Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1917-07-20

strength. very present help in trouble
| Psa- 46:I.
Last weeks lesson was great pic
! ture of the reform of the nation. To-
day we have another picture which
needs to be carefully put before the
children. 1t is national picture of
ruler and the invasion of his country.
In reality 1t reveals the principles
which are the same today. and which
affect the lives Of boys and girls as
well as men the dangers, temptations,
the need of prayer, the need of a life
Of faith in God, the care of heavenly
father, deliverance and victory. 1t Is
great thing for any nation or any
| individual to have such q marvellous
experience of Gods salvation. 1t oc-
Cured probably B. G. 701, the latter
part of Hezekiah's reign. Assyria ON
the north was enlarging its borders
and seeking to overcome Judea. Read
parallel accounts in III Kings 18; III
Chron. 80 and lisa. SO :37. We have on
the Taylor cylinder an account by Sem
nacherib of the victory over Hezekiah,
found In Nineyeh In 1880 and now In
the British museum.
I. The Situation. When the great
Sargon died at Nineveh, the Syrian
governments sought to assert their in
dependence. 1t was good time for
Hezekiah also to assert his independ-
ence. hgly they refused to pay
the customary tribute to Assyria. For
time Sennacherib was too busy at
tending to other portions of the en-
pire to pay much attention to the city
Of Jerusalem. Later, however, he sub
a.sess. the <sssf~- the coast and threat
ened Egypt itself.
u. The SuppIication tvv. 20-22).
God does things because we pray.
There was more power In Hezekiah's
prayer than there was In his army.
Through his prayers he laid 1S5, 900
Of his enemies In the grave. Hezekiah's
God saved his people out Of the hand
OF Sennacherib ". 19), God did It. One
great reason why he heard Hezekiah's
prayer was because 1t was for Gods
own glory that Hezekiah asked ". 19).
One great reason why so many of our
prayers are nat answered Is because
they are selfish-seeking our own
qualification and not Gods honor
(James Is r. VI. Rending his
clothes and putting on sackcioth, He
zekiah went to the house OF God while
his messengers sought out the prophet
Isaiah. From II Chron. 80 20 we find
that Isaiah Joined with Hezekiah in
his earnest prayer (Matt Is 10, 2O),
thus the king and prophet worked as
well as prayed. They showed their
faith by their work (James 2 III, 18).
AT the same time they waited upon
God for an answer, not because God
was unwilling to bestow good things,
or must be importuned, but that his
gifts may bring the greater benefit.
He sometimes delays his answer,
thereby fitting US to receive them be-
cause OF the intensity of our desire
and to appreciate the things he has
to bestow. God Is as ready to say to
us as to Hezekiah, Thy prayer IL
heard" II we will not meet the condi-
tons Of prevailing prayer Il John
8 %; I John 5:14; Rom. S:26.27).
IIi. Gods Glorious Delivevsnce wv.
2S-3D. God permitted the Assyrians
TO attack and they thus imagined they
were having their own will and could
do as they pleased. but when his ssrod"
had done its work, they found the dif.
ference. The God against whom they
raved guided them as with ssbridler
md turned them back to AssyrIa. SEN
nacherib considered himself more than
match for God (Ch. Is :28-25, but
had to return like conquered beast
Df burden with Gods 'hook'' in his
hose and bride on his lips. God al
ows the enemies Of his people to 60 .
'ertain length In order that his people
nay be humbled and seek him. Then
le puts forth hrs hand and says, sThIs
ar and no further" Jehovah gives rs
ne same promise he gave Hezekiah,
I will defend this city" Is not the
'ity Of Jerusalem that God defends
more safe than q city defended by an
lrmyf (Psa. 46:5. 9; 27:1). God had
'romised David that his kingdom
hould not perish, for In 1t lay the
lope OF the world and his plans for
he redemption OF mankind. Not be-
ause of the people did God defend the
ity, but because ofhis oath. This Is
! most dramatic picture, the mys-
frious destruction Of the Assyriau
smy (yv. 3d. 36). The Lord sent his
ngel, literally his messenger" wha
pplied his own plan for the eccoue
uShmeut of his y,srnoSa