The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1905-07-29

even in the house of God" dedicated
10 all pure and ennobling thoughts.
vi which God had said" The words
winch follow are not a quotation from
recorded promises, but concentration
OF the general spirit Of the promises
attaching to the Temple, expressed by
lhe writer In his own words Cook.
see Sam 7:1O-13, 25-29; / Kings
o'2s; 1893; Psa. 1928, IA.
g. so that they will take heed to
do' etc. r. ", IF only they viii
observe to do" Gods promise of per-
manence for the nation was condl.
TONED upon their obedience; and when
they were so grossly unfaithful is was
they' not he, that broke the covenant.
Third Step.-The Corruption Of the
Nation. g. 80 Manasseh made Judah
to err" GAS was natural, the
example of the court proved conta-
slous, and during the long reign OF
Manasseh idolatry in all manner of
varied forms took a hold upon tie
Jewish people such as had never been
known before. Where the people with
stood this insidious contagion recourse
was had to violence and persecution.
"Manasseh shed innocent blood very
much, till he had filled Jerusalem from
one end to another e Kings 21:16).
Fourth Step.-The Defiance Of God.
10. "And the LORD spake to Manas-
sch" by his servants the prophets"
is added in 2 Kings 21:i0. Isaiah may
have been one of these, as there is
Jewish tradition that he was sawn
asunder by Manasseh. The substance
of these prophecies Is given in Kings
2l;ll-l5. In consequence of Manas-
seh's crimes, God would bring upon
Jerusalem such evil as would "cause
both the ears Of him that heard It to
tingle,' and he would wipe out Jeru-
salem "as man wipeth a dish. wiping
and turning 1t upside down" And to
his people" Who had become thor
oughly involved in the kings sins.
But they would not hearken."
III. Manasseh's Deserved Punish
ment.-y H. 1t is not known just
when Manasseh was made to pay the
penalty OF his sins, but 1t must have
been after many years of idolatry.
II. "The LORD brought upon them
Assyria." Judah was not in
dependent of Assyria. but was at least
nominally tributary to it. Assurbani-
pal, who ascended the Assyrian throne
In 66S b. c.. led more than one expedi-
ton into Egypt. which was continually
restless under the Assyrian yoke. 1t
was possibly on one of these occa-
sions that Manasseh was carried in
chains as hostage to Babylon
Ottley. Which took Manasseh among
the thorns" r. ", in chains" mar
gin, with hooks" "Assyrian kings
sometimes thrust a hook into the nos
trils OF their captiyes. and so led them
about The practice is illustrated on
many Assyrian reliefs in the British
Museum. Cambridge Bible. And
bound him with fetters.' "Of bronze
as the Hebrew implies; literally, OF
double bronze. /. e.. on feet and hands.
Wood. And carried him to Baby
lon" "As a rule. the lot of con
quered vassal at the Assyrian court
was horrible. "-Farrar. Manasseh had
a fine opportunity to observe in its
perfection the idolatry he had foolish
ly initiated, and experience in his own
person It's fruits OF cruelty. No won
der he came to loathe IL.
". Manassehs Repentance and Res
toration--vs. 12. 10. That in such
circumstances the son Of Hezekiah
with the remembrance OF the divine
deliverance of his father in his mind
should have recognized the folly anc
guilt OF his conduct, humbled himself
and prayed unto the Lord-seems Sc
natural as scarcely to require confirm
alton. "-Edersheim.
12. And when he was in affiiction
he besought the LORD" To this enc
the affliction was sent And humbleC
himself greatly His after conduc
shows that he was truly penitent.
/ 10. He was intreated Of him" 4
conspicuous proof that God loves t
hear and answer prayer II he would
answer the prayer of Manasseh, NJ
will answer any sincere prayer. HI
does il always in the best way TO
the one who prays; sometimes by max
irg the sorrow complete its goo'
work: sometimes, as here, by deliver
ing from the sorrow And brough
him again to Jerusalem" We do nc
know what influenced the AssyriaI
monarch to restore his captive. "Sucl
pardon from a king of Assyria wa
rare. but not unparalleled. Pharaol
Necho l. was taken in chains to Nine
veh and afterwards set free, Far
rar.
V. The Fruits of Repentance. VS.
1925. After his restoration, Manassel
"lIved like a penitent and a patriot.
So far as he could he undid the mis-
chief Of his idolatry, destroying hi
idols and cleansing the temple o
heather denominations. He restore'
the services of true religion. He Is
sued his positive command that tn
people should follow his example
But. alasl itis easy to cut down
tree. but hard to grow another Tn
neople had learned to love their idols
rios They could not bring themselve