Our Bible Band | AdventAI

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Mountain View, California · Jun 17, 1908

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 34, No. 25.

Our Bible Band.

Schedule for Week Ending June 27, 1908.

Sunday June 21 2 Chron. 23, 24 Proverbs 19 Monday “ 22 “ 25, 26 “ 20 Tuesday “ 23 “ 27, 28 “ 21 Wednesday “ 24 “ 29, 30 “ 22 Thursday “ 25 “ 31, 32 “ 23 Friday “ 26 “ 33, 34 “ 24 Sabbath “ 27 “ 35, 36 Ezra 1, 2 “ 25

Suggestive Notes.

Our readings for this week carry us thru the wonderfully interesting historical book of Chronicles, from the beginning of the reign of Joash to the Babylonian captivity. We need not take time to detail each chapter in itself. There is nothing in the record, so far as we know, but what our readers can understand. If they have time, it would be well to compare with a parallel account in 2 Kings, and so obtain fuller information. There are certain lessons, most important and precious indeed, which we may learn from this record. God deals with principles, and gives us concrete examples to enable us to understand the working out of the principles. This thing has been shown in past lessons, and is shown in the lesson for this week. Let us keep with us one of the lessons of last week; of God's earnest regard for man, His searching, so to speak, to use the language of the human, for those who are longing to do His will. This thought is expressed in 2 Chron. 16:9, "For the eyes of Jehovah run to and fro thruout the whole earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward Him." It is the perfect heart which He desires, and no soul with longings to do God's will is unseen or unnoticed of the King of the universe.

In chapters 23 and 24 we have an instance of a king who was strong to do right only when guided by a strong, good man. Just as soon as the good man died, his own heart yielded to evil. Really all the human credit of the good that was done during the reign of Joash should be attributed not to Joash, but to the faithful priest, Jehoiada. Evidently some of the teachings of the ancestors of Joash had taken root in his own heart, so that when the strong hand of Jehoiada was removed, the king went into the way of the house of Ahab.

Amaziah was not the worst of kings, neither was he the best. At times he yielded to the prophet; at times he yielded to idolatry. He followed the best of advice when he separated from the idolatrous Israelites. He did foolishly after he had overthrown the worshipers of the gods of Edom to set up the gods of Edom for his own worship. Nations are doing just that thing to-day. Another of the strong kings of Judah, Uzziah, followed Amaziah, one who marvelously increased the power of the kingdom, and developed the army; but in his pride he became lifted up, assumed to act in the place of the priests, and for his presumption became a leper. Jotham his son was another of the good kings who "became mighty because he ordered his ways before Jehovah his God." His reign was not long, only sixteen years. He was followed by his son who also reigned sixteen years, but who did wickedly.

Following Ahaz comes another of the great kings of Judah, Hezekiah, who reigned five and twenty years, "and he did that which was right in the eyes of Jehovah, according to all that David his father had done;" effected many good reforms, and yet made one of the greatest mistakes. God gave him the privilege of preaching the Gospel to Babylon when they came to inquire of the "wonder that was done in the land." 2 Chron. 32:31. While the king should have shown to the ambassadors the great treasures of the riches of God's grace, mercy, and power, he showed them the material wealth of the kingdom, thus arousing their covetousness and cupidity; and resulting in the end in the complete destruction and despoiling of Jerusalem.

All these chapters should be read carefully. Here is one of the lessons which we may see by careful reading. Hezekiah prayed for an extension of life when God told him that it was his time to die. God granted his request and extended his life fifteen years, and during the fifteen years, three years after he was restored, Manasseh was born, during the time of Hezekiah's great popularity and connections with the kingdoms of the world. Manasseh seemed to partake of their spirit, bred in luxury, doubtless, as were other princes of the world, and went into the most abominable wickedness that was conceivable; into the lowest forms of idolatry, till his reign became a very synonym of wickedness; yet the wonderful mercy of God is shown in his case; how that after all his sin and his trespass, when he humbled himself before God, God heard and was entreated of him.

Following the reign of Amon, the son of Manasseh, came that of Josiah, one of the most devoted of kings. Joash began his reign when young; as soon as the strong hand of his instructor was removed, he went into wickedness. Josiah, too, began his reign when young, but there was developed in him the strength of character that enabled him to stand for God, and put forth every effort to reform the people of himself alone. Following the blessed reign of Josiah, the course of Judah was rapidly downward. Transgression was heaped upon transgression; message after message was rejected, until at last Jerusalem was burned, and the people carried away to Babylon.

"Ezra" was doubtless written by the priest whose name it bears, and who also, in all probability, wrote Chronicles; it is a continuation of the book of Chronicles, showing the restoration from Babylon. The first two chapters are an enumeration of the materials and men that went up from Babylon to Jerusalem, the whole assembly numbering 42,360. What a contrast between that and the time they were called out of Egypt when they numbered more than 601,000!

Our readings in Proverbs will speak for themselves. It is worthy to note that the twenty-third chapter is one that has especially to do with temperance.