The Yale expositor., 1905-06-30
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON L. THIRD QUARTER, INTER-
hANoAAL SERIES, JULY 2.

Prepared by Rev. ID. VI. stearns.
tCopyright, 1905, by American Press Association.
One of our last lessons In the 0M
Testament six months ago was the sto-
ry OF Hezeliah's reformation IN Judah.
his cleansing OF the temple and his
great passover for all Israel. A spe-
cial zeal for Gcd and His honor is al
ways provoking to the adversary, and
in some way he viii surely show il.
The great conflict between God and the
devil, Christ ana sntichrlst, Hight and
darkness, which will continue till the
second coming of Christ to send the
last great antichrist to the lake OF
fire (ReD xix, 10, 20;II Thess. ii, s., is
at times very manifest as in the case
Of Pharaoh and Israel, Goliath and Da-
vid, Herod and the babes Of Bethle-
hem, etc, but today's record of Sen
nacherib's <blasphemy is one of the
worst in Scripture. The conflict is
first seen in Cain and Abel, and from
that on it RACES with more or less Sc
verify and Will until the final outbreak
at the end Of the thousand years Grew.
Xxx, 7-10), after which the devih shall
go to the lake OF Gre forever and the
earth shall rest.
Note the last two verses Of chapter
XXI, and you have the key % Sen
nacherib's work, for although, seem
ingly it was Sepnacherib's th0u Int and
purpose (Xyxii, 1-3), there was a pow
er behind the scene using the king Of
Assyria as his tool. There is a very
clear reference to these unseen adver-
saries in Dan. X, l., 10, 20 Eph. vi, d2,
and, while we have every reason to
praise God that the leader OF the pow
ers OF darkness can only go as far ,as
God permits him dob /, 10; xxxviii, IL;
Jer. V, Do, yet we do well to recognize
the fact that there is such an enemy
and always go fully armed according
to Eph. vi, 1920.
HeZekiah did not make Night OF the
difficulties, yet being strong in the
Lord, he encouraged the people, as in
verses and s. Let Us rest ourselves
on his words, as his people did, for
they are written for us When the ad-
Versary roars and some visible enemy
threatens let us remember more with
us than with him. With Us is the
Lord, our God, to help US and to fight
our battles" Compare Rom. viii, 81.
God for us, who against us? Verses
o to 10 Of our lesson give a summary
and sample of the blasphemy Of this
antichrist.
1t was hard for Hezekiah and his
people to hear the living God so re-
preached, but the people held their
peace and answered not a word, for
the king had so instructed them Oh
Kings xviii, 36; lisa. xXxvi, 2D. They
wore helpless to do anything but pray
and lean upon the Lord and commit
their cause to Him, and this they did.
When our God is reproached there is
a time to do as David with Goliath
and also time to act according to Ps.
Xxxviii, 49, In the present case they
answered not the, wicked words, and,
as to the blasphemous letter. HeZekiah
received it and read It and spread it
before the Lord and prayed GI Kings
xix, Id.
A wiser and better thing he could
not have done. See in Phil. iv, 6, z,
our authority to do likewise and let
us be obedient, FOR lie Will always sec
to His peoples enemies for His great
names sake Consider the prayer Of
Hezekiah QI Kings xix, LID and note
that 1t was not merely for the safety
OF Israel, but that all the Kingdoms of
the earth might know that the God of
Israel was the only living and true
God. Compare Josh. iv, "a; Kings
VIII, 43, GO, and remember that when
this is our aim we may expect to see
great and mighty things for His names
sake.
Hezekiah had q companion with him
in prayer, even the prophet Isaiah
(verse 20), and it is well when two can
be agreed to wait on the Lord together
Matt. xviii, 10). Now see the glorious
answer, ..The Lord sent On angel which
cut of all the mighty men of valor"
(verse 2D, only one angel, and that
night $4,000 died Oh Kings xix, 20).
Behold our mighty God! The time will
come when one angel shall bind the
devil and shut him up and set a seal
upon him Rey. Xxx, 1-3), and as the re-
deemed of the Lord we always have
one Oh. more OF these ministering an
gels who excel IN strength and delight
to do His will (Heb. 1, IA; Ps. ciii. 20,
21) as our constant companions.
Thus the Lord saved HezelSiah (verse
90. The Lord Himself did 1t without
any help from the king or the prophet.
Halleluiah, what n Saviour! Notice
that He saved him from all other enc
mics and guarded them on every side,
and so Hezekiah was magnified in the
sight of all nations, for those who hon
or the Lord He will honor q Sam. ii,
30). It is not without some great pur-
pose that the Spirit has written this
story OF the king and the prophet, their
prayer and the mighty deliyerance
three times in the Scriptures-in Kings
and in Chronicles and I'm Isaiah. lie
would at least have us notice, and lay
IN heart the hatred and boastful bias