Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1915-11-13
INTERNATIONAL.
SUllDNSCHOOL
LESSON
(By E. o. SELLERS, Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course. the Moody
LESSON FOR. NOVEMBER 4
JoAsH REPAIRS. THE TEMPLE.

LESSON TEXT-II Kings 12:4-15
GOLDEN TEXT-God loveth a cheerful
giver--II Cor. 81.
The time of. this lesson was about
S7S B. c., and it follows within a few
years last Sundays lesson. Inaugu-
rated as king. and. instructed by a
faithful priest, yet Joash discovered
great lethargy on the part of the
pr1estly class with regard to the house
OF God He set himself to arouse great
liberality and to repair the temple
]. .lethargy, ". 4, 8. % Its cause.
We should read in this connection II
Chron- "a. From the two accounts
and the previous history of the ma
ton. We conclude that the condition
OF the temple was due, (a) to the
weak and frequently vicious charac-
tiers of the rulers of the nation: OBJ
to the evil companions of both princes
and priests and (c9, to the cupidity of
court and eurate. (2) The result of
this lethargy regarding Gods cause
was evidenced (a) upon the temple,
and (b) upon the lives of the people
of the kingdom (3) The cure. Joash
instituted great reforms in Judah and
in these Jehoiada the priest (v p had
no small part. In this particular les
SON the prince (v. y seems to lead
the priest Unfortunately the cody
priest did not long survive the crown
ing of Joash and hence when he came
under other influences he soon went
back to the evil practices of mis- prede-
eessors and his reign ended in an
eclipse of evil QI Chron- 24:15-26).
! In this lesson we have, however, a
| suggestion of what is needed to cure
| religious lethargy- (a) A vision of
| the real condition of affairs (v. Z;
| also II Chron. PAID. Joash saw the
resultant ruin of the temple after
Is years of misru1e; he also saw
the misconduct of the priests and
did not hesitate to call them to
account. IT'S no easy task to un-
| dertake reformation and restoration
such as this; witness Moses, Luther.
Wesley and Cary. These priests had
| aided him to gain his throne and
doubtless had had a part in his boy
| hood training. JoaSh had inaugu-
rated certain reforms before he be-
gan this task which suggests the Sec
ond need of (h) persistence (see
| Chron. 24:5, g.. Such work also de-
| mands Co systematic effort and Civ
| ing Joash placed himself among Is
raePs best kings by undertaking the
| restoration of the temple and won a
| place alongside of Hezekiah and Jo-
| siah. Modern churches are not, strict
| ly speaking, "a house of the Lord
such as the Jewish temple, yet the
| condition of many of our churches
would indicate great Indifference to
the cause of the kingdom Our bod
les are indeed a. temple" l Cor. g.:
16; GID and both the body and
church buildings alike should be kept
| in proper condition
H. LiberaIity, VS.. 9-15. The plan to
have the priests gather funds for the
repairs was ScripturaI (Exod. 25:
2-8) God does not look upon the
measure but upon the motive of our
gifts Oh Cor SIP. The priests did
not hasten the matter" so the king
took it into his own hands (v. 81.
In this remissness Jehoiada, as the
chief priest, is held accountable for
all ". -.
We have in this story rich sug.
gestion as to Gods plan of Christian
giving Cd The object 1t was dis,
tinctly for the glory of God and not
to outbid others or to wastefully use
the money for selfish purposes ~
|
out of their abundance Gil Chron
| 24:10}, systematically and faithfully.
CD The results were a house repaired
Oh Chron. PAID. beautiful (I Chron
24:13) with the worship restored III
| Chron- 24:14). Joash seems to have
laid great emphasis upon the ''taber-
nacle of witness (24:6) and we need
to recall that each and every part
of that temple was testimony to the
truth of God and had in it spiritual
suggestion and prophecy AS a whole,
it suggested that God dweIt in the
midst of his people. The sons OF
Athaliah (Joash's grandmother had
SO conducted themselves as to cause
1t to need repairing QI Chron. PAD.
When we turn to II Chron. "a: 8-14 and
read the record of the restoration of
the temple, we discover: I'd Each
had its part in the work. (2) Each
did a perfect work, e. e., did his
task faithfully, fully and to finish.
go Each did an orderly work, in his
state" None sought to supplant or
defraud Others in the work assigned.
ca Each did strong work. it was
strengthened" and not trff1ing work
as men-pleasers or for the moment.
Try more prayer and like Joash,
1 OF oh