Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-06-07
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson M.-Second Quarter, For
June II, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, u Chren. xxx, 13-
27-Memory Verses, s-2o-Golds~
Text, Sam. xvi, documentary

''the strength of jehovah" was one OF
the best kings that reigned over the
kingdom of Judah In the sixth year
of his reign the king OF Assyria car
ried the ten tribes into captivity. as
we shall learn more fully in next
weeks lesson I'll Kings xix, 1912.
The king of Assyria threatened to do
to Judah as he had done to Israel and
wrote a blasphemous letter which
Hezekiah spread before the Lord. and
he and the prophet Isaiah prayed and
cried to heaven. and the Lord sent an
angel who smote in one night $4,000
OF the Assyrian army Oh Kings xix,
80; III Chron. xxi, 1920.
Ahaz, the father of Hezekiah, had
done very wickedly. He worshiped
other gods, cut in pieces the vessels OF
the house Of God, shut up the doors of
the house OF the Lord and made him
affairs in every corner of Jerusalem
and In the cities of Judah. Therefore
the Lord did bring Judah low because
OF him Oh Chron. xviii, 1929.
Hezekiah in the first month OF the
first year of his reign opened the doors
OF the house of the Lord and repaired
them and set the priests and Levites
at work to cleanse the temple, which
they did in sixteen days. Then they
offered sin offerings unto the Lord for
all Israel, and burnt offerings. and
thank offerings, and worshiped the
Lord with gladness. 80 the service
Of the house OF the Lord was set in
order. and Hezekiah rejoiced, and all
the people, that God had prepared the
people, for the thing was done sud-
denly" chapter xix, 8, II. "a, 81. 81,
S6).
The regular time to keep the Pass
over in the first month being past be-
cause Of the time 1t took to cleanse
the temple, 1t was determined TO keep
1t in the second month, as was per-
mitted in the law (Num. TX, Old.
Proclamation was therefore made
throughout all Israel from Dan to
Beersheba that they should come to
keep the Passover unto the Lord God
OF Israel at Jerusalem, for II was a
long time since the feast had been
kept oversees 10. The last OF which
we have record was in the days Of
Joshua, when at Gilgal they kept 1t
upon entering the land Gosh. V, 10.
Before that there is a record of only
two Passovers, one in Egypt and one a
year later at Sinai
After the time of our lesson we have
only a record of two more In the Old
Testament, the great bne of Josiah
and the one in the days of Ezra at
the dedication of the temple after the
return from Babylon Oh Chron. xxxv,
IS; Ez. vi, 1920. We can scarcely
think that these were the only Pass
overs kept, but these six are the only
ones recorded. If we include the one
that the Lord Jesus so greatly desired
to keep with his disciples duke XIII,
then we have record Of just seven
great PussOvers. or the lessons for
our own souls let us never forget the
words, when / see the blood 1 will
pass over you" 1t was not the blood
and something else, but simply and
only the applied blood Of the slain
lamb that gave safety. See Lev. xvii,
IL; Heb. tx, %; Rev. 1, 5, 6; V, 0. 10;
vii, Il; Eph. /, Z.
Nothing can by any means add to
the safety which is ours in Christ Je-
sus, but because of it may the Lord
grant us great appetite for the Lamb,
and as He lived by the Father may
we, eating Him, live by Him John vi,
80. This call to all Israel to turn to
the Lord might truly be spoken of as
last call to the ten tribes, for six
years later they were carried captive
by the king of Assyria. AS the posts
passed from city to city through
Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Ze-
bulun, some laughed them to scorn
and Knocked them, but some humbled
themselves and came to Jerusalem
oversees 10, ID. Verse IL seems to
teach that God can bless only those
who are willing that He should lay His
hand upon them for good.
Until He shall come again in power
and glory we cannot expect anything
different from Acts xviii, "a, Some
believed, and some believed not"
Wheat and tares will grow together
until the end of the age. Notwith-
! standing the rebellious ones very
great congregation assembled at Jeru-
salem to keep the Passover (verse 49,
They cleansed the city Of idolators
and killed the Passover and kept the
feast not only for seven days, but so
great was their Joy because they had
truly turned to the Lord and He had
so blessed them that they kept the
feast for another seven days. There
was greater Joy in Jerusalem than had
been since the days of Solomon.
Hezekiah spake comfortably or to
the heart Of all the Levites that taught
the good knowledge Of the Lord Verse
| %, margin). and so he was greatly used