The Jasper news., 1922-05-11
IMPROVED UNIFORM INTERNATIONAL
.SllldaySchool
y Lesson
By RkI 4. Is. ftILN A1Hh, %. D.,
Teacher Of English Bible in the Moody
Bible Institute OF chicago.l
Copyright. 1879. Western Newspapsr Union.
LESSON FOR MAY IA
HEzEkiAH LEADS HIS PEOPLE
BACK TO GOD

LESSON TEXT.-II Chron. 9o;1-T
GOLDEN TEXT.--God IL gracious ana
mercifui, and will not turn away His face
from you, II ye return unto Him.
PREFERENCE MATERIAL.-II Chron.
2a:yd;,ch. "a: Ni2e-Ss: Amos 9.7-16
PRIMARY ToPIc.-A King Who Wor-
shipped God
JUNIOR TOPIC. Hezekiah's Great
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. SENIOR TOPIC.
Putting Religion First.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC.
Wise Methcd DIS Of Reform.
!. Hezekiah ProelaIns a Passover
wv. 1-1S).
The way for a SHINING and divided
people to get back to God and be
united, is around the crucified Lord.
1. The Invitation Was Representa-
tive Of the Nation ". 2a). The king
took counsel with the princes and the
congregation to show that the proc
lamation was the expression of the
nations desire.
2. The Time Was Unusual wv. 2b-4).
There was not sufficient time to
sanctify the people, nor to gather them
together at the regular time, so they
resolved instead Of postponing 1t for
year to hold 1t on the fourteenth day
of the second month. This liberty
had been granted before in an ext
gency (Num. 96-13). This flexibility
with reference to the holding Of the
passover shows that Gods ordinances
were made for man and not man for
the ordinances.
3. The Scope Of the Invitation wv.
Soy. 1t included all Of both nations
who would come to keep the passover
| to the Lord God of Israel. Israel Is
now used to include both kingdoms.
The effort was to win back the nation
which had seeded. The posts who
were sent with the message were au-
thorized to supplement the proclama-
ton with urgent exhortation to join
as a united nation. This urgent lnvi-
tation was tactfully put as follows:
| (1) It touched ancestral memories
Turn again unto the Lord God Of
Abraham, Isaac and Israel" ". g..
Both kingdoms had a common ances-
| try. (2) Recent bitter experience
BE not like your fathers, and breth-
rem, who trespassed against the Lord
God, and were given UP to desolatlon,
as We see" ". y. This was a deli
cate subject, but their ruin was so
marked that sueh truth could be
pressed. (3) Yearning for captive
kinsfolk-"Your brethren and children
shall find compassion before their
captors" ". 81. (4) The instinct of
self preservatlon-"So that they shall
come again into this land ". 81. (5)
The forgiving mercy OF God w. o..
God will not turn any sincere seeker
away from Him. Him that cometh
unto Me / will In no wise cast out"
(John $3.50.
4. Israels Reception of the Invita-
zion wv. 1912. This invitation in
Israel met a mingled reception. .Q)
Some Knocked. The urgent and sin
cere invitation only excited opposition
and ridicule. (2) Some with humble
hearts came to Jerusalem. This is
ever the case. The gospel is a SAVIOR
Of life unto life and death unto death.
u. The Passover Kept wv. 1920.
1. Affairs Removed wv. IS, 14). In
the time Of Ahaz Och. 2S :24), these
heather affairs were erected I'm Jerus
salem. Before there could be worship
of the true God all these traces Of
idolatry must be removed. This act
Of the people was voluntary, and shows
that a right spirit actuated them.
2. The Passover Killed ". 15).
8. The Priests and Levites Ashamed
wv. 1920. The zeal OF the people
put to shame the priests and Leyites.
They were stimulated to perform their
duties according to the law OF God
as given by Moses They even took
charge OF the killing of the passover,
since many OF the officers were not
sanctifled so as to render this service
for themselves. Though unprepared
ceremonially. yet they took part In
this most sacred service and were ac-
cepted as wOrshipers through the in
tercesslon OF Hezeklah. God accepted
the purpose OF heart rather than the
letter Of the law.
4. The Praise Of Glad Hearts wv.
Fl. 22). They continued seven days
with gladness ~ The Levltes and
priests sang Gods praise daily on loud
instruments ". 21). (2) Hezekiahs
comforting words to the Levites ".
22). He commended them and their
teaching Of the knowledge OF God
(3) They made confession OF their
sins to God ". 22).
8. The Passover Prolonged Seven
Days (vv. 23-27). The kings object