Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1898-11-16
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON vii, FOURTH QUARTER, IN
TERNATIONAL SERIES, NOV. 20.

Memory Verses, 12, 13-Golden Text, I
John 1, documentary Prepared by the
Rev. ID. M. Stearns.
Copyright, 1898, by d. M. Stearns.1
s $50 Manasseh made Judah and the
inhabitants of Jerusalem to err and to do
worse than the heather whom the Lord
had destroyed before the children Of
Israel" This is summary Of the previ-
Gus part of this chapter concerning the
sins of Manasseh, who began to reign when
he was IL years old and reigned Do years
in Jerusalem. He shed innocent blood
very much till he had filled Jerusalem
from one end to another Oh Kings xxi, 16).
He wrought much evil in the sight Of the
Lord to provoke Him to anger. Then
think of the people Of God acting worse
than the heather who knew not God, and
even worshiping an idol, carved image.
in the house Of God where He had put His
name and His glory! What contrast to
the conduct of his father Hezekiah, who
for the most part wrought good and right
and truth before the Lord his God (chap-
ter XXI, 20). How could such good ia
Their have such q bad son? But 1t is not
an uncommon story. Consider the sons
of Eli and of Samuel and of David. How
could sinful King Ahaz, because of whose
sins the Lord brought Judah low (chapter
xviii, 1917, have such good son as Heze-
kiah? His mothers name was Abb, the
daughter of Zachariah Oh Kings xviii, p,
and to her possibly much is due. But Ma
nasseh's mother was Hephzibah (my de-
light is in her), and If there is anything in
name he, too, may have had good moth
er III Kings xxi, u. Our Heavenly Father
knows what 1t Is to have rebellious chill
dren lisa. 1. q, and when He permits us to
have rebellious children it Is q ground OF
fellowship with Him.
10. "And the Lord spake to Manasseh,
and to his people. but they would not
hearken." Oh, how often the Lord has to
say concerning those whom He would
love to bless that they would not let Him,
they would not listen to Him, they would
not come to Him Elsa. xxx, 10; Math. xiii,
81; John v, 40) If we only would receive
His word with meekness, yield fully to
Him and be willing and obedient, how
much Of heaven we might have upon the
earth! How earnestly God cries to His
people by His servants the prophets as,
for example, In Jer. iii, IS, IA, "Only ao-
knowledge thine iniquity; turn, o back
sliding children, saith the Lord, for am
married unto you" See also Eek. xviii,
80-32; xxxiii, II, etc.
II. Wherefore the Lord brought upon
them the captains of the host of the king
of Assyria, which took Manasseh among
the thorns and bound him with letters
and carried him to Babylon" Thus he
found some reaping, for whatsoever a man
soweth that shall he also reap, and they
who sow the wind may reap the whirlwind
(Gal. vi, 2; Hos.viii y. Affection is Of
ten the best thing that can come to one
who is wandering from God. God Is not
willing that any should perish, and if sim
ners will not listen to gracious words OF
love He will seek to win them by chasten-
ing, as He has said in Job xxxiii, 80, 80.
12. "And when he was In afiliction he
besought the Lord his God and humbled
himself greatly before the God of his ia
TIERS" 1t is often the case that only in
affliction will soul turn to the Lord, even
as 1t is written in Hos V, 10, "In their
affliction they will seek Me early" 1t
will be seen on larger scale some day,
for it is written in lisa. XVI, 8, "When
Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhab-
itants of the world will learn righteous
ness" Even the fearful judgments of Rev.
tx and xvi are intended, if possible, to
bring men to repentance. See Rev. tx, 80,
81; xvi, 8, IL. Pride and self will are
born in us as the results of Adams sin,
the work of the devil, and all people are
either Gains or Abels, the former proudly
resisting God and His salvation, and the
latter humbly confessing their sins and
accepting His way of redemption. The
Pharisees when our Lord was ON earth
were of the line of Cain, religious, but
proud and hating God and His way.
IS. "And prayed unto Him, and He
was entreated of him and heard his sup
plication and brought him again to Jeru-
salem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh
knew that tho Lord He was God" Ma
nasseh was evidently a true penitent, and
Gods ear is ever open to such. 1t is al
ways true for such on Gods part, "Him
that cometh unto Me I will in no wise
cast out" (John vi, 87). 1t is written in
Chron. V, 20 concerning some of Israel
that they cried to God in the battle and
He was entreated of them, because they
put their trust in Him. Ezra says in
chapter viii, go, $50 we tasted and be-
sought our God for this, and He was en-
treated of u.s." AS to the mercy which is
WAN Noo Aoh ohO SicheCoV WIN WIN
true penitence turns to Him we need only
consider the case of the penitent thief or
of Saul of Tarsus. But who could be great
or in sin than this son of Hezekiah2
IA. "Now after this he built wall with
out the city of David" The building of
this wall and the placing of captains of
war in the fenced cities does not imply any
lack of trust in God, but is rather sugges-
tive of keeping the Lords property for the
Lord. In Canticles iv, 12, the bride is com
pared to garden inclosed, spring shut
up, fountain sealed; something kept
solely for the owner. In lisa. TX, IS, the
walls of Zion are called salvation and her
gates praise. In Zech. ii, g. the Lord says
He will be unto her wall of fire round
about. Walls and projections of any kind
are naught unless they are of God.
Is. "And he took away the strange
gods and the idol out of the house of tho
Lord" AS the children of God we arc ex-
pected to put away from us all the works
of the flesh and to cleanse ourselves from
all filthiness of the flesh and spirit (Eph.
Nv, 90, 81 III Cor. vii, u. Having received
the Lord Jesus, we are looked upon as
having died with Him and risen from the
dead to walk in newness of life; dead Hnto
sin, but alive unto God, yielded unto Him
as His property for His use exclusively
(Rom. vi, 4, IL, 49,
10. "And he repaired the altar of the
Lord . and commanded Judah to serve