The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1924-05-15
SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON
Prepared especially for The RepubH-
can by Rev. I. S. Wright. D. D.
SUNDAY. MAY IS.
ISAIAH AND THE ASSYRIAN
CRISIS.

II Kings 1920; Isaiah 1888.
God IS our refuge and strength; a v.Ey pres
cnt help in trouble.--Tsalrl 1871.
THE NEW RULE
Joash did well enough while Jehoia-
da still lived, but ended by melting
the death of a protesting prophet and
falling q victim to the murderous
forces he had let loose. AmaZiah
was no better but Uzziah gave one of
the prosperous periods in Judah's his
tory so that Isaiah mourned sincerely
at his death. But the splendow of
his reign shaded into the drab of Jo-
than and the black of AhaZ. The
last reverted to the ape, because he
copied every hideous bit of idolatry
he could find, even that of child burn
ing. Urged by Israel and Syria to
join the coalition against Assyria, he
flung himself in wild panic into the
arms of that rapacious empire and
chained the land securely by his trea-
ty with that robber territory. 1t was
to such a heritage that Hezekiah came.
He found lost religion. lost indie
pendence, and a lost spirit among his
subjects. What could one expect of
the son of such a father? But his
mother was the daughter of Zechariah
granddaughter seems to be meant)
staunch lover of Jehovah whose shad-
ow fell across the face of the youth
that Jehovah kissed under its cover.
Such is the opportunity that a real
mother gets and Ahaz was not diff
ferent from any other man today who
may hit the high spots himself but
wants good wife and holds his relig-
ion in her name. Very likely there
was teacher also involved in the
making Of this youth and none is more
likely than Isaiah whose princely
blood gave him free entry to the pal
ace. And when mother and teach
er go into partnership to bring God in
to boys life something always hap
pens even though it may be as sur
prising as that out Of the harem of a
tiunky there should come a real king.
For after all these are they who hold
the keys of the empires yet to be.
Isaiah redeems the city for he was
a city boy but confirms the rule of the
wholesomeness of country life as seen
in Samuel, Elisha, Amos and Jere-
miah. Of his home nothing is known,
but his fine training appears in the
knowledge of world affairs and in the
style of his messages. His prophetic
work grew out of his heart experience
which fired the piled billets of know
ledge with which his brain was filled.
He saw God in that old Temple vision
while he was seeking the answer to his
tears and sorrow over the loss to his
country of Uzziah the great God
was ruling the affairs of the nation
and he could take comfort out of that.
But conditions were not all they
should be among the people where
social wrong accompanied ritual wor-
ship and he heard his call and made
his surrender to the Lord in such fash
ion that his fine soul never lost its
sense Of the Presence. Washington
and other world capitals call for his
successors.
THE SHADOW OF ASSYRIA.
Judah and Israel knew the feeling
Of France toward the menace Of Ger
many a fear that was as justified in
720 B. c. as in 1914. Under its in
fuence the youthful King paid his
inherited tribute faithfully and was
secure during the days when Samaria
burned. But it is probable that he
used those years in strengthening the
Notifications about Jerusalem and in
building the conduit from the spring
GihOn to the Pool Of Sloan within
its walls. The tunnel is 100 feet long
and six feet high and the inscription
proclaiming its completion-the oldest
we have from Judea in any lengths
in the muzeum in COnstantinOple. En-
gineering did not originate with the
Anglo Saxon in spite of our Boosting.
In spite Of its oath of fealty Jerusa-
lem was the center of the disaffected
who sought to break the overload
ship of Assyria and Isaiah stepped in
to declare that a nations ward was as
sacred as a mans and the treaty
should not become a "scrap Of paper"
His pictured sermon of a captive,
preached for three years in the streets
Of the Capital, carried his appeal over
King and court to the people and held
Hezekiah from the desperate COM
initial of revolt against the strongest
power in his world. He was COM
pletely indicated by the outcome of
events that hurried each little state
into cover.
Sargon's death left Sennacherib
with the rebellion Of Babylon to quell
and Egypt thought this a fine oppor-
tunity to stir up trouble. The head
of the revolted state urged it with all
his power and using the sickness of
Hezekiah as an excuse, his embassy