Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1922-05-11
LEss0il FOR NAY ia
t,Ez-isiAH LEADS HIS PEOPLE
BACK TO GOD
LESSON TExT.-II chron. * IN.

LESSON TExT.-II Chron. IN.
GOLDEN TEXT.-God is grasious and
merciful, and win not turn away Els lice
from you, # We return uric Him.
II Chron 800
REFERENCE tEATERIAI..-u Chron.
1881 ch 80: "a ::2s-ss. Amos s.T-15.
PRIMARY ToPIc.-A King Who Wor-
SHIPPED Gcd.
JUNIOR TOPIC. = Hezekiah's Great
Passover
INTERMEDIATEAND SENIOR TOPIC.
Putting Religion First.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOPIC.
9 Wise Methods of Reform.
|. Hezekiah ProcIaims a Passover
CIV 1-1S).
The way for a SHINING and divided
people to get back to God and be
united, Is around the crucified Lord.
/. The Invitation Was Representa-
tive Of the Nation w. 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 (vv 2b-4).
There was not sufficient time to
sanetify the people, nor to gather them
together at the regular time, so they
resolved instead of postponing it for
year to hold it on the fourteenth lay
of the second month. This liberty
had been granted before in an ext
gency (Num. 9:6-13). This fiexibility
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. "IsraeF' 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-
tion with urgent exhortation to join
as united nation This urgent Invi-
tation was tactfully put as follows:
(1) 1t touched ancestral memories
Turn again unto the Lord God of
Abraham, Isaac and Israel" ". 81.
Both kingdoms had common ances-
LILY. W htNtill DltlcI tApcllSuSC-
BE not like your fathers, and breth-
rem, who trespassed against the Lord
God and were given up to desolation,
as We see" ". y. This was a deli
cate subject, but their ruin was so
marked that such truth could be
pressed. (3) Yearning for captive
kinsfolk-"Yo brethren and children
c,a f,,d set, haf OF
captors" (v 81. a. The instinct Of
self rvation-sSo that they shall
come again into this land ". 81. (5)
The forgiving mercy of God ~ o.
God will not turn any sincere seeker
away from Him. Him that cometh
unto Me I viii in no wise cast out"
(John $50.
f. Israel's Reception of the Invita-
ton wv. 1912. THIS invitation in
Israel met a mingled reception. %
Some mocked The urgent and Sin
cere invitation only excited opposition
and ridicule. CD 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.
II. The Passover Kept wv. 1920.
l. Affairs Removed wv. 13, 14). In
the time of Ahaz Och. % pa, these
heather affairs were erected in Jeru-
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 right spirit actuated them.
2. The Passover Killed ". 15).
8. The Priests and Leyltes Ashamed
(vv 1920. The zeal Of the people
put to shame the priests and Levites.
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
sanctified so as to render this service
for themselves. Though unprepared
ceremonially, vet they took part in
this most sacred service and were ac-
cepted as worsfipers through the in
tercession Of Hezekiah. 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 Levites and
priests sang Gods praise daily on loud
instruments ". 2D. t2) Hezekiah's
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).
5. The Passover Prolonged Seven
Days wv. 1920. The kings object
in prolonging the feast was to make
as lasting an impression as possible,
so as to result in the thorough con-
version of their souls to God