The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-03-09
PROMISE OF RENEWAL.
LESSON xl, FIRST QUARTER, INTER
NATIONAL SERIES, MARCH 10.

TEXT of tho Lesson, Eek. xxxvi, 1888.
Memory Verses, 25-27-Colden Text.
Eek xzxvi, ae-Commentary by the
Rev. ID. NJ. Stearns.
25 ''Then will / sprinkle clean water
upon you. and We shall be clean; from all
your fllthiness, and from all your idols,
will 1 cleanse YOU" Six lessons in Isaiah,
four in jeremiah and one in Ezekiel give
us but the merest'glance at the lG6 chap
tiers Of those three books, and yet the
teaching of these lessons is in perfect ac-
cord with all prophecy. The words of this
verse refer primarily to the yet future
cleansing of the nation Of Israel oversees
1924; Jer xxxiii, Z, s., and yet may apply
in a sense TO every true believer.
26 "a new heart also will / give you,
and a new spirit will l put within you"
The seat of all our difficulties being within
US, there must be a change there before
anything car be right.
81 "And l will put my Spirit within you,
and cause you to walk in my statutes"
The same spirit who spake and wrought
in Christ, aud in prophets and apostles,
God will give to Israel, and gives now TO
every believer. Our part is to welcome
Him, and surrender to Him our whole
being and He will DO the rest John xiv,
IL, Il, 26; XIV, 90; xvi, 49,
2S. "And ye shall dwell in the land that
gave 10 your fathers; and yo shall be my
people apd will be your God" There is
no way OF applying the first part of this
verse to the church or to believers now; it
is peculiarly and only for Israel in the
future. The church has no special land,
her inheritance is heavenly, the New Jeru-
salem, from which she shall reign with
Christ over the whole earth. The last part
of the verse may be spiritually applied to
the church. See ii Cor. vi, 1918.
80 II will also save you from all your
uncleannesses: and lay no famine upon
you" No good thing will He withhold
from them that walk uprightly Ups lxxxiv,
III, and while Jesus, by His great work of
atonement saves from the wrath to come,
He also saves by His present power and by
His word and Spirit in us. from daily sins
(Math. i, 2l; Rom. V, 10; Jude xiv, II. W.
80 And | will multiply the fruit Of the
tree, that We shall receive no more re-
proach among the heather" Peculiarly
for Israel, and yet when n believer is seen
longing for and enjoying the things of this
world that are not of God Q John ii, 1910.
then it is as If he said, Jesus cannot sat.
isfy me; must have the world too" and
thus the manifest famine in such a soul il
a reproach TO God.
81. "rhen shall ye remember, and shall
loathe yourselves in your own sight for
your iniquities." The Lord will pour upon
them the spirit Of grace and of supplica-
tions, and there shall be- true repentance
when they see their long rejected King
Czech, xii, 10). The sight of the King in
n .,1ss
lisa. vi, .; JOB xiii, 3, 6; Dan. X, %. Pride
or self esteem is a proof that we have not
seen Jesus.
81 mot for your sakes do this, saith
the Lord God, be it known unto you."
Israel was not in the first place chosen for
any good that was In them, but all was
done for them because Of Gods promises
10 Abram and to Davidl Deut. tx, o, q, II;
/ King xi, g, "a; Mic. vii, 2Ol. Jesus Of
Nazareth is son OF David, son Of Abram,
the promised seed (Math. j. 1; Gal. iii, 100,
aud all who are I'm Him have all things
made sure TO them for His sake (Gal. III, 2O).
80 "Thus saith the Lord God. will also
cause you 10 dwell Ia the cities aud the
wastes shall be bulded." Compare Zech.
Will T. 3. Cleansing first aud then restOra-
tion-this s. always the order. II you have
lost fellowship with God through sin, tho
sin must be confessed aud forgiven before
the commupioE eau be restored.
o. And the desolatc land shall bc titled,
whereas II las desolate la the sight OF all
that passed BY" It's desolatcness was a
rcproach 90 God. and constant advertise
ment Of lsrnc's sin. We, MS believers,
glorify God only when we bear much
fruit John Ky, -. II our lives are selfish
and self indulgent we are then like Israel
In her rebellion aud sinfulness. Clos. x, /.
g; xi, ~
80 And they shall say. This land that
was desolato Ia become like tho garden Of
Eden" That will cause people 20 praise
the God OF Israel, and thus other nations
will be- drawn 10 God, even NJ the queen o;
Sheba was drawn 10 Jerusalem by tho
fame of Solomon.
30 Then tho henthen that are left
round about you shall know that l. tho
Lord, build tho ruIned places. /, the Lord,
have spoken 10, and | will do it, Multi,
tudca out OF the nations shall perish In the
judgments preceding lsrael's national con-
version, or In connection Herewith, but
some shall be- left, aud these shall 80 up 20
Jerusalem from year 60 year 90 worship
the King, the Lord 0f Hosts Czech xiv l6),
The hand OF tho Lord shall bo 40 manifest
that all shall sec ~.
81. "Thua saith the Lord God, will yet
for this bo inquired OF by tho house of
Isrncl 60 do II FOR them" iIc viii prepare
their honrta 90 pray for the blessing He Is
about % give. This IL Ills way. While 10
Is ever ready 10 give every good thing, llu
will have rs feel our need and ask Him.
When we are specially led therefore 10 pray
for any thing or for any one, we may safely
conclude that the spirit IL leading Us toask
for that which lie IA ready 20 give uS.
~. "As tho flock of Jerusalem in her
solemn feast, 30 shall the waste cities !
filed with nocks OF men, and they shall
know that ana the Lord Or, according
60 Zcch. /, II, MY cities through prosperity
shall yet bo epfead abroad; aud the Lord
shall yet comfort Zion, aud shall yet choose
Jerusalem And Zech, IT., 4. "Jeruaalcm
shall bc inhabited as towns without walls
for the multitude OF men and cattle there
I'M These days are already dawning, ara
tho full accomplishment must DO near.
Oh, believer, make fall surrender 90 aud
have perfect trust Ia the Lord, that
lie may make the most of you this
little while, aud make Himself known
through you. One OF the olearcst evil
dences that Israel will soon be restored 20
her own land Is that tho restoration has
already begun, and even now the popula.
ton OF Jerusalem has oyerilown the walls
of the city, and numerous buildings are
being erected on the very lines mentioned
In Jer. XXI, 3s-40. Jesus said that "Jeru
salem shall &c trodden down OF the Gen.
tiles until the times OF the Gentiles DO full
filed" luke XXI, 24). When a city Is wish
bly, being built up and about 10 become q
railroad center, IL cannot well be said u