IDOLATRY AND DEFEAT. 241

Marianne. How could they be too good friends, grand-
father ?

Grandfather. You shall hear, but I must give you an.
account of the first war in which Ahab was engaged.
Jehoshaphat was not concerned in it. Benhadad, king
of Syria, assembled a very large army, and marched
against the king of Israel. The Syrian monarch had
thirty-two kings with him, whether tributaries or allies
we are not told, and he had horses and chariots in great
number. Ahab, afraid to meet such a force in the field,
shut himself up in Samaria, which was now the chief
city of the land of Israel. Benhadad encamped near the
city to besiege it, and sent messengers to Ahab to say
to him, “Thus saith Benhadad, thy silver and thy gold
is mine, thy wives also, and thy children, even the good-
liest are mine.” In reply the king of Israel said, “ My
lord, oh king, according to thy saying, I am thine, and
all that I have.”

George. What a cowardly fellow he must have been.

Grandfather. He was. Had he been a follower of
the God of his fathers, he would have scorned to make
such areply, but a worshipper of Baal could not be other-
wise than base. From Ahab’s conduct in this matter
we learn that it is those who fear not the Lord who have
the greatest fear of man.

George. And what did Benhadad do next?

Grandfather. He sent a message to Ahab demanding
him to deliver up to him his silver and gold, his wives
and children. And that was not all: the next day,

R