A. M. 3251. B. C. 753. Q. How long did Uzziah reign? Pekah 1. Q. What memorable circumstance occurred in the year that king Uzziah died? A. Isaiah had a vision of the glory of Christ.* Q. What prophets besides Isaiah lived in this reign? A. M. 3252. Q. Who succeeded Uzziah ? Pekah 2. A. Jotham his son. This prince "be came mighty, because he prepared his ways before the LORD his God." Q. What people did he subdue ? A. He subdued the Ammonites; and for three years caused them to pay annually one hundred talents of silver, ten thousand measures of wheat, and ten thousand measures of barley. Q. How did he improve the state of Judah ? A. "He built cities in the mountains,-and in the forests he built castles and towers." A. M. 3267. Q. How long did he reign? B. C. 737. Pekah 17. A. He reigned sixteen years and left the kingdom to Ahaz his son. Q. Did Ahaz fear the Lord? : A. No he worshipped molten images, burnt incense in the valley of the son of Hinnom, burnt his children in the fire, and sacrificed and burnt incense in the high places, and under every green tree. Isa. vi. John xii. 39-41. Q. What was the consequence ? A. The Lord stirred up his enemies on every side. The Syrians, Israelites, and Edomites, severally defeated him, and carried away multitudes of captives; the Philistines invaded the land, and dwelt in the cities they took; and the kingdom fell a prey to civil discord. Q. To whom had he recourse when in distress? A. He sent the treasures of the temple, and of his palace, to Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria; who immediately fell upon the Syrians, slew Rezin their king, and carried the people of Damascus into captivity. Q. Did the afflictions of Judah humble Ahaz ? A. No: "he trespassed yet more against the Lord; -sacrificed to the gods of Damascus ;-made altars in every corner of Jerusalem ;-and in every several city of Judah he made high places to burn incense unto other gods." Q. How did he show his contempt for the temple service? A. He collected the sacred vessels and cut them in pieces, and shut up the doors of the house. A. M. 3280. Q. Did Ahaz continue to reign sole B. C. 724. monarch over Judah ? Hosea 3. : A. No in the fourteenth year of his reign, he associated his son Hezekiah with himself in the government;* and they appear to have reigned jointly * This practice was commenced by David, and was common to the kings of Judah and Israel, as may be seen by referring to Chron. Tab. No. 4. until the death of Ahaz, which happened two years Q. What remarkable vision had Isaiah at this time? A. He had a vision of the subversion of the Babylonian empire.* Q. Did Hezekiah fear the Lord ? : A. Yes "he did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that David his father had done." When he became possessed of the whole government, he immediately repaired and cleansed the temple; and, with the rulers of Jerusalem, offered sin offerings for the whole kingdom. On this occasion "the Levites stood with the instruments of David, and the priests with the trumpets. And when the burnt offering began, the song of the LORD began also ;-and all the congregation worshipped, and the singers sang,t and the trumpeters sounded and all this continued until the burnt offering was finished." Q. What was the next object of Hezekiah's solicitude? A. He was anxious to effect a general reformation, and on this account he deferred the passover‡ until the second month. In the interim, he commanded the priests to sanctify themselves; and sent messengers from Dan * Isa. xiii. 1-xiv. 28. They praised "the LORD with the words of David, and of Asaph the seer." 2 Chron. xxix. 30. See page 72-74. to Beersheba, to invite those Israelites whom the king of Assyria had left in the land,* to the feast. Q. How was this passover observed ? A. Instead of seven, they observed it fourteen days, offering peace offerings, and making confession to the God of their fathers. And there was great joy in Jerusalem for since the time of Solomon, there had not been the like. And the priests and Levites arose and blessed the people: and their voice was heard, and their prayer ascended unto heaven. Q. What followed the dismission of the people? A. On their return to their homes they immediately commenced the destruction of the images, the groves, the high places, and the altars in Judah and Israel: and B. C. * Between the æra of the Subversion of the kingdom of the ten tribes B. c. 718, and that of the Return of the Jews from Babylon, B. c. 536, profane history records :The addition of January and February to the calender by Numa Pompilius 709 The assumption of the title of king of Media by Dejoces 700 The archonship of Draco, which began.... The attempt of Pharaoh Necho to form a junction between the Nile and the Red Sea ..... ........ 667 658 624 1 610 The circumnavigation of Africa by the Phoenicians .... The archonship of Solon. Thales and Anaximander flourished about this time 604 594 The capture of Tyre by Nebuchadnezzar, who in the following year conquered Egypt ..... ..... 572 + On this occasion they slaughtered two thousand bullocks, and seventeen thousand sheep. 2 Chron. xxx. 21–27. Hezekiah destroyed the brazen serpent which Moses had made in the wilderness,* to which the Israelites had, in the days of their idolatrous princes, burnt incense. Q. How did Hezekiah support the temple worship? A. He gave liberally of his own substance, and commanded the people to bring their tithes, that the priests and Levites might be encouraged in the work of the Lord. Q. What was the consequence of this devotion to God? A. He "prospered in all his works," and not only threw off all dependence on Assyria, but attacked and smote the Philistines. A. M. 3293. Q. By what was his prosperity inter711. rupted? B. C. A. In the fourteenth year of his reign, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, invaded Judah, and took all the fenced cities. In order to purchase a peace, Hezekiah took the gold and silver from the temple and palace, and sent it to the Assyrian monarch at Lachish. This submission, however, did not satisfy Sennacherib, who sent Tartan, Rabsaris, and Rabshakeh,† with a great army against Jerusalem but Hezekiah, hearing of their approach, stopped all "the fountains which were without the city,” and prepared for a vigorous defence. Q. How did the Assyrians proceed on their arrival Jerusalem ? * See page 106. + 2 Kings xviii. 17. These are names of office: Tartan signifies keeper of the tribute; Rab-saris, prince of the eunuchs, or keeper of the harem; and Rabshakeh, the chief cup-bearer. |