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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
the exhortation to return to their God. But the general reception o f Hezekiah’s invi tation was that “they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them,” that is, the bearers of the invitation (v. 10). But “ divers o f Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem” (v. 11). To return to the Lord requires a humbling of oneself —a requirement which many people are too proud to meet. However, there assembled in Jerusalem “much people to keep the feast” (v. 13). While there were not enough to bring about the fulfillment of the promise con cerning the captive brethren, nevertheless those who did come, in humility, received from the Lord the blessing He always be stows upon those who seek Him. Points and Problems The very heart of this lesson in found in verse 8. There are three words here which almost sum up the whole relation o f man to God. The words are “yield,” “enter,” and “serve.” 1. "Yield yourselves unto the Lord.” This is consecration. The English word “yield” is weak, indicating a rather passive atti tude. The Hebrew suggests a very posi tive action. It is nathan yad —literally, “give the hand.” The New Testament parallel is Romans 6 :13, “ Yield yourselves unto God.” The American Revised Ver sion changes the verb to “present," which is much better. It is probably safe to say that the Bible nowhere asks man to merely passively surrender himself to God. W e are to “present” ourselves, not merely “yield.” 2. "Enter into his sanctuary.” This is communion. In Exodus 25:8, God com manded Israel to make a sanctuary, and then added the promise: “ There I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee” (v. 22). But let us not forget that there could be no entrance to the sanctu ary without blood. The New Testament parallel is Hebrews 10:19: “Having there fore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way, whjch he hath consecrated for us, through the veil, that is to say, his flesh.” 3. “Serve the Lord your God.” There can be no service until there is consecra tion and communion. “ Service” is the great watchword o f modern religion, and it is a great and good w ord ; but it is not the first word in Christianity, nor even in Old Testament religion. W e must learn to serve a holy God. And we learn by first presenting ourselves, and by then entering into the holy place 'of God’s presence. Golden Text Illustration Dr. Alexander Whyte, o f Edinburgh, tells us o f an interview he had with Dr. Carmen, o f Glasgow, one of the finest and most successful men in the city, and mu nificent in his liberality to every good cause. God had prospered him, and he had tried to do well by any poor creature who came to him. Dr. Whyte had been doing some church business with him, and when they had finished, Dr. Carmen looked at the doctor with great blazing eyes, and said, “ Now, ha’e ye any word for an old sinner ?” “ It took my breath away,” says Dr. Whyte. “ He was an old saint I But it is the paradox o f grace that the greatest saints feel they are the greatest sinners. So I just rose up and held out my hand to him—a strong man’s hand was his—and I said to him, ‘He delighteth in mercy.’ I had nothing else to say, and escaped out of the room. Next morning I got a letter
SEPTEMBER 9, 1934 HEZEK IAH LEADS HIS PEOPLE BACK TO GOD 2 C hronicles 30
turned a deaf ear to all these warnings and pleadings, with the result that was now plainly seen. Would their children take heed? But it would not be enough merely to cease the evil practices o f which they and their fathers had been guilty. They must, positively, “yield” themselves unto the Lord. They were to acknowledge that He was over them with authority, that they were His and not their own. The proof of their yieldedness would be that they would assemble and “enter into his sanctu ary, which he hath sanctified for ever.” That sanctuary in Jerusalem was the place wherein the Lord had been pleased to set His name, and those who would come be fore Him to worship must come to that place. The altars at Dan, Beersheba, and elsewhere were not recognized by the Lord. Moreover, the people were to come with the determination to “serve the Lord your God.” That service had been long neglected; now there was presented an opportunity for the people to engage in a revival of true religion before their God. They were reminded that even though the majority o f Israel had been carried away captive, there was still the danger of the fierceness o f the wrath o f God resting upon those who were left in the land. The invitation concluded with a most heartening promise (v. 9). I f the people would turn again to the Lord, they would be doing much to ease the lot o f their brethren, already in captivity, who should “ find compassion before them that led them captive.” In other words, it might be that now, if Israel would turn back whole-heartedly to the Lord whom she had spurned, the captivity would be ended, and the captives would be permitted to return again to their own land. Here is a pressing word to all backsliders. Their return to the Lord would affect not prily themselves, but their children and their brethren as well. The basis o f this promise was found in the character o f the Lord Himself. He “is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him” (v. 9). This verse reminds us of the truth found in the New Testament- in picture, as seen in the story of the Prodigal Son (Lk. 15), and in the direct teaching o f the Holy Spirit: “ If we con fess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive” (1 John 1:9). All the Lord de sires of the sinner is that the sinner shall accept the free gift of Christ Jesus as Saviour and L ord; and all that He asks o f the backslidden saint is that he shall return, with confession, to God. Then God’s grace and mercy shine forth. III. T he R esponse G iven (13). From verse 13, it might appear that there was a general acceptance o f the in vitation, and that the remnant had followed BLACKBOARD LESSON
Lesson Text: 2 Chron. 30:1-9, 13. Golden Text: “ The Lord your God is gracious and merciful” (2 Chron. 30:9). Outline and Exposition I. T he C ouncil H eld (1-5). I srael had recently been taken captive by Assyria, and Hezekiah, together with his officials, might well have been stirred by the threatened judgment which hung over Judah. Read chapter 29. Hezekiah was determined that all his own nation should be gathered before the Lord to keep the passover (v. 1). Hezekiah was wise enough to take coun sel with his princes and the people in the capital city, Jerusalem (v. 2 ). The leader who would be successful must take counsel with those under him, if he would have matters run smoothly and easily. This passover would have to be observed in the “ second” month instead of the first, because the priests had not sanctified themselves in sufficient numbers (v. 3, R. V .). There were enough priests to carry on the obser vance o f the passover for the number of people in Jerusalem, but the magnitude of the-celebration that Hezekiah proposed re quired the services o f many more. Hence, the priests were given an extra month in which to prepare (vs. 2, 3). The council was unanimous in deciding that the passover should be held (v. 4). The resolution was passed that the whole nation, instead of Judah only, should be invited to attend and to take part in this passover (v. S). Here was a recognition that the people o f God were one, and that the northern nation o f Israel belonged to Jehovah, as did the southern nation, Judah. It may have been that Hezekiah saw an opportunity o f binding all the people to gether once more in one tinited nation. Israel, as such, had been carried away, but there remained many o f the people o f Is rael who were still in the country (cf. v. 6). Being leaderless, it might be that they could be reunited with Hezekiah’s kingdom. At any rate, it appears that there was an effort on Hezekiah’s part to unify the people. It was decided to invite all the people of God. from Dan to Beer- sheba. II. T he I nvitation S ent (6-9). The people were exhorted to return to their God, the God of their fathers, Abra ham, Isaac, and Jacob. These were “ fathers” of Israel, as well as o f Judah. The people of Israel had departed from God and had reaped the reward o f their doings, but now they were asked to return. Accompanying the invitation was the sug gestion that if the people would return, the Lord would return to the remnant which was still left in the land—those who had escaped from the hands of Assyria (v. 6). The invitation carried both a negative and a positive exhortation (vs. 7, 8 ). The people were not to be as their fathers and their brethren had been. These had tres passed against the Lord, and had brought about the present desolation o f their land. All who had heard the warnings o f Israel’s prophets well knew that it was because of Israel’s defiance o f the Lord that Assyria was permitted to overcome them. They were therefore not to be stiffnecked, as their fathers had been. The Lord had sent many prophets to Israel, reminding His people o f their sinfulness and rebuking their wickedness, but the fathers had
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