The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-12-01

Text of the Lesson, u chron. xvi, B.
21-Memory Verse, 16-Golden Text,
Prov. xxx, 23-commentary Prepared
by Rev. D. M. Stearns.
Our studies thus far have made us
acquainted with many people, good
and bad, some better than others and
some worse than others, but none
without failure, and no rest for our
souls but in the God of Israel, who
often appeared as a man and in the
fullness of time became man for us,
God manifest in the flesh. Our study
today concerns a king whose reign was
the longest of any. being fifty-two
years, but he became proud and self
willed and died a leper. The study
Of these lives is helpful only as, by
analogy or contrast, We learn to know
the Living God, the God of Israel, for
the whole Bible is intended to make
Us acquainted with God that we may
love and trust and serve Him and
make Him known. Let US give few
minutes to Amaziah, the son of Joash
and the father of Uzziah, whose rec
ord is in chapter XIV. He did right in
the sight of the Lord In q measure and
for a time verse q, but his record on
the whole is bad. He turned away
from following the Lord, bowed down
to idols and burned incense to them
and when the Lord sent prophet to
reprove him he compelled him to for
bear oversees 14-16, S2O.
There was one incident in his life
the record of which contains a saying
which has often helped me and which
/ have often passed on to others. He
hired 100000 mighty men of valor out
of Israel to help him in battle, and
he paid them 100 talents of silver A
man of God was sent to him to say
that he would not use these men, for
the Lord was not with them and that
God had power to help and to cast
down. In reply to his question, But
what shall we do for the 100 talents
paid to Israeli he was told, 1.-The Lord
Is able to give thee much more than
this" oversees go. We need to remem-
Der that God Himself hath power to
help, and Ii we make an unwise invest
ment or lose anything we may find
able to give us much more.
As to Uzziah, although his reign is
the longest of any, his record is one
Of the shortest, for there seems to be
but little to record. In some lives
much Is accomplished in a few years,
while In others long life is compare
lively fruitless because God is not In
it. 1t is said that he did right in the
sight Of the Lord, and, as long as he
sought the Lord, God made him to pros
per (xxvi, 4, 81. God helped him
against the Philistines and Arabians;
be built towers in Jerusalem and in the
desert, digged many wells for he had
much cattle and loved husbandry. His
name spread far abroad. and he was
marvelously helped till he was strong
(verses 7-15). His works seem to be
more for his own name than the name
Of the Lord and nothing enduring, and
all the time he seemed to be growing
more self important, growing away
from the Lord, seeing himself and those
who praised him.
What contrast to Saul of Tarsus,
who from the day that he saw the
Lord Jesus on the way to Damascus
could see no one else unless he might
draw them to Him, for whose excel
lency he counted all things but dross
and in whom alone he gloried. The
whole story of the daily life is either
self or Christ. The true life is denying
self and magnifying the Lord What
an utter failure man is apart from
God, for when this man became strong
his heart was lifted up against God,
and he transgressed against the Lord
his God and even dared to burn in
cense in the holy place in the temple
of the Lord, thing which only the
priests were authorized to do. When
the priests ordered him out he became
angry, and then the Lord smote him I'm
his forehead with leprosy. and he him.
self fastened to go out. He dwelt in a
separate house and died ieper oversees
1921 In Gehazi the sin was COW
etousness and lying. but in this man II
was pride. self conceit. self will. All
contamination of sin, as in these and
similar cases. points us onward to the
man OF sin. the greatest representative
of the devil that ever was or will be.
who will oppose and exaIt himself
above all that is called God or that is
worshiped. showing himself that
he is God CT Thess. ii. 3-12; Dan. XII.
&c; Rev. xiii). But he shall be over.
come and cast into the lake of fire at
the coming of the Lord Rev. ky.
Many who have died lepers have
gone home to heaven because redeem
ed with the precious blood OF Christ.
and we may meet Gehazi and Uzziah
there, too, for the suggestion in their
sins need not imply the loss of the
soul, but, rather. the loss of service. as
in Cor. fiji, Gil. 1t is our privilege
to walk with God all the way, to serve
Him without turning aside and to re-
ceive a full reward at the coming of
our Lord QI John viii; I John IL. 28).
Isaiah seems to have begun his propb-
ecy in the days of Uzziah. and he has
much to say about loftiness being hum
bled. haughtiness bowed down and the
Lord alone exalted
When think OF Uzziah feel led
to pray that may never be strong ex-
cept In the Lord and always remember
that His strength is made perfect In
weakness. / also think of the record
Of Uzziah's death In lisa. Vi. 1. and
hear the prophet say what amounts to
this, Il saw a king that never Dies