Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1904-12-02
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR DECEMBER a.
subject: Hezekiah Reopens the Temple. III
chronicles, XXX, IS-31-GoIden Text,
Samuel ill.,, 3O-Memory Verses. 22.
@4-Cominentary on the Day's Lesson,

"4-Cominentary on the Days Lesson.
,,l; The temple cleansed Tvs Is, I9). Is.
Then Hezekiah began the work of
cleansing tho temple on the first day of
the hrst month-the month Abb, or Nj.
san. This was the first New Years Day
alter ne became king. The work occupied
sixteen days Tvs. 10, ~. As soon as the
work was completed they reported the
tact to the king 'Cleansed all the house"
The accumulated filth of years was carried
out and cast III the Kidron Valley. The
affairs were renewed, the lamps trimmed
and lighted and the whole service set in
motion. Compare the cleansing of the TEN.
pie By Christ Matt. Pip; John 2:lD.
The temple of our hearts and the temple
OF the church are defled by sinful habits
and customs, by errors of doctrine, by
Worldhness OF spirit, by lusts of the flesh,
by selfish ambition, by wrong temper, by
sins OF every kind. These not only defle
the temple, but keep others from worship.
ing aud loving God Altar of burnt offer
ing This was the great brazen altar
which stood in the priests court in front
OF the temple proper. Vessels thereof"
Its furniture consisted of pan for ashes,
shovelS, basins for The blood, forks, flesh.
hooks and censorS. 'Shrcw bread table"
This was i'll the sanctuary, or holy place,
on the right or north side of the room.
The table was provided with dishes, spoons,
ildgOns and bowls
10. Did cast away" See chap. 1924.
Have VIC prepared" Ahaz had taken
away the bases" or supports on which the
layers rested and had removed the molten
sea from the twelve braZen oxen Compare
, Kings 1917 with l Kings 1928, %, 3S).
These had now been restored and every.
thing was i'll readiness for the proper wor.
ship of Jehovah.
IL. Many sacrifices offered Tvs. 2O,2N,
20. Rose early" He was anxious to en-.
ter upon the temple services with all posi-.
See Lev. 4. This was more than the law
required. Ahaz had broken the covenant
and Hezekiahs sin-offering was intended
to atone Tor the breach. Animals of the
Kinds used in sacrifice were offered by sew.
ems, that number indicating completeness,
In case OF one particular sin of ignorance
committed by the people there was but one
BULLOCK 10 be offered, but here the sins
0!H9Tc many and preSumptuous. "For the
kingdom" The priests were to offer sacri.
ilces OF atonement TO. the sins of the king
and the royal family. ''The sanctuary"
For the sins Of the priests and for che pol.
luton and Dissertation of the temple
For Judah" For the people who we're
involved in the guilt of the national apos
tdsy. We should note with what empha
sis 1t IS stated III verse "a that an atone
Israel, as If at this new dedication Of the
temple they would obliterate the memory
OF old national strifeS and divisions and
cOnsecrate the whole nation as an unbro
Ken community to God.
-. "Sprinklcd it," The blood was
sprinkied i'll accordance with the law. See
Lev. l:j, etc By the sprinkling of blood
an atonement was made for sins The
blood was the lite of the beast. and it was
always supposed that life went to redeem
lie. %. Laid their hands, Imposition
OF hands siniied that they offered the life
OF tins animal as an atOnement for their
SINS. and to redeem their lives from that
death which, through their sinfulness. they
deserved.
"a. Burnt ofering--sin Offering" There
were many different kinds of offerings.
Or. Clarke enumerateS twenty-one. The
burnt Offering was wholly consumed In
most of the other offerings the priest or
the oferer, or both, had share, but in the
whole burnt offering the entire victim was
gwen TO God. This was "a very expressive
type OF the sacrifice of Christ, as nothing
less than his complete and full sacrifice
could MAKE atOnement for the sin of the
world The sin.offeriug signifed that the
otferer. acknowledged his guilt, and at the
same time promised to return to God.
III. The king and the people worship
Tvs. $500. %. 'Cymbal." A musical in.
strument consisting of two broad plates of
brass. OF convex form, which being struck
together produce shrill, piercing clangor.
They are still used by the Armenians.
,Psalterles.D The psaltery appears TO have
been the name given TO various large in
struments of the harp kind. 'Harps." The
harp is frequently mentioned in scripture.
They were OF various shapes and sizes.
JOsephus says they had ten strings.
Cad" Referred to as David's seer in 2
Sam. 2:l. Nathan" The prophet who
reproved David for his sin q Sam: l2:U, .
26. instruments of David" Moses had
not appointed any musical instruments to
be used in the divine worship. There was
nothing of the kind under the first taber-
nacle. The trumpets or horns then used
were not Tor song or for praise, but were
used as we use bells. to give notice to the
congregation of what they were called to
perform. But David introduced many in
struments of music into Gods worship, for
which he was solemnly reproyed by, the
prophet Amos (chap. CLIO. Here, how
ever, it is stated ". 25} to have been the
commandment OF the Lord. But the Syriac
and Arabic give this different turn. 1t
was by the commandment of the Lord
that the Levites should praise the Lord,
and it was by the order of David that so
many instruments in the old dispensation
was no doubt of human origin, and certain
~ NHSIt use tHeH can De ITO reason why
they should be used in Christian worship.
The worship which God accepts to-day is
Il spiritual worship. What He desires is
heart worship, not beautiful melodies from
organs and horns.
%. "The singers sang" Music has
most humanizing effect. The cultivation
of the art has favorable influence upon
public morals. 1t furnishes source of
pleasure in every family. 1t gives home
new attraction. 1t makes social intercourse
more cheerful. Gods people are singing
people, and the song service ought to be a
part OF all our religious worship
". The people bring their offerings Tvs
1885,. A large number of sacrifices were
brought by the people, so that it was i'm.
possible for the priests to STAY and fay all
u the victims, and it became necessary for
the Levites to assist. We are also in.
formed that the Levites were more upright
and prompt to purify themselves from past
deflement than the priests. 1t is common
ly supposed that the priests had been more
implicated in the idolatrous practices Of
Ahaz than the Levites, and therefore many
of them were slow of heart to respond to
oh = 30 4hn,. ii,