The Climax-Madisonian. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1914-1917, 1915-11-03
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Lesson W.-Fourth Quarter, For
Nov. 7, 1915.

Text of the Lesson, II Kings xii, Ais.
Memory Verse, Golden Text, II
Cor. tx, Acommentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. Stearns.
Among the many things do not yet
know there is this-why. we should
know the names of some mothers and
not know the name of David's 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 1.-THE well of the oath"
and always suggests the faithfulness
of God Gen. xxi, 81, margin). 1t was
at Beersheba that Abraham dwelt
when he went to Moriah with Isaac to
offer him up, and to that home he
brought him back as alive from the
dead (Gen. xii, LID. So / am re-
minded that all blessing depends upon
the death and resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ 1t was a good thing for
Joash that he had such friend as Je-
hoiada the priest. who must have been
remarkable man In many ways, liv-
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 as he had JehOiada for
counselor, but the people still sacrificed
and burnt incense in high places
oversees 2, 3; ii Chron. xiv, 2. 81. 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, for
those buildings stood for God in their
midst Ex. XIV, s; 1 Kings vi, IL, 49,.
So we read that Joash was minded to
repair the house of the Lord, which
Athaliah, that wicked woman, had
broken up Oh Chron. XIV, 4, .. The
great fact about the Lord Jesus, the
true tabernacle and temple, was that
He was God manifest Ia the flesh, God
was In Christ. The church, the body
of Christ now being builded, is wholly
for God Each individual believer is
a temple and should be wholly for God.
The repairs which 1oash desired to
make, like all work today, needed
funds, and he thought of the taber-
nacle of Moses and of the willing Of
ferings Oh Chron. xiv, g., but he did
not seem to remember that these will
ing offerings were brought in, not sent
for He sent the priests and Levites
out to gather the necessary money, but
the plan did not work, for after TWEEN
ty-three years the funds had not been
gathered and the repairs not made
verses 4-S; II Chron. xiv, SD. Then
Jehoiada the priest, the king agreeing,
put a chest, with n hole in the lid of
ii, beside the altar as one cometh into
the house of the Lord, and proclama-
ton 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 rejoiced and brought in day by
day, and thus money was gathered in
abundance verses 40; II Chron.
xiv, SID.
Notice that the chest to receive the.
offerings was placed beside the altar
of burnt offering, the brazen altar, on
which the lambs were offered morning
the one great sacrifice offered once for
all. The one constraining motive in
all offerings to the Lord must be the
love of Christ, the Son Of God, who
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
ey-no personal appeals. no soliciting
from individuals, but all was brought
in joyfuIly and willingly. Note care
fully Elk. xxxy, 81, %: Chron. xxx.
8, II, and lay it to heart. On this prin-
ciple have received for home and for
eign missions in the last twenty-five
and half years Cup to July 1. 1914
over $156.0O0 and in the same way
have seen for thirty -four years all cur
rent expenses of congregation easily
met.
The Lord God of Israel still HyetB
and is ready to hold strongly with
hearts that are whole toward Him as
1t is written in II Chron. xvi, g. margin.
The money was given to the overseers
of the work, and they laid it out to the
carpenters and builders that wrought
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
workmen as faithfully honest. There
are such, but they are like whole
hearted Christians-few and far be-
tween-or In very small punches here
and there. We would all do well to
keep in mind the day when every one
of us shall give account of himself 70
God from. xiv. 12) and live now ac-
cordingly. The conduct. or. rather, the
misconduct. of Joash after the death
of Jehoiada in listening to the princes
of Judah and In leaving the house of
the Lord God and worshiping idols
and In refusing to listen to the prophets
who were sent unto him is sad and
almost unbelievable record, or would
be If we did not know how desperately
wicked the human heart is. But what
shall we say when we see Joash COM
handing to stone to death the son Of
sehoiada because he was reproved by
him? QI Chron- xiv. 20-22.) The Lord
lid look upon 1t (AIatt. xiii. 35).
You Can Enjoy Life
Eat what you want and not be troubled
with indigestion i you viii take