The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1929-04-11
improved Uniform international
Si11a}daySchool
Lesson
(By REV. p. B. FITzWATER. DID,. Dean
Moody Bible Institute 90 Chicago)
(G, 1929. Western Newspaper Union.)
Lesson for April ID
HEZEKlAH LEADS HIS PEOPLE
BACK TO GOD

LESSON TEXT-II Chronicles 3O:1-
81.
GOLDEN TEXT-The Lord your God
is gracious and merciful.
PRIMARY TOPIC-Helping Others TO
Know God.
JUNIOR TOPIC-Helping Others to
Know God.
INTERMEDIARY AND SENIOR TOP
IC-A Leader With a High Purpose.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND ADULT TOP
IC-The Influence of Good Ruler.
I. Hezekiah ProcIaims a Passover
wv. 1-12).
The way for a shining and divided
people to get back to God and be
united is around the crucified Lord.
The Passover was a memorial of the
nations deliverance through the she'd
ding of the blood of the sacrificial
lamb.
/. The invitation was representative
of the nation ". y. The king took
counsel with the princes and the
congregation to show that the procla-
nation was the expression of the ma
tons desire.
2. The time was unusual (vv. 2-4).
There was not sufficient time to sane
tify the people, nor to gather them
together at the regular time, so they
resolved instead of postponing 1t for
a year to hold it on the fourteenth
day of the second month. This liberty
LoI hnfnrn in n oyiuln-
cy (Num. 9:6-13).
3. The scope of the invitation (vv.
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 intended to win back
the nation which had seeded. The
messengers were authorized to sup
plement the proclamation with urgent
exhortation to restore a united ma
ton. This urgent invitation was tact
fully put as follows:
ID 1t touched ancestral memories
''Turn again unto the Lord God of
Abraham, Isaac and Israeli ". g..
(2) Recalled bitter experience-"Be
not like your fathers and brethren,
who trespasscd against the Lord God,
and were given up to desolation. as
ye see" " y.
(9) Aroused yearning for captive
kinsfolk-"Your brethren and children
shall find compassion before their cap
tors" " 81.
az Stirred instinct of self-preserva-
tion-"So that they shall come again
unto this land" ". 81.
~ Pledged forgiveness ". 81.
4. Israel's reception of the invita-
ton wv. 1922.
This invitation in Israel met with
mingled reception.
ID Some Knocked. The urgent and
sincere invitation only excited opposi-
ton and ridicule. (2) Some with
humble hearts came to Jerusalem.
In Judah. God gave them one heart
to accept the summons to unite in the
Lord around the great Passover.
II. The Passover Kept wv. 1920.
/. Affairs removed wv. 10, 14).
In the time of Ahaz (2S:24 these
heather affairs were erected in Jeru-
salem. Before there could be worship
of the true God all traces of idolatry
must be removed. This voluntary act
of the people showed a right spirit.
2. The Passover killed ". 15). The
zeal of the people was shown in their
going forward with the service, though
the priests were not ready for their
task.
3. The priests and Levites ashamed
wv. 1920.
The zeal of the people put to shame
the priests and Levites, stimulating
them to perform their duties accord
ing to the law as given by Moses. The
Levites then took charge of the kill
ing of the Passover. Though many of
the people were ceremonially unpre-
pared to take part in the most sacred
service, they were accepted as wor-
shippers through the intercession of
Hezekiah. God accepted the purpose
of heart rather than the letter of the
law.
4. The praise of glad hearts wv.
p, 22).
They continued seven days with
'gladness: Q) The Levites and priests
sang Gods praise daily with loud in
struments ". 2D; (2) Hezekiah spoke
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 i'm
preston as possible, so as to result in
the thorough conversion of their souls
to God.
Keeping Eyes on God
So long as | can keep my eye on
God all is well, but if | lose sight of
Him 7 am troubled Observation-Disclosures