The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-11-22
Sundays school lesson Cor Nov 90. 1855.


Sunday School Lesson for Nov. 30. 1885.
HEzEKIAHs PRAYER ANswERED-2K Kings Xxx. III.
Golden Textile Lord hear thee in the day of
trouble.-Psa. Xxx, l.
There is SD much good work to be done, so
many unfinished plans, so much need of men
who obey God, that strong saints had often
rather live and labor here than be called away.
They are sure of heaven, but they long to do all
the good they can before they leave this world.
Such was the case of the good king Hezekiah.
He was in the midst of his best years of strength
and his great reforms. The people needed him.
He had no anxiety about death, and he longed
to fully deliver his nation from all fear and dan
ger from the hosts of Assyria. Palestine had
been invaded by this great enemy, and Hezekiah
had secured their temporary favor by the use of
o great tribute Of 1900 talents Of silver and 80
talents of gold" But such compromises
always dangerous and sure to be followed by
larger demands.
In the fourteenth year Of Hezekah's reign the
armies of Assyria again invaded the land, and
besieged Jerusalem. 1t seems to have been just
before this that the King was taken i'll, and was
sick unto death. The date seems to be fixed by
She sixth verse, and in two ways: H.. The hf-
teen years promised him to make out his ''reign
Of twenty mine years" locates the sickness in his
fourteenth year (2.) He then receives the
promise of deliverance from the hand Of the
hiuS VA S1SSyTld Implying tudC Lie oiChuc6S w dS
before or during the siege, and not after. The
best of men liable to sickness. and some
times it comes to them in what seems to be the
performance Of their duty. His danger was
evidently from carbuncle of a malignant and
fatal type. The prophet Isaiah was directed to
tell the King the purpose Of God, and to set his
house in order to arrange his business and fam
iy affairs, so that he might depart ir peace Such
was the Divine message communicated, not as
fixed decree, but as indicating the evident course
and end of natural law that he would die
APPLICATION.
Hezekiah prayed We can pray for any tenn
poral as well as any spiritual blessing. We need
not say that the laws of nature cannot be altered
and so it is of no use to pray. The Bible teaches
prayer for temporal blessings, and God is the
ruler of nature.
God not only loves good people for their own
sake, but also for the sake of their good ances-
tors. God tells Hezekiah that he remembers
his ancestor David. It is a blessing, beyond
telling to have good ancestors
1t is not enough when we are sick. to pray to
God; We must also call the doctor, and use all
the means possible That is Gods way of an
Bwering prayer, by providing the means by which
prayer can be answered under the laws of ma
ture.
1t may have been we'll enough for Hezekiah to
ask sign; but we don't need them. We do bet
ter to tell God what we want, and then trust His
goodness to do what is best. A loving heart can
trust God.
Lie AOuSc VI tHo LOru IL tuo proper pace 10
60 to when we have received special blessing
1t is the proper place to 90. to always Go in sor
row, go in joy; go to pray, 60 to give thanks.
The king went every day; and, If we cannot 60
every day, we can have little house of the
Lord in our own homes, at our own family altar,
and there give thanks and pray
The King of Babylon sent present. But
what he wanted was Hezekiah's help in war. If
person is too ELUSIVE, We may often suspect
that he wants to fatter us and use US for his own
ends Beware of fatterers.
Be careful to get good, wise counselors. You
are likely to need them when in doubt as to i'm
portant matters. Hezekah might have asked
the advice of Isaiah when the messengers came
and Isaiah would have told him not to encourage
the men. On the other hand, he was fattered
and fell into their net and probably the punish
ment he had from Sennacherib was the result.
Don't tell everything don't show everything
You need not turn your heart wrong side out to
everybody. If it is your plan to earn large
wealth, or to become very learned, that is very
good; but don't boast of it. If you have some
thing very NICE be modest about it. You can
not take back anything you have once said or
done, however much you may wish to.