The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1917-07-21

Last week : 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 4
ruler and the invasion Of his country
! In reality il 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 II life
of faith in God, the care of a heavenly
! father, deliverance and victory. 1t is
great thing for any nation or any
| individual TO have such a marvellous
experience Of Gods salvation. 1t Oc-
CURED probably b. {. 70l, the latter
the north was enlarging its borders
and seeking To overcome Judea. Read
parallel accounts in ii Kings IS; III
ChrOn. 81 and lisa. 36 81. We have on
the Taylor cylinder an account by Sen
nacherib of the victory over HeZekiah,
found in Nineveh in 1880 and now in
the British museum.
.. The Situation. When the great
SargOn died at Nineveh, the Syrian
governments sought TO assert their in
dependence. Ii was good time for
HeZekiah also 10 assert his lndepend-
ence. Accordingly they refused TO pay
the customary tribute TO Assyrla. For
time Sennacherb was too busy at
tending 10 other portions Of the en-
pire To pay much attention to the city
of Jerusalem. Later. however, he sub
dued the cities on the coast and threat
ened Egypt itself. While besieging
Lakish he sent large body Of troops
Ia conquer Judea and take the city OF
Jerusalem for II was not safe to leave
such Il large fortress behind him on
his march into Egypt.
u. The SuppIication wv. 2O-22).
God does things because we pray
There was more power in HeZekiahs
prayer than there was in his army.
Through his prayers he laid 1S5,OOO
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 IL was for Gods
own glory that HeZekiah asked (v. 19).
One great reason why so many of our
prayers are not answered is because
they are selfiSh-seeking our own
qualification and not Gods honor
(James 4:3 r. W. ReEding his
clothes and putting on sackcloth. He
zekiah went 10 the house of God while
his messengers sought out the prophet
Isaiah. From III ChrOn. 81 20 we find
that Isaiah Joined with Hezekiah In
his earnest prayer Matt. 1919, 20O. |
thus the king and prophet worked as
well as prayed. They showed their |
faith by their work (James 2:1T, 1S). |
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 10 say to
us as TO Hezekiah, Thy prayer is
heard" If We will not meet the condi-
tons of prevailing prayer Ct John
3 DO; l John ; IA; Rom 8 :262T).
III. Gods Glorious DeIiverance wv.
$3.50. 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 rod
had done its work, they found the diff
ference. The God against whom they
raved guided them as with Il birdie"
and turned them back to ASsyria. Sen
considered himself more than
a match for God (Ch. Is :23-25) but
had to return like conquered beast
Of burden with Gods hook" in his
nose and bride on his lips. God al
ows the enemies of his people to No'a ;
certain length in order that his people ;
nay be humbled and seek him. Then ]
ne puts forth his hand and says. This !
ar and no further" Jehovah gives us
he same promise he gave Hezekiah,
L will defend this city" Is not the
lily Of Jerusalem that God defends 7
more safe than Il city defended by an s
army? Psa. 46 =, 6; 27:D. God had 7
David that his kingdom T
should not perish, for In it lay the G
rope Of the world and his plans for ,
he redemption Of mankind. Not be-
ause OF the people did God defend the
fty, but because of his oath. This is
most dramatic picture, the mys-
eriOus destruction of the Assyrian
rmy wv. 30, 36). The Lord sent his
NIGEL, literally his messenger" who
pplied his own plan for the accom-
'lishment Of his purpose. In Pisa.
o. a the winds" are said to be Gods
passengers and in III Sam. 24:16. the o
lague. Whatever the means of de- #"
truction, it WAS of God and when II
mote the camp Of the Assyrians "be- q
OLD the devastation, behold they were
IL dead corpSes." How empty was Sem d
acherib's boast and how potent were
lezekiah's prayers. Noiselessly, all
nseen, the angel of Jehovah moved
trough that Assyrian camp that 81
light and when the survivors awOke o
the morning, behold the deyasta- c.
on" Jehovah had kept his word
nd manifested his power. 1t is a dan
erous thing for men to trifle with