  THE RUIN OF AHAB'S HOUSE. FIRST READING.
THE Sunday before last you heard how King Ahab was killed in battle, though he had fancied that he could hide from God. His wife, Queen Jezebel, was left; and she had always been worse than he was, and she had brought up her son Joram to be very wicked too. When Joram had reigned as king for twelve years, God told His Prophet Elijah to send a young man to anoint a captain called Jehu to be king instead of Joram. So the young man took some oil, and went to the town where Jehu was, and said, "I have an errand to thee, O captain." Then he poured the oil on Jehu's head, and told him that God made him king of Israel. The other captains were glad to make Jehu king, and they made him sit on the top of a flight of steps, and blew with their trumpets, and shouted, "Jehu is king." Then they all set out to conquer King Joram. Joram had his chariot made ready, and went out in it to meet Jehu; but, as soon as they came in sight of one another Then Jehu went on into the town; and Jezebel thought she would still try to make friends with the people; so, instead of mourning for her son, she painted her face, and put on a headdress, and looked out at a window. Jehu said, "Who is on my side? who?" And some of the servants looked out. He said, "Throw her down." So the servants threw Jezebel out of the window, and her blood sprinkled on Jehu's horses. But he went on, and went into the palace, and was made king, and had a feast. JEZEBEL EATEN BY DOGS.—2 Kings 9:32, 33. Then he sent out, and said that he would have Jezebel buried, for she was a king's daughter. However, when his men went out to look for her, they found that the wild dogs that ran about the streets had eaten up every bit of her, so that there was nothing left of her but her skull and her feet, and the palms of her hands. You remember that God's prophet Elijah, had told Ahab that the dogs should eat Jezebel, because she was so cruel. She QUESTIONS.
SECOND READING.
WHEN that fierce soldier, Jehu, was made king, the men of Israel cut off the heads of all Ahab's sons and grandsons, and made them up into two heaps at the city gates; and all the people who worshipped Baal were shut up in his temple, and every one of them killed. It is very sad and terrible; but God had commanded that people who prayed to idols should not live, because they taught the rest of the Israelites to be wicked too. When we hear about it, we must recollect that it is a fearful thing to turn away from serving God, and that He is sure to punish those who will not worship Him. You are not likely to pray to an idol; but I hope you do say your prayers night and morning, and mind them as you say them. QUESTIONS.
THIRD READING.
ELISHA grew to be a very old man, and when at last he fell sick and was near his death, the king of Israel, whose name was Joash, came and kept by his bed-side. Elisha said, "Open the window eastward;" and he opened it. Then Elisha said, "Shoot;" and Joash took his bow and shot an arrow. And Elisha said, "The arrow of the Lord's deliverance." Then he said, "Take the arrows; smite upon the ground." Joash struck three times on the ground, but he did not go on striking, for he did not think enough of God and His prophet to understand that if he obeyed Elisha God would bless him. So Elisha told him if he had struck many times, he would have had a great many victories over the Syrians, but as he had only struck three times, he would only have three victories. For it is when people begin by obeying in little things that God gives them a great deal. Then the great Prophet Elisha died, and was buried; and Joash beat the Syrians three times, but no more, because he had not believed and obeyed. QUESTIONS.
A CITY CAPTURED AND THE INHABITANTS LED AWAY CAPTIVE. |
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