The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1891-05-13
SABBATH SCHOOL.
INTERNATIONAL LESSON FOR
MAY II,
Lesson Text: "Sin the Cause of Sor-
row." Hosea x, 1-15-Golden Text:
Isaiah lix, documentary.

|
but which after all yieldeth no fruit, or il
any, only sour grapes In Matt. xxi, 3341,
our Lord Jesus. in the parable of the vine
yard describes Gods love to Israel and her
treatment of Him and His servants and His
Son. They were chosen as people to make
Him name, and that they might be holy
people unto Him above all other nations,
serving Him only, and thus making known
to other nations the one only living and true
God lex. xix, 5, g. Deut. vii, 6; II. Sam.
vii, 23, 24. But all Gods goodness to them
worship images (chap. H., s..
2. Their heart is divided" "With their
mouth they show much love, but their heart
goeth after their covetousness" (Ezek.
xxxiii, 3I. They were like those who try
to serve God and mammon, to love God and at
the same time love the world that hates
God. The opposite Of divided heart is
whole heart and nothing less than whole
hearted service can be acceptable to Him.
g. "For now they shall say, We have no
king, because we feared not the Lord"
Jehovah was their king, He brought them
out of Egypt, and they accepted Him as such;
but when they wanted king like other ma
lions then they were guilty Of rejecting the
Lord as their king. Yet even after that, If
they had only with their king served the
Lord and kept His commandments, it might
have been we'll with them; but they left of
| to take heed to ths Lord, and became joined
to their idols chap iv., 10. IN, and their do
ings would not suffer them to turn unto their
4. "They have spoken words, swearing
falsely in making covenant" In chapter
l., l, we read that Hosea prophesied in the
days Of Uzziab, lothian, Ahaz and Heze-
kiah; and in II. Chron. xvi, 16 we read
that Uzziah, although for a while trusting
in God, afterward transgressed against the
Lord his God. And although lothian did
right in the sight of the Lord, yet the peo-
peen of Re yets knr the Lord brought
Judah low because of Ahaz, king of Israel
| III. Chron. xviii, 19) and even the great
and good Hezekiah failed sadly before he
died
s. 'sThe inhabitants of Samaria shall fear
| because of the calves of Beth-aven." The
abounding judgment spoken of in the last
! clause of the previous verse with whlch
compares Amos vi, ~ would cause both
people and priests to turn to their idols the
golden calves at Dan and Bethel, herS
spoken of as Beth-aven lthe house OF ini-
quity), but they would find no help from
| them.
G. '.Ephraim shall receive shame, and Is.
rael shall be ashamed Of his own counsel"
| Ephraim seems to stand here for the ten
tribes, and Israel for the whole nation.
Ephraim had relied upon Jareb the Assyrian
instead Of upon Jehovah CHAP ", 13), and
the result was that the Assyrian would re-
ceive for himself that which Ephratm so
highly priced. If child Of God leans for
help upon an enemy OF God the result will
be shame and confusion Of face.
T. LAS for Samaria her king is cut of as
the foam upon the water" Quickly cut off
as the crest Of the wave which is gone IN a
moment. In chap. w., 4, the goodness OF
! the nation is compared to a morning cloud
and the early dew. If we have Christ as our
life. and delight to trust in Him and do His
will, then come what may, nothing can al
feet our welfare; but the ungodly when
taken from this present life lose everything.
g. They shall say to the mountain, Cover
us; and to the hills, Fall on u.s." In |. Kings
xii, 30, the calves at Dan and Bethel are
called a SIM While God may bear long with
sin He will in due time surely destroy, 1t.
Either our sins must be destroyed or they
will destroy us.
Q. 20 Israel, thou has sinned from the days
of Gibeah" The earliest story of Gibeah IS
in Judg XIX, where the sinful people gained
two great victories over those who wanted
the sin put away. The sense of this verse
! seems to be that because God in mercy re-
strained His wrath. Israel instead of being
by His goodness led to repentance, only in
creased in sin and de6ed Him the more tRom.
H., q, s.. As then, so now, Because SEN
tence against an evil work is not executed
speedily, therefore the heart Of the sons OF
men is fully set in them to do evir' (Ecc..
viii, III.
10. 1T is in my desire that should chas-
tise them" The last clause of the verse is
in the r. Y. translated, when they are
bound to their two transgressions, REFER
ring, no doubt to Dan and Bethel as the two
centers of their idol worship. He will
chasten them that He may win them bacd
to Himself, as when He says in Amos ill.,. 2,
"You only have known of all the families
of the earth, therefore will punish you for
oil your iniquities.
II. Il will make Ephriaul to ride, Judah
shall plow and Jacob shall break his clods."
The K. V. says, K will set a rider upon
Ephriam." The people have been unsub-
dued, left to themselves enjoying Gods
goodness to the full, but rebelling against
Him. But now if they will not turn to
Him, He will by their enemies suodue
them.
12. Sow to yourselves in righteousness;
reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground !"
The expression "fallow ground" is found
only here and in Jer. iv., 8: but the same
lated ''tillage." Much food is in the tillage
of the poor, but there that is destroyed for
want Of judgment" prov. xiii. 23. The
last clause Of this verse just describes the
case in hand. my people are destroyed for
lack Of knowledge Hos iv., g.. Had they
only been poor in spirit they would have
known the riches of His grace.
1T is time to seek the Lord till He come
and rain Righteousness upon you" THE
righteous Lord loveth Righteousness" (Ps.
XII, \, and the Righteousness which He loves
and requires of His people He provides for
them. He himself is our Righteousness.
13 "Thou didst trust in thy way, in the
multitude of thy mighty men" And there
fore they reaped iniquity and reaped the
fruit Of lies.
Il. Therefore shall tumult arise among
thy people, and all thy fortresses shall be
spoiled" Their God and King is the Prince
of Peace; the Lord will bless His people with
peace; He viii! speak peace unto His people;
but if they will not have Him, and choose
lies instead Of truth they must accept tu-
multi and spoilation as the consequence.
15 $50 shall Bethel do unto you because of
the king Of Israel utterly be cut off"
While this had literal fulfllment a few
years later we are carried forward in
thought to the great fulf1llment when 1.-The
Prince that shall come" ''the man of SIM"
''the one coming in his own namep Dan.
ix. 26, %; II. Thess. H., 8; John ", 49,, shall
make the seven years covenant with Israel,
break it after three and half years. and
bring in the time of Jacobs trouble, after
which he tthe beast Of Rev. xi., As: xix,
2O) shall 60 to the lake Of fire, cut off in that
morning when Jesus shall appear in power
and glory as Israels Messiah, and then shall
He bring in everlasting Righteousness. -
Lesson Helper.