The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-01-21
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.

1bexekfnh'a Prayer and Delivcrance- Isaiah
'aTsa4-2l, 33-SS-Lesson for January 50,
1see. ~
GOLDEN TExr.-Thc righteous cry, and the
A<ssf heareth and delivercth then.-Ps. 8:77.
E1nE This event took place probably about
IN a. 70i towa ards tho last OF Hezekiah's reign,
u~snty Yonrs after tho end Of the kingdom Of
E&raal
CHRONOLOGICAL DIFFICULTY. hts.
nnT, both in Isaiah and in Kings. seems to
nEnce this defeat of the Assyrfans
serur the middle of rIczekiah's reign
C1sa- 38:1; Q Kings 1919. or about B.
u VIA But Scnnacherib, according to tho
Assytian records, did not begin to reign till d.
u is1e, and his campaign in the region of Pales-
eissr was an sol. II is possible that tho records
ruad, in the verses referred to- that king of
Asg,ria made these incursions and some
rrz,MsCriber wrote Sennacherib, by mistake for
sSEgon.
ezaCE.-Jerusalera. the capital Of Judah.
KMcs.-Hezckiah, OF Judah; Sennacherib,
ef Assyria.
21AcE IN BIBLE HrsroRY.-2 Kings 1s: 1887;
f2ess27. 2Caron :s:1-2
TIE Houn ON DEEP D1srREss.-In order to
understand Hcsckiah's prayer and its answer
n IL necessary to have clear vision Of the his.
n1r,cal situation When the great Sargon
saisa at Nineveh and was succeeded by bis son
6eInacherio (1Co). there was general desire
an the part OF the tributary provinces to break
s,1Yne independent again. Babylon, the strong.
szt aoe these, under Mcrodach Baladan, revolt.
cd At seemed o good time for Hczekiah to
ers his independence, while Senpacherlb
v.as busy with Babylon. Accordingly, he
saxSied in u confederacy with the Philistine
s1Ed PhCenician cities on the coast, with the
gftrnise Of assistance from Egypt. Accord
hNSfs, the customary tribute was refused to
Assyria Sennachcrib had other matters to
assssnd to for time, SO that 1t was not till
=iss7ut s0i that he marched from Nineveh with
ssR Immense army and took city after city by
saUIa, till tho cities Of the Falcstincs and the
SCn1h OF Judah were in his power, and little
WA; left to I1ezekiah bat his capital Jcrusa
ne1n- uezel;iah tried to buy OF the invaders by
xhe payment of the former tribute and other
2nHrcnse and costly gifts, to obtain which he
stripped the gold plating from tho temple
Sisars and despoilod his palace. Dut Senna-
c0srih was inexorable Nothing would satisfy
f,ZH b0t the capitulation of Jcrusalom 1t was
ssT. sate for him to leave such fortress behind
-t1tzn in his advance on Egypt. Accordingly, tho
4Assyrian force, vera divided il.o two corps,
scINt .c1 which was sent to besicSc Jcrusalcrl,
wsiic the other remained at Lachish, thirty
.rnsics 10 tho southwest, to check the advance
sSahe Egyptians tt ..
LESSON EXPOSITION.
v. "a. "And Hezekiah received the
fgzSer:" the one from Sennacherib de-
sManding the surrender of the city.
And uc1eliiah went up unto the house
es the Lord, and spread it before the
lsans1;" not that God might read it in a
material sense, but as part of his
gcayer.
". 10. That dwellest between the
scaacnbim:" this refers to the visible
gssry, the Shechinah, which really sat
erron the lid of the ark, otherwise
sailed '.the mercy-seat."
". IL. "Reproach the living Cod"
Hrzelliah's plea was for the honor OF
God himself; and in the Lords Prayer
osse first petitions are for the honor of
ssa,d, and the coming of His kingdom.
VS.. 10, 60. "And have cast their gods
ins0 the fire:" these idol gods of the
Ssa.ncr nations had no power against the
ssrrns1crs. Now was the opportunity to
prOwe to ''all the Kingdoms of the
.sezAs;th that Thou art the Lord, even
Tiaon only" 1t really was contest,
like that on Carmel, under elijah,
zrhsn the consuming fire proved who
was the true God.
Y. 21 Then Isaiah sent unto
-Hszelsiah:" Probably in response to
message from the king, as little while
before (37:2). Both were praying.
When Isaiah had learned Gods will he
reported this message to Hezelliah.
~Wbereas thou hast prayed to ne:"
showing that he trusted in God, and
csrned to Him for help.
v. SO. HE shall not come into this
caty:" the Assyrians' boasted plans
should fail Nor cast n bank against
1T" building towers, and raise banks
ssf earth against the gates.
". "a. by the way that he camel"
the highway along the coast, leaving
one side.
". So. For mine own sake" not |
sseifshly, but for the sake of his rcli.
gion and truth. "For my servant
David's sake:" to whom he had prom.
Issd that his line should endure, and his
aiingdom remain e. Sam. 7:12, 13).
v. Sc. 'Smotc in the camp of the AS.
sSyrians:" this great destruction must
saarc been of the main army, and not OF
d detachment sent to Jerusalem with
the Rabahakch. 'And when they
that is, the survivors.
w. 50. His sons smote him." =. C. 6S1;
apparently to gain the kingdom, but
a,bey had to fee for their lives, and q
younger son, Esar-haddon. one of the
lgyeatcr of Assyrian kings, reigned in
sois stead.
THOUGHTS FROM THE LESSON.
L. Trouble is not only one of the pun.
lshnents for sin, but is means by which
snen are led to see the evil of sin, and
80 seek salvation from sin.
= God uses various instrumentalities,
compelling even the powers of evil to
aid lis cause.
.. God gives many and precious prom
nses TO His people to draw them to Him.
self
3 There are many times when we
arc powerleas and God alone can give
i,sip But lie is as really the help at
other times rs then.
q. God has many strange and unex-
E,ected ways of answering prayer All
pawcr belongs to Him; all forces are
his a,,oals