The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1905-08-11
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
LESSON WI. THIRD QUARTER. INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, AUG. IS.
Text Of the Lesson, ii Chron. xxxiv'
14-2s - Memory Verse, "a = Golden
Text. Ps. cxix, I6-COo mentary Pre-
pared by Rev. ID. M. stearns.

pared by Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
copyright. 1905. by American Press Association
The money gathered to repair the
house of the Lord recalls the method
adopted to obtain money In the days Of
King Jehoash and the priest Jehoiada-
a chest beside the altar. with a hole In
the lid OF 1t, and IL worked splendidly
and brought in much money. doubt
not but that proper appreciation or
the altar Qhe cross OF Christi today
would bring an abundance for the
Lords house have seen box with
| a hole In the lid TO receive thank 01er-
ings from grateful hearts to help give
| the gospel to the heather and thus aid
In completing the house-the church
accomplish great things. But l have
seen similar box placed to receive Of
ferings for other purposes accomplish
next to nothing. Each Of these boxes
was in a church, but the altar and the
object made all the difference. When
the love Of Christ constrains there Is no
lack.
When any one does the best he
knows for God, as Josiah was evident
! ly doing. God will find way to reveal
Himself more fully to such a one, and
in this case He caused the priest Hill
kiah to find the book of the law, which
some think was the original book Of
which we read in Deut XXI, 24-26.
! The priest gave the book to the scribe.
who read ii and then took ii TO the
king and read 1t to him. with the result
that the king when he heard IL rent his
clothes in token OF his acceptance of
and submission TO the message and his
grief that the law had been so set at
naught.
The king at once sends for further
light to one who Is qualified to ex-
plain the law more fully, and Huldah.
the prophecies, who dwelt in Jerusa
! lem, Is consulted Verse 22). jeremiah
had at this time been prophet about
five years compare verse 8 and Jer.
| |, /, p, and why he was not consulted
| do not know unless ii happened that
| he was at his home In AnathOth and
Huldah was right there In Jerusalem
and the matter required Immediate
light There were doubtless many
men Of influence and importance In Je-
rusalem, but some one has said that
woman knowing Gods will is far su-
perior to a man who doesn't.
Josiah had heard the curses OF Deut.
xviii. 1920: XXX, II. IS, etc. and knew
that the wrath Of God was hanging
over them because OF the sins Of the
nation and now earnestly desired de-
| D., hi
such could be obtained. The word Of
God Is very plain concerning every IN
believer that the wrath Of God Is upon
him John iii, IL. SO; Gal Iii, 10; Jas.
II, 1O), but how few seem to believe II
or tremble at the word Of God as King
Josiah did Yet only with such as
tremble at His word does God dwell
0sa. Wi, -; Xvi. 2. -. A good prac-
teal word for many today Is found I'm
Job xxxvi, 10, Because there is wrath
beware lest He take. thee away with
His stroke; then a great ramson can
not deliver thee
The prophecies has no answer from
herself. as many seem now to have, but
she has Thus saith the Lord God of
Israel oversees %. pa. the New Tesla
ment equivalent Of which Is. verify l
say unto you" Happy indeed are all
who receive such messages meekly and
proceed promptly to give heed to them.
God said to Moses concerning Christ,
II will put my words in His mouth.
and He shall speak unto them all that
shall command Him" Oeut. xviii,
49, He said the same thing to Jere
miah concerning Himself In Jer. |, 10,
and believers now can trust Him to
fulfill to them His word to Moses.
Now therefore go, and l will be with
thy mouth and teach thee what thou
shalt say" (Ex. iv, 10, provided that
they have His message in them.
The Lords message as given In the
rest Of the lesson hal no comfort for
the persistently rebellious; Vt never
has. But there was much comfort for
Josiah and for all who would turn to
the Lord with him. and therefore JOSH
an sought to turn the people to God
that they might escape the impending
judgments, and many Gid turn to the
Lord with him. as we read in verses
81, 30. Gods aim is always to bring
men 10 repentance llldl lltN may not
perish Oh Pet. iii. %. and this Is seen
in the last awful judgments of the
great tribulation where we read again
and again that they repented not (Rev.
TX, 20, 21: xvi, ., IL.
Josiah In that same year kept the
greatest passover that had been kept
since the days of Samuel (xxxv. 1S, 19.
but the revival was only temporary.
The hearts of the people were away
from God, and the time came when
even such men as Moses and Samuel
or Noah, Daniel and Job could not de
liver the nation by their righteousness
or their interreSsi)n der. XIV, 1: Eek.
xiv. Ia. COnsiGC" In Job xxxiiI. 1870
how God labors u deliver man from
the pit, and let Us De encouraged to per
severe by John vi. 81. Then when we
have lovingly AMI patiently done all.
IL men will not repent, we have delIv-
cred our own souls CEZek. xxxil. ~.
The manner OF Josiah's death (xxxv.
% 24) has in II something very sug-
gestive and searching. 1t was the will
Of Cod that no slnuIJ Jia ,o.ooe,.tpx.