Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1898-10-05
International gesspl1s.
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON ~, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 10.


Chron. x1xiv, i2-Commentary by the
Rev. ID. Nj. Stearns.
4. "And it came to pass after this that
Joash was minded to repair the house Of
the Lord" After tho death Of Jehoshaphat,
who did right in the sight of tho Lord Ql
Chron. Xxx, 32), the story is a sad one Of
unbelief and rebellion until Joash at the
ago of and under the guidance of Jehoiada
the priest began to do right in the sight Of
the Lord oversees 1-S). 1t may have been
90 years or more after the death Of Jehosha-
phat that the temple, SO long neglected,
began again to be honored. The neglect
of the temple meant tho neglect of God
s. "Gather of al Israel money to repair
tho house of your God from year to year
and SOC that ye hasten the matter" 1t Is
interesting to note that the neglected
house of the Lord was safe hiding place
for the child Joash for six years (11 Kings
ri, 81. What comment upon tho disuse
of Gods dwelling place in the midst OF
Israel and their utter forgetfulness of God!
This compulsory attempt to raise tho mon
ey for repairs is very much like the way
most Christians act now, but 1t is not the
Lords way. The Levites probably under
stood this and therefore were slow to obey
the kings command.
6. "The collection of Moses, the servant
Of the Lord, and of the congregation OF
Israel for the tabernacle of witness. The
king called for Jehoiada and asked why
the Levites had not been required to bring
this in. The answer of Jehoiada is not
given. Prayer is moro powerful. than ar
gument, and possibly priests and Levites
gave themselves to prayer. In FIX xxx, i
16, there is the record Of the ransom or
atonement money which every man gnTo
when enrolled in the army of Israel, but
this money was used to build the taber-
pacle (Ex. xxxviii, 25-2S). In Deut. xvi,
16, II, there is record of an offering free
" given when the people camo to Jerusa-
lem to worship the Lord, and this, think,
would be the proper offering for the re-
pairs. Notice that this was brought to
tho temple.
z. "The sons of Athaliah, that wicked
woman, had broken up the house of God,
and also all tho dedicated things OF the
house of the Lord did they bestow upon
Baalm." Is there any danger of our taking
things that belong to God and, like that
wicked woman and her sons, giving them
to Baalp Let Baal stand for all othor lords
except the Lord Jesus Christ; then, If hon.
est. would we not have to say, 80 Lord
our God, other lords beside thee have had
dominion over us" lisa. XVI, l3. What
ever is given to self or the world of that
which belongs to the Lord is like taking
from the Lord to give to Baal.
8. "They made chest and set it with
out at the gate of the house Of the Lord. 4"
In II Kings xii, 8, it is said to have been
placed beside the altar on tho right side as
one cometh into tho house of the Lord.
BY comparing the two verses we see that
1t was done by Jehoiada, the priest, at the
kings commandment. The altar suggests
the sacrifice, Gods love to us, the cost OF
our redemption, the love of Christ which
constrainoth us to yield all wo are and
have cheerfully to Him. Giving is easy
when we consider Him who so loved us
that He gave Himself for u.s. What can
we give compared with His gift?
8. "And they made proclamation
through Judah and Jerusalem, to bring
In to the Lord the collection" This is
wholly different from sending out tho
priests to gather 1t (vcrse 81. This is the
Lords way, the other is man s way. When
the tabernacle was to be built, proclama-
tion was made that all who were willing
might bring their offerings, and the result
was that so much came in that Moses had
to command the people to stop bringing
(Ex. xxxv, 80; xxxvi, 6, y. 1t was the
same willing spirit that provided for the
temple Il Cbron. xxx, 81. believe that
If people were taught the privilege of CIV
ing because of Gods great gift to them
they would today give as freely rs in tho
days of Moses and Of David. ! have seen
it and know it and havo heard of the same
spirit in other parishes, whero the efforts
to raise money were set aside and the peo-
pie permitted to give willingly.
10. "And all the princes and all the
people rejoiced and brought in and cast
into the chest until they had made an
end" David prepared for the temple with
all his might, because he had set his affec-
tion to the house of his God, and when the
people gave he said, Who am I, and what
is my people that we should be able to
offer so willingly after this sort, for oil
things come of Thee and of Thine own have
we given Thee" Il Chron. xxx, 2, 8, 14).
There is that scattoreth and yet increaseth.
Every man, according as he purposoth In
his heart, so let him givc-not grudging-
" or of necessity, for God loveth cheer
full giver Ga hilarious giver) prov. xi,
"a; II Cor. TX, y.
II. "Thus they did day by day and
gathered money in abundance. When the
chest was full, they counted it and put it
up In bags and put the chest In its place
again. Compare II Kings xii, 10. 1t was
so easy to thus gather it. No one was
asked to give. All gave as they were led,
and no one kIsw but the Lord who gave
much or little. Doubtless then, as when
long afterward He sat over against the
treasury, many who were poor gave more
in proportion than some of the rich. In
the day of the rewards each one shall be
recompensed according to his works (Rev.
xii, 12), and He who reads the heart will
reward righteously.
10. "And tho king and Jehoiada gave 1t
to such as did the work Of the service of
the house of the Lord" The money is first
provided, and then the work is carried on.
When the Lord would send His servants,
Joseph and Mary, down to Egypt, He first
provided the gold that was necessary
through the wise men who came from the
east. When He wants anything done, He
always provides for it fully. When any
thing seems as If it ought to be done and
there is nothing to do it with, either 1t Is
not the Lords work or it is not the time
to do it. But when His work Is done in
His way and in His time all is easy. How
few are found as faithful as these men
into whose hands the money was given
and no reckoning kept (1I Kings xii, 15).
13. $50 the workmen wrought, and the
work was perfected by them, and they set
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