Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1891-05-15
THE CAUSE OF SORROW.
LESSON vi. SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, MAY II.

Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission Of II. s. Hoffman, publisher Philadel
phia
l. Israel is an empty vine; he bringeth
forth fruit unto himself"
In Ps. Xxx, Oil, and Isa v, - Israel is
compared to a vine for which everything
possible has been done, but which after all
yieldeth no fruit or if any, only sour
grapes. In Matt. xxi, 33-il, our Lord
Jesus, in the parable of the vineyard, de-
@cribes Gods love to Israel and her treat
ment of Him and His servants and Son.
q "Their heart is divided"
with their mouth they show much love,
but their heart goeth after Their covetous-
ness" (Ezek. xXxiii, 81. They We're like
those who try to serve God and mammon,
to love God and Mt the same time love the
world that hates God
3. 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 a king like
other nations then they were guilty of re
jecting the Lord as their king
4. They have spoken words, swearing
falsely in making covenant"
In chap. i, /, we read that Hosea prophe
sled in the days of Uzziah, lothian, Ahaz
we read that Uzziah, although for a while
trusting in God, afterward transgressed
against the Lord his God And although
lothian did right in tie sight of the Lord,
yet the people did cc-ruptly or Chron.
xvii, p. In the reign of the next king
the Lord brought Judah low because of
Ahaz, king of Israel (II Chron. xviii, 49,.
and even the great and good Hezekiah
failed sadly before he died.
). "The inhabitants of Samaria shall
fear because of the calves of Beth-aven."
The Astounding judgment spoken of in
the last clause of the previous verse (witn
which compare Amos vi, ~ would cause
both people and priests to turn to their
idols, the golden calves at Dan and Bethel,
here spoken of rs Beth-aven (the house of
iniquityl, but they would find no help.
q. "Ephraim shall receive shame, and
Israel 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 As
syrian instead of upon Jehovah Chap V,
49,, and the result was that the Assyran
would receive for himself that which
Ephraim so highly priced.
I. "As for Samaria, her king is cut of as
the foam upon the water"
Quickly cut OF as the crest of the wave
which is gone in a moment. In chap vi, L.
the goodness of the nation is compared to
! "A morning cloud and the early dew. In
, Jas. iv, IA, 1t is written: What is your life,
1t is even vapor which appeareth for a
little time and then vanisheth away" II
we have Christ as our life and delight tC
trust in Him and do His will, then, come
what may, nothing can affect our welfare
but the ungodly when taken from this
present life lose everything. See this in
| Deut. XXX, 10, 20
> s. They shall say to the mountains
Cover us; and to the hills, Fall on us"
In Kings xii, 30, the calves 1T Dan and
Bethel are called sin. While God may
bear long with sin He will in due time
surely destroy it.
o. 80 Israel, thou hast sinned from the
days of Gibeah."
The earliest story of Gibeah is in Judg
Xxx, 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 be.nl
by His goodness led to repentance. only in
creased in sin.
TO- at is in my desire that | should chas
tise them"
The last clause of this verse is in the r
V translated, when they are bound /,
their two transgressions," referring, II,
doubt, to Dan and Bethel as the two cen
tiers of their idol worship. He will chasteI
them that He may win them back to Him
self, rs when He says in Amos iii, ,, "Yol
only have known of all the families o
the earth, therefore | will punish you TO
all your iniquities." Whom the Lor,
loveth He chasteneth" (Heb. xii, g..
81 ,yilI ,paLa Enbrni,,, to ri1a -IuJnl
shall plow and Jacob shall break his clods.
The r. V. says, Il will set rider OF
Ephraim." The people have been unsub
- dued, left to themselves, enjoying God
goodness to the full, but rebelling agains
Him. But now if they will not turn I,
Him, He will by their enemies subdu
them.
l2. Sow to yourselves in righteousness
reap in mercy; break up your fallov
ground"
The expression "fallow ground is foun,
only here and in Jer. iv, 3; but the same wor,
is found in one other place and translate,
''tillage." much food is in the tillage O
the poor, but there is that is destroyed 70
want of judgment" prov. xiii, 23).
at is time to seek the Lord till he com
and rain righteousness upon you"
The righteous Lord loveth righteous
which He loves and requires of His peOpl
He provides for them.
p IL. Thou didst trust in thy way, in til
multitude of thy mighty men"
And IT, .refore they reaped iniquity an,
ate the fruit of lies. On sowin.; and reap
ing see Gal. vi, :, s; Hos. viii, :, and con
trast John iv, SO. AS to the folly of on
ways and thoughts see lisa lv, S, g.
ii. therefore shall a tumult arise anon
thy people, and all thy fortresses shall b
spoiled"
Their God and King is the Prince c
Peace; the Lord will bless His people wit
peace; He will speak peace unto His pee
Pile lisa. tx, q; Ps. xxx, IL; lxXXy, s.. Blu
If they will not have Him, and choose lie
instead of truth, they raust accept tunul
and spoliation as the consequence. 9TH
hail shall sweep away tie refuge of lies
and the waters shall overflow the hidin
/, place" lisa. xviii, ~. Happy the one WI
n, can truly say, 1.-The Lord is my rock"
- 10 $50 shall Bethel do unto you becaus
Of your great wickedness; in mornin
shall the king of Israel utterly be cut off