Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-05-15
THE CAUSE or SORROW.
LESSON WI, SECOND QUARTER, IN
TERNATloNAL SERIES, MAY II.

init Verses, i2, i3-Golden Text, lisa. lix
Commentary by the Rev. d. M
stearns.
Compiled from Lesson Helper Quarterly by per
mission Of II. S. Hoffman publisher, Phiadel
phia.
l. Israel is an empty vine; he bringett
forth fruit unto himself"
In Ps Xxx, OIL, aud lisa v, IL, Israel is
compared to n vine for which everything
possible has lGen done, but which after all
yieldeth no fruit, or il any, only sour
grapes. In Matt xxi, 1914, our Lord
Jesus, in the parable of the vineyard, do
scribes Gods love to Isrnel and her treat
ment of Him and His servants and Son
"Their heart is divided"
with their mouth theyshow much love,
but their heart Roeth after their covetous-
ness" Geek, XXXiii, 81. 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
3, For now they shall say, We have nc
king, because we feared not the Lord"
Jehovah was their king He brought them
out of Egypt, AMI they accepted Him us
such; but when they wanted a king like
other nations then they were guilty Of re-
JectlnB the LORD as their king,
4. "They have spoken words, swearing
falsely in making a covenant"
In chap. l. /, we read that Hosea prophe.
sled in the days Of U2ziah lothian, Ahaz
and Hezekah; aud in II Chron. XVI, lG,
we read that Uzziah, although for a while
trusting in God, alterward transgressed
against the Lord his God. And although
lothian did right in the sight of the Lord,
yet the people did corruptly QI Chron
xvii, o. In the reign Of the next king
the Lord brought Judah low because of
Ahaz, king of Israel GI Chron. xviii, 49,
and even the great and good Hezekiah
failed sadly before he died.
5. "The inhabitants of Samara shall
fear because of the calves of Beth-aven."
The Astounding judgment spoken Of in
the last clause Of the previous verse with
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 as Bath.ayen (the house of
iniquity) but they would find no help.
"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,
13), and the result was that the Assyran
would receive for himself that which
Ephraim so highly priced.
T. "As for Samtgia, her king is cut off as
the foam upon the water"
Quickly cut OF rs the crest of the wave
which is gone in Il moment In chap. vi, 4,
the goodness Of the nation is compared to
"a morning cloud ana the early dew In
Jas ,iv, II, 1t is written; "Whatis your life?
1t is even a yapor which nppeareth for a
little time and then yuuisheth away" If
we have Christ ~ our life, and delight to
trust in Him and do His will, then, come
what may, nothing can affect our welfare,
but the uugodly when taken from this
present life lose everything. See this in
Deut. xxx, 10, 20.
s, "1hey shah say to the mountains,
Cover us; and to the hiIs Fail on u.s."
In Kings xii, 3d. thee Ives Mt Dan and
Bethel are called sin While God may
bear long with sin lie win in due time
surely destroy il.
8. 20 Israel, thou hast sinned from the
days Of Gibeah,"
The earliest story of Giheah 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 being
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 II.
V. translated, "Whou they are bound to
their two transgressions," referring, no
doubt to Dan and Bethel as the two cen,
ters of their idol worship He will chasteH
them that He may win them back to Him.
self, as when He says in Amos i'll, ., "Nou
only have | known Of all the families of
the earth, therefore | will punish you for
all your iniquities" "Whom the Lord
loveth He chastenctho (IIeb xii, @.
II. 81 win make Ephraim to ride, Judah
shall pillow and Jacob shall break his clods,"
The II. V says, 81 viii set a rider ON
Ephraim" 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, lie will by their enemies subdue
them
10. "Sow to yourselves in righteousness,
reap in mercy break mp your fallow
ground
The expression "falow ground" Is found
only heranDdin Jcr. Nv. 8.but the same word
ia found in one other place and translated
,tillsoa - ,rIurh ro6d il i'm the tjllare of
the moor bpt there is that is DESTROYED for
,,nnt of indgmeutu prov. xiii on
ar IL time ia spe, fine lord iii he come
md rain righteousness upou Won"
"The rigbteous Lord loycth righteous.
pcss,, 1ps ii. a. and the righteousness
which He loves and rpuuires of His ppople