El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1898-10-15
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON III, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, OCT. 10.

Memory Verses, 9-11-Goldep Text, II
| Chron. Ixxiv, 12-Commentary by ths
Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
| 4. And it came TO pass after this that
Joash was minded to repair the house OF
the Lord" After the death of Jehoshaphat
who did right in the sight of the Lord I1
Chron. Xxx, 32), the story is a sad one OF
unbelief and rebellion until Joash at the
age of and under the guidance of Jehoiada
the priest began to do right in the sight OF
the Lord Oversees 80. 1t may have been
20 years or more after the death of Jehosha-
| PLAT that the temple, so long neglected,
began again to be honored. The neglect
| of the temple meant the neglect of God.
| .. ''Gather of all Israel money TO repair
| the house of your God from year to year
| and see that ye hasten the matter" 1t is
| interesting to note that the neglected
| house of the Lord was n safe hiding place
| for the child .Joash for six years Oh Kings
| xi, -. What comment upon the disuse
of Gods dwelling place in the midst OF
| Israel and their utter forgetfulnesss of God
| This compulsory attempt to raise the mon
| ey for repairs is very much like the way
most Christians act now, but it is not the
Lords way. The LeviteS probably under
stood this and therefore were allow to obey
the king command.
D. Inc COLLECTION or 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 .Iehoiada is not
given Prayer is more powerful than ar
gument, and possibly priests and Levites
gave themselves to prayer. In Elk. xxx, l.
16, there is the record of the ransom OF
atonement money which every man gave
xUhp Ia6 in tha, If I-r k,1,t
this money was used to build the taber-
nacle (Ex. xxxviii, 25-2S). In Deut. xvi,
10, II. there is IA record of an Offering free
ly given when the people came TO Jerusa-
lem to worship the Lord, and this, think,
would be the proper Offering for the re-
pairs. Notice that this brought TO
the temple.
z. THE sons of Athaliah, that wicked
woman, had broken up the house of God,
and also all the dedicated things of the
house OF the Lord did they bestow upon
Baalim.' Is there any danger of our taking
things that belong to God and, like that
wicked woman and her sons. giving them
to Baaly Let Baal stand for all other 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 u.s. lisa. XVI, 49,. What
ever is given to self or the world of that
which belongs to the Lord is Ike taking
from the Lord to give TO Baal.
:. They made chest and set it with
out at the gate of the house OF the Lord
In IL Kings xii, g. it is said to have been
placed beside the altar on the right side as
one cometh into the house. of the Lord.
By comparing the two verses we see that
it was done by .Iehoiada, the priest, at the
kings commandment. The altar suggests
the sacrifice. Gods love to us, the cost of
orr REDEEM tion, the love of Christ which
have choerfully to Him. Giving is easy
when we consider Him who so loved us
that He gave Himself for us What can
we give compared with His gift2
9. And they made proclamation
through Judah and Jerusalem, TO bring
in TO the Lord the collection This is
wholly different from sending out the
priests to gather 1t (verse ~. This is the
Lords way, the other Is mans way. When
the tabernacle was to be built, procIama-
ton 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, 8, y. 1t was the
same willing spirit that provided for the
temple Il ChroD. xxx, %. L believe that
if people were taught the privilege of Civ
ing because OF Gods great gift to them
they would today give as freely as in the
days of Moses and of David. I have seen
it and know it and have heard of the same
spirit in other parishes, where the efforts
to raise money were set aside and the PEG
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 bad set his affec-
ton to the house of his God, and when the
people gave be said, Who am /. and what
is my people that we should nc able to
offer So willingly after this sort for all
things come uf Thee ana OF Thine own have
we given Thee" II ChrOn. xxx. =, 3, 10
There is chat srntteTeth and yet increaseth.
Every man, according he pUrposeth in
his heart, So Let him GiVC-not grudging-
ly or of necessity, for God loveth cheer
full River "a 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. It was
so easy to thus gather it. No one was
asked to give. All gave as they were led,
and no one L. 5w but the Lord who gave
much or little. Doubtless then, as when
long afterward He sat over against the
treasury, many who We're poor gave moro
in proportion than some of the rich. In
recompensed according Co his works tRev.
xii, 12), and He who reads the heart viii
reward righteously.
H. And the king and Jehoiada gave it |
to such as did the work OF tho service of
the house of the Lord The money is first |
provided, and then the work Is carried on. !
When the Lord would sUnd 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 b. done and |
there is nothing to do it with, either it is |
not the Lords work or it is not the time |
TO do ii. But when His work is done in
His way and III His time all is easy How |
few found as faithful as these men |
into whose hanGs the money was given |
and no reckoning kept III Kings xii. 15l.y |
IS. 80 tho workmen wrought, and the |
work was perfected by them, and they set |
the house of God in his state and strength, !
ened it. The next verso says that the |
work WAS finished, and they had a sur !
plus of money. There is no straitness in
the Lords provision. He does exceeding
There is a house now heinz