The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-07-06
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LESSON TEXT. isaiah ss:A-s Msassy
Verses %-s Read sn the chapter. ~,
GOLDEN TExT.-"God 10 our refuge
and strength. q very present help In trou-
bie."-Psalm 4S:l
TlME.-About 701 B. c.. just before sen-
nacherib's invasion, and In the fourteenth
year Of Hezekiah's ieign.
PLACE.-Hezekiah's palace At Jerusa-
lem.
Comment and Suggestive Thought.
v. 1. I'm those days." A vague ex-
preston, meaning in the time Of
Hezekiah." In both accounts of Heze-
kiah's sickness, 1t Is closely associated
with the visit OF Mcrodach baladan,
OF Babylon. Hezekiah had been reign
ing IA years. sick unto DEATH"
He was taken with an illness which,
according to the view of the times.
must prove fatal. 1t seems probable
that he had a carbuncle, located per.
haps on the back of his neck Game
unto him. AS an interested friend
and spiritual adviser, the prophet
came to visit the sick king. Thus
saith the Lord" 1t was God who
guided the prophet in warning the
king to be ready for death. "Set thine
house in order" Arrange your world
| ly affairs as you would do when about
to leave them. Thou shalt die: :"
This was no fatalistic decree, but a
statement that the disease from which
| the king was suffering was very likely
to cause death
| v. 2. Turned his face toward the
WALL" That he might shut out all
else and be alone with God. Contrast
this with Ahab's sullen turning Of his
face to the wall q Kings 21:4).
prayed unto the Lord" He expressed
himself in the words quoted ". 81.
Hezekiah had learned long before this
time to take everything to God in
prayer. Though perhaps Isaiah had
left the room, we may believe tina,
and the prophet were praying to-
gether. a ~.
| v. 8. Remember now, o Lord:'
This prayer sounds to US as II Heze-
kiah were ,boasting Of his goodness
but he did not 20 intend It. He was
simply pleading Gods promises. To
the best Of his knowledge and ability
he had loved God and been loyal tc
Him, and had lived uprightiy. People
as yet knew very little about future
rewards and punishments. and Heze'
kiah felt that II God were Just HI
would reward him now by Q continu
ance Of life. ''Hezekiah wept sore:
There was personal pain, rs we'll al
zeal for Gods honor and for his ma
tions good: and, like . true Oriental
the king made NO effort to conceal hi
emotions.
VA. Then came the word Of th'
Lord to Isaiah" This was when tn
prophet, after leaving the king, hat
come to 1.-The middle court" or 9Th,
middle city" (See Kings 20:4.
Jerusalem was built upon two hills
and the prophet had just descende'
one and was in the valley before as
cending the other, when the messag
came TO him.
v. 8. Go, and say to Hezekiah:
. What Is here given us Is an abbre
waited form of the message recorded Il
, full in 2 Kings 20:5, s. Il have hear
, thy prayer" God was then, as He
, to-day, the hearer and answerer Q
, prayer He was eager then, as nov
: to do His children all possible gooc
A,,t ,hon n n
they, as 1t were, bind His hands s
that the good cannot be granted. g
will add 15 years: Hezekiah
assured first of rapid recovery. 20
. the third day thou shalt 60 up unit
the house of jehovah" then of pre-
longed life. Subsequent history cor
firms belief that this promise was II
orally fulfilled. Hezekiah lived to sc
: his son Manasseh reach the age {
~ years. We are told In anothe
account, and, later. In this record {
Isaiah (38:21), that, by the prophet
Recommendation. poultice Of figs We
applied to Hezekiah's carbuncle wit
: beneAcent effect. In working out H
= promise. God did not disdain the vi
!. " Of means. but. by employing such. ga'
!, help to many . sufferer Of later time
!. v. 6. II will deliver : ASS
:, ;, Sis:" Finding this passage here ind
Gates that Ssnnacherfb's Invasion hs
. not yet taken place. The sentence ma
= = however. have dropped cut Of place 4
:, the many copyings Of the origin
= manuscripts. or It may be regardt
- merely as Q promise that AssyriaI
p would not return to molest Hezekil
. or threaten Jerusalem.
!, v. I. This shall be . sign" A
- oording to Kings 2e:S-l1. Hesskl,
" asked for sign. and Isaiah gave hi
his choice, whether the shadow on Il
dial should go forward ten degrees
backward for the same space II
ID observed that In the age, when spiri
8, ual light was yet so dim. godly m
were not reproached for seekil
Do "signs" to confirm the Lords will.
ia VS.. "The dial Of Ahaz:" This
I'd che first instrument for measuri
- time that is mentioned In the Bib
The sun-dial was in use by the Bah
is lonians.
Practical Points.
We v. 1. Death Is no respecter Of ps
u oons.-Ps. 50: 48.
- v. 1. The Christian who Is abidi
80 in Jesus needs no preparation
" death.-Phil. 1921.
~ v. 2. We should daily take time
"a be alone with God.-Matt. 6:6.
VS.. God Is pleased to have us pie
His promises In prayer.--Isa. 1926