The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-07-12

......Mrs. j. B. Glassburner. Ariol
s1 ..pr 1as ". G. vanNess. Denise,
Temperance, Rev. c. E. LaReau. Denise,
$3.50. MRS. a. II. Harper. Dow Cit,
Executive Committee: L. Hoffman
Stillson, Arion: c. il. Stark, Charter
Oak, John vennick West Side; Franz
July 16.-Manasseh's Wickedness
and Repentance hron. SO. i-20.
Then Manasseh knew that the Lord
He was Cod" This is the very last
sentence of the lesson today, but II
stands out as the leading thought fol
our consideration. With this for q
start let us see how King Manasseh
had impressed on his heart this all
important thought.
We are studying today about the
Kingdom of Judah whose capital was
at Jerusalem. The last king we heard
of was Hezeikah, who was good
ruler, and brought about the observ-
ance of the Passover, and who was so
energetic in upholding the true re.
ligion of Jehovah. He was succeeded
by his son, Manasseh, who turned out
to- be one of the worst kings who had
been at the head of affairs. He was
simply "the limit" in his leadership of
the people into the worst of idOlatry.
He violated the purity of the great
temple by erecting heather affairs in
its courts. He set up carved image
in the house of God. and the record
says, made the people even worse than
the heather living about them.
Now this was not done without re-
peated warnings from God. The bible
says "The Lord spake to Manasseh and
his people, but they would not heark-
en- None will be surprised at what
then happened, for there was but one
thing to be done to such king, such
a people then, and such people now.
Severe punishment came, in the form
of the capture of the city of Jerusa-
lem by the king of Assyria. AS for
the infamous king he was bound and
his nose pierced by a thorn, and q
ring put through the hole and he was
led about as a farmer leads vicious
animal. Then, like the prodigal son
told of in the New Testament, the
king came to see his true position,
he humbled himself, besought God for
mercy. His prayer was answered and
in time he was again king over Jerus-
alem. In the light of this experience
King Manasseh "Knew that the Lord
He was God"
Blessed indeed are those who do
not have to go through sin, degreda-
ton, shame, rebellion against the
bible religion to find that the Lord is
God" The king in question found this
out before death, and was allowed to
repent and try his hand at undoing
the great evil he had done. But thou
sands in the bible history, and today,
seemingly have to find this after
death comes to them.
Towering over all history both bible
and secular can be read in words of
living light, "The Lord He is Cod" We
feel sure we see this in the history OF
our country, in the founding OF the
government on principles based on
the liberty of conscience taught in the
bible religion; in the preservation of
our national life, in the terrible civil
war which scourged the South for the
atrocities of slavery and the North
for allowing the curse to exist through
the years since it was recognized in
the constitution. We feel that the
hand of God was with the North in its
efforts to see that government by the
people and for the people was not
shown a failure by the hands of the
misguided South.
What comes closest to u.s., however.
is the fact that each reader must face
the question of whether he or she is
ready to shape their lives along the
good and righteous lines of acknowl-
edging the right of God to rule in their
hearts, or whether the opposite course
is to be taken, and God defied, until
crushing defeats, unhappiness. smit-
ings of conscience compel the rec
ord to be written, "Then John, Mary,
father, mother, knew that the Lord,
He was Cod" 1t is needless to say
that in the light of experience the only
right way is to love God at all times.
The history of Manasseh shows the
mercy of God, in that he was given
a chance to repent, and his repentance
accepted. The bible states as to the
king that he did his best to undo the
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