Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-07-13
INTERNATIONAL
SUNlNSQlOOL
LESSON
(By E. o. SELLERS, Acting Director OF
the Sunday School Course of the Moody
Bible Institute of Chicago)
Copyright. 1917, Western Newspaper Union)
LESSON FOR JULY IS.
HEZEkIAH, THE FAITHFUL KING.
5ssON TExT-II Chron. SO:1.


God must believe that he is, and that he
is a rewarder of them that diligently seek |
him.-Heb. 11:6.
The reformation under Hezekiah is
one of the bright and attractive spots
In the latter history Of the kingdom Of
Israel. 1t was Almost thorough refor-
nation and God set his seal upon it
in many wonderful ways. Teachers |
ought to give their classes compre-
hensive view of all that Hezekiah did,
as recorded In II Chron, chapters
1892.
!. Hezekiah's Proclamation. wv.
| 1-6). The proper introduction to this
lesson would be to return to chapter
| twenty-Eine and note the restoration
of the worship of Jehovah. How 1T
| began in one mans heart, Hezekiah;
how he called the people to be clean
| co :15), then called upon a cleansing
of the house of God and its restoration
wv. 1S, 19). How he called them to
renewed sacrifice and worship wv.
20, 2D. The restoration of the sin
offering and of the burnt-offeriDg, and
the result of these offerings in the Le-
vttfca1 music and in the worship of the
great congregation (29, 28). The Sc
quel of song always follows and ac-
companies a true revival of religion.
Having consecrated themselves unto
the Lord, Hezekiah sends out this
proclamation. The conservation of the
people, as referred in chapter 90, was
very complete. (See w. 31-36) Heze-
kiah was a man Of deep discernment
as well as of true piety. He saw the
meaning of the sacrifice of redemption
and put the passover forward as the
very heart-center of the worship of
Jehovah. tSee Wv. I, p Whoever un-
derstands the passover, understands
Gods way of salvation. (See Exodus
12:13-23; Cor. Z, s; Rom. 8 :25, &c;
John :29.) Hezekiah did not confine
his call to those of Israel alone, but
extended it beyond it's borders to those
of Ephraim, thus manifesting the true
missionary spirit. Hezekiah had am
rle Scriptural warrant keeping this
passover out Of it's. regular order (vv.
9-13). God is not a God of time or
place. Wherever obedience is possible,
whether it be a matter Of time or not,
, God approves. Hezekiah, however,
did not act upon his own initiative,
but sought counsel. (See V. 2.) The
man who is the most clearly led of
God is the man who is most eager and
anxious to know how God is leading
t other men and will listen most patient
~ to their counsel. The fact that the
7 people had not gathered themselves
i together at Jerusalem" for a long
time, might have warranted a fur
e ther delays Not so with this enthusi-
r astic young king. He was not bound
i by precedent, but was anxious to
t please God.
3 II. Hezekiah's Exhortation wv. Z
D 13). Hezekiah began his exhortation
: by calling attention to the trespasses
of their fathers ". y. At the same
time he reminds them that if God gave
them over to desolation because they
themselves were stiff-necked ". 81
y and yielded not themselves unto the
e Lord to enter his sanctuary, which he
Is had sanctif1ed unto them, they would
r come under the fierceness Of Gods
Ia wrath, for they had turned from the
l. Lord !; they had "trespassed against the
y Lord God of their fathers" Because
Al of that trespass God had "given them
J. up to desolation." Literally he had
y made them "an astonishment." This
le astonishment and desolatiOn was well
Ie known, "as We see" ". y. Anyone
s. with eyes open can see today the DESC
If 1ation of Individuals of families, com.
4. munities and nations who trespass
j. against God. For a generation we
Is have had the deity Of Christ and the
n inspiration of his Word called into
7e question and that the individual mar
a. is the dictator of his own conscience
ID and life, and it is because men have
departed from their faithful allegiance
TO Jesus Christ and fail to obey his
command, that we see the strife ant
In desolation Of today.
e The first departure caused people tt
lg be "stiff-necked" and Jehovah is call
IT. ing them to repentance, but they would
b. not hear (see Ch. 36:13; Ex. 32:9
IN Rom. 10 :21). In place of this "stfff
I'd neckness'' of their hearts HeZekial
es entreats them to turn again to thu
be Lord and not to be stiff-necked as wer'
I'D their fathers ". 81, that if they will
nd turn again unto the Lord ". 81 the.
cd will find compassion so that they shal
Is, again enter his gracious and mercifu
ed dealings. Having yielded themselve
be they were to enter into communion
es with him and "enter into his sanctu
it ary, which he had sanctified forever.
to They were also to serve him. Mos
er- blessed results were to follow for then
ng and for their brethren and their chi
dren, but all of this bright prospect i
conditioned upon repentance, surren
der, communion and service, which i
'ts based upon the fact that Jehovah 81
he gracious and merciful'' (Ex. 81 IS, Z
" Ps. sc IS; Jonah 4:2; Mark 7:1S)
a1p Then, even as now, there were thos
who would not yield themselves t
in Gods gracious invitation AS tn
,is priests passed through the country Q
,ot Ephraim and MaEasseh, even unto u
IN. bulun, they were laughed to scor
= and some Knocked" ". 10Y. Alas tha
We. they did so, as we read their subs
90 quent history! Yet even in thes
~ places there were some who "hun
- bled themselves and came to JeruS;
lem," and in Judah the hand of Go
-. was to give them one heart to do th
commandments of the king. and {
the princes ". 12). If we are faithfl
ambassadors Of Jehovah, he will BILE:
our efforts but we must expect to
laughed at and to be Knocked. Thi
however, does not delay the wrath
q,
100 there is remedy. The wise accente
OF and humbled themselves; the fools fe
by the waySide.