The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1917-07-14
LESSON FOR JULY IS.
4EzEkIAH, THE FAITHFUL KING

y HEZEklAH, ThE FAITHFUL KING
LESSON TEXT-II Chron 30:1.
GOLDEN TEXT--He that. cometh
:. God must believe that he is. and that
Is a rewarder OF them that diligently sec
him.-Heb. u:6.
The reformation under Hezekiah i
] one Of the bright and attractive spot
, in the latter history Of the kingdom O.
Israel. It was most thorough refOr
nation and God set his seal upon i
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. = - ~. 81. - -
I. Hexekiah'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 1t
began in one mans heart, Hezekiah ;
how he called the people to be clean
(29 :15), then called upon cleansing
of the house Of God and its restoration
wv. 18, 49,. How he called them to
/ renewed sacrifice and worship (vv.
| 20, 21). 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, 28). The Sc
quel of song always follows and &C.
companies 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 q 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, p Whoever I'M
Gods way Of salvation. (See Exodus
12:13-23; I Cor. ST, 8; Rom. 8 :25, 26;
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 Scriptural warrant keeping this
passover out of It's regular order wv.
9-13). God Is not God Of time or
place. Wherever obedience is possible,
whether it be q matter Of time or not, |
God approves. Hezekiah, however, |
did not act upon his own initiative, |
but sought counsel. (See v. 81 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
Their 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
l3). Hezekiah began his exhortation
by calling attention to the trespasses
IF their fathers ". y. At the same
line he reminds them that If God gave
hem over to desolation because they
themselves were stiff-necked ". 81
md yielded not themselves unto the
Lord to enter his sanctuary, which he
lad sanctified unto them, they would
.Ome under the f1erceness OF Gods
wrath, for they had turned from the
ord they had ''trespassed against the
4ord God Of their fathers" Because
f that trespass God had "given them I
Ip to desolation." Literally he had
made them ian establishment" This
and desolation was well
nown, 'as We see" ". y. Anyone I
nth eyes open can see today the DESC
alton OF individuals, Of families, COM
lunities and nations who trespass :
gainst God. For generation we F
ave had the deity Of Christ and the
aspiration Of his Word called into
uestion and that the individual man
! the dictator of his own conscience
nd life, and 1t Is because men have
eparted from their faithful allegiance
, Jesus Christ and fail to obey his +
that we see the strife and
isolation Of today.
The first departure caused people to
2 "stiff-necked" and Jehovah Is call :
Ig them to repentance, but they would F
ot hear (see Oh. :13; Elk. 32:9;
ON. 1O:2D. In place Of this ''stiff- =
sckness" of their hearts Hezekiah A
threats them to turn again to the
ord and not to be stiff-necked as were
eir fathers ". 81, that If they will :
IN again unto the Lord ". 81 they
Ill find compassion so that they shall
,ain enter his gracious and merciful ",
'alings. Having yielded themselves
ey were to enter into communion
th him and "enter into his sanctu-
y, which he had sanctified forever"
They were also to serve him. Most
essed results were to follow for them -
d for their brethren and their chill R,
en-, but all of this bright prospect is
nditioned upon repentance, surren-
r, communion and service, which is
sed upon the fact that Jehovah sis -
acious and merciful" eek. 34:6, z;
86:5; Jonah AZ; Mark 7:18).
ZEN, even as now there were those tn
10 would not Weld themselves TO | RI