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SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON HELPS Homer A. Kent, Th.D. • Allison Arrowood (children) Lesson material is based upon outlines of the International Sunday School lessons copyrighted by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.
turned aside from the ways of his father into the paths of awful sin. However, after experiences of defeat and disaster he came to himself in the far country and turned unto the Lord. Many are the lessons on sin and repentance which may be learned from Manasseh’s experience. Need for Repentance vv. 9, 10 That there was a desperate need for a change of heart and action in Manasseh’s life is clearly set forth in these two verses. Not only did Manasseh sin himself but he was responsible for a black record of sin in the lives of multitudes of others in Judah and Jerusalem. That is one of the awful things about sin, especially on the part of leaders. It has a ruinous effect upon others. No man lives unto himself and certainly not those in places of lead ership. The result of Manasseh’s example was that the people he influenced did worse than the heathen. And when the Lord spoke to both king and people their hearts were steeled against His entreaties. How stubborn sin makes people! For a full list of Manasseh’s sins the teacher should refer to the first eight verses of the chapter before us. Means to Repentance v. 11 Sometimes the Lord has to pse very drastic means to get men to turn unto Him. In the case of Manasseh, the L,ord sent the Assyrian army into Palestine un der the direction of Esarhaddon, and Ma nasseh was taken captive to Babylon under the most humiliating circumstances. On the matter of his being taken among the thorns, many think that Manasseh was trying to hide from the enemy among the thistles and the brambles, but he was unsuccessful and so was taken captive. There is nothing so binding as sin. Many are living in Babylon today because of it. Repentance Experienced vv. 12, 13 Under the hand of affliction Manasseh had time to think on his way, with the result that he turned unto the Lord and greatly humbled himself before Him. He also prayed earnestly and the Lord heard him and brought His servant back into his kingdom. We have here a splendid example of what true repentance is. It is more than simply being sorry for sin. It is being sorry enough about it to make definite turning away from it unto the Lord. It involves a change of mind and attitude with regard to these matters. True
throne did not do honor to his father’s memory. He did evil in the sight of the Lord during most of his reign. How ever, in the end of his days he humbled himself before the Lord, perhaps in answer to his godly father’s prayers. Helps for the Children When the People Were Afraid 2 Chr. 32; Isaiah 37 MEMORY VERSE: "Be strong and cour ageous, be not afraid nor dismayed . . . with us is the Lord our God to help us" (2 Chr. 32:7, 8). Last week we talked about King Heze kiah and his letters which invited God’s people to worship together in Jerusalem as they had in the past. Not long after the passover feast, an enemy king brought his soldiers in war against the Jews. The Jews were terrified at the sight of an enemy army. King Hezekiah comforted them and reminded them that their God was greater than any human army. “ Be strong and courageous, be not afraid nor dismayed . . . with us is the Lord our God to help us,” the good king said. Heze kiah and the prophet Isaiah prayed that God would deliver them soon. God an swered their prayer by sending His angel to kill many of the enemy soldiers. Quick ly, those who were left in the wicked army returned to their own land, and God’s people were once again at peace. Boys and girls will frequently be afraid of some thing or somebody. Sometimes there will not be any person near to com fort them and care for them. Those who belong to the Lord Jesus know that He is with them every second, day and night. Missionaries tell about lying down to sleep while cannibals were waiting out side of their huts to kill them. Their hearts were peaceful, for they had God’s prom ise, “ I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.” (Psa. 4:8.) When others are afraid, you may com fort them with God’s promises if they belong to Him. If they are not saved, you may tell them of the wonderful promises for those who know your Lord. June 5, 1955 Fruits of Repentance 2 Chr. 33:9-20 Pointers on the Lesson Manasseh has been called the prodigal son of the Old Testament. At any rate, he was one who in spite of a godly father
May 29, 1955 Resources for Life's Crises 2 Chr. 32:1-8; 32, 33 Pointers on the Lesson
After spiritual blessings and the restora tion of the temple worship, Hezekiah faced a time of crisis in his kingdom. Sennacherib, king of Assyria, with his in vading forces threatened the peace and safety of the city of Jerusalem. The As syrians had already ravaged many por tions of the Southern Kingdom. Now they were knocking at the doors of the Holy City. How did Hezekiah respond to such a situation? Protection Against Invasion vv. 1-8 What did Hezekiah do to protect Jeru salem against invasion? First, He diverted the water supply away from the invading forces, making them available only to the inhabitants of Jerusalem (w . 3, 4). How this was done is suggested by the record of 2 Kings 20:20 where we learn of a special conduit which was tunneled under the city to keep water from flowing out into the Kidron Valley and making it flow into the Pool of Siloam. Second, He saw that the walls about the city were in good condition, (v. 5). Third, He re paired the fortifications of the city and provided the necessary implements of de fence, (v. 5). Fourth, He appointed cap tains of war and encouraged them to re member their divine help, (w . 7, 8). These last two verses show clearly the spiritual character of Hezekiah. He trust ed not in the arm iof flesh but in the power of God. Because of Hezekiah’s atti tude, all the people found rest in trust ing in God. In our conflicts today God has provided means for protection and victory. Arrayed in the spiritual armour described in Ephesians 6:10-18, the Christian can al ways emerge from the conflict a victor. Hezekiah was convinced of the truth that greater is He that is within the believer than he that is in the world. God's Servant Goes Home vv. 3 2 ,33 Our lesson passes over many intervening events in Hezekiah’s life and ends with his death which was attended with honor by the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem. They recognized that a great leader had been taken from them. Sad to say, his son Manasseh who followed upon the
THE KING'S BUSINESS
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