The Brinkley argus., 1917-07-20

GOLDEN TEXT-God is our re1uSe diiu strength, a very present help in troupie'- Psa. 46:1
 Last weeks lesson was a great pic ture of the reform of the nation. TO- day we have another picture which needs to be carefully put before the children. It is a national picture of a 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 lire of faith in God, the care of heavenly father, deliverance and victory. It IS n great thing for any nation or any individual to have such marvellous experience of Gods salvation. It oc- cured probably B. c. 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 II Kings IS; Il Chron. 32 and Isa. 36 :37. 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 h. dependence. It was good time Tor Hezekiah also to assert his independ- ence. Accordingly they refused to pay the customary tribute to Assyria. For a time Sennacherib was too busy at tending to other portions of the em- 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.
 II. The SuppIication (yv. 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 1S5,0oo of his enemies in the grave. Hezekiah's God saved his peoplesOut of the hand of Sennacherib (v. 19), God did 1t. One great reason why he heard Hezekiah's prayer was because it 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 selhsh-seeking our own qualification and not Gods honor Games 4:3 R. VI. Bending his clothes and putting on sackcloth, He zekiah went to the house of God while his messengers sought out the prophet Isaiah. From II Chron. 32 20 we find that Isaiah joined with Hezekiah in his earnest prayer {Matt. 18:19, 20), thus the king and prophet worked as well as prayed They showed their faith by their work (James 2:17, 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 is heard" if we will not meet the condi- tions of prevailing prayer q John 8 :22; John 5:14; Rom. 8 :26.2O.
 III. Gods Glorious DeIiverance (vv. 23-3O. 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 it's work, they found the diff ference. The God against whom they raved guided them as with a "bridle" and turned them back to Assyria. Sen- nacherib considered himself more than a match for God (Ch. IS :23-25) but had to return like a conquered beast of burden with Gods "hook" in his nose and brldle on his lips. God al- lows the enemies of his people to go a certain length in order that his people may be humbled and seek him. Then he puts forth his hand and says, "This far and no further" Jehovah gives us the same promise he gave Hezekiah "I will defend this city" Is not the city of Jerusalem that God defends more safe than a city defended by an army? (Psa. 46:5, G.; 27:1). God had promised David that his kingdom should not perish, for in 1t lay the hope of the world and his plans for the redemption of mankind. Not be- cause of the people did God defend the city, but because of his oath. This is a most dramatic picture, the mys- terious destruction of the Assyrian army (vv. 35, 36). The Lord sent his angel, literally his messenger" who applied his own plan for the accom- plishment of his purpose.
 There is sort of a grim irony in the ending of Sennacherib's career. He who had so deiantly asked, Who are they among all the gods of the country that have delivered their country out of mine hand" is led back to the house of his own god whom he imagines to be so potent to worship and in that very presence Is slain by the hands of one of his own sons. The importance of this event is shown by the fact that 1t is referred to in three books of the Bible and probably referred +o anntb-