SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jul 19, 1905

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 31, No. 29.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS

The Sabbath-school lessons have been discontinued. The Lesson Quarterly may be obtained, containing three months' lessons and notes, for five cents. Address, Pacific Press, Mountain View, Cal. The Sunday-school lessons will continue.

Lesson Scripture.—2 Chron. 33:1-13, A. R. V

(1) “MANASSEH was twelve years old when he began to reign; and he reigned fifty and five years in Jerusalem. (2) And he did that which was evil in the sight of Jehovah, after the abominations of the nations whom Jehovah cast out before the children of Israel. (3) For he built again the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down; and he reared up altars for the Baalim, and made Asheroth, and worshiped all the host of heaven, and served them. (4) And he built altars in the house of Jehovah, whereof Jehovah said, In Jerusalem shall My name be for ever. (5) And he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the house of Jehovah. (6) He also made his children to pass through the fire in the valley of the son of Hinnom, and he practised augury, and used enchantments, and practised sorcery, and dealt with them that had familiar spirits, and with wizards; he wrought much evil in the sight of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger. (7) And he set the graven image of the idol, which he had made, in the house of God, of which God said to David and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of the tribes of Israel, will I put My name for ever; (8) neither will I any more remove the foot of Israel from all the land which I have appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have commanded them, even all the law and the statutes and the ordinances given by Moses. (9) And Manasseh seduced Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that they did evil more than did the nations whom Jehovah destroyed before the children of Israel.

(10) “And Jehovah spoke to Manasseh, and to His people: but they gave no heed. (11) Wherefore Jehovah brought upon them the captains of the host of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh in chains, and bound him with fetters, and carried him to Babylon. (12) And when he was in distress, he besought Jehovah his God, and humbled himself greatly before the God of his fathers. (13) And he prayed unto Him; and He was entreated of him, and heard his supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom. Then Manasseh knew that Jehovah He was God.”

Golden Text.—“Righteousness exalteth a nation; but sin is a reproach to any people.” Prov. 14:34.

SUGGESTIVE QUESTIONS.

(1) How old was Manasseh when he became king of Judah? How long did he reign? Verse 1. Note 1. (2) What is said of his conduct? Verse 2 Note 2. (3) How did his actions contrast with those of his father? Verse 3. Note 3. (4) What specially blasphemous thing did he do? Verse 4. (5) To what else did he build altars? In what place? Verse 5. Note 4. (6) What cruel sacrifices did Manasseh offer? And what other heathen practises did he follow? How did God regard such acts? Verse 6; Deut. 18:9-14. Note 5. (7) Of what further presumption was he guilty? What had God said to David regarding this house? Verse 7. (8) What gracious promise had the Lord made in this connection? On what condition? Verse 8; Ps. 132:11-14. Note 6. (9) How did the people's actions compare with those of the heathen nations? Verse 9. Note 7. (10) What did the Lord do to restrain Manasseh's wicked course? Verse 10. Note 8. (11) Then what chastisement came upon Manasseh and his people? Verse 11. Note 9. (12) When in the distress of captivity, what did Manasseh do? Verse 12. Note 10. (13) How was the penitent's prayer regarded in heaven? Then what did Manasseh know? Verse 13. Note 11.

NOTES.

1. Manasseh was the son of the good King Hezekiah, but he became the wickedest ruler that ever sat on the throne in Jerusalem; yet he was permitted to reign a greater length of time than any other king.

2. The “high places” were idolatrous sanctuaries, which were originally built on the hills, but came to be applied to heathen shrines in any locality.

3. Baalim.—Baal was the title of the chief god of the Canaanites, which was worshiped in various places under somewhat different conditions; hence the plural form, “Baalim.” “Asheroth” signifies “groves,” or groups of wooden images, or symbols. They were of a licentious appearance or significance, connected also with the worship of the Phœnician goddess of love. “The host of heaven” refers to the sun, moon, and chief stars, together with the twelve signs of the zodiac. The main worship was by altars, on which incense was burned (Jer. 19:13). The sun was worshiped with the face toward the east (Eze. 8:16), and that is why the Lord had the tabernacle built so that the worshipers would have their backs to the east, or sun-rising, so they should not even seem to worship the sun. Israel and Judah were led into idolatry through their alliances with the heathen, beginning as far back as Solomon’s time. 1 Kings 11:1-8.

4. “The two courts” were the outer court of the people, and the inner court of the priests. Thus the sacrifices to idols were offered alongside the altar dedicated to the sacrifices to Jehovah.

5. In sacrificing his children to Moloch (2 Kings 23:10) in the valley of the son of Hinnom, Manasseh followed the example of his grandfather Ahaz (2 Chron. 28:1-3). In fact the greater part of his reign was a return to the wicked course of Ahaz, rather than to follow the better course of his father, Hezekiah.

6. “If only they will observe to do all that I have commanded.” These are always the conditions of special blessings. All that men can do in the matter of obedience is by faith. So that it is always, to the child of God, “according to thy faith be it unto you.” Obedience to the Gospel means obedience to the law. Rom. 3:31; Rev. 14:12; Gal. 3:6; Ps. 119:172; Gen. 26:5.

7. “More evil than did the nations.”—When a child of God goes back to the world, his last state is worse than before he knew God at all. So it is with the backslidden church. Carrying the worship of idols into the house of God was more than the heathen had done; and worshiping idols, and practising the other heathen orgies under the light of truth was also worse than the heathen had done.

8. It was in rejecting the Word of the Lord by His prophets that Manasseh gave no heed to God when His reproof came. See 2 Kings 21:10.

9. When men refuse reproof by the spirit of prophecy, there is no more that can be done but to bring chastisement upon them. “If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, tho one rose from the dead.” Luke 16:31.

10. When in the distress of captivity the king was convinced that it would have been better for him to have followed the good example of his father than the evil course of his grandfather. So he turned to Jehovah, and sought for forgiveness. Heb. 12:6-11.

11. The chastisements of the Lord upon His people are always that they may be brought to know Him—a knowledge that is “life eternal.” John 17:3. It was also through chastisement that Nebuchadnezzar was brought to know that “the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.” Dan. 4:25, 32. Through chastisement David and Saul of Tarsus were brought to a saving knowledge of Christ.

LESSON 5.—JULY 30.—MANASSEH'S SIN AND REPENTANCE.