The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1929-04-13
BY VIM. E. GILROY, D. D.

By VIM. l.. GlLRO1, ID. ID.
Editor OF The Congregationalist
HEzEKIAH stands in biblical
l. l. history as a royal and con-
spicuous example of the fact that
max may recover from his mis-
takes, and also of the deeper truth
that mans character is not al
ways to be judged by his errors Of
judgment.
Assuming that Isaiahs judgment
was clear and sound, Hezekiah had
been mistaken. Isaiah disproved of
Hezekiah's foreign policy, which had
had the effect Of embroiling Israel
in the quarrels of other nations.
and he had pronounced judgments
against Hezekiah who, as We have
seen in a former lesson, while he
made strong profession of the in
tegrity of his purpose. had "wept
sore" and in recognition of his sin
cere repentance, had had fifteen
years added TO his life.
The Situation
1t is necessary for an under
standing of the political and So
cial backgrounds Of the Old Tesla
ment prophecies to picture wildly
in ones mind the situation of PaleS-
tine and its peoples in the ancient
world
If one looks at the map. one sees
how this little country, its inhabit-
able portion about fifty miles wide
by one hundred and ten miles long,
stood in the very center of contend
ing empires-a buffer state, in much
the same situation as was Belgium
during the recent World war. The
great empires of Egypt on the south,
Babylonia on the east, and Assyria
on the north met here in contending
conflict; and though the center Of
power shifted later to the west with
the rise of the Grecian and Roman
empires, Palestine continued to be
the place Of conflict where east and
west met where formerly north and
south had stood in rivalry.
Not only did this situation con-
Stitute an almost continuous menace
to the people Of Israel, but there was
the further danger, somewhat in
tensif1ed, through the tendency of
people thus harried between two
foes, to seek alliance with the con-
tending nation that seemed most
likely to triumph. 1t was under
these circumstances that the
prophets took an almost consistent
attitude in opposition to what would
be called today "entangling alli-
ances."
Two Kingdoms
One must remember that at the
time of these lessons the former
Kingdom of Israel was divided into
two kingdoms-the northern king
dom, known as the Kingdom of
Israel, or the Kingdom of the Ten
Tribes, and the southern kingdom
of Judah, consisting of the two
tribes The story of how this diyi-
sion came to be is probably we'll
known to all Bible students, but
it will be found in I Kings, chap
ter IL
At the time of our lesson the
northern kingdom had just fallen
under the assault of Sargon II, king
of Assyria, who in 722 destroyed
this kingdom and carried many of
its people off into captivity. This
kingdom was never restored, and it
is to this event that reference is
made in speaking of the lost ten
tribes of Israel"
The position of Hezekiah and the
prophecies relating to his kingdom
must be understood in relation to
these events. He was king of the
southern kingdom-the Kingdom
Of Judah. And against the prophets
counsel he had made alliance with |
Egypt against ASsyria.
The result, Of course, was to place |
the Kingdom of Judah and it's |
people in danger Of much the same |
calamity that had overwhelmed the |
northern kingdom. 1t is in these
circumstances that under the lead |
erShip of Hezekiah the nation turns |
to prayer and conservation.
The disaster that has over
whelmed Israel and that is impend-
ing for judah is interpreted as
judgment upon the sins of the /
people and Of their forgetfulness Of
God. The remnant that has escaped |
the devastation Of Sargon is exhort-
ed to turn from the ways of their |
fathers and to repent.
Repeated in History