The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1904-11-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR DECEMBER a.
Subject Hezekiah Reopens the Temple, II
chronicles, XXX, 1s-31-GoIden Text,
Samuel ill.,. 3O-Memory Verses, ~.
%4-Commentary on the Days Lesson.

Chronicles, XIX, 1S-31-GoIden Text
samuel ill.,, 3O-Memory Verses. 2..
*e--Commentary ON the Days Lesson.
,,l: The temple cleansed Tvs. IS. l9). Is.
men. llezekiah began the work of
cleansing the temple on the first day of
the hrst month--the month Abb. or Nj.
san This was the first New Years DAY
aiter he became king. The work occupied
sixteen days Tvs. 10, III. AS soon as the
work was completed they reported the
TACT TO the king. "Cieansed all the house ="
Inc accumulated filth of years was carried
out and cast in 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. 2ll2; John 2:l4).
Inc temple OF our hearts and the temple
OF the church are defiled by sinful habits
ana customs, by errors of doetrine by
worldllness OF spirit, by lusts of the flesh,
Dy selfish ambition, by wrong temper, by
sins OF every kind. These not only defile
tne temple, but keep others from worship.
ing and loving God. Altar of burnt offer
ing: Ihls was. the great brazen altar
winch stood in the priests court in front
OF the temple proper. Vessels thereof"
It's furniture consisted of pan for ashes.
shoyels, basins for the blood, forks, flesh.
hook hooks and censors. 'Shrew bread table"
ms was IN the sanctuary, or holy place,
on on the right or north side of the room.
dhe table was provided with dishes, spoons,
fagons and bowls
49, did cast away" See chap. 1924.
Have we 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
=, hings 1917 with ! Kings 7:23, 25, 3S).
these had now been restored and every
thing was IN readiness for the proper wor.
ship of Jehovah.
Ill. Many sacrifices offered Tvs. 20.2N.
~ Rose early" He was anxious to en-.
BILE dispatch. q. "Seven bulocks,5 etc.
See Ley. q. This was more than the law
required. Ahaz had broken the covenant
and Hezekiah's sin.offering was Intended
TO atone for the breach. Animals of the
Kinds used in sacrifice were offered bv sew.
ems, that number indicating completeness.
In case OF one particular sin of ignorance
committed by the people there was but one
bullock to be offered, but here the sins
We're many and presumptuous "For the
kingdom. The priests were to offer sacri.
noes OF atonement 70. the sins of the king
and the royal family. The sanctuary.S
Lof the SINS OF the priests and for the pol
lutlon and dissertation OF the temple
For Judah" For the peopl, who were
involved IN the guilt OF the national apos-
tasy. We should note with what empha-
SIS 1t is stated in verse "a that an atone.
ment and slh.olering were made for "all
Israel, as If at this new dedication of the
temple they would obiiterate the memory
OIL OLD national strifes and divisions and
consecrate the whole nation as an unbro.
ken community to God.
y. ,"Sprinkled it," The blood was
sprinkled in accordance with the law. See
Lev. 10, etc. By the sprinkling OF blood
an atonement was made for sins. The
blood was the lie of the beast, and it WAS
HlWAVg ElnnnEpI hnt 4
lie. %. Laid their hands" Imposition
OF hands slgniied 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 oiEering-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 offerer, or both had a 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, az nothing
less than his complete and full sacrifice sacrifice
could MAKE atonement for the sin of the
word. Ihe sln,ofiering signified that the
ofterer acknowledged his guilt, and at the
same time promised to return to God.
III; The king and the people worship
Tvs. 253O). 20. "Cymbal." a musical in
tbHshSllHp Ol TWO DlOdu plates OF
Drass, OF convex form. which being struck
together produce shrill, piercing clangor.
1hey are still used by the Armenians
,'Psalteries." The psaitery appears to nave
been the name given to various large in.
struments OF the harp kind, "HarpsF The
hrarp is frequently mentioned in scripture.
They were of various shapes and sizes.
Josephus says they had ten strings.
Cad" Referred to as Davids seer in .
Sam. 4:ll. Nathan" The prophet who
reproved David for his sin e Sam. l2:D.
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 for song, or Tor 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. 6:l'6). Here, how
ever, it is stated ". 25) to have been the
commandment of the Lord. But the Syriac
and Arabic give this a different turn 1t
was by the commandment of the Lord
that 1.-The Levites should praise the Lord,
and 1t was by the order OF David that so
many instruments in the old dispensation
was no doubt of human origin, and certain
ly their use then can be no reason why
they should be used in Christian worship.
The worship which God accepts to-day is
a spiritual. worship. What He desires is
heart worship, not beautiful melodies from
organs and horns.
.2S. "The singers sang" Music has a
most humanizing effect. The cultivation
OF the art has a favorable influence upon
public morals. 1t furnishes a source of
pleasure in every family. 1t gives home a
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.
3l-36): A large number OF sacrifices were
brought by the people, so that it was i'm
possible for the priests to slay and fay all
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
defilement 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 Ia
Hezekiah's call to sanctify themselves.