Our Bible Band

Pacific Press Publishing Association · Mountain View, California · Jun 3, 1913

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 40, No. 22.

Schedule for Week Ending June 7, 1913 Sunday June 1 2 Kings 13, 14 Monday " 2 " 15, 16 Tuesday " 3 " 17, 18 Wednesday " 4 " 19, 20 Thursday " 5 " 21, 22 Friday " 6 " 23, 24 Sabbath " 7 Psalms 39, 40, 41

Our lesson begins with the 13th chapter of 2 Kings, recording the reign of Jehoash, or Joash, over Israel, and Elisha's last sickness, and his effort to teach Joash persistency and faithfulness, but he failed. In Judah we have the reign of Amaziah, which began well but ended wickedly. He was followed by Azariah, the good Jotham, the weak Ahaz, the good Hezekiah and his remarkable experiences, the wicked Manasseh, his wicked son Amon, followed by the good Josiah, who fulfilled the prophecy of the disobedient prophet, which we read in the 13th chapter of 1 Kings. Of those kings two were decided reformers,—Hezekiah and Josiah; and one sympathizes deeply with Jeremiah as he mourned the loss of the noble king Josiah. Israel has a still worse story than Judah. Following the reign of Jehoash, who was slain by conspirators, comes that of Jeroboam II, followed by Zachariah, Shallum, Menahem, Pekahiah, Pekah, and Hoshea, the last king of Israel. The Assyrians' coming removed all the permanent men of Israel, and placed in Palestine captives from various tribes and races. Those tribes and races worshiped their own gods, and in a way the true God. That is, in the language of the Scripture, "They feared Jehovah, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away." From this mixed worship and these mixed people came the Samaritans, named, not after their races, but after the city of Samaria, the capital of the territory. The story of Israel is one sad commentary of departure from God. The ten-tribe kingdom might have been a strong and stable government, had they but followed the commandments of the Lord, but their idolatry led them astray. And with that sad lesson before them, Judah followed on in the same course until captivity came to her. Our week closes with Psalms 39, 40, 41.