The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1911-06-08

LESSON TEXT Chronicles 30.
MEMORY VERSES-1s-20
GOLDEN TEXT--"Man Looketh on the
Outward Appearance, but the Lord Look
eth on the Heart Sam. 1851.
T1ME--Beecher's Dates for the Access
sion Of lothian, Ahaz and Hezekiah are
b. G. 754, 78 and 723 Hoshea becoming
king of Israel in B. G. 726. Hastings
gives the dates as b. c. 749. 7n, TT and
(Hoshea) 730.
PLACE-The temple in Jerusalem.
PROPHETS-Hosea, Micah and Isaiah
Hezekiah was the good son Of bad
father, Ahaz; and Ahaz was the bad
son Of good father Jotham; and
after the good Hezekiah came his bad
son, Manasseh. But there must have
been reasons back of these seeming
contradictions. In Hezekiahs case
one may have been his mother, Abijah
the daughter (or granddaughter OF
Zechariah. Twenty-nine Zechariahs
are mentioned in the Bible. This was
not the author OF 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 ap-
proval is the only wise goal for king,
a president or the humblest citizen.
IL is the fatal defect in most forms OF
government that this overrule 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, It's lamps out, It's affairs cold, its
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 frank and noble address de-
clared his conviction that all the ma
tonal woes had their origin in neg
lect of the worship of Jehovah, and
his determination to make a new COW
enant with the Lord. Then he bade
them, as their first task. TO cleanse
the Temple thoroughly.
The Second Step the Worship and
Praise.-Thus far the priests and Le-
vites alone had been purified. Now
the royal house and the people were
to be formally reconciled to Jehovah.
How was this done? Hezekiah gath
cred the chief men Of Jerusalem, who
brought bullocks, lambs, rams, and he
goats for 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 burnt 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 q
reign that this Offering and those that
followed we're not made for judah
alone, but for the Northern Kingdom
as we'll
The Third Step, the Wide Invi
tation.-What was the next step in
national feast OF remembrance OF
Gods goodness, the passover. This
should have been celebrated In the
first month OF the year, Nisan, CORE
spending TO our April; but because
not enough OF the priests had been
purified and because OF the time re
quired TO gather the people, II was de
old hat hA wa nh hs
postponement to the next month. Iyai
or May. AS the reform had widened
from Hezekiah to the priests and lie
Ttes, then to the chief men OF Jeru
salem, then to the whole oongrega
tion of citizens, the next step was tt
extend Il to the entire nation. from
Beer-sheba, even to Dan.
The Fourth Step Is the Grea
PassoveS.-What further publication
was needed before the passover coult
be celebrated? Jerusalem was full Of
heather altars "in every corner" and
these were torn down and the frag
ments cast into the Kidron.
The Fifth Step is the Generous
Giving-What other illustration ol
their zeal did the people give wher
the passover was completely Theii
new ardor for Jehovah blazed out In &
burning indignation against the fou
idols which they had been worshiping
It was as when Peter the Hermit
aroused whole multitudes 20 the wild
est enthusiasm for the rescue OF the
Holy Sepuloher, or even the doul
Scotch Lowlander blazed up like al
excitable Celt at the initiative OF Jen
ny Geddes. How much more thes,
fiery Orientals? Jerusalem had beeI
freed from idols; why should tn,
country districts still be polluted 2
Thus the people swept like a noot
over Judah and Benjamin and tn,
neighboring Ephriam and Manasseh
They broke the heathen "images'' ol
pillars, cut down the groves" or pole,
set up as symbols OF the liceptioul
Asherah, and overthrow the idolatroui
hill sanctuaries and their affairs.
RaformR Inuat be thorOuRh ~ thA,