The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-03-14
The Sunday school.
HE1sKl.H $50 ras as.lAaass-
spa,r M4rnI'.i 1875
CEnas 11nE 9 "a.

Or Lessen dates no B. c aaa we
sre bfoughi bear ihe close q tie good
add prosperous reign fer issaiy-nine
years 81 ihs pre-cmioenuy excellent
kibg Hesrtish Bot be was DO, With
9ut some troubles ioF when be had
r,lgpea fourtees years. D. c. us. SEr-
yes, kiag Of AssyriA, large country
wess d PalcstiEe. came against JndAh.
sAfgoa reigutd nineteen years. from
L. &. 12l 10 102 and thea. eleven or
twelve years afier that invasion. be-
oause IIczekiah. having recovered
from the Phiiisuncs some cities VII ich
they bad seized. attempted to throw
% the AssyuAh yoke. Sennacberib. son
and successor u sargon. the powerful.
warlike. aud most maguiacen, king Of
Asayna. Immediately invaded judah
with An army which Hezekish bad not
courage 70 meet 10 battle. lie there.
fore sued for peace aud the Assyrisn
commander enacted from him three
hundred talents Of silver. and thirty
talents ot gold. 2 Kings xviii IA.
the sum OF sl.lIo. 1851 SO Of our curren-
cy. To obtain il The king took the
vessels 10 the palace aud 10 the temple,
aud cut the gold from the doors Of the
temple which be himself had put on
them in the beginning Of bis reign. q
Kings xviii 10
And now, after but two years, Sen.
nacherib returned on second exhibit
ton against Judah, the history Of
which is given In 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
be should be no farther molested by
Sannaeherib, il was strange that peace
should have been given him for so
short time.
Gods worship was now established
10 Judah, aud idolatry was destroyed +;
aud 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
Tho Assyian came down as wolf on the fold,
but the angel of the Shepherd smote
him aud scared him back to his lair.
ANALYSIS OF THE LESSON.
l. The Assyrian's Boosting 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 after this in verse nine
may refer either to the preparation for
defense Tvs. 3G), or to the frat expe-
dition described in verses one and two
This narrative contains the chief and
most striking event Of Hezekiah's
reign and though given at greater
length in Kings, its great importance
makes 1t 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, aud
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 in Kings xviii: II They
were doubtless, CHEF officers Of the en-
pire, and their presence gave dignity
to the expedition aud they were ac-
eompanied by great host . Kings
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, be would not
leave so strong fortress as Jerusalem
behind him in bis march 10 the con.
quest Of that country. Therefore bis
servants were now sent to Jerusalem,
and 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 had gathered into the city as q
place Of greater safety.
The boastiul and blasphemous
speech We learn who was the speak
er from 2 Kings xviii. 10, 2s From