March 1929
T h e
K i n g ' s
B u s i n e s s
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III. Isaiah's Symbolic Act and Proph ecy in the Assyrian Crisis. 20:1-6. 1- Sargon’s Campaign in Philistia. For years the critics questioned the his toricity of chapter 20 until archeologists unearthed the palace of Sargon at Khor- sabad. This campaign is supposed to have occurred in the year 711 B. C. 2. Prophecy Concerning Egypt and Ethiopia. Vs. 2-6 The disturbances around A s h d o d caused much uneasiness in Judaea; there fore the- Lord instructed Isaiah to give a tnessage of comfort to the people, assur ing them both by symbolic act and by prophetic utterances th a t. both Ethiopia and Egypt, upon which they had been re lying, would be carried captive by the As syrians. . ■ IV. Isaiah’s Ministry to Hezekiah Dur ing the Latter’s Sickness. 38 :1-22. 1. Hezekiah’s Sickness and Prayer. Vs. 1-3. In the reign of Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, made great incursions in the west land, which caused much uneasi ness, At this same time Hezekiah, king of Judah, contracted a sickness which or dinarily would have resulted in his death. In this crisis the Lord sent Isaiah to tell the king of his imminent death. Upon hearing the prophet the king prayed ear nestly and wept bitterly. God does not de light in afflicting His children but is forced to do so many times oh account of their sins and failures. 2. Message and Confirmatory Mir acle. Vs. 4-8. God is always touched with the afflic tions of His people. “In all their afflic tion he wets afflicted” (63:9). God saw the affliction of His people in Egypt, heard their groanings, and delivered them. Thus He did on this occasion. He added fifteen years to the king’s life, which, however, were not fruitful to the glory of God as were his former years. To confirm the king’s faith the Lord caused the sun’s shadow to recede ten steps on “the dial of Ahaz." This was a real miracle. The God who created the heavens and the earth can make the sun’s shadow to go backward ten steps on the dial in order to confirm the faith of His children. 3. Hezekiah’s Writing. Vs. 9-20. When the Lord restored the king to health (cf. Psa. 103:3) the latter wrote a poem concerning his spiritual expe riences and how God dealt with him in his previous sickness. 4. Hezekiah’s Restoration to Health. Vs. 21, 22. In these verses appears the statement of the medical treatment which was pre scribed by the prophet for the king’s res toration, the king having asked for a sign that God would restore him to health. April 14, 1929 Hezekiah Leads His People Back to God Golden Text: “Jehovah your God is gracious and merciful" (2 Chron. 30:9). Lesson Text: 2 Chron. 30:1-27. L esson in O utline I. Decision by King and Advisers to observe Passover. Vs. 1-4. II. Proclamation of the Observance. Vs. 5-9.
FRED S. SHEPARD ’S BLACKBOARD OUTL INE
blood of the Passover lamb on the door posts and lintels on the fourteenth day of the first month (Ex. 12), and that night .the death angel passed over the land of Egypt, slaying the first-born of the Egyp tians but sparing the first-born of the Is raelites. The king realized the importance of the occasion; hence he consulted the priests and the assembly at Jerusalem as to the program. It is always disastrous to any work whenever any leader ignores his coworkers, takes matters in his own hands, and issues orders in a dictatorial way. Success of the movement can only be insured when, a brotherly spirit pre vails. There must be sympathetic, intel ligent cooperation in the cause of the Lord. According to v. 3, the reason for the failure to observe the Passover in the first month was that a large number of priests had neglected their sanctification. The indications are that this was pure neglect on the part of the priests—a serious mat ter. The plans adopted by the confer ence were agreeable to the king’s feel ings, II. Proclamation of the Observance Vs. 5-9. Upon the death of Solomon the ten northern tribes revolted against the house °f David and established a kingdom of their own. Likewise they instituted a different worship throughout the king dom. From that day until that of Heze kiah there was no fellowship nor inter communication religiously between the two kingdoms. At the time of this les son the Assyrians were warring against the Northern Kingdom, and its collapse was clearly only a question of time. Hezekiah, realizing that there was help only from God, and taking advantage of the political situation, issued a proclama tion from “Beer-sheba even to Dan” in viting all to come to Jerusalem to cele brate the Passover. The issuing of this proclamation was indeed a bold, heroic step of faith. In the proclamation the Jerusalem au thorities appealed to the remnant through out the country to come to worship with them at Jerusalem. Likewise they pleaded with them not to be hard-hearted and disobedient; but rather to yield them selves unto God and to come to the divine service. The decree likewise assured them of God’s mercifulness and His will ingness to accept them if they would only return to Him in genuine repentance. HI. National Attitude Toward the Proclamation. Vs. 10-12 1. Rejection of the Invitation by the Masses of the Northern Kingdom. V. 10. When the heralds went throughout the regions of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Zebu- lun, the masses ridiculed them and scorned the invitation. 2. Acceptance of Invitation by Cer tain Individuals of the Northern King dom. V. 11. Though the masses rejected and spurned the invitation, yet certain ones here and there, whose hearts evidently the Lord had touched (1 Sam. 10:26), gladly accepted the invitation and came to Jeru salem to worship. 3. Acceptance of Invitation by Men of Judah. V. 12. According to v. 12, the entire popula tion of Judah gladly accepted the decree and came for worship. Doubtless their hearts were hungry for the true worship of the only true God.
U 1 GH riPURPOSE H e l p in g l/EO PLE | | o p e f u l f ROGRESS The Lord is gracious.—Psa. 145 :8
III. National Attitude toward the Proc- . lamation. Vs. 10-12. 1. Rejection of Invitation by Masses of Israel.^ V. 10. 2. Acceptance of Invitation by . Cer tain Individuals of Israel. V. 11. 3. Acceptance of Invitation by Men of Judah. V. 12. IV. The Feast Kept with Certain Irregu larities. Vs. 13-22. V. The Feast Prolonged. Vs. 23-27.
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INTRODUCTION (chap. 29). During A thé reigns of Jotham and Ahaz, the temple, together with .'its services, had fallen very greatly into-,disuse. In fact, in
the-, latter reign the doors of the temple had been closed and the services discon tinued: I d o l a t r y and sinfulness had likewise crept into the nation. Upon Hezekiah’s
mounting the throne he, in the first year of his reign, in the first month, “opened the doors of the house of Jehovah and re paired them.” He immediately called for the priests and Levites, and instructed them that the temple should be cleansed and that the services should be resumed. By the 16th of the first month the temple had been thoroughly cleansed and all was in readiness. At this time, according to the instructions of the king, burnt offer ings and sacrifices were offered in great abundance. The joy which was in the hearts of the revived nation was ex pressed by a great song service. There was not a sufficient number of priests who had sanctified themselves to make the great sacrifices that were being of fered, “wherefore their brethren the Le vites did help them, till the work was ended, and until the priests had sanctified themselves; for the J.évités were more upright in heart to sanctify themselves than the priests.” I. Decision by King and Advisers to Observe Passover. Vs. 1-4. 1. Having reorganized the divine ser vices at Jerusalem, the king, together with his advisers, decided that they should keep the Passover in the second month and fourteenth day, according to the Law. Ordinarily the Passover was kept on the fourteenth day of the first month, but, according to Num. 9:9-14, if anyone was unable to keep it at the proper time by reason of uncleanness, etc., he was per mitted to observe it on the fourteenth day of the second month. The significance of the Passover festi val was the commemoration of the pass ing over the land of Egypt by the death angel at the time when Israel left Egypt for the Promised Land. According to the record the Israelites sprinkled the
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