The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-12-07
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON M, FOURTH QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, DEC. II.

Text Of the Lesson, II Kings XVII
S-1S-Nemory Verses, 16-1S-Goioen
Text, Pet. lii, 12-CommentarS fre-
pared by Rev. D. VI. Stearns.
ICopvisht, 1904 by American Press Associae'0n'i
The first verse of our lesson anc the
opening verses Of the chapter state the
! fact that Shalmaneser. king OF Assyrla'
carried the ten tribes Of Israel INTO cap
tivitv. He first subdued them anu
made them tributary to him, but when
he found that Hoshea, their king, was
secretly treating with the king or
Egypt and failing to pay tribute TO
Assvria. then he made him q prisoner
and carried Israel away. Verses TO Il
give the reason why God permitted
this. The ten tribes had perststenuy
sinned against Him, doing just like the
heather whom He had cast out before
them, walking in their statutes and
serving their idols, whereof the LORD
had said unto them, aye shall not 40
this thing" (verse 12). In chapter
{ xviii, 1912, the summary is that In the
sixth year of Hezekiah, king Of JUDAH
which was the ninth year Of Hoshea,
king Of Israel, Samaria was taken,
after three years siege. and Israel
was carried away into Assyria, because
they obeyed not the voice Of the Lord
their God, but tranSgreSsed His cove
nant and all that Moses, the.serVant OF
the Lord, commanded, and would not
hear them nor do them
Hosea, the prophet, had warned them
that because Of their rebellion against
God Samar;a would be desolate and
her people fall by the sword (Hos. XIII,
10y. In the very beginning Of their
history He had warned them by HIS
servant Moses that if they would WALK
contrary to Him and persist in it He
would bring their land into desolat1on
and scatter them among the heather
lev. XVI, SO, 33; Deut- xviii, sc, Ga;
xxx, 81, %. Because he is slow TO
anger and plenteous in mercy He bore
long with them. From Jeroboam, son
Of Nebat, who made Israel to sin, to
Hoshea's ninth year was about 2oo
years, and during all that time there
was not one ruler who taught them to
do right in the sight Of the Lord All
walked in the steps Of Jeroboam, Omn
and Ahab being two Of the worst. Be
cause Judgment was not promptly
meted ont to them they pro0aoly
thought that it would never come
that God did not see or did not care
It was and is ever true that because
sentence against an evil work Is not
executed speedily therefore the hear1
Of the sons Of men is fully set in them
to do evip' Eccl. viii, 11). The scofers
Of the last days are in our midst They
walk after their own lusts and say,
where is the promise Of His coming!
| FOR since the fathers fell asieep all
things continue as they were from the
beginning Of the creation" Ql Pet.
iii, 3, y.
There were scofers in the days OF
Noah COB xii, 1918, in the days OF
Lot {Gen. xix, ~ and in the days or
Enoch Guide l4-16), but the deluge
came and the fire from heaven, and all
the ungodly perished- And so 1t VIII
be again, fw the mouth Of the Lord
hath spoken it, -:The Lord Jesus shall
be. revealed from heaven with BIS
mighty angels, in flaming fire taxing
vengeance on them that know not, Goo
and that obey not the gospel OF our
Lord Jesus Christ; who shall be pun
ished with everlasting destruction rom
the presence Of the Lord and from me
glory OF Els power when He shali
come to he glorifed in His saints and
to be admired in all them that believe
in that day" QI Thess. 1, 7-1O).
These and similar sayings seem hard
| and many WEI not receive them, ou'
they are fon God, who is love and
who is not willing that any should per,
ish, and He has il love warned people
Of the result Of despising His love. he
loves aR people, but BE cannot love sin.
Concerning Israel BE said, x have civ
en- the dearly beloved Of Ny soul into
the; hand Of her enemies" (Jer. xn, y;
20 Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself,
but in Me is thine help" 40 Israel, re
turn unto the Lord thy God" (Hos- xiii
e;,dv, y. By all the prophets He tes'
titled against Israel and against judah
saying, 'Turn ye from your eVn ways
and keep Ny commandments and Ny
statutes - but they would not hear a1m
They did not believe in the Lord their
I God. Therefore the Lord was very
angry with Israel and removed them
out .of His sight There was none le1'
but the tribe Of Judah only oversees
1888.
For little while 1onger-He bore,witt
Jud ,eh, but they also Knocked the mes
sen gers Of God and despised His words
an1 misused His prophets until the
VIE ath Of the Lord arose against Bis
people, till there was no remedy O.
Ch .on. x1xvi, 1S). In due time, long
aft er their return from captivity, Goo
sent to them His Son, but Him they
also despised and rejected and cruel
fed. and among His last words to then
are these: Glow often would ! have
gathered you and ye would not. Be
hold, your house is left unto you desc
late, for I say unto you, Ye Rhall no
see me henceforth till ye shall say
Blessed is He that cometh in the name
Of the Lord" CMatt. xiii $780,
In this age, the age Of Israefs rejec
ton, we are now living, and the riser
Christ at Gods night hand is gathering
nr+ fron all the nations by His Spiri
and His word, His body, the Gaucct
which shall reign with Him when Rf
shall return for the restoration OF al
things which God hath spoken by the
mouth Of all His holy prophets since
the world began (Acts iii, 20, 2T- Like