December 1924
T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
797
(1) MANASSEH’S REVOLTING REIGN, Ch. 21.»V‘And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord,” v. 2. Manasseh was twelve years old when he began to reign, and he reigned 55 years, and Israel was dragged down into the lowest depths of sin. He reversed the policy and prac tice of his godly father, and made the wicked Ahaz his example. He aroused the anger of the Lord and blazed the way for judgment upon the people. The political party, composed of some of the princes and priests, was at the bottom of the beastly business; as was always the case, in Israel and in the world; as it is now in the church and in the world; and in this combination we may always look for the foe of righteousness. Some practical questions are always evoked when we read an account of this character. Shall the responsibility for all the things which are credited to him be placed upon the king? For instance: building up the high places which Hezekiah destroyed; rearing altars to Baal; making groves as did Ahab; building altars even in the house of the Lord; building altars for the hosts of heaven in the courts of the house of the Lord; making his son pass through the fire; making graven images, etc. Did Manasseh have any help from thé politicians? Did they incite him in his youth to abandon himself to idolatry? Where shall we draw the line between the spiritual and secular in our lives? Is there any way by which an even balance can be maintained? Do business and professional and working men— members of the church— give too little time to spiritual things, and do preachers give too much time to secular things? Are idols reared in business places and in the homes? Will we ever sense the meaning of the commandment: “ Thou shalt have no other gods before me” ? The movie people are putting the Ten Commandments upon the screen and by so doing they are unconsciously intensifying the guilt of their own souls and of those who gaze upon them. The god of gold produced and promotes this comedy. “ Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and soul and might.” Do any of them keep it? Can any one keep it? If it were possible to keep this com mandment, there would be no need for the atoning sacri fice of Christ. Do the people who crowd to see this film, worship God? The commandments are the sentence of death to fallen men. If they would display the Cross and tell the people that they were hopelessly helpless, never having kept one of the commandments; that Jesus kept them all, and that His blood atoned for the broken law; some might be saved. Worship is inherent in man. He must have some idol, but by nature he rebels against God’s command and God’s order. “ Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” How can any one question the validity of the Bible when tested upon this one point? Men demand some object of worship, but fallen nature covets the gods which their own hands make. Why did a people, who had the privilege of living for twenty-nine years under the reign of a good king, allow a wicked young man to lead them into the depths of abominable sin? If every teacher will meditate upon these questions care fully and prayerfully, it will be well worth while. Are peo ple easily led away from thei truth? How do you account for conditions in the world today? Did the war bring peo ple to their knees? Has prosperity produced a larger spirit ual life? What is the reason for all the confusion that exists? Who are responsible for the decline in morals and religious life? Have the politicians in the high places in the church had anything to do with it? Are we drifting from the Bible moorings, and are we facing a like condition in the church today?
Where were the godly men and leaders who, in Heze- kiah's day, reaped the reward of his righteous reign? Where are the men and women today who have inherited the God- given privileges of the Pilgrim Fathers? Manasseh seduced Judah to greater wickedness than that of which the heathen nations had been guilty. He had the light of revelation and the historic knowledge of God’s dealings with the nation. His sin was wilfully wicked. He had sowed the wind and Judah must reap the whirlwind. God’s order never changes. We must all be judged by the light we have— nations and individuals (Luke 12:47, 48). Christ’s own words concerning judgment are solemn (Matt. 11:21-24). King and people must suffer together, for they sinned together. The judgment of God was to be terrific. It encompassed the whole nation. It was a finished work. Its lesson is tremendously solemn. Could a loving, just and righteous God inflict such a sud den and searching judgment? Well, He did and He will. He has never changed. Do you want the evidence? Look today at Jerusalem, and look into the face of one of the wandering Jews. (2) JOSIAH’S REFORMATORY REIGN, Ch. 3 : 22, 23. "And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” ; v. 2. Turning from the story of Manasseh to that of Josiah we see one of the most striking pictures in the Bible^—from an earthly hell to an earthly heaven; an eight year old lad, sit ting upon the throne, and revolutionizing the nation’s condition. He commenced with the temple of Jehovah. That is the place to begin always. Who was his adviser? Isaiah and Micah were no more. Jeremiah was called five years after Josiah began his reign. God uses young people. He used David, the lad with the bow and arrow. Some boys and girls today, with the Gospel in their handsV are wiser and truer than many professors and preachers. Don’t limit the Holy Spirit. Begin with the church of God. If you want a reformation, have a revival of true Bible religion. The law of Moses had been lost and it was found, and Josiah heard and heeded it. (2, Chron. 34:18) “ Then Shaphan, the scribe, told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.” Following this came the house-cleaning (2 Ki. 23:4-20). Wise man! Clean up the house, brethren. There are too many fanciful, fantastic features in the house of God today music, mimicry, modernism, and worldly methods. There must be more of the Word and worship of the Lord. ' Then— back to the Passover! Hear Josiah: “ Keep the Passover unto the Lord your God, as it is written in the book of the covenant.!’ Back to the story of the Lamb of God! Back to the command of Jesus, our, Lord: “ Do this in remembrance of me!” ' It may seem humiliating, with all of our fine places of worship and our wonderful Sabbath and week day programs, but it will pay, if we will only confess our sins-as a people; consecrate our lives to Him; carry out His program of giv ing the Gospel, and thus do our part, trusting the rest to Him, whose we are and whom we should joyfully serve. Topics for Study (1) Are children twelve years of age susceptible to influ ences which may dominate their lives? (2) How much are we influenced by ideals as personified in other people?
Made with FlippingBook HTML5