The Bossier banner., 1911-05-04
SUNDAY s. SCHOOL.
lesson W.-Second Quarter, For
May 7, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

The INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text of the Lesson, II chron. XVI, 8-21.
Memory Verses, 10, 2o-Golden Text,
Prov. xvi, 1e-Commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. m. Stearns.
As we consider the lives OF these |
kings of Judah we must remember that
the throne at Jerusalem is called the
throne Of the Lord, and those Whe
reigned there were kings for the LORD
their God q Chron. xxx, %; IL enron.
tx. g.. There were eight kings OF
whom it is written that they did right
in the sight of the Lord" and this "
.iah. or Azariah. was one of the eight
(verse 4: II Kings xv. 1-3,. But they
only did right in some measure. some
more. some less. and all failed in many
things. The time is still future when
the twelve tribes shall be one king
dom and king sitting on the throne
of David at Jerusalem who shall reign
in righteousness. bringing peace. quiet
ness and assurance to all His people
and to all the world (Ezek. xxxvii. q.
q; Isa. xxxii. l. 10.
But it shall he, for the mouth OF the
Lord hath spoken it. They shall call
Jerusalem the throne Of the Lord. and
all the nations shall be gathered unto
1t. to the name of the Lord. to Jerusa-
lem'' (Jer. iii. 10. At that day it shal
be said The King of Israel. even Je
boyah. is in the midst of thee; thou
shalt not see evil any more" (Zeph. iii.
l5,. And Jehovah shall be king over
all the earth" (Zech. xiv. 81. In those
days the kingdom and nation that will
not serve Israel shall perish and be Ut
terly wasted lisa. IL. 12). Although
Uzziah reigned ffty-two years. his
whole story is found In this one lesson
chapter and in the first seven verses
of II Kings xv In his days Isaiah and
Amos were the prophets. the Lord
messengers lisa. /. l; Amos |, ID. fui.
of rebuke for sin. but also of preuic-
ton Of a glorious future for Israel
Every good king should turn our
thoughts to the Son of God. the King
of Israel John i. 49), and their failures
set Him forth more brightly as the one
who will never fail nor be discouraged.
Uzziah seems to have been greatly
helped by a prophet named Zechariah.
who had visions Of God (verse 5)-not
the one who wrote 1.-The book bearing
his name. for he lived after the cap
tivity. nor the one of II Chron. xiv.
20, u. who was stoned to death for
his faithfulness. 1t is a great thing to
see God. and this we can do in Jesus
Christ. who said HE that hath seen
Me hath seen the Father" John xiv.
81. We can by the Spirit behold the
glory of God in the face Of Jesus Christ
I'll Cor. iv. 4. g.. and thus we shall be
enabled to help others to see Him, too.
and know Him. While this prophet
helped him he sought the Lord. and
God made him to prosper (verse 81.
He seems to have been prospered
through most Of his reign. God helped
him against his enemies. other nations
brought gifts to him, and his name
spread abroad verses Z, 8. Thus God
| honors those who honor Him. 1t was
so during part of the reign of Solomon
when the queen Of Sheba and all kings
OF the earth sought him and brought
him gifts Ul Chron. ix. 8. 8. 22-24,. So
it shall be In an Unprecedented degree
when Jesus Christ shall be King in
Jerusalem. Then shall all nations.
like the wise men from the east bring
| their treasures unto Him lisa. TX. 9-ln.
Uzziah was SO greatly blessed that
| he became self sufficient, strong in
himself instead Of in the Lord. and
then he fell. He presumed to take
upon him the Office of Il priest and to
| burn incense in the house of God. and
the Lord smote him with leprosy, and
he became Il leper unto the day Of his
death and had to live in Il separate
house. The only King of Israel who
will be priest upon his throne will be
the man whose name is the Branch
| (Zecb. vi. IL. 13). He will be Il priest
| forever after the order of Malchizedek
who was both priest and king (Gen
xiv. IS; Ps. cx, 4: Heb. vii. l. ~.
II we are redeemed we are kings and
priests unto God and shall reign with
Christ when He reigns Rev. i. 6: Y. ..
| 1O,. Back of this sin Of UzZiah it is
not difficult to see the great adversary
who said Il will be like the Most
High" and who said to Eve. 'Ye shall
be- rs gods" Qsa. xiv. IA: Gen. iii. 81.
Hun. ility. not pride, is the characters
tic of Il true child of God, realizing that
we are not sufficient of ourselves to
think anything as of ourselves. but our
sutficiency is Of God Oil Cor. iii. 81. The
only way for us is to be strong in the
Lord and in the power of His might
having no confidence in ourselves. for
In us-that is. in our fesh-dwelie.h h
no good thing (Eph. vi. 10: Phil iii. 3.
Rom. vii. 49,. We have great High
Priest who is touched with feeling
| of our infirmities and who is able to
save to the uttermost all of those who
come unto God by Him.
Let us rejoice in Him and serve
Him with all humility. remembering to
do justly. we mercy and walk hum
bly, with our God. All self righteous,
ness. self sufficiency. pride and ambi-
tion to be somebody or something apart