The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1898-11-20
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
LESSON vli. Fo3RIH QUARTER. IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES. nov. 20.

Text OF the Lesson. II chrou. xxxilI, 0-l0.
Memory Verses. n. I3-Oolden Text, I
John 1. s-commentary Prepared by the
Rev. ID. N. stearns.
copyright. 1898. BY D. NJ Stearns.l
o. $50 Manasseh made Judah and the
Inhabitants Of Jerusalem TO err and to do
worse than the heathen whom the Lord
had destroyed before tho 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 IS ycars old and reigned So years
I'm Jerusalem. He shcd innocent blood
very much till he had filled Jerusalem
from one end to another II Kings XXI. 10).
Ho wrought much OWL In the sight Of the
Lord to provoke Him to anger. Then
think Of the people of God acting worse
than tho heather who knew not God, and
even worskipInR an idol, a carved image,
in the house Of God where He had put His
name and His Rloryi What a contrast TO
tho conduct of his father Hezekiah, whe
for the most part wrought good and right
and truth before the Lord bis God (chap-
ter XXI, 20). How could such good ia
thcr have such bad son? But It Is nC1
an uncommon story. Consider tho sons
could sinful King Ahaz, because of whose
sins the Lord brought Judah low. (chapter
xviii. 19), have such q good son as Heze-
kiahf His mothers name was Abb, the
daughter Of Zacbariah III Kings xviii, p,
and to her possibly much is due. But Ma
nasseh's mother was Hephzibah (my de-
light is In hcr), and IL there is anything in
name he, too, may have had a good moth
er I'll Kings. xxi, -. Our Heavenly Father
knows what it Is to have rebellious chill
dren lisa. !, p, and when He permits us to
have rebellious children it is 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 lisa. Xxx, 15; Math. xiii,
81; John v, 40). If we only would receive
His word with meekness, yield fully to
Him and DO willing and obedient, how
much of heaven we might have upon the
earthl How earnestly God cries to His
people by His servants the prophets, as
for example, in Jer. iii, 13, II, "Only ac-
knowledge thine iniquity; turn, o back
sliding children, saith the Lord, for nm
married unto you" See also Eek. xviii,
3O-32; xxxiii, IL, etc.
IL. "Wherefore tho Lord brought upon
them the captains of the host of the king
of Assyria, which took MaDasseh amcng
the thorns and bound him with fetters
and carried him to Babylon" Thus he
foU nd some reaping, for whatsoever n man
so Weth that shall he also reap, and they
who sow the wind may reap tho whirlwind
(Gal. vi, 2; Hos viii, y. AffiictiOD is Of
ten the best thing that can come TO one
who is wandering from Cod God Is not
willing that any should perish, and n sim
ners will not listen to gracious words Of
love He will seek 10 win them by chasten-
ing, as He has said in Job xxxiii, go, 80.
l2. "And when he was in affiiction he
besought the lord his God and humbled
himself greatly bofoFs the God OF his ia
thers." 1t is often tho case that only in
affliction will soul turn tn tho Lord, even
as 1t is written in Hos. V, 10, "In their
atfliction they will seek Mo enrly." Is
will be seen on a larger scale some day,
for IL Is written in Isa. XVI, @, '4When
Thy judgments are In the Garth, tho inhab
itants of the world will Ienrn righteous
ness" Even the fearful Judgments OF Rev.
tx and xvi are intended. II possible, to
bring men to repentance. See Rev. ix, 90,
81; xvi, 8. IL. Pride eDd self will are
born In us as the results of Adams sin,
the work Of the devil, an5 all people nre
either Gains or Abels, the former proudly
resisting God and His salvation, and the
latter humbly confessing their sins and
accepting His way Of rsdsMption. The
Pharisees when our Lord was on earth
were of the line of Cein, religious, but
proud and hating God and His way.
13. "And prayed unto Him, and He
was entreated of him and beard his sup-
plication and brought him again to Jeru-
nj int fo
knew that the Lord He was God" Ma
nasseh wns evidently q true psnitent, and
Gods ear is ever open to suoh. n is al
ways true fc- such on God's part Him
that coanSth unto Me l will In no wise
cast out" (John vi, 37). 1t 10 written in
/ Chron. v, 90 concerning some of Israel
that they cried to God in the battle and
He was entSeated of them, because they
put their trust In Him. Ezra says in
chapter viii, 2S, so we tasted and be-
sought our God for this. and He was en-
treated Of u.s." As to the mercy which Is
with God for the greatest sinner who with
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 sou Of Hezekiah!
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 y ties 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, 19, tho bride Is COM
pared to garden incloscd, n spring shut
up, fountain sealed; something kept
solely for tho owner. In Isa. X, Is, the
walls OF Zion are called salvation and her
gates praise. In Zech. ii, 8, tho Lord says
He will bc unto her n wall OF fire round
about. Wallis and projections of any kind
ara naught unless they are of God.
l5. And be took away the strange
/ gods and the idol out of the house of the
Lord" As the children of God we are ex-
pected to put away frcm US all tho works
Of the flesh and TO cleanse ourselves from
oil hlthiness OF the flesh and spirit (Eph.
! iN. %. 81: IL Cor. VII IL Having rrcai god