Stories of the Prophets (Before the Exile) | Page 2

the way of men struggling upward towards
the truth.
Though living over twenty-six hundred years ago, these men are very
modern. As a great thinker has well said, "The spirit of the prophets of
Israel is in the modern soul." The foremost workers for the welfare of
their fellowmen to-day posit social justice as the first article of their
program. The world to-day, as never before, is filled with cries for
social righteousness as the indispensable foundation for the structure of
society. What is this but harking back to the eternal message of the
ancient prophets? "Let justice flow as water" passionately and
unreservedly demanded Amos of old; for him and his brother prophets
this was the sine qua non for society's welfare; the same may be said of
the thousands and tens of thousands to-day of every creed and every
nation who are toiling for the social salvation of their fellowmen the
world over. Ages meet; the words of the ancient preachers of
righteousness are still the inspiration for the seekers after justice
everywhere.
The story of the life work of these giants of the spirit has often been
told, but it can be told none too often, particularly if the telling is well
done, as is the case in the present volume. Each one of these men
delivered the same message in his own individual and inimitable way.
Yet their work was continuous and forms a consecutive tale. In the
speeches and experiences of each one of them the eternal truths they
present appears in differing light. The author of the present volume
approaches his subject, one might say, from the dramatic standpoint,
for, with fine insight, he has culled from the lives of the prophets those
striking and intense experiences which illustrate most powerfully the

indomitable spirit of these men who followed right in scorn of
consequence, for were they not the messengers of the God of right
whose demand upon men is, as told by one of them in imperishable
words, to do justice, to love mercy and to walk humbly with God?
The author has succeeded well in his characterization of the various
prophets. His pages glow with the vital spark of each prophet's flaming
figure. He has named his book fittingly "Stories of the Prophets," and
interesting stories has he told. He has brought to his task not only a
sympathetic appreciation of his subject, but an imaginative faculty that
has enabled him to supply links in the narrative suggested if not
actually given in the incidents preserved in the recorded annals.
From the words of the prophets themselves he has, therefore,
occasionally built up situations which if not strictly indicated in the
original text may, at any rate, be imagined. Not as predictors of events
in the far future, for this the prophets were not, despite frequent
interpretations of their words along this line, but as bold speakers of the
truth, as fiery preachers of the right, as intrepid champions of the poor
and oppressed, as fearless denouncers of corruption and wrong in high
places does our author present the leading figures in his book. As such,
their words are as significant for us to-day as they were for the men of
their generation, and their impassioned accents sound as forcefully now
as they did then. This is brought out clearly and strikingly in the
sketches of this volume, which without doubt will succeed in giving a
vivid picture to the reader of these towering spirtual heroes who belong
to the ages, speakers of the everlasting nays and yeas of the Everlasting
God.
DAVID PHILIPSON.
CINCINNATI, SEPTEMBER, 1912.

THE SHEPHERD OF TEKOA

CHAPTER I.
_An End to War._
"Damascus has fallen! Damascus has fallen!!"

The whole city of Samaria rang with the glad tidings. Fleet-footed
runners, who had started with this precious news on the day of victory,
covered more than one hundred and fifty miles to bring it to the capital
of the Kingdom of Israel.
They crossed mountains and swam rivers, fairly flew over fertile plains
and through busy cities, shouting, while there was breath in their
bodies:
"Damascus has fallen!"
Many of the messengers fell exhausted on the way, but others took up
the wonderful news from the front and carried it on, until the whole
northern part of the kingdom knew of the king's victory.
Little by little the whole story was told to the eager Samarians--how the
king, Jeroboam II, himself led the hosts of Israel; how attack followed
attack upon the fortified Syrian capital; how the first breach was made
in the outer wall; how the valiant Israelites rushed upon the enemy, and
how the final victory was won for Israel's standard.
What a celebration was there in Samaria that long-to-be-remembered
day!
Not since the days when