New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-07-13
INTERNATIONAL
SUNDMSQ1O0L
LESSON
fBy 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

LESSON TExT-H Chron. 30:1.
TEXT-He that cOmeth to
God must believe that he is, and that he
is q rewarder Of them that diligently seek
him Heb. ll:6.
The reformation under Hezekiah IL
n Of the bright and attractive spots
In the latter history Of the kingdom Of
Israel. 1t was n most thorough refOr-
nation and God set his seal upon 1t
In many wonderful ways. Teachers
ought to give their classes n cOmpre-
hensive view of all that Hezekiah did,
as recorded in ii Chron., chapters
29-32.
!. Hezekiah's Proclamation Wv.
1-8). The proper Introduction to this
lesson would be to return to chapter
twenty-nine and note the restoration
Of the worship of Jehovah. How It
began In one mans heart, HeZekiah
how he called the people to be clean
(29:15), then called upon n cleansing
of the house Of God and It's restoration
wv. Is, 19). How he called them to
renewed sacrifice and worship wv.
20, Ply. The restoration Of the SIN
Offering and of the burnt-Offering, and
the result Of these offerings In the Le-
vitical music and In the worship of the
great congregation GO. 2S). The Sc
quel of song always follows and ac-
companies n true revival of religion.
Having consecrnted themselves unto
thn neI IIavl;L ,arJ, 1nt %htp
proclamation. The conservation of the
people, rs referred in chapter 20, was
very complete. (See w. 31-36.) Heze-
kiah was n 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. (See w. /, 2.) Whoever un-
derstands the passover, understands
Gods way of salvation. (See Exodus
12:13-23; I Cor. 5:7, 8; Rom. 1925, %;
John :29.) Hezekiah did not cOnf1ne
his call to those of Israel alone, but
extended it beyond its borders to those
of Ephraim, thus manifesting the true
missionary spirit. Hezekiah had am
pie S%criptural warrant keeping this
passover out Of its regular order wv.
0-13). God Is not a God of time or
place. Wherever obedience is possible.
whether 1t be a matter Of time or not,
God approves. Hezekiah, however,
did not act upon his own initiative,
but sought counsel. (See v. ~ The
who Is the most clearly led of
God Is the man who Is most eager and
anxious to know how God is leading
other men and will listen most patient
ly to their counsel. The fact that the
people had not gathered themselves
together at Jerusalem" for a long
time, might have warranted n fur
delay. Not so with this enthusi-
astic young king. He was not bound
by precedent, but vas anxious to
God.
u. Hezekiah's Exhortation wv. z
l3). Hezekiah began his e%xhOrtatiOn
by calling attention to the trespasses
Of their fathers ". y. At the same
time he reminds them that If God gave
them over to d%esolatiOn because they
themselves were stiff-necked ". 81
md yielded not themselves unto the
Lord to enter his sanctuary, which he
had sanctified unto them, they would
for they had turned from the
Lord they had "trespassed against the
Lord God Of their fathers" Because
IF that trespnss God had "given them.
Up to desOlatiOn." Literally he had
made them Il establishment" This
establishment and desOlatiOn was web,
snown, las We see" ". y. Anyonei
With eyes open can see today the desc.
Of individuals, of families, com
nunities and nations who trespass
God. For n generation we
had the deity of Christ and the
Of his Word called into
and that the individual man
S the dictator of his own conscience
md life, and 1t is because men have
departed from their faithful allegiance
o Jesus Christ and fail to obey his
command. thnt we see the strife and
Of today.
The first departure caused people ia
'e "s~tiff-necked' and Jehovah is cali
ng them to repentance, but they would
lot hear (see Oh. 36:13; EX. 30 %;
Rom. 1O:21). In place of this stiff
Ieckness" of their hearts Hezekiah
ntreats them to turn again to the
.Ord and not to be stiff-necked as were
heir fathers ". 81, that If they will
urn again unto the Lord ". % they
ill find compassion so that they shall
gain enter his gracious md merciful
ealings. Having yielded themselves
hey were TO enter into communion
18th him and center into his sanctu-
ry. which he had sanctified forever"
They were also to serve him. Most
lessed results were to follow for them
nd for their brethren and their chill
rem, but all Of this bright prospect Is
upon repentance, snrren-
er. communion and service. which IL
ased upon the fact that Jehovah "is
and merciful' lex. "a C, z;
s. S6:5; Jonah 40; Mark 7:1S).
hen. even as now. there were those
no would not yield themselves to
DDS gracious invitation. As the
passed through the country Of
phraim and Manasseh, ever unto Ze-
llun, they were Laughed to seorn
nd some mocked' ". 10Y. Alas that
ley did so, as we read their subse-
tent history! Yet even in these
there were some who hum
ed themselves and came to Jerusa-
M" and in Judah the hand of Co
as to give them one heart to do the
Of the king and Of