Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-07-04
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson Ill-Third Quarter, For
July 8, 1917.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.
Text Of the Lesson, II chron. xviii,
t-27-Memory Verses, I, 2-Goidsn
Text, Heb. XII, documentary Pre-
pared by Rev. o. N. Stearns.

1-27-kdemory Verses, !, 2-Goiden
Text, Heb. XII, ecommentary Pre-
pared by Rev. q. N. Stearns.
This is hard lesson about a des-
perately bad man. one of the very
worst Of the kings Of Judah. Of whom
1t is said. This is that king Ahaz''
verse 22l. Manasseh may have been
worse in some respects. but he repent
ed, while of this man we read OF no
repentance. There were always some
who feared God. Cody remnant, and
the sixteen years of this mans reign
must have been a heartbreaking time
for them. but no doubt time OF hui
initiation and unceasing prayer to God.
and in due time deliverance came, as
we shall see In our next lesson.
Days Of trial are always times of
faith and patience on the part Of Gods
people. and the terrible days still be-
fore us, of which we are having al
ready some foretastes, will give great
opportunity for the manifestation of
such graees CHeb. vi, II, Is; Rev. Kill.
l0). All life's story as well as all the
Bible story is either a manifestation
Of God or the devil, and SO 1t will be
until king shall reign In righteous
ness and peace and the devil be shut
up in the pit for thousand years. 1t
is written OF Ahaz that he did not right
In the sight of the Lord, but walked in
the ways Of the kings Of Israel, and
they, without exception, walked In the
steps of Jeroboam, son Of Nebat. who
made Israel to sin.
What Ahaz did that was wrong and
desperately sinful is quite fully record
ed in our lesson chapter and In ii
Kings xvi He burned incense to other
gods not only in Jerusalem. but in all
the cities of judah and on the hills
and under every green tree He burn
ed his children In the FIRE like the
heather whvm the Lord had cast out
He leaned on the king OF Assyria and
worshiped tie gods OF the kings OF
Syria. He had an altar made Ike one
be saw in Damascus and put it in place
Of the brazen altar of the Lord and
offered sacrifices upon 1t. He took the
great LAYER from OFF the brazen oxen
which supported 1t and set it on
pavement OF stones He cut in pieces
the vessels of the house of God and
shut up the doors of the house OF the
Lord. 1t seemed as IL he could not
do enough to show his hatred Of God
and His commandments. Yet he had
good father. lothian. who beams
mighty because he prepared his ways
before the Lord his God xvii. O.. and
he had good son. as we shall see LII
our next lesson.
These things are a great perplexity,
just as similar things are in our own
times. But there is rest in the Lord.
and in Him alone, and in the fact that
He cannot fail nor be discouraged Elsa
Xii. A. The Lord brought judah low
because of Ahaz and because they had
forgotten the Lord God of their IA
theirs verses g. 80, but they did NOT
repent nor turn to Him again. Isaiah
and Micah We're the Lord messengers
In those days. as we learn from the
first verse OF each Of these prophecies
aud the Lord sent Isaiah with spe
cial message to Alaz, telling him that
If he would turn to the Lord the pur-
pose of the Syrians against him would
not stand nor come to pass and that
he might be quiet and not be afraid OF
them. but that If he would not believe
he would not be established. On that
occasion Isaiah was TO take with him
his son. Shearjashub, whose name sig.
nifies the remnant shall return. for. as
we said earlier In this lesson, there Is
always a godiy remnant, and it seem
ed like saying to Ahaz that If be would
would lisa. vii. 10Y.
1t was to this same Ahaz the Lord
said. ASK thee sign Of the Lord thy
God; ask it either In the depth or in
the height above" and Ahaz said, II
will not ask: neither will tempt the
Lord lisa. vii. ,0-12). He had pro
voked the Lord seemingly beyond all
not tempt the Lord If he meant to
say. win not ask the Lord for any
thing nor have anything to do with
Him. we could understand him better.
for that Is what his actions were say
ing and perhaps what he meant to say.
Now hear this wonderful message
from the Lord to such a man repre-
senring the house of David and ut such
q time: -The Lord Himself shall give
you sign. Behold. a virgin shall
conceive and bear son and shall call
His name lmmanuel' lisa. VII. %. H.
We cannot but think OF the first as
surance of the great deIiverer being
made to the devil himself Gen. Ill.
IA, La. and we know that when the
devil shall come to the time OF his
very worst opposition to and defiance
Of God then shall He who In the full
ness OF time was really born OF viz
gin come in His glory to overthrow
all His enemies and set up His king
dom
When the devil incarnate. the com
ing antichrist. shall have gathered the
tr,r NJ he ar<h ...A