 
 fierceness, fanaticism, and unscrupulous wickedness" (Farrar). 
 
 Many interesting details about Judah's history in this period are 
 furnished in the Second Book of Chronicles. 
 
 The Presence of God in Daily Work, 2 Chron. 19:4-7 
 
 1. What is meant by the phrase "respect of persons" ? 
 
 2. Give an instance in which Christ came into close contact with 
 
 men's occupations. 
 
 "Around us rolls the ceaseless tide 
 
 Of business, toil and care, 
 And scarcely can we turn aside 
 For one brief hour of prayer. 
 
 "Thine is the loom, the forge, the mart, 
 The wealth of land and sea; 
 The worlds of science and of art, 
 Revealed and ruled by Thee. 
 
 "Work shall be prayer, if all be wrought 
 
 As Thou wouldst have it done; 
 And prayer, by Thee inspired and taught, 
 Itself with work be one." 
 
ioo Men of the Old Testament XIII 13 
 
 Study XIII. — 3fttfca!) • ^ om Eejofcoam to Sliw^ 
 Third Day: A Successful Insurrection 
 
 Jehoshaphat's son Jehoram, the husband of Athaliah, imitated the 
 religious customs of Israel, under his wife's influence. She was 
 just as strong, and just as blind to the effect of her Phoenician 
 customs upon the people of Judah, as one would expect of a daugh- 
 ter of Jezebel. Her son Ahaziah ruled but a few months, and then 
 (Study XII, third day) was killed in the revolution of Jehu. At 
 this point Athaliah became a Fury. She killed all the princes and 
 seized the throne for herself. But her daughter craftily concealed 
 and saved alive one infant prince, Joash. For six years Judah 
 endured a queen. "Either Judah must have been sunk very low, 
 or the talents of the woman must have been very commanding 
 to make such a yoke secure" (Farrar). Joash reached his seventh 
 year, and the high priest Jehoida thought it time to strike a blow 
 in the prince's favor. The royal guard was found ripe for insur- 
 rection. Plans were skilfully laid. On a Sabbath day, at the time 
 of a great festival, the revolution was effected. It was the hour 
 to change the guard. At the priest's command, all were kept under 
 arms. Surrounded by solid ranks of soldiers with swords drawn, 
 the little prince was brought forth. Jehoida placed the crown on 
 the boy's head. 
 
 Peace in a Well-ordered Realm, 2 Kings 11:17-21 
 
 1. The death of one person and the crowning of another brought 
 
 what results (20) ? 
 
 2. Compare with this the conditions that prevail in a heart where 
 
 evil is put down and right is enthroned. 
 
 There are two selves in each one of us, the lower self and the 
 higher self. The lower self is always listening for the baser voices, 
 the higher for the nobler. The great surrender of self to Christ 
 is the triumph of God who is speaking in us, and whose Spirit is 
 our true self. In thus surrendering ourselves we come into the 
 true possession of ourselves. — Speer. 
 
XIII: 4 Men of the Old Testament 101 
 
 Study XIII. — %vft%b: jFwm Ee&oioam to &(m2 
 
 Fourth Day : The Reforms of Joash 
 
 The influence of the strong Jehoida made up for the king's 
 youthfulness. The people were called together at once. The priest 
 explained to them their duty to God and their king, and asked 
 them to enter into a solemn covenant of allegiance. The oath was 
 taken with enthusiasm. Among the first works of reform now under- 
 taken was one of destruction, the next was one of construction. 
 The temple of Baal, built by the half-Phoenician queen, was de- 
 stroyed, and the priest was slain. Then the Temple of Jehovah, 
 which was in a half-ruined state, was to be repaired. The king 
 decreed that certain taxes and offerings should be set aside for this 
 purpose exclusively. Years went by, and the money rolled in, but 
 the work was not attended to. Then the king ordered that a chest 
 should be placed near the altar, with a hole bored in it, to receive 
 the offerings for repairs only. So then the money was gathered and 
 the repairs were made. The workmen proved more honest and 
 faithful than the priests had been. 
 
 Men Who Needed No Watching, 2 Kings 12:11-15 
 
 1. "Reckoned" (15) would mean "kept no accounts." Was it just 
 the best thing to give out the money in this way? Give a 
 reason for your answer. 
 
 When General Wood, afterward made governor of the Philippine 
 Islands, was filling a similar office in Santiago, Cuba, one of his 
 lieutenants said of him: "I never knew a purer man in deed and 
 thought. Not one of the Rough Riders but was better for associa- 
 tion with him. His moral influence upon them was tremendous. His 
 great soul, his repose of manner, his personal dignity, compelled 
 respect and obedience." — Dunning. 
 
102 Men of the Old Testament XIII : 5 
 
 Study XIII. — 3fttTra& : jFrom Ee&aioam to &!w? 
 Fifth Day : A King Who Became a Leper 
 
 Azariah, or Uzziah, ruled long and successfully, having great abil- 
 ity and energy. It was a time of peace throughout Palestine and 
 of domestic prosperity and the extension of borders. Uzziah was a 
 good deal of a warrior. He equipped his soldiers with coats of mail, 
 and bows and slings. Also he "made in Jerusalem skilfully invented 
 machines, which were set upon the towers and battlements, with 
 which to shoot arrows and great stones." Moreover, Uzziah was 
 a lover of the arts of peace. He "built towers in the wilderness, and 
 hewed out many cisterns for the storage of water ; for he had many 
 herds in the lowlands, and farmers in the plains, and vine-dressers 
 in the mountains, and fruitful fields; for he loved agriculture (2 
 Chron. 26:10, 13-15). The end of this great reign was misery for 
 the king, because he fell a victim to the terrible disease of leprosy, 
 and spent his last years in a "separate house." The writer of 
 the book of Kings says, "Jehovah smote him." The Chronicler 
 states further the circumstances under which he was smitten, teach- 
 ing his readers respect for the office of priest (compare 1 Sam. 
 13:9). 
 
 The End of a King's Success, 2 Chron. 26:i5b-2i 
 
 1. Why was there peace in Judah during this reign (Study XII, 
 
 fourth day) ? 
 
 2. What was the source of the king's strength and fame (15) ? 
 
 3. What was the influence of this fame upon himself? Schoolboys 
 
 have a very expressive term for such a state of mind. 
 
 Did you ever hear of a man who had striven all his life faithfully 
 and singly toward an object and in no measure obtained it? If a 
 man constantly aspires, is he not elevated? Did ever a man try 
 heroism, magnanimity, truth, sincerity, and find that there was no 
 advantage in them— that it was a vain endeavor? — Thoreau. 
 
XIII: 6 Men of the Old Testament 103 
 
 Study XIIL— 3fa&a& : JFrom Etfjobcam to &&a£ 
 
 Sixth Day : Two Young Men at a National Crisis 
 
 The crash in which Israel fell would doubtless have involved 
 Judah also, but for the great services of a young man of princely 
 rank named Isaiah. The Monster of the East, Assyria, had seemed 
 to be very feeble during the prosperous days of Jeroboam II of 
 Israel, and Uzziah of Judah. Consequently, a strong anti-Assyrian 
 party grew up in the small countries of Palestine, which kept ask- 
 ing, "Why should we go on paying tribute to this weak and almost 
 helpless master? Let us throw off the yoke !" A critical year came — 
 the year 735 B.C. Syria formed an international league of rebellion. 
 Israel and Philistia joined; Judah held aloof: Ahaz had just come 
 to the throne. Public opinion was divided as to the best policy to 
 pursue. Some desired an alliance with Egypt. Others thought that 
 Assyria still held out the surest protection. Meanwhile, the allies 
 set out to invade Judah and get either her help or her treasure. 
 News came to Jerusalem that they were on the march. The "king's 
 heart trembled, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the forest 
 tremble with the wind." One day when he was hurrying the com- 
 pletion of the defences of the capital, young Isaiah came to him 
 and advised him not to fear the invasion ; for his enemies were only 
 "stumps of smoking torches" that would soon burn out. Neither 
 need he seek an alliance for protection. "Jehovah of Hosts will 
 come down and fight upon Mount Zion. In quietness and confidence 
 shall be your strength" (Isa. 31:4 and 30:15). 
 
 The Prophet and the King, Isa. 7:3-7 
 
 1. What was the object of Isaiah's errand to Ahaz? 
 
 2. How does the incident prove the young prophet's interest in pub- 
 
 lic affairs? 
 
 I like the man who faces what he must, 
 With step triumphant and a heart of cheer; 
 Who fights the daily battle without fear ; 
 Sees his hopes fail, yet keeps unfaltering trust 
 That God is God; that somehow, true and just, 
 His plans work out for mortals. 
 
 -Selected. 
 
104 Men of the Old Testament XIII: 7 
 
 Study XIII. — JJttfcaj : jFrcm Eelwfcoam to &!w2 
 Seventh Day: Judah's Deliverance; — into Slavery • 
 
 The allied invaders laid siege to Jerusalem. The whole land out- 
 side the city fell into their merciless hands. Judah was "brought 
 low and made naked." When the siege began, the "trembling" of 
 Ahaz turned to panic. He threw aside Isaiah's advice; of what 
 practical use was this talk of the deliverance by Jehovah when it 
 was a case for nations to deal with according to the dictates of 
 policy and advantage? He sent to Tiglath-Pileser, King of Assyria, 
 for aid. This was the slavish message: "I am your servant and 
 your son ; come and deliver me." A present of gold and silver 
 went with the message, and doubtless helped to start the king on 
 his campaign. Deliverance came for Judah; and the Assyrian took 
 ample vengeance upon the allied rebels from his authority. When 
 the humbled vassals were summoned to Damascus to arrange terms 
 of tribute with their conqueror, Ahaz was there with the rest. He 
 was finding out the cost of the services rendered him. 
 
 The wisdom of Isaiah's advice was fully approved by events. His 
 idea was that, although Assyria might help Judah for a time by 
 devouring Damascus and Samaria, Jerusalem's turn to be eaten up 
 would surely come in time. 
 
 A Change of Altars, 2 Kings 16:10-14 
 
 1. How did Ahaz reason about this matter (2 Chron. 28 123) ? 
 
 2. Is there any evidence that the priest disapproved of this act? 
 
 Secret places, closets, altars, help concentration of attention by 
 shutting out the world; but a man may pray as devoutly on the 
 streets of a great city as in the silence of a cathedral. — Lyman 
 Abbott. 
 
Study XIV.— The Decline of Judah 
 
106 Men of the Old Testament XIV: i 
 
 Study XIV.— Cjje decline of % utiaj) 
 
 First Day : The Prophecies of Micah, the Peasant 
 
 God gave His wisdom to a shepherd, Amos ; to a prince, Isaiah ; 
 and to a peasant, Micah. He is no regarder of the parts that men 
 play in life. The peasant, Micah, saw the corruptness of Judah from 
 a different standpoint from that of Isaiah. He, the peasant, saw rich 
 men seizing fields to make their great estates, and taking away the 
 inheritance of the poor (Micah 2:2). He compares them to cannibals, 
 who "eat the flesh of my people, and flay their skin from off them, 
 and chop them in pieces as for the pot" (3:3). The social evils are 
 widespread. 
 
 In this state of things, Micah cries: "As for me, I will look to 
 Jehovah" (7:7). God pleads with His people: "O my people, 
 what have I done against thee? Did I not redeem thee out of 
 bondage? O my people, remember" (6:3). What doth Jehovah 
 require but justice and kindness between man and man; and humble 
 trust toward Him (6:8)? But they will not hear; therefore, ven- 
 geance is on the way; Jehovah will not always plead. He will 
 "execute vengeance and wrath on the nation that hearkeneth not; 
 I will make thee desolate because of thy sins" (6:13). But after 
 exile and discipline the remnant shall return, and Jehovah shall 
 reign over them from Mount Zion forever (4:7). "He will tread 
 our iniquities under foot, and cast our sins into the depths of 
 the sea." 
 
 micah' s vision of the end of war; the coming of messiah, 4:1-4 
 and 5:2, 4 
 
 1. Has war a place in the Christian ideal? 
 
 2. Memory verse, last part of 4 '.3. 
 
 3. Was Micah a fighter? Browning says of himself, "I was ever a 
 
 fighter." Can you imagine circumstances under which it is 
 necessary to fight in order to have peace ? 
 
 Where thou findest Ignorance, Stupidity, Brute-mindedness — attack 
 it, I say ; smite it wisely, unweariedly, and rest not while thou livest 
 and it lives; but smite, smite, in the name of God! The highest 
 God, as I understand it, does audibly so command thee. — Carlyle. 
 
XIV: 2 Men of the Old Testament 107 
 
 Study XIV.— W$z decline of %vto& 
 Second Day : Isaiah, the Prince of Prophets 
 
 Isaiah is called the prince of prophets. The title is just, because 
 his prophecies are the noblest and most elevated that have come 
 down to us in the Hebrew literature. When we read them, written 
 as they are "in strokes of flame," it must be remembered that they 
 were first spoken; hence they are best appreciated if read aloud. 
 Here was a statesman-prophet, a seer, a poet, an orator. For forty 
 years he addressed his counsels to kings and people, particularly 
 to the upper classes of society. It was due to his influence and that 
 of his friends, who formed a community to carry out his ideas, and 
 also such other men as the peasant-prophet Micah, that Judah's life 
 was preserved for another century after Israel fell. 
 
 His words were like red-hot iron, as he scored the social abuses 
 of the nation. The prophecies of Isaiah and Micah are strikingly 
 similar, considering that they viewed the situation from the extremes 
 of social position. 
 
 Isaiah had no more patience than Amos had with the combina- 
 tion of worship and wickedness. These great seers of Judah felt 
 the supremacy and majesty of Jehovah as the only God. They 
 first declared the gods of the nation were only idols. Jehovah, the 
 only God, ruled all nations, and would raise them up or put them 
 down as suited His purposes. The majesty of Jehovah was seen by 
 Isaiah with wonderful power, and depicted in burning words. The 
 great Day of God would come when the pretensions of proud men 
 would crumble, and when Jehovah should arise and shake mightily 
 the earth, and men would crawl into caves and holes of the earth 
 to escape from His vengeance. 
 
 The Call of the Prophet, Isa. 6:1-8 
 
 1. Does a call to any work for God usually fall in with one's inclina- 
 
 tions (Isa. 6:5, Jer. 1:6, Ex. 3:11)? 
 
 2. Should one think in advance of the consequences of bearing tes- 
 
 timony for Christ (Ex. 4:1)? 
 
 Dare 3'ou be Christ's disciple? Dare you follow the courageous 
 impulse of the heart which makes you feel the world well lost for 
 Christ? It is the very glory and quality of youth to be courageous. 
 It is youth that defies the deadly hail of battle ; it is youth that defies 
 the tyranny of custom and the hatred of the world. — Dawson, 
 
108 Men of the Old Testament XIV 13 
 
 Study XIV.— %\>z decline at Jtrtral) 
 Third Day: Judah and Her Powerful Neighbors 
 
 Think what bondage to a foreign power meant. It meant annual 
 tribute of many thousands of dollars. Tribute meant taxes. Taxes 
 meant a killing burden on a little country made poor by wars. 
 Hezekiah inherited this burden. Naturally, his subjects were always 
 looking out for a chance to shake it off. If Assyria should die, they 
 would be free. Sometimes Assyria looked very ill. For example, 
 in about 710 B.C., in the reign of Hezekiah, Babylonia revolted, and 
 Assyria was hard pressed. Philistia, Judah's neighbor, stopped pay- 
 ing tribute. Egypt sent messengers to say that it would be cheaper 
 to creep under her wing. Judah was getting all ready to say "no" 
 to Assyria's yearly collectors. Then Isaiah walked the streets 
 almost naked, like a captive: "This is the way it will be with 
 Judah if she listens to Egypt. You cannot succeed; be quiet; wait; 
 God will send help." Just then, with a crash, down went the 
 Babylonian revolt. Out flew the great whip of Assyria ; her immense 
 army was on the march westward. Back hurried the Judahites 
 to get their money ready for the collectors, bowing, and saying 
 "your most obedient servants"! 
 
 But when Assyria had a change of rulers in 705 B.C., Isaiah's 
 warnings were thrown away; the Egyptian party was too strong. 
 The Assyrian tribute was refused. There was a pause. It looked 
 like success this time. Isaiah pictures the short-lived rejoicings in 
 Jerusalem (ch. 22), "a joyous city, full of shoutings." Then, out 
 came the army from the East; down went city after city. See the 
 results for Hezekiah and Jerusalem ! 
 
 Increase of Burdens, 2 Kings 18:13-16 
 
 1. Estimate the amount of this tribute. 
 
 2. Do we learn most readily by counsel or by experience? 
 
 3. What had been Isaiah's counsel ? 
 
 Know thou, my heart, if thou art not happy to-day thou shalt 
 never be happy. To-day it is given thee to be patient, unselfish, 
 purposeful; to be strong, eager, and to work mightily! If thou 
 doest these things, and doest them with a grateful heart, thou shalt 
 pe as happy as it is given man to pe on earth.— Havergal, 
 
XIV: 4 Men of the Old Testament 109 
 
 Study XIV.— ©Je ^Decline of 3fuUa!) 
 
 Fourth Day : The Deliverance of Jerusalem 
 
 Many times had Isaiah given his earnest advice to the king to 
 wait in quiet for Jehovah's deliverance. Once, at least, was he 
 obeyed. 
 
 After Sennacherib had taken the enormous tribute from Heze- 
 kiah and gone on his way against the cities of Philistia and Egypt, 
 he seems to have changed his mind about leaving so great a strong- 
 hold as Jerusalem in his rear. He sent a messenger with an impos- 
 ing escort to demand its surrender. When Rabshekah appeared 
 before the walls, picture the scene, as his trumpets blew ; the people 
 crowding the walls and the housetops, trembling with apprehension 
 at sight of those dreaded and merciless soldiers of the East. The 
 representatives of King Hezekiah came in state to receive the mes- 
 sage. It is given with brutal directness. "Surrender ! Would you 
 hesitate? You cannot mount two thousand men. What has hap- 
 pened to other petty states who have trusted their gods? Will 
 you trust Jehovah? You will fall as others have fallen before the 
 mighty conqueror, Sennacherib." The good king waits in suspense. 
 The message is reported to him. Alone he goes into the house of 
 Jehovah. There he repeats it, and appeals for Divine help. The 
 facts are brought to Isaiah. He does not tremble. He reminds the 
 king of the counsel of trust he has always preached. "Tell them 
 the daughter of Jerusalem is wagging her head at the mighty con- 
 queror. O king, do not fear these proud words. Jehovah will put 
 a ring in the nose of this blasphemer, and lead him back to his 
 place. He shall not shoot an arrow into this city." 
 
 The Departure of Sennacherib, 2 Kings 19:35-37 
 
 1. What do you imagine it was that happened to the Assyrians? 
 
 2. Psalm 46 is believed to celebrate this deliverance. 
 
 "A poor Baptist pastor of Germany was once forbidden to hold 
 religious meetings by the Burgomaster of Hamburg. 'Do you see 
 that little finger?' said the Burgomaster. 'As long as I can move 
 that finger, so long will I put down the Baptists.' 'Yes,' said the 
 brave pastor, 'I see your little finger, and I see the great arm of 
 God also, and while that arm is lifted on our behalf, your little 
 finger will have no terror for us.' " 
 
no Men of the Old Testament XIV: 5 
 
 Study XIV.— C&e decline of f trtm& 
 
 Fifth Day : Hezekiah' s Reform by Proclamation 
 
 Micah, the peasant-prophet, had been pounding away at the wrong 
 things in society, — the greed, injustice, immorality, legal robberies, 
 and shallow religion of his time. Isaiah had been preaching the 
 same things in the ears of kings and nobles. This earnest work had 
 its fruit. Isaiah had a group of men who practiced his teachings, 
 and were an element of uplift in the nation. The king was hard 
 beset by conflicting parties, but Isaiah's predictions had come true 
 in such a remarkable way that Hezekiah set about making certain 
 reforms of the popular worship of Jehovah. He sent out through 
 the towns and destroyed altars and "high places" where people 
 worshipped, and also the brazen serpent — a sacred thing — and 
 cleansed the great Temple, and tried by every means to center 
 worship there. This was reform by edict. How different from 
 what the prophets desired! Their hope for the naticn, was that 
 the individual citizens would be converted to a new ideal of life. 
 "What does Jehovah require of thee," cries Micah, "but to do 
 justly, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with thy God?" 
 The book of Jeremiah tells us that Hezekiah was directly influ- 
 enced to his reforms by Micah (Jer. 26:17-193). But such violent 
 methods could not have met the prophets' approval. These were 
 better days than those of the violent Elijah. 
 
 The Place of True Reform, Isa. 1:15-18 
 
 1. Recall some of the things you have seen accomplished by efforts 
 
 to elevate the poor, to destroy slums, to right wrongs, to edu- 
 cate and reform youthful criminals, etc. 
 
 2. What gives life and permanency to all such efforts? 
 
 3. How does Isaiah say one must use one's will in order to have 
 
 God's approval ? 
 
 4. What is God's promise? 
 
 The Psalmist did not merely look back and say, "I acknowledged 
 my sin unto thee and thou forgavest my iniquity" ; he also looked 
 ahead and said, "I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. 
 I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way." — Maltbie D. Bab cock. 
 
XIV: 6 Men of the Old Testament in 
 
 Study XIV.— We decline of Sufcai) 
 Sixth Day: The Common People 
 
 Look at the situation in Judah during the last ten years of the 
 reign of Hezekiah. Understand the position of the common people. 
 Everywhere they had their shrines and altars which had been sacred 
 for generations. In the cities the men of influence belonged to 
 the Pro-Assyrian party, and worshipped languidly their adopted 
 gods. On the heights of the capital stood the Temple of Jehovah, 
 the nation's God, and to it the Nationalists resorted, almost as 
 languid in devotion as the rest. So, in America, the national flag 
 has the place of honor, but other flags are displayed also ; the Chris- 
 tian religion has chief honor, but other cults are not forbidden. 
 
 Isaiah had just had a great triumph when Jerusalem was deliv- 
 ered from Sennacherib, exactly as he had predicted. Hezekiah was 
 so impressed that he began reforms of worship ; but Isaiah wanted 
 reforms in individual lives. He wanted the pitiless burdens lifted 
 from the common people ; Hezekiah destroyed their shrines and 
 altars held sacred for generations. Result : the people became resent- 
 ful ; they mourned for their lost altars. Unable to understand the 
 new faith, led by false priests, when affairs in the nation grew no 
 better, they said bitterly: These new prophets have deceived us. 
 Our shrines are destroyed. We have nothing to take their place. 
 Give us back the old ways. Jehovah is angry. Down with the 
 prophets ! So they misunderstood their best friends. 
 
 The Pain of Rejection, Isa. 53:3-6 
 
 1. How did Isaiah work and speak to help the condition of the poor 
 
 and oppressed? Did they understand and appreciate? 
 
 2. How did Christ's work help families and individuals? Could He 
 
 have been put to death if they had remembered this (Jn. 6:14) ? 
 
 3. What does the true man do when his efforts to do good go unap- 
 
 preciated? 
 
 An arm of aid to the weak, 
 
 A friendly hand to the friendless ; 
 Kind words, so short to speak, 
 
 But whose echo is endless — 
 The world is wide; these things are small; 
 They may be little, but they are all. 
 
ii2 Men of the Old Testament XIV: 7 
 
 Study XIV.— ®&e decline of 3TuUa|) 
 
 Seventh Day : The Blood of the Prophets 
 
 After the violent reforms of Hezekiah came the violent persecu- 
 tions of Manasseh. The prophets were blamed for Hezekiah's 
 policy. All injuries, all national humiliations, were laid at their 
 door. In prosperity, offerings of thanksgiving were made; in mis- 
 fortune, offerings to win back favor. But Judah would not "put 
 away the evil of her doings/' would not divorce wickedness from 
 the worship. The people "perished for lack of knowledge." They 
 listened to the smooth words of their priests and their paid prophets. 
 
 Under Manasseh all the old abuses were restored. Foreign relig- 
 ions were encouraged; superstitions were introduced again into the 
 worship of Jehovah at the local sanctuaries (2 Kings 21 :i-6). "Man- 
 asseh shed innocent blood very much until he had filled Jerusalem 
 from one end to another" (2 Kings 21:16). Tradition has it that 
 Isaiah was one among those who perished. However, this dark 
 period was the herald of a better day, that dawned in the succeeding 
 reign of Josiah. 
 
 Heroes of Faith, Heb. 11:24-26, 32-36 
 
 1. What was the after-effect of Hezekiah's reform? 
 
 2, Who suffered most in Manasseh's persecution? Did these men 
 
 give up attempts to teach? 
 
 We hear the call; in dreams no more 
 
 In selfish ease we lie, 
 But girded for our Father's work, 
 
 Go forth beneath His sky. 
 Where prophets' word, and martyrs' blood, 
 
 And prayers of saints were strown ; 
 We to their labors entering in, 
 
 Would reap where they have sown. 
 
 — S. Longfellow. 
 
Study XV. — The Babylonian Period: Fall of Judah 
 
ii4 Men of the Old Testament XV :i 
 
 Study XV.— Cbe ^Safcplantan f ettoU : fall of ftrtiaij 
 First Day : The Great Reformation of Josiah 
 
 The period before Josiah, a half-century in which Manasseh ruled, 
 was marked by a reaction against Jehovah-worship. The prophets 
 were driven into hiding ; the worst counsels prevailed ; Right hardly 
 dared lift her head. The prophet Zephaniah gives us glimpses of 
 the times; a scornful atheism was common, in which people said, 
 "Jehovah will not do good, neither will he do evil." On the dark 
 page of Judah's decline appears the bright spot made by the reign 
 of Josiah. The boy-king early showed his good impulses in under- 
 taking the repair of the Temple. The first motion toward real 
 reform probably came through the influence of Zephaniah's preach- 
 ing. The Book of the Law was found in the Temple and brought 
 to the king (2 Kings 22:8). When the requirements of the book 
 were understood, the king rent his garments as he saw how far short 
 the nation had come of living up to the high standard. He then set 
 about reforming the abuses of worship. The emblems of Baal, 
 Moloch, the Sun-god, and other heathen deities, were destroyed; 
 also the temples that Solomon had built on Mount Olivet. The 
 king even extended the work of reform into Israel, where Amos 
 had preached. 
 
 When the work of reform was done, Josiah celebrated a great 
 Passover feast, 621 B.C. Unfortunately for the permanency of his 
 work, he mixed in foreign affairs that did not especially concern 
 him or his kingdom, and paid the penalty of his boldness with his 
 life (2 Kings 23:29). 
 
 Judah's One Step Too Far, 2 Kings 23:24-27 
 
 1. Is there any limit to God's mercy and His power to save the man 
 
 who is lost from Him? 
 
 2. Is there a practical limit of wrong-doing, from beyond which men 
 
 do not return? 
 
 After we have fallen, the tempter tells us the case is hopeless; it 
 is of no use to try to rise ; you cannot overcome your besetting sin. 
 This is false. You may rise. Among the ranks of the blessed in 
 heaven to-day could we not find many who were once sunk as low, 
 or lower, than we? But they are washed, they are justified, they 
 are sanctified through the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and so 
 may we be. — Stalker. 
 
XV: 2 Men of the Old Testament 115 
 
 Study XV.— Clje ^Babylonian Jkriott : jFaii of JJtrtm!) 
 
 Second Day : Literary Work of the Prophets 
 
 The reign of Josiah has been called Judah's Indian summer. "The 
 reformation of Josiah furnishes the best starting point for a study 
 of the literature of the Old Testament" (Kent). From the hiding- 
 places into which the prophets went in the persecution by Manasseh 
 they came out afterward with the Book of the Law, the foundations 
 of a written word of God. Into the peaceful reign of Josiah there 
 continued from this beginning a tremendous literary activity. What 
 was the Book of the Law? Scholars believe that we have it included 
 in our book of Deuterononry. "In some group of pious men, still 
 under the inspiration of Moses, this book was compiled. It was a 
 summing up, perhaps by priests, of all the teachings of the prophets, 
 from the days of Moses to the solemn crisis through which Judah 
 was now passing" (Koenig). 
 
 Two things are aimed at distinctly in this book: one, religious, 
 to establish the worship of Jehovah in the Temple at Jerusalem, 
 and destroy at the same time all foreign religions and all supersti- 
 tious customs. Also, rules are made for tithes, feasts, sacrifices, 
 and the duties of priests. The other aim is the regulation of 
 morals. Here are found laws concerning warfare, land ownership, 
 use of clean foods, chastity, . treatment of servants, strangers, and 
 neighbors. A curse is pronounced for disobedience, and a blessing 
 for obedience. "From this beginning it is easy to understand the 
 work of the first editors of the prophetic-historical books, Judges, 
 Samuel, and Kings. They gathered together the narratives of the 
 race, called attention to the rich spiritual truths contained in them, 
 and added their own observations, which reflected the higher ideals 
 current at this period" (Kent). Some Psalms were probably com- 
 posed at this time and collections of Proverbs were made. 
 
 The Word of God Near Thee, Dent. 30:11-14 
 
 1. Is any excuse here allowed for not knowing God's law? 
 
 2. How do man's conscience and God's law work together to in- 
 
 struct about duty? 
 
 3. The entire passage is worth memorizing, particularly verse 14. 
 Sometimes we hold back from the richer Christian life because we 
 
 say we have not the temperament for it, or we cannot get time for 
 Bible study and prayer, or we have so many things to do that we 
 cannot afford to get absorbed in these things. But these are only 
 excuses, and they would rob us of the best and richest things of 
 life. — Speer. 
 
n6 Men of the Old Testament XV: 3 
 
 Study XV.— H\z iSabptonian JJerto* : iFail of % tttoaj) 
 
 Third Day : After Josiah, — the Deluge 
 
 When Josiah marched out to oppose the passing of the army of 
 Pharaoh of Egypt, that monarch was on his way to get a share of 
 the falling empire of Assyria. But Babylonia, or Chaldea, got the 
 lion's share ; and in a great battle, fought in 605 B.C., at Carchemish, 
 Egypt was defeated. Thus Judah went over from the control of 
 Assyria to that of Chaldea. 
 
 "The death of Josiah is unquestionably the most tragic event in 
 Hebrew history" (Kent). "It does not seem that the results of his 
 reformation were deep and permanent" (Ottley). As before in 
 Hezekiah's reign, and as always and everywhere, violent methods 
 do not seem to bring lasting reforms. In fact, Judah sank lower 
 than ever. Those who had been "reformed" from the worship of 
 idols returned to their former ways. Those who had followed the 
 prophets seem to have become discouraged, and taken up with a 
 Temple service of shallow forms and ceremonies. Jeremiah cries 
 out, "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and seek 
 if you can find a man, if there be any that doeth justly and seeketh 
 truth" (Jer. 5:1). He adds: "A wonderful and horrible thing is 
 come to pass in the land; the prophets prophesy falsely, and the 
 priests bear rule at their hands; and my people love to have it so; 
 and what will ye do in the end thereof" (5 133) ? Hence, Jeremiah 
 saw on the political horizon "evil looking forth from the north, 
 and a great destruction" (6:1). Habakkuk, in the same period, 
 wrote a notable prophetic description of the advance of the Chal- 
 dean host (Hab. 1:6-11). 
 
 The Call of Jeremiah, Jer. 1:4-10 
 
 "Rejected and persecuted by those whom he sought to help, his 
 life was one prolonged martyrdom, doubly painful because he was 
 so keenly sensitive." — Kent. 
 
 1. How is the youth's modesty shown? 
 
 2. What assurance does God give to him? 
 
 3. Do men receive as clear calls to as high service to-day? 
 
 "Then to side with truth is noble, when we share her wretched crust, 
 Ere her cause bring fame and profit, and 'tis prosperous to be just. 
 Then it is the brave man chooses, while the coward stands aside, 
 Doubting in his abject spirit till his Lord is crucified; 
 And the multitude make virtue of the faith they have denied." 
 
XV: 4 Men of the Old Testament 117 
 
 Study XV.— W$t iSabpIonian JJettoB : jFall of % tOm& 
 
 Fourth Day : Reign of Jehoiakim 
 
 Jehoiakim was an insolent product of an Oriental court. He turned 
 his back upon the miseries of his people, taxed the land to pay the 
 national tribute (2 Kings 23:35), and devoted his own royal ease 
 to the building of a splendid palace out of the treasury reserve from 
 his father's reign. Jeremiah said of him: "Woe unto him that 
 buildeth his house by unrighteousness ! Thine eyes and thy heart 
 are for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for 
 oppression and violence, to do it" (Jer. 22:13, 17). This charge 
 was not overdrawn. When a prophet named Uriah spoke against 
 the king, and fled, Jehoiakim sent after him in pursuit, even to 
 Egypt, and brought him back and had him killed. When Jeremiah 
 sent the scroll containing the Divine judgment against the kingdom, 
 and it was read to the king, he took it and cut it into strips with 
 his penknife, and burned the strips on the brazier of coals (Jer. 
 36:4). Jehoiakim was killed in battle and Jehoiakin ruled in his 
 stead. 
 
 The new king revolted from Chaldea and was carried away to 
 Babylon in 597 B.C. At that time Nebuchadnezzar took away some 
 thousands of the best citizens of Judah, including the young man 
 Ezekiel, who afterward became famous as a prophet. This is called 
 the First Captivity of Judah. 
 
 The Man Who Trusts God, Jer. 17:5-8 
 
 1. Divide this into two parts. Compare it with the first Psalm. Note 
 the similarity and the difference. 
 
 Whether or not we can do something for our fellow-men, it is 
 good to know that we can be something for them. No man of 
 the humblest sort can really be strong, gentle, pure, and good, with- 
 out the world being better for it, without somebody being helped 
 and comforted by the very existence of that goodness. — Brooks. 
 
Ii8 Men of the Old Testament XV: 5 
 
 Study XV.— C&e 38abpIonian J3eri0ij: JFall of Sufcal) 
 
 Fifth Day : The Work of Jeremiah in Jehoiakim's 
 
 Reign 
 
 It is a feeble and inaccurate description of Jeremiah to call him 
 "the weeping prophet." He did more than weep. His work extended 
 over more than forty years, and no prophet uttered sterner denuncia- 
 tions, nor tenderer invitations, than he. Jeremiah's political counsel, 
 like that of Isaiah before him, was against all alliances. "Cursed 
 is the man that trusteth in man" (Jer. 17:5). He preached justice 
 and the righting of wrongs (22:3). Jeremiah, naturally timid and 
 retiring, boldly planned methods of getting his message directly into 
 the hearing of those for whom it was intended. He stood in the 
 Temple on days when great crowds were there, and delivered it 
 (19:14), or when he was in prison sent it to be read by his faithful 
 friend, Baruch. He stood in the gates of the city and denounced 
 those who conducted their business on the Sabbath; he took the 
 elders of Jerusalem into the Valley of Tophet and gave them an 
 object lesson. When he repeated this in the Temple, the high priest 
 put him into the stocks. Those who passed by mocked at him (chap. 
 20). His acquaintances "smote him with their tongues," and said, 
 "Let us denounce him," although he had prayed for them that the 
 ruin which he foresaw coming upon them might be turned aside. 
 Well is it said, "His life was one long martyrdom." 
 
 Jeremiah Under Persecution, Jer. 20:7-13 
 
 1. What did he suffer physically (20 12) ? 
 
 2. What were his mental sufferings (20 :7, 10) ? 
 
 3. Which was the harder to bear? 
 
 4. Why did he not cease to prophesy (20 :g) ? 
 
 True, 'tis a straight and stormy road, 
 
 And mortal spirits tire and faint ; 
 But they forget the mighty God, 
 
 That feeds the strength of every saint. 
 
 — Watts. 
 
XV: 6 Men of the Old Testament 119 
 
 Study XV.— We 33abpl0ttian flerufo: iFaii of fttfrai) 
 
 Sixth Day : The Last Years of Judah 
 
 When Nebuchadnezzar took away King Jehoiakin and several 
 thousand of the best men of Judah, in 597 B.C., he left Zedekiah 
 on the throne. This weak king was overshadowed by his nobles, 
 who insanely advised rebellion. The atheistic leaders of the time 
 were saying, "In the dark, 'Jehovah seeth us not; Jehovah hath for- 
 saken his land' " (Ezek. 8:12). It was hard for the common peo- 
 ple to distinguish between true and false prophets. Jeremiah con- 
 stantly counseled submission to Babylon: "Serve Nebuchadnezzar 
 and till your own land in peace; or rebel and be consumed" (Jer. 
 27:6-8, 11). On account of such advice he was called a traitor. 
 He walked through the streets wearing a yoke on his neck and fet- 
 ters on his wrists, to show how captivity was coming for Judah. 
 Hananiah, a paid prophet, said to the people: "Do not be afraid; 
 within two years the captives now in Babylon shall return." Then 
 he broke the yoke that Jeremiah carried, for a symbol. Jeremiah 
 was silenced for a time; but he returned and said that Jehovah 
 would make the yoke on Judah's neck an iron yoke, and that Han- 
 aniah would die within a year (28:14-17). 
 
 But in spite of the prophet's protests, Zedekiah was influenced 
 by his nobles to rebel against Babylon in 588 B.C. The inevitable in- 
 vasion by the Chaldeans resulted immediately. The siege that fol- 
 lowed lasted a year and a half, with all the usual features of misery 
 and famine and death. Jeremiah persistently advised surrender. 
 He was thrown into a dungeon, afterward rescued, and put under 
 arrest in care of the royal guard. The king invited him to a secret 
 interview; Jeremiah's advice was, surrender and save yourself, the 
 people and the city (38:17). At last the enemy broke through the 
 walls. The end of Judah had come. The date was 586 B.C. 
 
 God's Efforts to Save Judah, 2 Chron. 36:14-17 
 
 I. Four things are to be noted: the transgression, Jehovah's efforts, 
 the results of them, and Jehovah's final course. 
 
 An evil life has its root in an alienated heart. God "rose up early 
 and sent." That means earnest effort. The depths of God's heart 
 are disclosed. He lavished benefits and pleadings for long years 
 in vain, till He saw "there was no remedy." Behold, therefore, 
 the "goodness and severity" of God, and learn that His purpose 
 is the same, though His methods are opposite. — Alex. McLaren. 
 
120 Men of the Old Testament XV: 7 
 
 Study XV.— (£fce 38afcj>loman JJerio* : jFaii of 3TuHa|) 
 
 Seventh Day : The Final Captivity 
 
 When the enemy entered the city on one side, the king and his 
 guard fled on the other. But the fugitives were overtaken. After 
 being forced to witness the death of his sons, the king's eyes were 
 put out. The Chaldean captain of the bodyguard, Nebuzaradan, 
 came and finished the work of destruction. The walls were razed; 
 the Temple of Solomon and the palaces of the city were sacked 
 and burned. Thus the predictions of the prophets were literally 
 fulfilled (Jer. 32:29, Mic. 3:12). The poorest peasants were left 
 to care for the vineyards and fields, while the rest were taken to 
 Chaldea, and there the men of rank were put to death. 
 
 Jeremiah was treated with the utmost consideration. A man 
 named Gedaliah was set up as king. He and the prophet agreed 
 perfectly as to the policy of submission, but the king was murdered; 
 massacres followed; and many of the remnant of the wretched 
 population fled into Egypt. Jeremiah felt it his duty to follow them 
 and share their exile. Tradition has it that there, "amid mournful 
 surroundings of obstinate idolatry, his teachings spurned and mis- 
 understood, his country waste and desolate, he met a martyr's death 
 at the hands of his countrymen. All his predictions had been liter- 
 ally fulfilled. Jerusalem was a heap of ruins. Its inhabitants were 
 castaways in a foreign land; yet it should be noted that the second 
 book of Kings closes with a note of hope" (Ottley). 
 
 Freedom of Choice, Deut. 30:15-20 
 
 1. What is the command (16, 20)? 
 
 2. What is the alternative of obedience (17), and the consequence? 
 
 3. To this promise add Jesus' words in John 10:10b. 
 
 Sacred is the impulse of the soul to "turn unto Jehovah." Who 
 has not felt it? You have never had a clearer consciousness of a 
 weather-vane's swinging toward the wind, than of your own soul 
 revolving toward God. But to "stiffen one's neck and harden one's 
 heart" against that turning — nothing is more terrible than that. — 
 C. F. Goss. 
 
DIVISION VII 
 
 The Exile.— Study XVI 
 
 Study XVI. — The Exile and the Return 
 
122 Men of the Old Testament XVI: i 
 
 Study XVL— (E&e <Wle an* t|)e Eeturti 
 
 First Day : Conditions of Life 
 
 Nebuchadnezzar's ambition was to make Babylon great. He took 
 no pride in war for its own sake, as his modest records prove. 
 Building cities and temples, and developing the resources of his 
 empire, furnished the work for this great ruler. His conquests were 
 made for two ends: to get treasure, and to get workmen to carry 
 out his building plans. The Exiles whom he took from Judea were 
 allowed to live "by the waters of Babylon" in a considerable free- 
 dom. They had their own communities, with a measure of self- 
 government. Rich fields for agriculture were theirs. Business pur- 
 suits were open to them ; for it was a land of commerce. Here, in 
 fact, is found the first sign of the aptitude of Jews for trade. Some 
 attained places of honor. The narratives of Nehemiah, cupbearer 
 to the king, prove this ; the Book of Kings tells us that the captive 
 King Jehoiakin was lifted into favor; the books of Daniel and Esther 
 also reflect something of the fact. In a letter which Jeremiah sent 
 to the earlier Exiles, before Jerusalem finally fell, they are advisee 
 how to conduct themselves in expectation of a long exile. 
 
 Jeremiah's Letter to the Exiles, Jer. 29:1, 4-14 
 
 1. What practical advice about the mode of life? 
 
 2. Were they to think that God was angry with them? 
 
 3. What length of exile did Jeremiah predict, and what predictions 
 
 had been made by the prophets (27:16) ? 
 
 4. What promise for the future? 
 
 5. Mark and memorize 29:13. 
 
 Enjoy the blessings of this day, if God sends them; and the evils 
 of it bear patiently and sweetly ; for this day only is ours ; we are 
 dead to yesterday, and we are not yet born to the to-morrow.- 
 Jeremy Taylor. 
 
XVI: 2 Men of the Old Testament 123 
 
 Study XVL— GDJe e*ile an* tjje Eeturn 
 Second Day : The Faithful Remnant 
 
 The Babylonian gods had overcome the Deity who watched over 
 Jerusalem. His sacred city and Temple lay in ruins. His wor- 
 shippers had been carried to the lands of other gods, whose cities 
 and temples, wealth and power immeasurably surpassed anything 
 the Hebrews had ever known. Every boast of theirs was silenced. 
 The voice of praise was hushed. No altar fire could be kindled in 
 this land polluted by idols. Humiliation — national, religious, per- 
 sonal — weighed down their spirits. We cannot understand the 
 shame that depressed them, "eating unclean food in Assyria." 
 
 The result was a sifting — such a sifting as the prophet had fore- 
 seen (Amos 9:9), in which the worthless should be shaken out, and 
 every good kernel retained. There could be no low motive now 
 for fidelity to God. Some took the primrose path, acknowledged 
 the might of the Strong Gods, and sank into paganism. Some, in 
 their despair, slipped into hopeless atheism. Some yielded to ridi- 
 cule and sold their birthright, obliterating their Hebrew origin as 
 quickly as they could. After the apostates, the worldly-minded, the 
 cowardly, and weak had been sifted out, there remained the faithful 
 ones. In their homesick hearts, amid the glittering enticements 
 of Babylon, under the assaults of doubt, these heroes of faith gripped 
 the prophets' teachings. Lacking temple, altar, priest, they bowed 
 in submission to "wait for their God continually." 
 
 So magnificent a triumph of faith and the higher reason has never 
 been recorded elsewhere. Here is the fruitage of the work of the 
 prophets, from Amos to Jeremiah. The faithful remnant who 
 emerged from this struggle held in their hands the seeds of faith 
 that gave to us Jesus the Christ. 
 
 The Hope of the Exiles, Psalm 42 
 
 1. Mark this and the following Psalm, and the 137th, as Psalms of 
 
 Exile. 
 
 2. Find and mark a verse which expresses each of the following: 
 
 suffering, persecution, memory of former days, hope for the 
 future. 
 
 "We are always in the majority when God is on our side." 
 
124 Men of the Old Testament XVI 13 
 
 Study XVI.— W$z epile antr tjje Eettmi 
 Third Day : The Work of Ezekiel 
 
 One of the greatest men of the Exile was Ezekiel. He was a 
 many-sided man. As a writer, he described the visions that God 
 showed him in very simple words, with many repetitions (e.g., 
 Ezek. 8:3-13) ; for his people were dull of understanding. He wrote 
 a famous description of God as the Good Shepherd (34:11-16; com- 
 pare John 10:11). In answer to those who accused God of injustice, 
 in view of the nation's sufferings, he wrote a short account of the 
 history of the nation, showing that they had always been rebellious, 
 and had brought this misery upon themselves. Ezekiel was also 
 a pastor; for he saw how the people struggled with doubt and how 
 they suffered, and he became a comforter and adviser to individuals. 
 Further, he was a talented organizer. He wrote an account of the 
 ideal nation which he hoped Judah would some day become. In 
 this ideal state the Temple was placed at the center of all things, 
 and religion was the main interest of life. Some of his ideas were 
 actually put in practice after the return to Judah. 
 
 Ezekiel thought it very important that the people should be 
 united. This union could be based only upon common religious 
 observances; for they had no government, and not much else in 
 common. So they observed the Sabbath together as a holy day, 
 and they practiced fasting in the place of sacrifices. As their sacred 
 literature grew, they had regular readings and study of the writings 
 of the prophets and teachers. Thus synagogues came into exist- 
 ence. 
 
 Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones, Ezek. 37:1-14 
 
 1. Describe what took place in the vision. 
 
 2. Explain its meaning. 
 
 Think truly, and thy thoughts 
 
 Shall the world's famine feed; 
 Speak truly, and each word of thine 
 
 Shall be a fruitful seed ; 
 Live truly, and thy life shall be 
 
 A great and noble creed. 
 
 — Bonar. 
 
XVI: 4 Men of the Old Testament 125 
 
 Study XVI.— ©Je €?ik anU t&e Ertuni 
 
 Fourth Day : Writers of the Exile 
 
 As the Exiles had no great interest in the present, they had a 
 great hope for the future, and a great interest in the past. They 
 loved to think and talk about the traditions of the race, and dream 
 and pray about a return to their Zion. They treasured every scrap 
 of writing, both historic and prophetic. Much writing was done in 
 this period. The work of modern scholars shows us that there 
 were two groups of literary men. One put together, partly from 
 records which had come down to them, the narratives of the his- 
 torical books. They already had Deuteronomy from the time of 
 Josiah. Their aim was not to get the facts only, but, even more, 
 to use these facts to illustrate religious truths, showing how God 
 had dealt with His people, so that when they should have their 
 national life again they might improve on the past record. The 
 books of Joshua and Judges are written in this spirit, as we already 
 have seen (Study V). 
 
 The second group of writers had an especial interest in all that 
 concerned the Temple. Perhaps these were priests. They wrote 
 of how the sacrifices and feasts had been managed, and of how the 
 priests had lived, and of the regulations for worship; so that when 
 they should return again to Judah they might rebuild the Temple 
 and know how to conduct its services in the best way. This writing 
 is sometimes called the Priests' Code; the book of Leviticus is an 
 example of it. The work of these two groups was combined some 
 time before the building of the second Temple. Thus was formed 
 the bulk of our Old Testament. 
 
 The Use of Scripture, 2 Tim. 3:14-17 
 
 1. What is the origin of inspired writing? 
 
 2. What is its value? 
 
 3. How does it prove its inspired origin (Josh. 1 :8) ? 
 
 4. The hope of the Exiles is beautifully expressed in Psalm 126. 
 
 Though the Bible is the book of religion of only a fourth part of 
 the human race, yet it has swayed a greater amount of mind than 
 any other volume the world has ever known. It has a singular 
 faculty of attracting to itself the thinkers of the world. — Phelps. 
 
126 Men of the Old Testament XVI: 5 
 
 Study XVI.— C&e e^iie an* t&e Eettttn 
 
 Fifth Day : Cyrus the Conqueror, and the Great 
 
 Unknown' Prophet 
 
 Assyria gave way to Babylon ; so in turn did Babylon give way to 
 Persia. Cyrus was the hero and first ruler of the new state. By 
 one conquest after another he rose in the space of twelve years 
 from the rule of a little province in Elam, as an "insignificant vas- 
 sal" of Babylon, to the mastery of the East. The joy of the Exiles 
 was boundless. Their prophets had watched the conqueror's progress 
 with eagerness, and felt sure that a great day for Israel was 
 coming. Israel's deliverance hung upon his success. The great 
 Unknown Prophet, whose writings are found added to those of 
 Isaiah, as chapters 40 to 66, mentions Cyrus by name and calls 
 him the Shepherd, and God's Anointed (Isa. 44:28 and 45:1). This 
 writer is one of the greatest in the Old Testament, "a master of 
 language." He works out the great idea of Israel as the servant 
 of Jehovah, who is appointed to go through suffering in order to 
 be the teacher of God's truth to the nations of the world. He has 
 an intense scorn of idolatry, and draws a magnificent contrast 
 between the images which the workman makes with his hands and 
 then worships, and the great God who sits above the world 
 (40:18-31), the ruler of nations (17), the maker of the stars 
 of heaven (26), who is planning the restoration of His people (9-n)- 
 
 Worship that is Pleasing to God, Isa. 58:5-11 
 
 1. How were the Jews accustomed to fast? 
 
 2. What kind of service does the prophet say God prefers? 
 
 3. What are the rewards of this kind of service? 
 
 4. Compare Matt. 25 :34~36. 
 
 "Every man has experienced how feelings which end in them- 
 selves, and do not express themselves in action, leave the heart 
 debilitated. We get feeble and sickly in character when we feel 
 keenly and do not put into action the thing we feel." 
 
XVI: 6 Men of the Old Testament 127 
 
 Study XVI.— We %ile an* tjje Eetttrn 
 Sixth Day: The Return of Prince Zerubbabel 
 
 One of the first acts of Cyrus as King of Persia was to issue 
 an edict permitting the Jews to rebuild the Temple at Jerusalem. 
 We can think of several reasons why he should be willing to do 
 this. The Jews may have helped him in his conquests ; he needed 
 a buffer against Egypt on his western frontier; he may have been 
 shown his own name in the prophecy of the Unknown Prophet; he 
 may have thought highly of the Jews' religion. The details of that 
 which took place we find in the book of Ezra, a priestly book of 
 religious history. An expedition was formed, in charge of a Persian 
 named Sheshbazzar, in 537 B.C. A Jewish prince named Zerubbabel 
 was in charge of the band of Exiles, which was probably not very 
 large. Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel may be two names of the same 
 person (Ezra 1:8; 2:2). They carried with them the sacred vessels 
 which Nebuchadnezzar had taken from the Temple, also a great 
 deal of money, some of which had come from the royal treasury, 
 and much, doubtless, given by Exiles. 
 
 Arriving at Jerusalem, an altar was built on the old Temple site 
 on Mount Moriah. Worship was begun at once, but the situation 
 was full of discouragements. The number of higher-grade Jews 
 who came with Zerubbabel was not sufficient to offset the weak 
 character of the population that had been left in Judah. The tra- 
 ditional enemies of Israel, Ammonites and others, presented all 
 sorts of hindrances, even active opposition. The restoration of 
 Jerusalem under such conditions reveals to us what man's faith 
 and energy can accomplish against heavy odds. 
 
 Invitation and Promise, Isa. 55:6-12 
 
 1. WTiat is the invitation? 
 
 2. With what is God's "word," or promise, compared? 
 
 3. How does Nature seem to share in the joy of the return which 
 
 the prophet foresees? 
 
 We need not fear for the triumph of the Kingdom of God. He 
 will take care of that. But we may fear lest, by our own indo- 
 lence, doubt, or half-heartedness, we lose our share in the glory 
 of it. — Selected. 
 
128 Men of the Old Testament XVI: 7 
 
 Study XVI.— Cjje €pile an* t&c Kettmi 
 
 Seventh Day : The Rebuilding of the Temple ; 
 
 Influence of Haggai and Zechariah 
 
 Seventeen years have passed since Zerubbabel's return. So much 
 was planned, and so little has been accomplished! Loose stones 
 are still scattered about the Temple site. The altar stands there 
 unsheltered. 
 
 Let us look around in that year of 520 B.C. Wretched as the 
 situation is, better things are in prospect. The writings of a priestly 
 prophet named Zechariah indicate this. He saw visions of a grand 
 future for little Judah. He believed the better day was soon to 
 dawn. Jehovah's house would be rebuilt, and the cities of Judah 
 would be "spread abroad through prosperity" (Zech. 1:16, 17). In 
 this time of great unrest among the nations, when the Persian 
 power seemed to be toppling, he urges the captives who are in 
 Babylon to flee. 
 
 Another prophet of this period was Haggai, a peasant. He stirred 
 the people to begin work on the Temple without further delay. 
 They have lived contentedly in ceiled houses and allowed Jehovah's 
 house to lie in ruins. It is not right. He attributes the famine, 
 just past, to the anger of Jehovah because of their delay to attend 
 to the duties of religion. So, moved by this summons, the people 
 fell to work under Zerubbabel, and laid the foundations of the 
 Temple in 520 B.C. Four years later the work was completed, after 
 many delays and many words of encouragement from the two faithful 
 prophets. The Jews had a center of worship once more. This 
 meant much as a unifying power. After the long homesickness and 
 humiliation of exile, there was now a center for a home-community, 
 to which faithful Jews turned their hearts from all parts of the 
 world. In that same year, 520 b.c v Darius took the scepter of Persia 
 and reconstructed the empire. 
 
 "Be Strong!" Hag. 2:4-9 
 
 1. How is God's power over nations pictured? 
 
 2. How does God encourage the workers? 
 
 3. From verse 4 select a sentence of four words that contains the 
 
 sum of God's command and encouragement. 
 
 Fresh strength is got by every mastery of self. Every passion 
 subdued by a higher impulse is so much character strengthened.— 
 F. W. Robertson. (Read Prov. 25:28 and 16:32.) 
 
DIVISION VIII 
 The Church.— Study XVII 
 Study XVII.— Reconstruction 
 
130 Men of the Old Testament XVII :i 
 
 Study XVII. — Keconfitntctiott 
 First Day : A Voice out of the Darkness 
 
 Outside of Palestine great events were taking place in the fifty 
 years after Zerubbabel. Marathon was fought in 490 B.C., and the 
 East was driven back by the West. Clearly, Persia was on the de- 
 cline. In Judah, the few thousands of inhabitants, on their few 
 square miles of mountains, were silent. Their spiritual life had not 
 been nourished by great teachers. The great lessons of faith in God 
 that had been learned by the Exiles on the Euphrates had not yet 
 been brought to them. They had the Temple, to be sure, but how 
 poor compared with Solomon's ! Here was the dear homeland, but 
 how barren, how confined, compared with the days of their fathers ! 
 If God did not send prosperity to His people, perhaps, some began 
 to whisper, it was because He had not the power. Little by little 
 the weak and selfish and cowardly turned to the study of their own 
 interests. Whispers of doubt grew to open scorn. Tithes were 
 unpaid. Diseased animals were contemptuously offered for sacri- 
 fice. The priests were corrupt. The same sifting occurs here as by 
 the waters of Babylon. 
 
 Out of the gloom is heard the voice of a prophet. There is at 
 least one man who holds to the truth for its own sake. Malachi, 
 the "Messenger," takes up, one by one, the hideous evils of the 
 time, knocks away the weak excuses that support them, and drives 
 home to the hearts of the "scorners" a piercing rebuke. Back of 
 Malachi stand a party of faithful men who hold true to God through 
 all misfortunes, and persecutions of their neighbors. They were 
 such men as backed Washington in the darkest days of the American 
 Revolution. 
 
 Two Ways of Bearing Misfortune, Mai. 3:13-18 
 
 1. Contrast the two classes and give a name to each. 
 
 2. What might have made the first class willing to turn to God ? 
 
 3. Which group was more closely united? 
 
 4. Do the two exist to-day? Is it possible to distinguish? 
 
 5. When will the difference be apparent? Psalms 22, 25, 32, may 
 
 reflect the feelings of the righteous in this period. 
 
 Still to employ 
 
 The mind's brave ardor in heroic aims, 
 Such as may raise us o'er the groveling herd, 
 And make us shine forever — that is life. 
 
 ^Thomsen, 
 
XVII: 2 Men of the Old Testament 131 
 
 Study XVII. — Eeconstnution 
 
 Second Day : Job 
 
 Out of some such dark time as that which we have been con- 
 sidering came the book of Job. In form it is a drama. Job is the 
 central character. He is a man known for his piety in heaven 
 and earth. As he had always been prosperous, the question arises 
 among those who have observed his uprightness, how would his 
 character stand the test of misfortune? Satan gets permission 
 to try him. The book deals with the question which men have 
 always asked, Why do so many good people suffer, while so many 
 wicked people succeed? Under Satan's agency, the blows fall upon 
 Job one after another. First comes loss of property, then loss of 
 family, then loss of health. His friends come to comfort him. They 
 try to make him tell what sins he has committed, being certain 
 that his sufferings have been sent upon Lim because of some guilt. 
 Job maintains his own righteousness. To his "comforters" he says, 
 bitterly : "Doubtless you are the people, and wisdom will die with 
 you!" Finally, after many speeches have been made by Job and 
 his friends, Jehovah speaks out of the whirlwind. He reproves 
 their doubts. He asks, "Where wast thou when I laid the founda- 
 tions of the earth?" As He speaks of His power and wisdom they 
 are silent; argument is at an end. Job learns that while there is a 
 place for reason in the presence of mysteries, there is also a place 
 for trust. 
 
 Carlyle says of this book, "Such living likenesses were never since 
 drawn. A noble book ! All men's book ! There is nothing written, 
 I think, of equal literary merit." 
 
 Job's Submission, Job, 42:1-6 
 
 1. After the argument, what finally puts Job to silence? 
 
 2. Read the description of the horse and the eagle (39:19-25 and 
 
 27-30). 
 
 "Here I give my all to Thee, 
 
 Friends and time and earthly store; 
 Soul and body Thine to be, 
 Wholly Thine for evermore." 
 
132 Men of the Old Testament XVII 13 
 
 Study XVII. — Eeconstntction 
 Third Day : A Courtier's Brave Ardor 
 
 After Malachi, who had the courage to reprove popular evils, came 
 two men, Nehemiah and Ezra, who had the power to remedy them. 
 
 A courtier of King Artaxerxes heard from some Jews who had 
 just come from Judah that the conditions in Jerusalem "among 
 those who had been left behind of the Captivity," were very bad, 
 the city walls being still in ruins. He was deeply stirred. The 
 king granted his request that he might return and raise up the city 
 of his fathers from the dust. With a large sum of money, accom- 
 panied by a military escort, Nehemiah set out for Judah, bearing a 
 royal commission as governor of Judah; date, 445 b.c. Arriving 
 in Jerusalem, he found the situation even worse than reports had 
 represented. He rode out one night, and his mule was not able 
 to walk over the masses of rubbish. In silence he made his plans, 
 for all around there were enemies who were suspicious, and capable 
 of any treachery. The governor's sympathies were doubtless with 
 the party of Malachi, but the resources for the work he wanted to 
 do were in the control of the selfish "scorners." When his plans 
 were completed, he called an assembly of all the people, told of the 
 royal favor and the purpose of his visit, pointed to the desolation 
 all around, and so filled them with his own enthusiasm that they 
 voted to begin the work of rebuilding the walls at once (Neh. 2:18). 
 
 Nehemiah then applied his organizing talent with the utmost 
 energy. His enemies, the Ammonites and others, ridiculed the 
 scheme, and then made a conspiracy to stop the work by force. 
 Nehemiah thereupon armed his workmen, and pressed the whole 
 population into the work. 
 
 The Cup-bearer's Commission, Neh. 1:1-3, 2:1-6 
 
 1. What was the report about the conditions in Judah? 
 
 2. How did the king learn Nehemiah's desire? 
 
 3. Mention several qualities which Nehemiah showed. 
 
 4. How did he work with God from the start? 
 
 Whenever we bear a trial patiently, or encounter peril or scorn 
 with moral courage; whenever we war against a habit or desire 
 that is opposed to our highest principles; whenever we think, speak, 
 or act, with a moral energy and resolute devotion to duty, then the 
 Christ is growing up within us, and we are ascending toward God. — 
 Selected. 
 
XVII: 4 Men of the Old Testament 133 
 
 Study XVII. — Kewnstrttcttan 
 
 Fourth Day : The Walls of Jerusalem Rebuilt 
 
 The enemies of the Jews were using every agency to oppose 
 them: ridicule (Neh. 4:1), conspiracy (4:8), treachery and spying 
 (6:2) ; but Nehemiah could neither be frightened nor deceived. The 
 opposition was so determined, that the neighboring enemies wrote 
 a letter to the Persian king, stating that rebellion was the object 
 of the builders, and that if their work was allowed to continue 
 Persia would certainly lose the province. Possibly the governor 
 had foreseen that Artaxerxes might change his mind; and for that 
 reason he had rushed the building operations. At any rate, before 
 the Persian king's reply could be received the work was completed. 
 The walls had been finished in the surprisingly short time of fifty- 
 two days. The dedication then took place. There was great enthusi- 
 asm. The people formed into two groups and marched around 
 the city upon the walls in opposite directions, singing as they went, 
 and met in the forecourt of the Temple, joining in loud songs. 
 
 We now find Nehemiah making preparations to return to Persia. 
 Possibly he had to go and answer the charges of his enemies; per- 
 haps it was simply to fulfil the promise he had made when he 
 fir.st started out. Before he left he appointed two faithful men 
 to take command during his absence. Also, because the popula- 
 tion within the walls was very scanty, the villages were asked to 
 supply one-tenth of their inhabitants to live within the city. 
 
 Guarding the City, Neh. 7:1-4 
 
 1. What were the qualifications of Hananiah? 
 
 2. What instructions were given about guarding against surprise? 
 
 3. What was the appearance of the city from within? 
 
 May every man serve his city with inconvenient devotion ; and, 
 even though he see no result, may he faithfully do what he can 
 to prepare the way for the workers who will follow him. — Maltbie 
 D. Babcock. 
 
134 -M"<?w of the Old Testament XVII :s 
 
 Study XVII. — Eeconstructton 
 Fifth Day : Nehemiah's Social Reforms 
 
 Even in the midst of the building operations, the cry of distress 
 reached the governor's ears. The poor had been so crowded by the 
 greed of the rich that in payment for their very bread they had 
 been compelled to mortgage their property, and even sell the labor 
 of their children. Nehemiah was very angry. He gathered the 
 people together and brought the facts before them. He charged 
 the rich with greed and cruelty ; they were silent, having no defence 
 to make. He reminded them of his own kindness to the poor 
 (Neh. 5:8, 10), and of the fact that he had taken no pay for his 
 services as governor, because of pity for their heavy financial 
 burdens (5:14), and urged upon them a like generosity. They 
 promised to take no more interest on loans, and to ease the existing 
 distress. 
 
 Other matters no less serious were taken up and dealt with in 
 the same firm manner. There was common disregard for the Sab- 
 bath ; people did their ordinary farm and vineyard work, and huck- 
 sters sold fish and provisions in the city. Nehemiah ordered the 
 gates closed against the traders, and even threatened to "lay hands 
 on them" (13:21) for tarrying outside the walls. He also dealt 
 severely with those who persisted in marrying their sons and daugh- 
 ters to foreigners, and made them take oath that they would give 
 up the practice. In all reforms Nehemiah had the tact to use his 
 authority only as a last resort, depending upon hospitality, courtesy, 
 and persuasion (5:17, 2:17, 13:17). 
 
 Regard for the Sabbath, Neh. 13:15-18 
 
 1. What practice did Nehemiah forbid? 
 
 2. What lessons did he gather from history? 
 
 3. What means did he use to correct the wrong customs? 
 
 4. When and why was the change made from the Sabbath to our 
 
 Sunday ? 
 
 5. How far is the Jewish law of Sabbath observance binding upon 
 
 us in the observance of the Lord's Day (Ex. 20:8-11) ? 
 
 A Sabbath well spent brings a week of content, 
 
 And health for the toil of to-morrow ; 
 But a Sabbath profaned, whate'er may be gained, 
 
 Is a certain forerunner of sorrow. 
 
 — Sir Matthew Hale. 
 
XVII: 6 Men of the Old Testament 135 
 
 Study XVII. — Eeconstrttctiatt 
 Sixth Day : Ezra and the Great Assembly 
 
 When the Temple had been rebuilt, and the Jews had once more 
 a center of community life; when the walls had been repaired, and 
 there was protection for the community; when social reforms had 
 been made, and there were favorable conditions of living ; then many 
 of the Jews who had been dispersed turned again gladly to the 
 land of their fathers. Among the groups that returned in the years 
 immediately following Nehemiah's work, we must probably place 
 the 1,500 men who came with Ezra, the priest. The entire com- 
 pany numbered in the vicinity of 7,500 persons, counting women, 
 children, and servants. 
 
 Ezra was a learned scribe, as well as a member of the priesthood. 
 He carried a royal commission to reform the religion of Judah. 
 Those who came with him brought generous gifts from those who 
 remained behind, for the uses of the Temple and the founding 
 of a full priesthood. Of greater value, however, than any money 
 was the Book of the Law that Ezra brought. This was the precious 
 product of the religious writers of the Exile. It seems likely that 
 this book contained most, if not all, of our Pentateuch, or first five 
 books of the Bible. The exact date of this Return is hard to 
 locate. Some recent scholars are inclined to place it after the social 
 reforms of Nehemiah, possibly as late as 400 B.C. (Kent). Indeed, 
 it may be that Nehemiah's influence, upon his visit in Persia, secured 
 the coming of Ezra and his companions. 
 
 Ezra called an assembly of the people. The Book of the Law 
 was read, and explained at great length. The people took a solemn 
 oath to keep the Covenant. One noteworthy reform was accom- 
 plished : it was agreed that foreign marriages should be dissolved. 
 To adjust this difficult matter a commission was appointed to look 
 into each case by itself. 
 
 The Reading of the Law, Neh. 8:8-12 
 
 1. What was the first effect on the people of hearing the Law? 
 
 2. Compare 2 Chron. 34:19. How did the leaders wish them to mark 
 
 the day? 
 
 3. What reason is there for sorrow, and what reason for gladness, 
 
 when we hear the commands of God? 
 
 4. Memorize the last division of verse 10. 
 
 You mean to be religious some day. Now is the real time to 
 open these deeper lives which you do mean some day to live. — 
 Brooks. 
 
136 Men of the Old Testament XVII 17 
 
 Study XVII. — Kec0tustrttctt0it 
 Seventh Day: The Nation a Church 
 
 After Nehemiah's time, high priests governed Judah in domestic 
 affairs. There was no political life; the interest of the people was 
 given almost entirely to religion. Jews in all parts of the world 
 felt that they had a share in the benefit of the Temple sacrifices. 
 In the synagogues, which were scattered everywhere, the Law was 
 read and explained, and prayers were offered. Priests and Levites 
 served the Temple. They were required to be physically perfect 
 and holy in living. The Scribes were teachers of the Law. They 
 v/ere, as a class, very faithful and capable, and wielded great influ- 
 ence over the minds of the people. 
 
 Thus began, with the reforms of Nehemiah and Ezra, that sepa- 
 rateness of the Jews which has marked them ever since. They 
 became indeed "a peculiar people." They were narrow, but cer- 
 tainly strong enough in their religious life to resist both the scatter- 
 ing tendency of the persecutions they were called upon to bear, and 
 the weakening influence of luxuries. Religion became their joy and 
 enthusiasm. They had full hopes of winning God's favor by devout 
 lives. 
 
 The faults in this religious system are clearly seen in later times. 
 At this point we must perceive its strong features. 
 
 Joy in God's House, Psalm 122 
 
 1. This Psalm was sung by Jews as they came from their villages 
 
 to worship in the Temple. What does it express? 
 
 2. Mark the verse that you think is best, and memorize it. 
 
 3. Should joy like this characterize our Christian worship (1) ? 
 
 4. The ' following Psalms are among those most used in Christian 
 
 devotions: 1, 23, 24, 46, 51, 84, 91, 103, 121, 145. 
 
 Joy comes from doing good. Abide in Christ and bring forth 
 fruit; then comes the joy, and you can't help yourself. Do some- 
 thing for somebody; comfort them, help them, and you are sure 
 to come back happier and full of joy. Anyone can get joy in this 
 way. "These things I have spoken unto you that your joy may be 
 full." Find out these things, and the joy must follow. — Drummond. 
 
DIVISION IX 
 
 The End of the Old Era. — Study XVIII 
 
 Study XVIII. — From Ezra to John the Baptist 
 
138 Men of the Old Testament XVIII :i 
 
 Study XVIII.— JFtom <£|ta to Sfajro t&e baptist 
 First Day : The Story of Esther 
 
 For fifty years after the Great Assembly there was comparative 
 peace in Palestine; and during that time the Jews became closely 
 bound together in the ties of religion. But in the breaking up of 
 the Persian Empire, Palestine was subject to depredations of passing 
 armies, and the Jews were robbed and persecuted on all sides. The 
 feeling of hatred toward their enemies who oppressed them finds 
 expression in the otherwise beautiful story of Esther. The book 
 also seems to have been written to explain the origin of the Jewish 
 feast of Purim. The plot is laid in the Persian capital. 
 
 When Ahasuerus, the king, wished to choose a wife, a Jew named 
 Mordecai brought forward his beautiful niece Esther, and she was 
 accepted as queen. Shortly after, a man named Haman was pro- 
 moted by the king to high office. Mordecai alone, of all men, 
 refused to bow down to him. This so angered the king's favorite 
 that he secured authority to issue an edict that on a certain day 
 there should be a massacre of all Jews; thus he thought to get 
 revenge upon Mordecai. The latter urged Queen Esther to appeal 
 .to the king to have the wrong righted. The story reaches its climax 
 when the king and Haman meet at Esther's banquet; and it ends 
 as the reader would wish, in the undoing of the villain, the promo- 
 tion of Mordecai to his place, and the consequent benefit to all 
 Jews. 
 
 Esther's Responsibility, Esth. 4:13-16 
 
 1. How would Esther be involved in the threatened destruction? 
 
 2. What did Mordecai mean in 14? 
 
 3. In what words does Esther show her spirit? 
 
 True greatness is in the character, never in the circumstances. 
 No matter about wearing a crown ; make sure that you have a head 
 worthy of wearing a crown. No matter about the purple ; make sure 
 that you have a heart worthy of the purple. No matter about a 
 throne to sit on ; make sure that your life is regal in its own intrinsic 
 character. Then men will recognize the king in you, though you 
 serve in the lowliest place.—/. R. Miller. 
 
XVIII : 2 Men of the Old Testament 139 
 
 Study XVIII.— iFrom d^ta to 3fa H t&e baptist 
 Second Day : The Book of Jonah 
 
 People who wish to hold the Bible up to ridicule usually begin 
 with Jonah. However, no one can ridicule this book who under- 
 stands it. Let us see how it came to be written, and what it means. 
 After the work of Ezra, as we have seen, the Jewish community- 
 became rigid and exclusive, trying to shut itself off from its neigh- 
 bors. We have seen also how this exclusiveness bred hatred. There 
 was a man in that time who had this high ideal for his people — 
 that Israel was God's messenger to give divine truth to the nations. 
 Now this man wrote a book in which Jonah stands for Israel. God 
 had given Israel the commission to make His law known to the 
 nations around. The messenger had shirked the duty and run 
 away (chap. 1), but was brought back and shut up in the dark 
 Exile (chap. 2). "I am cast out of thy sight," groaned the captive; 
 "my soul fainted within me. I will pay that which I have vowed." 
 Then God delivered Israel, and the messenger went on his errand 
 (chap. 3). When people of other nations heard God's message, they 
 heeded it, and God turned away His anger and showed mercy. Then 
 the messenger sulked in jealousy (chap. 4). When the story is read 
 with some such interpretation as this in mind, one will understand 
 what Professor Cornill meant when he said : 
 
 "This apparently trivial book is one of the deepest and grandest 
 that ever was written, and I should like to say to everyone that 
 approaches it, 'Take off thy shoes, for the place whereon thou stand- 
 est is holy ground.' " 
 
 Running Away from Duty, Jon., chapter 1 
 
 1. Read this purely for the interest of the story. 
 
 2. Which show better qualities, the sailors or Jonah? 
 
 "So nigh is grandeur to our dust, 
 
 So near is God to man, 
 When Duty whispers low, Thou must, 
 The youth replies, I can." 
 
140 Men of the Old Testament XVIII: 3 
 
 Study XVIIL— JFnmt <&$xk to Sfojn t\)t 38aptifit 
 
 Third Day : Beginnings of Greek Influence 
 
 Alexander the Great mastered Asia in 333 B.C. He passed through 
 Palestine to Egypt, leaving Tyre behind him in ruins, and Jerusalem 
 unharmed. The young conqueror continued to treat the Jews 
 with favor. The city of Alexandria, which he founded, contained 
 a large Jewish population having special privileges. This city became 
 the great center of commerce and culture in the East. At Alexan- 
 der's death his empire was divided. Judah was included with Egypt 
 for a century. "This was perhaps the happiest period for Judah 
 since the loss of her independence" (Ottley). In Alexandria, Ptol- 
 emy Philadelphus, the ruler, was especially friendly to the Jews, 
 and encouraged them, about 250 b.c, to translate the Scriptures 
 into Greek. This they did, and the result is the Septuagint Old 
 Testament, so called because it was said to be the work of seventy 
 translators. This version became widely used by Jews outside of 
 Palestine, those who are called The Dispersion. 
 
 Though the influences of this period were favorable outwardly, 
 they were filled with danger for true religion. The Greek culture, 
 with its easy luxury and low morals, threatened worse harm than 
 exile. We can see the full value of Ezra's work at this point; 
 for probably only the rigid separateness of the Jews saved the 
 faith from corruption, when so many were yielding to Greek influ- 
 ences. The book of Ecclesiastes shows a low range of religious 
 thought more or less current in this time. In it are heard the voices 
 of faith and doubt. Its refrain is, "All is vanity." 
 
 One Man Who Had Everything He Wanted, Eccl. 2:1-11, 11:9, 12:1 
 
 1. Is everything in the world worth knowing? Is everything worth 
 
 having? 
 
 2. What is this man's conclusion about these questions? 
 
 3. What is the business of a judge at the finish of a race? May "the 
 
 judgment" in 11:9 be something like that? 
 
 Life comes before letters, and experience before explanation. The 
 thing of supreme importance is to possess the facts of religion, a 
 personal relation to God, rather than a correct philosophy about the 
 facts. That will take care of itself.— Maltbie D. Babcock. 
 
XVIII: 4 Men of the Old Testament 14 1 
 
 Study XVIIL— jFrom C|ra to fofm t&e baptist 
 
 Fourth Day : Antiochus the Persecutor 
 
 The evil effects of Greek influence were seen more and more. 
 After a century of Greek rule, Judah came under the kings of 
 Syria. Then they were cruelly governed. They were already hated 
 because of the peculiar features and exclusiveness of their religion, 
 with its high morals. They also were envied for their business suc- 
 cess and great wealth. 
 
 Antiochus, the King of Syria, called Epiphanes, decreed that all 
 the petty states of his realm must have a uniform religion. This 
 meant the destruction of Judaism. To enforce the edict, his army 
 marched into Jerusalem on the Sabbath, defiled the Temple, and 
 forbade every Jewish religious custom. A favorite test was the 
 eating of swine's flesh. Every Jew who refused this test was tor- 
 tured and killed. Another was the offering of pagan sacrifices on 
 their altars. One mother was compelled to see her seven sons tor- 
 tured. To the seventh she said : "Fear not this executioner. Prove 
 yourself worthy of your brothers. Accept your death" (2 Mace. 
 7:29). The Jews, who had almost abandoned their religion under 
 Greek culture, now rose into heroism. 
 
 A Hero of the Faith, Dan. 6:10-18 
 
 1. Notice the openness of Daniel's action. 
 
 2. What impression had his character made on the king? How 
 
 shown ? 
 
 God wants to give us the joy of goodness. He will make duty 
 so satisfying, and the right so charming to us ; He will tear off the 
 mask of every evil, that we may see it in its hideous reality, so 
 that we, too, may say, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God !" There 
 will be struggles and self-denials still, but we shall know what Jesus 
 meant when He spoke of His joy. — Trumbull. 
 
142 Men of the Old Testament XVIII : 5 
 
 Study XVIII.— iFrorn d^ra to 3fo!m t&e baptist 
 Fifth Day: Daniel 
 
 The book of Daniel belongs to this period of persecution. The 
 narratives which it contains may be based on facts in the life of this 
 noble Exile, who, it is thought, was taken from Jerusalem to Babylon 
 in the year 606 B.C. Perhaps no stories of the Bible are better known. 
 Among the best of them are : Daniel's refusal of the king's dainties 
 (Dan. 1:8-21), the interpreting of the king's dream (2:31-45), the 
 refusal to bow before the golden image (chap. 3), the reading of the 
 handwriting on the wall (chap. 5), the night in the den of lions. 
 These are full of interest, and rich in their teaching of courage, and 
 trust in God under hardship. 
 
 When one understands the times of fearful persecution in which 
 the book was written, one may imagine the influence it had in keep- 
 ing the Jews steadfast in their loyalty to God. 
 
 Young Men in Training, Dan. 1:8-16 
 
 1. What was Daniel's request, and what test did he propose? 
 
 2. Would the king's food have harmed Daniel? 
 
 3. What benefit besides the physical was he aiming for? 
 
 "Dare to be a Daniel; 
 Dare to stand alone; 
 Dare to have a purpose firm; 
 Dare to make it known." 
 
 It seems to you as if it would be a terrible thing to be ridiculed — 
 terrible to have men point the finger at you and say, "There goes 
 the Christian !" But be a Christian — have your heart full of manly 
 love for Christ — and the terror is all gone. The only thing that 
 will be left in the ridicule will be shame that you deserve it so 
 little. — Selected. 
 
XVIII: 6 Men of the Old Testament 143 
 
 Study XVIIL— iFrom e^ra tn % o&n tyt baptist 
 
 Sixth Day : The Revolt of the Maccabees 
 
 The thrilling story of the Maccabean revolt is contained in part 
 in the two books of Maccabees, which are not included in the 
 Protestant Bible. 
 
 "Mattathias [priest of Modein] had five sons, John, Simon, Judas, 
 Eleazar, and Jonathan. Now the king's officers, who were enforcing 
 the apostasy, came into the city of Modein, and many of Israel went 
 over to them. Then the king's officers said to Mattathias : You are 
 a man honored in this city; now therefore come first and do what 
 the king commands ; then you and your sons shall be honored with 
 many gifts. But Mattathias replied with a loud voice: We will 
 not listen to the king's words, to go aside from our worship. When 
 he had finished, a Jew came in sight of all to sacrifice on the altar 
 that was in Modein according to the king's command. When Mat- 
 tathias -saw it, he let his anger take possession of him, and he ran 
 and slew him upon the altar. Also he killed the king's officer who 
 was compelling men to sacrifice, and pulled down the altar. Then 
 Mattathias cried out saying: Whoever is zealous for the Law, and 
 will maintain the Covenant, let him follow me. And he and his sons 
 fled to the mountains" (1 Mace, chap. 2). 
 
 "The brief period from 167 to 161 B.C. was the most active and 
 dramatic in Israelitish history. It witnessed five great victories for 
 the Jews. Poorly armed, ill-organized, and unaccustomed to war, 
 the Jews faced large armies of some of the best soldiers of the 
 age. In less than a decade Judas and his brothers transformed the 
 weak, yielding Jews into a powerful factor in Eastern politics, and 
 laid the foundations of the Maccabean kingdom, which, in extent and 
 wealth, ultimately equaled that of David. Above all, they established 
 freedom of religious worship, which the heathen never again se- 
 riously attempted to take away from the Jews" (Kent). 
 
 "I beseech you, therefore, who read this book, not to be discour- 
 aged because of the misfortunes, but to consider that these punish- 
 ments were not for the destruction, but for the training of our race. 
 The Sovereign Lord never withdraws his mercy from us ; though he 
 disciplines with misfortunes, he does not forsake his own people" 
 (2 Mace, chap. 6). 
 
 We should all be heroic if our trials were on a grand scale! 
 Should we? Heroism in the least is the only pledge of heroism in, 
 the greatest. — Maltbie D. Babcock, 
 
144 Men of the Old Testament XVIII : 7 
 
 Study XVIIL— from (E^ra to foIjTi t\)t baptist 
 
 Seventh Day : The Last of the Prophets 
 
 Rome took an active hand in the affairs of Palestine in 64 B.C., 
 when Pompey entered Damascus. Jerusalem resisted the Romans, 
 was besieged, and captured on a Sabbath day in 63 B.C. Twelve 
 thousand Jews were killed. Pompey refrained from pillaging the 
 Temple, but he entered the Holy of Holies. 
 
 Herod the Great ruled Palestine from 37 to 4 B.C. In 20 B.C. he 
 began the rebuilding of the Temple on a magnificent scale. He was 
 a terribly wicked man, but the country flourished materially during 
 his reign. When Herod died, his kingdom was divided among his 
 sons. 
 
 A few months before Herod's death, occurred the birth of the 
 king long foretold in Hebrew prophecy. It was the "fullness of 
 time." All the world spoke one language — Greek; all the world 
 was at peace under Rome; all the world felt that the end of the 
 era was near. The world seemed to have failed; the Infinite must 
 cause a new birth of Truth. 
 
 At this juncture came the last of the line of Hebrew prophets, and 
 the greatest in point of privilege, to prepare the Jews for the early 
 appearance of the Messiah. In the spirit and power of Elijah, John 
 demanded righteousness in individuals, the confession of sin, the 
 righting of wrongs. The proud were to be humbled, and the lowly 
 exalted. Here spoke the last prophet of the Old Covenant, and 
 then began the reign of the Christ, the mediator of the New Cov- 
 enant, whose kingdom is to be without end. 
 
 Prophecy of John's Work, Mai. 4:5, 6; and 
 John's Preaching, Lu. 3:15-17; and 
 Jesus' Opinion of John, Lu. 7:24-28 
 
 1. How did John resemble Elijah? 
 
 2. What did he require of the people? 
 
 3. What qualities in John did Jesus praise? 
 Read Phil. 2:5-11. 
 
 The man who will sit down for twenty minutes in his room and 
 look at the character of Jesus Christ, feels his longest life not long 
 enough — nay, that eternity itself is not long enough — to approach 
 the surpassing and infinite glory of that figure. Then a new sensa- 
 tion comes. He rises, and — what? He is hungry and thirsty to 
 live like that; to have in himself the mind which was in Christ 
 Je$\i».—Drumiitond+ 
 
146 
 
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