The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-06-01
HEZEKIAH'S
GREAT PASSOVER
Sunday School Lesson fer June II. 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TExT-a Chronicles 70.


GOLDEN TExT-"Man Looketh on the
Outward Appearance. but the Lord Look
eth on the Hearth Sam. 1871
TIME-Beecher's Dates for tho Access
sion Of Jotham Ahaz and Hezekiah are
H. G. 7s4. 73s and ia. Hoshea becoming
king Of Israel In d. c. 10, Hastings
gives the dates as Is. c. u.s. Ti. III and
tIosheaD 40.
PLACE-The temple In Jerusalem.
PROPIiETS-Hosea. Micah and Isaiah.
Hezekiah was the good son of bad
father. Ahaz: and Ahaz was the bad
son OF good father. lothian; and
after the good Hezekiah came his bad
son. Manssseh. But there must have
been reasons back of these seeming
contradictions. In Hezekiah's case
one may have been his mother. Abijah
the daughter Tor granddaughter OF
Zechariah. Twenty-nine Zechariahs
are mentioned IN the Bible. This was
not the author 6f the book OF proph-
ecy. but may have been the prophet
who had SO much influence over King
Uzziah.
Hezekiah did that which was right
In the eyes OF the Lord Gods APP
prevail is the only wise goal for king.
a president or the humblest citizen.
II Is the fatal defect In most forms Of
government that this over-rule Of God
Is ignored
Hezekiah began his reign by doing
the thing that plainly needed most
to be done first He found the Tenn
pie. the sacred meeting place Of God
and man. with its doors closed by
Ahaz. Its lamps out, its affairs cold, It's
floors and hangings covered with dust
and dirt. Therefore the young king
summoned the priests and Levites to
the court on the east OF the Temple
opposite the closed porch or entrance.
and In a frank and noble address de-
clared his conviction that all the ma
tonal woes had their origin In a neg.
lect OF the worship Of Jehovah. and
his determination to make = new COW
enant with the Lord. Then he babe
them. as their FIRST task. to cleanse
the Temple thoroughly.
The Second Step the Worship and
Praise.-Thus far the priests and Lee
vites alone had been purified. Now
the royal house and the people were
to be formally reconciled to Jehovah.
How was this donef Hezekiah gath
cred the chief men OF Jerusalem. who
brought bullocks lambs. rams. and he
goats for a sin Offering. seven Of each.
The city rulers laid their hands upon
the animals, thus Identifying them
selves with them. Then the priests
killed the animals and sprinkled their
blood before the veil In the Holy
Place and upon the altar Of incense.
pouring out the remainder at the
base OF the altar OF tarnt offerings in
the court before the Temple. The fat
Of the offerings was burned on the
altar OF burnt offerings. and the flesh
was afterwards eaten by the priests.
II was a mark OF the new national
feeling that arose during Hezekiah's
reign that this Offering and those that
followed we're not made for Judah
alone. but for the Northern Kingdom
as well
The Third Step. the Wide Invi.
tation.-What was the next step In
the great reform7 The holding OF the
national feast OF remembrance OF
Gods goodness, the passover. This
should have been celebrated In the
first month OF the year. Nissan. CORE
spending to our April: but because
not enough OF the priests lad been
purified and because OF the time re-
quired TO gather the people. II was de-
cided that the exlgency warranted the
postponement to the next month. Iyar
or May. AS the reform had widened
from Hezekiah to the priests and Le-
vites. then to the chief men OF Jeru-
salem, then to the whole congrega,
tion OF citizens. the next step was to
extend 1t TO the entire nation. from
Beer-sheba. even to Dan.
Thu Fourth Step IL the Great
Passover.-What further publication
was needed before the passover could
be celebrated: Jerusalem was full Of
heather affairs I'm every corner" and
these we're torn down and the frag-
ments cast into the Kidron.
nv oNtF 30 Aho 1thtiouo
Giving. What other illustration of
their zeal did the people give when
the passover was completed? Their
new ardor for Jehovah blazed out In q
burning indignation against the foul
idols which they had been worshiping.
II was as when Peter the Hermit
aroused whole multitudes to the wild.
est enthusiasm for the rescue OF the
Holy Sepulcher. or even the dour
Scotch Lowlander blazed up like an
excitable Celt at the initiative OF Jen-
ny Geddes. How much more these
fiery Orientals? Jerusalem had been
freed from idols; why should the
country districts still be polluted;"
Thus the people swept like food
over Judah and BENJAMIN and the
neighborlng Ephriam and Manasseh.
They broke the heather images or
pillars. cut down the groves" or poles
set mp as symbols OF tho licentious
Asherah, and overthrow the idolatrous
hill sanctuaries and their affairs.
Reforms must be thorough. II they
are 10 be permanent.
What was the last stsV In Hero
kiah's reform' The step which ever,
reform must take before II IL com.