Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1898-09-29
REFORMATION UNDER ASA.
b-Iday school Lesson in the Inter-
national series for October =,
1852 Chron. l4i2-I2
BIASED upon PeIoubet's Select Noses1

BIASED upon PeIoubets Select Noses.1
GOLDEN TEXT.-Help US. Lord our
God; for We rest on thee p chron i41L
THE SECTION includes the history of
/ judah from the disruption till the close
Of Asa's reign q Chron. u to 80. first q
| years Of Judah; reigns Of Rehoboam, Abb
| jah and Asa.
TISIE.-Asa's reign lasted q years. from
g55 TO sl4 com enron, or s17-S7S, rev.
chron. The battle Of Zerah was probably
in his fourteenth year q Chron. 1910.
PLACE-Asa reigned in Jerusalem. The
| great victory over Zerah. the invader. was
at Mareshah. q miles southwest Of Jeru-
salem.
LESSON COMMENT.
Having studied the course of the
history Of Israel to the end of that
kingdom, we now turn back the leaves
of time to the disruption when the his
tory divided into two streams. Begin
ming at this point, we are to study, for
the present quarter, the leading events
of the kingdom of judah. The history
is quite different in character from
that of Israel.
We will consider briefly the fivst
60 years OF the kingdom Of Judah, in
its bearing on the religious develop
ment of the people and the kingdom of
God.
1. Rehoboam's Reign of Seventeen
Years. He inherited large extent of
| territory, a capital almost impreg-
nable; a glorious temple and its sery-
Ices well adapted TO teach the true
religion; an organized government; a
well-equipped army; considerable
all 1a y
machinery for developing a God-fear-
| ing. well-educated, prosperous nation.
He refused wise counselors and lived
a selfish, sinful life, forsaking God and
His religion. rhe people built high
| places" set up images, allowed Sodom-
ties and heather denominations Il
Kings 14:22-24).
H. Asa, the Grandson of Rehoboam.
First. King Asa (V. p was the grand
son of Rehoboam, and Maachah an
| idolatress and descendant of lamar
and Absalom.
2. "And Asa did that which was
right:" This was the general char
ac.er of his reign.
Second. The Reformation.-Vs 3-5.
3. 'He took away the affairs of the
strange gods" The idols of the sur
rounding nations whose worship was
mingled with that OF the true God.
And the high places:" twas the Gus
tom of the Canaanites, IN common with
the Persians, Greeks, etc, to build al
tars on the tops of hills (Num. 22:4D.
The Israelites naturally fell into the
practice q Sam. 9:12; / Kings 1929.
II was forbidden by the law OF Moses
(Deut. 12:11-14; Lev. 26:3o); but it did
not cease, even in the kingdom of Jul
dab, till the reign of Josiah G. Kings
23:s).
1. And commanded JUDAH" He
not only did right himself, but he
taught and trained his people to do
right.
Tie took away, etc." All pub
lie objects and relics of idolatry, not
only in Jerusalem. but throughout the
nation. And the kingdom was quiet"
AZ peace for ten years (V. y. This was
a period of prosperity and religious
and mental growth.
Third. Strengthening the Kingdom.
VS.. 6-s. 6. "He built fenced (forti-
fed cities" These were not for at
tack, but for defense. The Lord had
given him rest:" Even what comes to
US from others, and through natural
channels. is so controlled by God that
"all things shall work together for
good TO them that love Him."
7. Because we have sought the
Lord He hath given us rest:"
Il was both the reward and the nat
ural fruit of the revival of religion.
s. and Asa had an army" consisting
| OF $4,000 men of valor. This was not
standing army. but rather trained
militia, usually al home and busy with
their farms or business. but ready to
be summoned on occasion.
Fourth. The Great yictory.-vs. o
L. Q. And there came out against
them Ierah. the Ethiopian" Zerah
was either Osorkon T.. the second king
OF the twenty-second Egyptian dy-
nasty and successor of Shishak, who
may have been cT Ethiopian descent.
or else Zerah was his general leading
the Ethiopian forces from the south of
| Egypt. ~ thousand thousand:" A
million. the largest collected army OF
which we hear in Scripture.
II. ASA cried unto the Lord:- He
had done all he could, but his hope
was in God only. Lord, it is nothing
with Thee to help:" The Lord is so
strong that the question of large or
small in reference TO men was of no
account TO Him. For we rest on
Thee" He had rested on God in ten
years of reformation in peace. and
thus had learned 10 trust Him in dan
Ger. Let not man prevail against
Thee" lie did not expect that God
would come over TO his side. as Saul
had done when he sent the ark TO the
| battlefield while he himself was dis
| ~ fN,I a J