Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1892-01-21
HEZEKlAH DELIVERED.
LESSON ", FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, JAN. "a.


Text. Ps nXxiv Parliamentary by
tho Rev. ID. NJ. stearns.
a. And liexckiah received the letter
and spread it before he lord" Just the
right thing to do with all difficulties if you
would have peace U's ", %, Pet. v, I,
Phil. Nv, 9, Z; Mark vi, 30). The king Of
Assyria was beaeging Jerusalem, blasphe-
nous letters were sent from one of his
generals TO llezekiah, and this is what
Hezekiah did under these circumstances
The first part of the lesson gives llezn-
kiah's prayer and the last, the Lords
answer in word and deed 70 understand
fully read from chapter XNXvi, |, and also
the parable accounts in II Kin1, xviii. xix,
III Chron. XXxii
ID And lIezekiah prayed unto the
Lord, saying" In II Chron. xxi. 20, it
is written that Isaiah, the prophet, joined
| him in this prayer They did not know
Math. xviii, 10, but they acted as if they
did
10. 80 Lord Of hosts. God of Israel, that
| dwellest between the cherubm, thou art
| the God, even thou alone Of all the king
| doms of the earth, Thou hast made heaven
and earth" The hosts of Assyria are
against him, 50 he appeals to the Lord Of
| all hosts, for he controlleth all in heaven
| and on earth
II. "lncline thine ear, o Lord, and hear;
! open thine eyes, o Lord, and see; and hear
all the words Of Sennacherb, which hath
sent to reproach the living God" The first
! part of this verso is very like partof Dan
ielS prayer DIAN. tx, ls) and reminds us Of
oft repeated petitions in Solomon's prayer
| Il Kings viii, 80. 80, etc) The last part
makes us think of David's words concern.
ing Golah Il SAM xvii, 26-45), and teaches
| Us how to look upon all enemies for
| Christs sake and how TO deal with them.
! Is. "Of Il truth, Lord, the kings OF AS
syria have lad waste all the nations and
| their countries" Hezeiiah calls attention
to part Of the letter Verse I'D which he
| acknowledges to he true, and confesscs
that the Assyrians had much power over
some nations, but that was no reason why
| Israel should tall before them, for Israel
| had protection which 10 other nation had,
though the Assyrans were ignorant of it.
! There is no occasion for any child of God
ever to be afraid OF anything or any one
49, And have cnst their gods into the
fire, for they were no gods" Idols of wood
and stone which their own hands had made
could never help them. We think it
strange to see people put any reliance upon
those who rely upon silver or gold or the
| power or wisdom of man instead of upon
the Creator of all things2
20 Now, therefore, o Lord our God,
save us from his hand, that all the king
doms of the earth may know that Thou
art the Lord, even Thou only" Deliver
ance is asked for that God may be glor
fled, and such prayer for such an end is
sure of an answer (John xiv, l3), God re-
deemed Israel and led them by his hand
to make his name known in the earth
among all nations III Sam. vii, 23; Isa. xiii,
70, l4. The great business of every be
lever is to manifest Jesus in these mortal
bodies uI Cor. iv, ~.
q. "Thcn Isaiah, the son of Amor sent
unto IIexekiah, saying, Thus saith the
Lord God of Israel, Whereas thou hast
prayed to me-" etc Immediately the an
swer comes by the mouth of Gods servant
Isaiah, for this prayer needed an immedi
ate answer
81. "Therefore thus saith the Lord con
corning the King Of Assyria, lie shall not
come into this city," Great is Jehovah.
He doeth according to His will in the
armies of heaven and among the inhabit-
ants of earth, and none eau stay His hand
DAN. iv, 80. When He speaks, it is done
When lie says, "IIithertO shalt thou come
but no farther" that settles 1T Ps. XXXiii
O. job XXxvili, H.
3d. by the way that he came, by the
same shall he return, and shall not come
into this city, saith the Lord" All his
labor would be for nothing and great
would be his loss. How much time and
strength and money is wasted in fighting
against God.
81 For will defend this city to save il
| 70 ina 10 Cor mn,
Davids sake" Not for His peoples sake
nor for the sake Of the king or the prophet
but for His own sake and because of the
covenant made with David Ql Sam. vii
90, 81, Eek. XXxvi, 22). See what He does
for every believer for His own and Iii:
Sons sake lisa. xiii, %; John ii, ~, aut
, let For Jesus sake" be great motto il
our lives
SO. Then the angel of the Lord wen
forth and smote in the camp of the Assy
riaus $4,000" Angels are ministern.
spirits vino delight to do His will. Two o
them led Lot and his family out of Sodom
one ministered to Elijah in the wilderness
one led Peter out Of prison, while anothe
smote Herod; one found Paul on the shil
, in the storm out on the Mediterranean
and comforted him; many mnisterud unit
Christ in the wilderness, one strengthened
Illul III bot nSSiildue, anu IteIOhS NSi'
ready to do His bidding BE comforted
9 oh, believer, by the fact that holy angel
continually minister to you Qieb. i, l4.
l 81. 80 Senuacherib, King Of Assyria, de
parted and went aud returned, and dwell
at Nineveh." Just as God had said (vers
e $40. A little space for repentance wa
granted unto him, if perchance the might.
power Of the True God which he had seel
: nigh lead him to seek the God of Israel
| 49, "And it came to pass, as he was wor
Shipping in the house of Nisroch his god
that his sons smote him with the sword.
Back to his idols, utterly indifleren
to the God OF Israel, blind and deaf Il
. the claims OF his Creator, dead III sins
a space for repentance not improved, he goe
= out su idenly TO meet the God whose powe
= he had felt but whom he knew not. Wha
n fearful meetingl To know God is Lii
Eternal; not to know Him is Eterna
Death. The long suffering Of God is on
, of the most wonderful things in the whoi
Bible; how slow lie Is to let His wrath fall
and how in every possible way He plead
e | th n