Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1915-11-03
SUNDAY SCHOOL:
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Lesson W.-Fourth Quarter, For
Nov. 7, 1915.
Text Of the Lesson, u Kings xii, Ais.
Memory Verse, Golden Text, u
Cor. tx, documentary Prepared by
Rev. D. M. Stearns.

memory Verse, 1Gotccn text,
Cor. tx, documentary Prepared by
Rev. D. NJ. Stearns.
Among the many things do not yet
know there is this-why we should
know the names or 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
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, 1-19). So l 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
a remarkable man In many ways, Hy-
ing to be 100 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 as he had Jehoiada for
counselor. but the people still sacrificed
and burnt incense In high places
verses 2, 8; II Chron. XIV, 2, -. We
cannot think Of Israel whether the ten
tribes or the two or the twelve) being
right with God apart from right re-
lation to the tabernacle or temple, for
those buildings stood for God In their
midst eek. XIV 8; Kings vi, II, 49,.
So we read that Joash was minded to
repair the house of the Lord, which
Athaliah, thar WICKED woman, had
broken up Oh Chron. xxiv;4, O.-.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
a temple and should be wholly for God.
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 I'll Chron. xiv, 81, but he did
not seem to remember that these will
ing offerings were brought in, not sent
for. He sent the priests and Lev1tes
out to gather the necessary money, but
the plan did not work, for after twen-
ha ha M hoo
gathered and the repairs not made
oversees 4-S; II Chron. xiv, so. Then
Jehoiada the priest, the king agreeing,
put chest, with hole in the lid OF
IL, 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 viii
dernesa Then the princes and the
people rejoiced and brought in day by
day, and thus money was gathered In
abundance oversees 7-1O; 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
and evening, typical Of Golgotha and
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 II, 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 joyfully and willingly. Note care
fully Eek. xxxv, 21, %; 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 a half years (up to July /. 1919
over $756,0O0 and in the same way
have seen for thirty four years all cur
rent expenses Of a congregation easily
met.
The Lord God Of Israel still liveth
and is ready to hold strongly with
hearts that are. whole toward Him as
it is written in II Chron. xvi, 8, margin.
The money was given to the overseers
of the work, and they laid 1t out to the
carpenters aud 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 verses 11-15; II Chron.
xiv. 1910. 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 TO
God (Rom. xiv, 10 and live now &C
cordingly. The conduct, or, rather. the