Middletown transcript. [volume] (Middletown, Del.) 1868-current, 1917-07-14
LESSON FOR JULY Is.
HEzEKIAH, THE FAITHFUL KING

LESSON TEXT-II Chron. BOIL.
GOLDEN TEXT-He that cometh to
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 q most 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-Five 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
GO :15), then called upon a cleansing
of the house of God and its restoration
wv. IS, 19). How he called them to
renewed sacrifice and worship wv.
20, Ply. The restoration of the sim
offering and of the burnt-offering, and
the result of these offerings in the Lee
vitical music and in the worship of the
great congregation go, 2S). The Sc
quel of song always follows and ac-
companies q true revival of religion.
Having consecrated themselves unto
the Lord, Hezekiah sends out this
proclamation. The conservation of the
people, as referred in chapter 20, 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. (See w. 1, 2.) Whoever I'M
derstands the passover, understands
Gods way of salvation. (See Exodus
10 1923; 1 Cor. 81, 8; Rom. 3 :25, &c;
John :29.) Hezekiah did not confine
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 Scriptural warrant keeping this
passover out Of its regular order wv.
9-13). God is not God of time or
place. Wherever obedience is possible,
whether it be matter Of time or not,
God approves. Hezekiah, however,
did not act upon lis 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
other men and will listen most patient
ly to their counsel. The fact that the
people had not gathered themselves
together at Jerusalem" for q long
time, might have warranted a fur
ther delay. Not so with this enthusi-
astic young king. He was not bound
by precedent, but was anxious to
please God.
II. Hezekiah's Exhortation wv. z
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
and yielded not themselves unto the
Lord to enter his sanctuary, which he
had sanctified unto them, they would
come under the fierceness of Gods
wrath, for they had turned from the
Lord; they had "trespassed against the
Lord God of their fathers Because
of that trespass God had "given them
up to desolation." Literally he had
made them IAN establishment" This
establishment and desolation was well
known, "as We see" ". y. Anyone
with eyes open can see today the desc
lation of individuals, of families, COM
munities and nations who tTespass
against God. For a generation we
have had the deity of Christ and the
inspiration of his Word called into
question and that the individual man
is the dictator of his own conscience
and life, and 1t is because men have
departed from their faithful allegiance
to Jesus Christ and fail to obey his
command, that we see the strife and
desolation of today.
The first departure caused people to
be "stiff-necked' and Jehovah is call
ing them to repentance, but they would
not hear (see Oh. 80 :13; Elk. 32:9;
Rom. 10 :21). In place of this "stiff-
neckness" OF their hearts Hezekiah
entreats them to turn again to the
Lord and not to be stiff-necked as were
their fathers ". 81, that if they will
turn again unto the Lord ". 81 they
will fiH compassion so that they shall
again Y ter his gracious and merciful
deal Having yielded themselves
the, ere to enter into communion
with i'm and "enter into his sanctu-
ary,s ,thich he had sanctifed forever"
They were also to serve him. Most
blessed results were to follow for them
and for their brethren and their chill
dren, but all of this bright prospect is
conditioned upon repentance, surren-
der, communion and service, which is
based upon the fact that Jehovah "is
gracious and mercifu" (Ex. "a e, z;
Ps. S6:5; Jonah 40; Mark 7:18).
Then, even as now, there were those
who would not yield themselves to
Gods gracious invitation. AS the
priests passed through the country of
Ephraim and Manasseh, even unto Ze-
bulun, they were laughed to scOrn
and some Knocked" ". 10Y. Alas that
they did so, as we read their subse-
quent history! Yet even in these
places there were some who ''hum-
bled themselves and came to Jerusa-
lem," and in Judah the hand of God