The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-06-07
Sunday School Column
Side Lights on Next Sundays Les
son for Teachers and Pupils
Bv CHAS. K. MEYERS

BV CHAS. X. MEYERS
omcsrs Of the Crawford County Sunday
School Association.
President. Rev. J. J. DePree. Denison
V.-Pres. Herman Logsdon. Dow City
Treasurer. -. Sears McHenry. Denisoh
Department Secretaries.
House Visitation NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS..
.......... Mrs. w. 3. Evans. Arion
Primary. Mrs. r. P. Plimpton. Denison
Ss.o" MRS. j. 3. Giiasssburrner. Arion
s .....Prof. ". G. YANKEES. Denison
Temperance. Rev. c. E. LaReau. Denison
~ Mrs. A. H. Harper. Dow City
Executive Committee-F.. L.. Hoffman,
Denison; +. L. VanSlTTke, Manila; N: F.:
S Stlso John Ar Vennie West 'a side Frank
Woolston Boyer.
June II. Hezekiah's Great Pass
over.-2 Chron. 80.
Despite the warnings OF Hosea, as
related in our last lesson. and Of
Isaiah, as learned about before, the
Jews, both in the northern and the
southern kingdoms; grew worse and
worse. Finally the blow fell, on the
north kingdom and the people We're
captured and scattered abroad, never
to come together again as nation.
This destruction is often referred to
in connection with the ''lost ten tribes
of Israel" The great temple at Je-
rusalem deserted, the rooms accumu-
lating dirt and filth, idolatry rampant,
was the condition of things in the
south kingdom, yet God had given a
promise that faithful seed should
remain there, which would keep the
faith of the fathers from utterly dying
out.
About 72O years before the birth Of
Christ there came to the kingship at
Jerusalem a young man named Heze-
kiah. He had the right spirit in him.,
and determined to seek the true God
ullllScll anu " nave PSopAS Wv
likewise. He set about with energy in
the matter. The priests and Levites
were gathered together and told to
clean up the temple, and purify it for
service. 1t was an immense under
taking and the laborers were few, as
none but those specially pointed out
in the law of Moses could handle the
holy things.
With putting the temple in shape
for true worship, there came the in
spired thought to Hezekiah to make
a general CALL not only among his
own people, but those of the northern
kingdom yet remaining to gather and
celebrate the Passover" 1t is not
necessary here to tell at length as to
what doing this meant. All will re-
member the awful night just before
the Jews left Egyptian captivity and
how each family killed lamb and put
some of the blood on the door post so
that the death angel might passover
that home. 1t was then ordained that
every year good Jews should celebrate
the event To remember it now would
mean an acknowledgement of Jehovah,
humbling before Him. The king sent
out strong message from Dan to
Beersheba, or from north to south call
ing on the Jews to rally and celebrate
the great event as in the old days and
to renew the ancient religion. The
mass of the Jews in the north kingdom
laughed and Knocked, but some came
and most of the inhabitants of the
kingdom of Judah and Benjamin
gathered.
There was what is called in our
day "a great revival of religion" The
people came in great numbers and
such was the multitude that all could
rot purify themselves as the cere-
monial law demanded. Thereupon
Hezekiah made prayer to Jehovah
which is the great central thought Of
the lesson of today. Here it is:
The good Lord pardon every
one that prepareth his heart to
seek God, the Lord God of his
fathers, though he be not
cleansed according to the purifi-
cation of the sanctuary"
The bible record adds "the Lord
hardened and healed the people"