The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-04-30
ISRAEL OFTEN REpRovEo.

ISRAEL OFTEN REPRovEo.
knssr.st,oaai sunday-sehool Lssson foe
nay ., 1891.
Especially Arranged from q g. ouarter,y.1
Lesson THxr.-Amos 4:4-la
GOLDEN THxr.-He that being often repfcved
hardoneth his neck, shall suddenly 6e do
stroyed, and that without remedy.--Prov. 90: 1.
CEHTRAL TRUTH. God does all that wisdom
end love can desire to keep mon from sin and
ruin.
AMOS was . farmer prophet; his homo in
JudeA but his prophecies were spoken 70
Israel
DArn-Amos prophecied between B. Q. $40
and 7S3, in the reigns Of Jeroboam IL In Israel
and Uzziah In Judah.
PLACE IN BIBLE HrsroRY-a Kings IA; .
Chron. 90
CONTEMPORARY PROPHETS Amos followed
Judah and Joel, and was contemporary with
them and with Hosea, who prophecied both be-
fore and after him
THE STATE OF THE CouNrRY.-tD Both
1srael and Judah were at the height Of outward
prosperity. They had made great conQuests
q Kings 14:23; Chron. e0; md the two king
doms were almost as largo as In the days OF
Solomon There was great wealth and luxury.
0) They were very wicked For details sec
Amos and Hosea. (3) They were IN danger Of
destruction r:il-lO. ~ Their only hope was
In repentance.
HELPS OVER HARD PLAcEs.-L "Bethel,
Gngal:" centers Of the idolstrous worship.
"And transgress:" this is irony, as we see from
bA, q Compare Matt. a3 :s2; Kings is27) 1t
means: "Go on trusting your false gods and
worship them moro 1ealously and SEQ II they
can save you, since you are determined to do
90" "Your tithes:" tcnths for taxes. "Aftor
three &c ars:" better as in tho Rev. ver.: every
three days, though they were due but once
year. Go to excess in your worship Of IDOLS
l. with leaven:" with even more than re-
Quired Nev. 7:1S, 14.) Publish the free offer.
ings:" give so freely that you are proud Of your
gifts and proclaim them. "This lilseth," or
pleaseth you. Q. 'Cleanness Of teeth:" for
want OF food. 2. "Withholden the rain," etc.:
Just before harvest, so rs to destroy It. "Rain
upon one city; not upon another" the distino-
ton showing that God controlled the rain. O.
"Palmer worm:" kind Of locust. 10. "Pesti-
lence after the manner Of Egypt" where It
was common while raro in Palestine. Taken
away your horses:" (See . Kings 1919 ITO
come unto your nostrils:" tho dead were close
By. bringing now pestilence. ia THUS will
do:" not naming tho evil, but leaving 1t an un-
Known danger. "Prepare to meet thy Gods"
en Judgment; prepare by repentance, by return
ing TO Him and obeying Him. 13. "For To-" etc;
showing how God was able to save or to pun.
ash.
LESSON COMMENTS.
Get clear idea of the situation at the
time. 1t was time of much apparent
outward prosperity, but Of real inward
rottenness. Selfshness was to be seen
pm every hand, and the rich cared moth
ing for the poor. At the same time
there was much outward observation of
religious rites and ceremonies, which,
however, only aggravated the evil.
Hypocrisy was everywhere to be seen,
and things went from bad to worse.
Against all this the Lord sent the
prophet from the southern kingdom to
The northern to protest, and, If possible,
10 call the people back to their al
legiance to Jehovah. In every con-
oeivable way he warns them Of the
trouble that they were preparing for
themselves, and threatens them with
the righteous anger of their God.
This was not the first time that God
had warned Israel, for already by the
Hips Of Elijah, Of Elisha, and Of Jonah,
they had been told of the misery that
awaits those who turn away from the
law of the Lord. The history Of their
own nation in the past was also plain
warming that the way of transgressors
Is hard. Sorrow and disaster had often
followed their sins and experience was
not lacking to show how things would
turn out, if they persisted in their evil
way.
Why had God so often warned the
people Of their danger? Was it because
he hated them? Certainlynot. 1t was
because they were in such danger, and
because He loved them, that His words
were so plain. His warnings were a
proof of His tender mercy, and not of
His spite and hateful disposition. Yet,
In spite of this, Israel was angry with
the men who brought the merciful
warning, and in every way possible
tried to do them harm. They mocked
at the message and did despite to the
messenger. This is the story Of Israel
from the beginning to the end of her
history. And that ia one reason, and
the chief one, why such fearful calami-
ties have fallen upon Gods ancient peo-
pie. Angry with God, instead of angry
with themselves, they pushed on in
their wicked way, till the end overcame
them, and since then they have been
wailing with bitter cry. God meant
His warnings for their veal, but they
turned out for their woe, because they
wonld not receive and profit by them.
Did the warnings that Israel receive
make her fate worse one when it
really came? Undoubtedly! When a
warning is not 80 taken that 1t
helps us, then 1t only increases our re-
sponsibility. If we will not use it for
our veal, then we use it for our woe.
If the kind warnings Of God are
scorned, then the disaster, when it
comes iand 1t will come as surely as the
sun will set to-day, will be only the
more bitter, because it Is the more de-
served.
Like Israel, we shall all have to meet
our God sooner or later. Prepared or
unprepared, that day is sure to come to