Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-05-02
\ slaWTE$EfamENT VsrsESH
M IBRWMIYN d
|f1|ABE IL
| Ut BIBLE. STUDIES.
pride GcETH BEFORE DEs-
TRUCTION. .
11 clronloles eG:N-e1-May I

A great and prosperous king in Je-
rusalem was UZziah. He made Il
good beginning, was reverential to-
ward God and pat his capital and the
| remainder of bis kingdom into a good
| condition for defense against enemies.
When thinking of the wars OF Israel
We are to remember that this nation
| for a time represented Gods rule in
the earth in a sense that no other ma
| ton ever did. either before or after
| them.
Israefs kings were anointed by Di-
vine commission and authority as
We're no other kings. and they were
said to "sit upon the Throne Of the
Kingdom of the Lord as no other
kings before or since have held do
minion. Theirs was not. however. the
Kingdom of God for Which we pray,
Thy Kingdom come thy will be done
on EARTH" but merely a preparatory
arrangement with tic typical Israel
ties.
He Shall Reien For Thousand Years.
Gods Kingdom viii really come to
earth after Messiah shall establish it,
For a thousand years He shall reign
to uplift the humble and to bless all
who seek rghteousncss and to punish
and correct others and finally to de-
stroN the incorrigibie in the Second
Death. 1T was. therefore, quite in line
with the arrangements of that time
that the kings of Israel and Judah
should foltify and strengthen them
selves and defend the land which God
had specially given to their nation.
The truthfulness of our text was IL
lustrated in King Uzziah when his
fame had spread abroad and he began
to feel his greatness. Pride came in:
he forgot that he was merely tne
Lords representative in the kingdom.
Having accomplished great things
from a political and military stand
PORT, Czziah essayed to a religious
distinction. He evidently felt that
God was proud of him and would be
very pleased to have him enter the
temple after the manner of the priests
and offer incense at the Golden Altar
He knew Of the rules governing Die
temple and its service, bat considered
himself above them. He would go d.
rect to God and not recognize the
priest.
But One WAY of Approach to God.
Many successful people fall into the
same error of supposing that their
success in business or in politics. their
brilliancy of mind. or their polish Of
education are the only requisites in
TIE sight OF jehovah They feel that
IL they so to Church and acknowledge
God. God should be very proud to havt
them and, of course, should give them
the first place in everything. This is
mistake. The great King Eternal.
The Lofty one that nhabiteth Eter-
nifty has rules and regulations gov
erning ali attempts to approach Him
There is the ore way of approach and
no other
OH says one-'I see. You wish
us to understand that the laity have
no access To God. that they must come
through the clergy. even as King u
ziah should have approached God
through Israel's High Priest But
deny that the clergy are any more
than other mortals. I claim thar
many of them are less brilliant OF
mind than myself; that many of them
are less educated. and others totally
devoid of business sense. aGmit
that it may be we'll enough for the
common people to approach God
through the clergy. bur whenever /
approach l DO SO ON the strength OF
my own personal intelligence and with
the realization that the Almighty is
glad to have me Gene 10 Him. When
1 pay often SAL. co.'s. i.or1. ] tEaat
thee iasat / ara MT as other men, n
The Melchisedek Priest.
Ne. friend. that is not our thought
rot the Bible thought, nat the lesson
we should draw from the Scriptures
under consideration. We must admit
that there is no Scriptural authority
for clerical class in the Church of
Christ unless it be the twelve Apos-
ties, ST. Paul taking the place Of Ju
Gas. Those twelve Seripturally r,nf
as iicrarchy-th the special mouthpitte;
OF the Great Teacher. We are not IN
timating that the soul DESTROYS of APP
preaching God must come through
the clergy of any denomination; we do
emphasize, nevertheless, that there is
but the one way of approaching God
and that is by and through the Great
Advocate whom He has appointed for
us-"Jcsus Christ the Righteous "a
Priest for the Age, after the order of
Melehisedek" (Heb. SGD: NO man
cometh unto the Father but By me"
was his message; There is none other
name under heaven or amongst men
whereby We must be saved" (Acts
i:12), is the Apostles message.
AS King Uaziah knew of the Divine
arrangement, that his prayers as in
cense. could be offered TO the Al
mighty on the Golden Altar" only hy
the priest, so those who now have
come to a realization of the fact that
Jesus is the great antitypieal Priest
through whom communication with the
Father has been opened UP would