The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-03-14
The Sunday school.
asasK,An .so ras as.rai,ss.
srsa.r Maru IL. ISIS

Crnos mi . II.

Or iessoa dates 10 b. c and we
are brosgh. pear The close q The good
aud Protpsrous reign for twenty MAE
yoAns q ths pfe-smincaty excellent
hing HezskiAh Bet be VAS Dot with.
cot some troubles for when be lad
rtigped ioafieen years. y. c. 5l3. Sar-
goa. kiag a AssyriA, large country
wcst q Palestine. came against JudAh.
safgoa reigned nineteen years. from
u. G. 52l to 100 and then. eleven or
twelve years after that invasion. be.
cause IieEekiah, hAving recovered
from the Pbiiisuncs some cities which
they bad seized. attempted TO throw
90 the AsJrian yoke. Sennaoherib, son
and successor d ssrgon. the powerful.
wAflike. and most magnificent king u
Assyria. Immediately invaded judah
with 40 army which Hezekiah bad not
courage 60 meet 10 battle. lie there
lore sued for peace and the AssyriAn
com nauder eIacted from him three
hundred talents Of silver, and thirty
talents o. gold. u Kings xviii IA.
the sum Of sl.l7o,957 so Of our curfen-
cy. To obtain it the king took the
vessels 10 the palace and 10 the temple,
aud cut the gold from the doors Of the
temple which he himself had put on
them IN the beginning Of his reign. e
Kings xviii l6
And now, after but two years, Sen.
nacherib returned on n second exhibi-
ton against Judah, the history Of
which is given ia our present lesson.
This history is given more fully in 2
Kings xviii II 81; xix. After that
sacrifice by the king OF Judah, and
doubtless with the understanding that
he should be no farther molested by
Sannaeherib, it was strange that peace
should have been given him for so
short time.
Gods worship was now established
in Judah, aud idolatry was destroyed
and also those high places were taken
away where Jehovah had been wor.
shipped even in the former prosperous
times An especial Passover was cele-
brated with great gladness, and pro-
longed TO twice the usual duration.
The priests were again set in their
courses, and provision was made for
their support. The people freely pre-.
scented their offerings and the tithes.
and the reformation was complete. But
into the midst OF all this brilliant sue.
cess and common Joy
The AssyiAn came down As = wolf on the fold,
but the angel of the Shepherd smote
him aud scared him back TO bis lair.
ANALYSIS OF rHK LESSON.
i, The Assyrlan's boastlng and bias
phemy against Jehovah and his people.
IL. The defensive power of their
earnest prayer.
III The insolent monarch rebuked
and bis army destroyed.
~. His parricidal sons and his mis-
cradle end.
The words alter this in verse nine
may refer either to the preparation for
defense Tvs. 3Gl, or TO the first expe-
dition described in verses one and two.
This narrative contains the chief and
most striking even, Of Hezekiah's
reign and though given at greater
length in Kings. its great importance
makes It worthy Of this second record.
Sennacherib reigned twenty-five
years. from 702 to $50 B. G, Assyria
was at this time great empire, extend.
ing even to the border Of Egypt, and
measuring from north to south dis
lance Of five hundred miles. aud cover.
ing al area Of Que hundred thousand
square miles. The great city OF Nine.
yah was its capital The servants Of
Sennacherib sent TO Jerusalem are
named ia . Kings xviii II They
were doubtless. chief officers Of the en-
pire, and their presence gave dignity
TO the expedition and they were &C
companied by great host. 2Kings
xviii IL.
Lachish was thirty or forty miles
southwest Of Jerusalem, and was
place Of great natural strength aud
strongly fortified. meaning Inyincible.
Il was on the direct route to Egypt
and as Sennacherib was then TO invade
Egypt as well as Judah, he would not
leave so strong fortress as Jerusalem
behind him in bis march TO the con.
quest OF that country. Therefore his
servants were now sent 10 Jerusalem,
aud with the purpose to intimidate the
people and obtain their submission
without beseiging the city All Judah
that were at Jerusalem were the many
who bad gathered into the city as
place Of greater safety.
The boAstiul aud blasphemous
speech We learn who was the speak.
er from 2 Kings xviii: 10, 2s. From