SIO
August, 1939
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
especially clean when company comes. These toys remind me of King Heze kiah, mentioned in 2 Chronicles 30. He remembered God. He was wise enough to know that God was ever present, and did not come on visits, and for this reason he cleaned house. We read in verse 14 of this chapter, “And they arose and took away the altars [to heathen idols] that were in Jerusalem, and all the altars for incense took they away, and cast them into the brook Kidron.” King Hezekiah and his people were blessed because they got rid of the things that were displeasing to God. Christians today should be careful to allow God to remove all things from their lives which are not pleasing to Him. The Lord Jesus is more important than any visitor who might be coming to their homes. When this is done, His blessing will rest upon them. What are some of the things you think should not be. found in the lives of Christians ? “S mo k i n g . ” “Drinking.” “Shows.” “Dances.” “Lying.” “Stealing.” “Swear ing.” “Hatred.” Yes, anything which displeases Christ should be confessed to Him, and for saken. 7 W ill the Lord be pleased w ith thou sands of ram s, or w ith ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstb orn fo r my tran sgression , th e fru it of my body for th e sin of my soul? 8 He hath showed thee, O man, wTh at is good; and w h at doth th e Lord require of thee, but to do ju stly, and to love m ercy, and to w alk humbly w ith th y God? GOLDEN T E X T : «W h at doth the Lord require of thee, but to do ju stly, and to love m ercy, and to w alk humbly w ith th y God?” (M icah 6 :8 ). DEVOTIONAL READ ING : P sa. 50:1-8, 14, 15. Outline and Exposition I. T he R ebuke (1-8) M ICAH first addressed the among the people. Their positions had been given to them in order that the people might be taught by them in the ways of the Lord. But, instead of governing the people for God, these leaders had turned their opportunities into channels for their own personal advantage. They looked upon the flock as being their prey, and for personal gain they became as raven ing wolves. The description of their treatment of the people is most vivid; they loved evil and hated good. The prophet declared that the time would come when such false leaders as these would cry out in their distress for help
the law had to be paid for in blood. And the “pardon” of the people came because “Hezekiah prayed for them,” beautiful type of the intercessory min istry of our Lord Jesus Christ for us today.
fore, he sent messengers inviting the people to come to worship God. Some laughed at the message. Some wouldn’t even listen, but the wise ones came.
Golden Text Illustration P salm 80:3
During the revival which some years ago swept through the land of Wales, and whose power that principality feels to this day, a friend of mine went down from London to take part in some of its services. He got out at a country station and asked the policeman stand ing in the village square, “Where is the Welsh revival?” The man in blue drew himself up to his full height, patted his chest, and said: “The Welsh revival, sir, is under these buttons!”—J . A. Clark.
Object Lesson T oys T hat T each
OBJECTS: A, toy broom, dust pan, carpet sweeper, and a small dust cloth. (These toys can be secured easily at a 5-and-10-cent store.) LESSON: In looking at this dust cloth, toy sweeper, broom, and dust pan, of what are you reminded ? . “House cleaning. My mother uses such things when she cleans.” Yes, that is a good answer. When does your mother try the hardest to have the house cleaned? “When company is coming.” Yes, most mothers want the house Micah 3:1 And I »aid, H ear, I pray you, O heads of Jacob» and ye princes of the house of Israel) Is it not for you to know judgm ent? 2 W ho h ate the good» and loTe the evil; who pluck off th eir skin from off them , and th eir flesh from off th eir bones; 3 Who also e a t th e flesh of my people, and flay th eir skin from off them« and they break th eir bones» and chop them in pieces, as fo r th e pot» and as flesh within the caldron. 4 Then shall they cry un to th e Lord, but he will not h ear th em : he will even hide his face from them a t th a t time» as they have behaved them selves ill in their doings. 5 Thus saith the Lord concerning the prophets th a t m ake my people err, th a t bite w ith th eir teeth , and cry» P e a ce ; and he th a t putteth not into th eir mouths* they even prepare w ar ag ain st him : 6 T herefore n ight shall be unto you» th at ye shall not have a vision« and it shall be dark unto you, th a t ye shall not divine; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them. 7 Then shall the seers be asham ed, and th e diviners confounded: yea» they shall all cover th eir lips; for th ere is no answ er of God. 8 B ut tru ly I am full of pow er by the Spirit o f the Lord» and of judgm ent,' and of m ight, to declare unto Jaco b his tra n s gression, and to Isra e l his sin. 9 H ear this, I pray you, ye heads of the house pf Ja co b , and princes of the house of Israel, th a t abhor judgm ent, and pervert all equity. 10 They build up Zion w ith blood, and Jeru salem w ith iniquity. 11 The h ead s-th ereof judge for rew ard, and the priests th ereof teach for hire and the prophets th ereof divine for m oney: yet will they lean upon the Lord, and say. Is not the Lord am ong us? none evil can com e upon us. 12 Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jeru salem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest. 6:6 W herew ith shall I come before the Lord, and bow m yself before th e high God? shall I. come before him w ith burnt offerings, w ith calves of a y ear old?
A King’s Invitation 2 C hronicles 30
MEMORY VERSE: "Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise” (Psa, 100: 4). APPROACH: About forty years after Isaiah became a prophet in Judah, there came to the throne a young king whose name was Hezekiah. Once more the people had wandered far from God.
SEPTEMBER 17, 1939 MICAH: A MESSENGER OF SOCIAL JUSTICE M icah 3:1-12; 6:6-8
A l t a r s had been raised to strange gods . B u t o n c e more, God raised up a leader, this young king, who shoiild bring the people, all those who would, back to Him. LESSON STORY: The first thing that Hezekiah did ivas to
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cleanse the temple. Think of it! The temple doors had been closed and the dust and rubbish had been allowed to collect inside. The beautiful and pre cious altar put there by Solomon at the time that he had built the temple had been taken down, and in its place had been set an altar copied after one set up to a heathen god. All of this, Heze kiah did away with. He belonged to the living God, and he wanted to bring the people back to Him. It took sixteen days for the temple to be put in order, The next thing was to get the priests in readiness to prepare the people for worship. Then, too, the people must be made ready. Hezekiah thought about the invitations. Who should be invited? Of course every one in his own kingdom, the kingdom of Judah, should be asked to come. But what about their neigh bors, the people in the kingdom of Israel? They were really part of the same people, and the prOmisés ' of thè living God had .been made to them as well. King Hezekiah would invite them, too. Through the twelve tribes, there
rulers and princes (vs. 1-4). These men were the ones who should have executed judgment
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