The Denver star., 1915-10-30
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Lesson W.-Fourth Quar:,r. For
Nov. !, 1915

Nov. ], 1915
Text Of the Lesson, u Kings xii, 4-15
Memory Vsrsss Golden Text, u
Cor. tx, 7-commsntary Prepared by
Rev. o. NJ. stsarns.
Among the many things l do not yet
know there is this-why we should
know the names OF some mothers and
not know the name of Davids mother
and some others. Both in our lesson
chapter and in Chronicles we are told
that the mother Of Joash was Zibiah
OF Beersheba. Now, the meaning of
Beersheba is "the well of the oath"
and always suggests the faithfulness
Of God Gen. xxi. 81, margiD. 1t was
at Beersheba that Abraham dwelt
when lie went to Moriah with Isaac to
offer him up, and to that home he
brought him back as alive from the
dead Gen. xii, 1-19). So l am re
minded that all blessing depends upon
Jesus Christ 1t was a good thing for
Joash that he had such friend as Je-
hoiada the priest, who must have been
n remarkable man in many ways, hv-
ing to be 1870 years of age, SO he must
have been 100 or nearly SO when he
caused Joash to be proclaimed king,
Just about 100 years after the death
Of Solomon.
Joash did right In the sight OF the
Lord as long Us he had Jehoiada for
counselor. but the people still sacrificed
and burnt incense In high places
Verses 2, 3: ii Chron. xiv, ., -. We
cannot think OF Israel (whether the ten
tribes or the two or the twelve) being
right with God apart from a right re-
lation to the tabernacle or temple, Tor
those buildings stood for God in their
midst CEx. XIV, 8; Kings vi. II. 49,.
So we read that Joash was minded to
repair the house Of the Lord, which
Athnliah, that wicked woman, had
broken up QI Chron. xiv, 4. .. The
great fact about the Lord Jesus, the
true tabernacle and temple, was that
He was God manifest in the flesh, God
was In Christ. The church, the body
of Christ now being builded, is wholly
for God. Each individual believer is
q temple and should be wholly for Col.
The repairs which Joash desired to
make. like all work today. needed
funds. and he thought Of the taber-
nacle of Moses and OF the willing of
ferings Ill Chron xiv. O., but he did
not seem to remember that these will
Ing offerings were brought in. not sent
for lie sent the priests and Levites
ont to gather the necessary money. bu;
the plan did not work. for after twcn-
ty-three years the funds had not been
gathered and the repairs not made
verscs IS: ii Chron. xiv. 80. Then
Jehoiada the priest. the king agreeing.
put n chest. with hole in the lid OF
II. beside the altar as one cometh into
the house OF the Lord, and a proclaim
tion was made through judah and
Jerusalem to bring In to the Lord the
offering that Moses. the servant of
God. had commanded Israel in the will
derness Then the princes and the
people rcjoiced and brought In day by
day, and thus money was gathered ii:
abundance verses 40: ii Chron.
xiv. SID.
offerings was placed beside the altar
OF burnt offering. the brazen altar. ON
which tho lambs were offered morning
and evening, typical of Golgotha and
the one great sacrifice offered once 70,
all. The one constraining motive IN
all offerings TO the Lord must be the
love OF Christ. the Son of God. w,So
loved the church and gave Himself
for It: who loved me and give Himself
for me: no duty about It. but just love
constraining. Then notice that there
was no further effort to raise the mon
cy--no personal appeals, no soliciting
from individuals. but MI was brough:
In joyfully and willingly. Note care
fully Ex. xxxv. 81. %; 1 Chron. xxx,
., II, and lay It to heart. On this prin
ciple have received for home and for
eign missions in the last twenty Ave
and half years tup to July /. 1914
over $756OOO and In the same way
have seen for thirty four years all cur
rent expenses of I" consrerst'sn easily
met.
The Lord God OF Isrnel still livetL
and Is ready to hold strongly with
hearts that are whole toward Him ns
It is written In IL Chron. xvi, Q. margin.
The money wns given to the oversecr-
OF the work. and they laid 1t out to til.
carpenters and builders that wrough,
upon the house OF the Lord. but no
reckoning was kept with the men to
whom the money was given. for they
dealt faithfully oversees 11-15; II Chron.
xiv. 12-14. This method Of handling
money could not be safely carried on
In our day unless we could find some
workmcn us faithfully honest. There
are such, but they are like whole
hearted Chrstians-few and far be
tween-or IN very small lunches here
and there. We would all do we'll to