The Former Glory of the Temple: Part 3

 •  10 min. read  •  grade level: 11
 
3.
“I will wait upon the Lord, that hideth His face from the house of Jacob.”
We have now arrived at a period which may with propriety be termed the dark days of the kingdom. A period characterized by a remarkably complete and powerful testimony, furnished by prophets raised up and inspired by the Spirit of God, to “reprove, rebuke, and exhort” a guilty people, who—nevertheless continued to “ revolt more and more.”
While the historical Books of the Bible supply us with all-important information, more particularly relating to the political history of the kingdom, the Prophets at the same time treat of the ecclesiastical and social condition of the people during the same period. It is therefore profitable for us, as we proceed further, here and there to connect the testimony of the historical Books with the corresponding testimony of the prophets. Since the former clearly shows under what circumstances certain portions of the latter were written, while the latter abundantly testifies to the longsuffering of God towards a people who continued to transgress against Him in the very face of the clearest and most decided testimony, and were therefore left without excuse.
Yet we would have it clearly understood that, in quoting from the Prophets in connection with contemporaneous circumstances, in no case do we limit the application of these Scriptures to those circumstances only, where these prove by intrinsic evidence that they testify both of that which is past, and of that which shall yet be.
Jotham, the son of Uzziah “did that which was right in the sight of the Lord,” and, profiting by his father’s dearly-bought experience, did not presume to enter into the sanctuary. During his comparatively short reign of sixteen years, he built the higher gate of the temple, and, “became mighty, because he prepared his ways before the Lord his God.”
It had been well with Judah if it had now been “like king, like people.” Alas! the latter had by this time become so iniquitous that the prophet Isaiah, rebuking them, said “Ah! sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, children that are corrupters!” These had forsaken the Lord, though they retained a form of godliness; their “oblations,” were therefore “vain,” and their feasts positively hateful to Jehovah! During the reign of Jotham, and throughout the entire reign of Jotham’s successor, a threefold testimony was, by the Spirit of God, presented to Israel, in the mouth of the prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Micah. See Isaiah 1, Hosea 1:1; Micah 1:1. —“Though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him.” Hosea 11:7.
A crisis in the history of the kingdom was evidently fast approaching, when Jehovah, in infinite grace, by the mouth of His prophet, thus appealed to His people,— “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” But the same people who disregarded the before-mentioned three-fold testimony of the prophets, also ignored Jehovah’s appeal in grace, and for all that king Jotham set them a good example, these “did yet corruptly.” 2 Chronicles 27:2.
We now come to the reign of Jotham’s son, a king so notoriously wicked, that the Spirit of God has, on account of his evil deeds, distinguished his very name thus,— “This is that king Ahaz. This king made molten images for Baalim, he burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnon, and burnt his children in the fire... He sacrificed also and burnt incense in the high places, and on the hills, and under every green tree.” For which things sake the wrath of God overtook Ahaz and Judah.
During the reign of certain of the impious predecessors of Ahaz, honorable mention has once and again been made of the names of certain priests, whose fidelity in the service of Jehovah brought them into prominence. One mournfully distinguishing feature in the reign of Ahaz is, that here we have also a wicked priest! One so depraved in character that he became the ready tool of his sacrilegious sovereign, and practically aided and assisted the latter in his daring profanation of the brazen altar. 2 Kings 16:10-16.
In this reign Israel and Syria came up against Judah, who were twice defeated with frightful slaughter! 2 Chronicles 28:5. Immense numbers of captives were carried away by both armies, but those which the army of Israel had taken were afterward restored, by those who gave heed to the testimony of the prophet Oded. Jerusalem was at this time spared simply because Rezin and Pekah had, against the Lord, taken counsel together to overthrow the dynasty of the house of David, and to set the son of Tabeal upon the throne of Judah. Isaiah 7:1, 5, 6.
Towards the house of David even the people of Judah were now greatly disaffected (Isaiah 8:6), for Ahaz, the ruling representative of that house, had already wearied men (Isaiah 7:13), when Isaiah foretold the birth of Immanuel! And this too, at a time when Ahaz himself abhorred “the land” so soon to be forsaken of both her kings (Isaiah 7:16).
Being deeply exercised in heart on account of a people smarting beneath richly-deserved chastisement, the prophet Hosea was moved by the Holy Spirit to address both to Ephraim and to Judah the earnest heart-stirring appeal” Come and let us return unto the Lord; for Ile bath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten and he will bind us up.” Because Ephraim (i.e. the ten tribes) refused to return, this prophet foretold that they should be given into the hand of the king of Assyria. Hosea 11:5. Would Judah (i.e. the two tribes) also refuse?
Instead of profiting under the chastening hand of Jehovah, Ahaz trespassed yet more against the Lord. He sacrificed unto the gods of the Syrians which smote him, and cut in pieces the vessels of the house of God (1 Kings 16:17), and presumptuously shut up the doors of the Temple (1 Chronicles 28:24.)
Deprived of the privilege of entering the temple, there to pour out their souls before God, had the godly remnant now no place of refuge? Oh, the tender mercies of our God! though the temple was now indeed shut up, the Lord of hosts provided for His “disciples” a sanctuary, even Himself (Isaiah 8:13, 14)! Nor was this all, for in these, the dark days of the kingdom the prophet Isaiah further testified of the “great light” which should presently shine even in Galilee! yea, of that “child” whose name should be called “Wonderful, Counselor, the mighty God,” &c. Isaiah 9
But concerning the nation at large, how grave was the testimony of the prophets! From the house of Jacob the Lord was now hiding His face, Isaiah 8:17. “They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the Lord; but they shall not find him; he hath withdrawn himself from them,” Hosea 5:6. From His holy temple the Lord God witnessed against Israel. Micah 1:1. For they turned not unto Him that smote them, nor sought the Lord of hosts. Isaiah 9:13.
For all this the Lord ceased not to hear and answer the prayers of godly individuals, who waited upon Him at a time when the nation at large had forsaken Him; this was shown in a very marked manner, throughout the reign of Hezekiah, who succeeded Ahaz. “Hezekiah trusted in the Lord God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him. For he clave to the Lord,” &c. He delayed not to re-open the doors of the temple. He repaired these, revived the temple-service, and did his utmost to restore and to re-establish the worship of Jehovah, throughout his kingdom. He moreover sent letters to the remnant of the ten tribes, who had escaped out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and invited these to assemble with his own people to keep the passover at Jerusalem, 2 Chronicles 30. Most gladly would we linger here awhile, but must hasten on.
Concerning Hezekiah we read, “The Lord was with him;” why then do 2 Kings 18:6; 2 Chronicles 32; Isaiah 36; 37 furnish so many points of contrast, when these are compared with that which occurred during the reign of Jehoshaphat, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 20? There must have been some reason for such inflictions, or Jehovah would never have suffered Sennacherib, an overflowing scourge, to take all the fenced cities of Judah (2 Kings 18:13), yea, to “reach even to the neck” (Isaiah 8:7. 8); for he sent one of his servants to Jerusalem with a great army (Isaiah 36:2). Why was Hezekiah suffered to humble himself before his enemy, and to attempt to appease his wrath by giving him all the silver found in the house of the Lord, and even the gold cut off from its doors and pillars (2 Kings 18:14-16)? Again, why was it that the army of Judah was in no way associated with the destruction of the army of Sennacherib? I would ask one question more, Why, in a day of national humiliation and distress do we read simply of the prayer of two individuals, viz. Hezekiah and Isaiah? (2 Chronicles 32:20).
For all that a king, eminent for piety, now sat upon the throne, and for all that that remarkable threefold testimony of the prophet, already referred to, was mercifully preserved by a gracious and merciful God, in this reign; and for all that the hand of God was in Judah to give them one heart to obey the king (2 Chronicles 30:12); these latter drew near with their mouth, and with their lips honored God, but their hearts were far from Him, Isaiah 29:13. Isaiah 28:14,16, reveals a state of things only rendered the more awful, when we contemplate its existence in the face of that prophet’s glorious and sublime prophecies of the coming of Immanuel! In vain did He by the mouth of the prophet, appeal to Israel, “Hearken unto me, my people.” In vain did the prophet anxiously exclaim, “Awake! Awake!” to a people content to sleep on in carnal security (Isaiah 29;10); who believed not the prophets’ “report” concerning Him who would be “despised, and rejected of men.”
A “disobedient and gainsaying people” could not expect “great things” at the hand of Jehovah, but Hezekiah covered himself with sackcloth, and went into that temple which had not yet been “cast out” of Jehovah’s sight; and there he spread Sennacherib’s letter before the Lord, and prayed and said, “O Lord God of Israel, which dwelleth between the cherubim... Lord, bow down thine ear, and hear; open Lord, thine eyes, and see; and hear the words of Sennacherib,” &c. The Lord was “very gracious” to Hezekiah, at the voice of his cry (Isaiah 30:19): He heard, he answered, He delivered. But the answer came to Hezekiah by one sent from the prophet Isaiah, not immediately to the petitioner, as we noticed in our last paper was the case in 2 Chronicles 20:14,15.
(to be continued.)