Mower County transcript., 1892-02-03
THE GRA RACIOUS CALL.
LESSON VI, FIRST QUARTER, INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 7.

Text Of the Lesson, Isa. ". 1-13-nIem-
ory Verses. 3-B-Golden Text, Iss. ",
documentary by the Rev. d. n.
stearns.
!. "Ho, every one that thirsteth, come
ye to the waters; yea. come, buy wine and
milk without money and without price,"
In verses l3 and "a Of the last chapter we
have summary Of the blessedness that
shall come to Israel as a nation because OF
the sufferings Of her Messiah. Then shall
waters of blessing flow forth from them
for all nations (Ezek. Xvii, 1-12; Zech. xiv,
., and this is the ultimate reach OF this
chapter and its primary application.
Many, however, will see here only pres
ent and personal salvation for individual
believers
2. "Hearken diligently unto me, and eat
ye that which is good, and let your soul
delight itself in fatness." All our own
efforts to obtain righteousness and soul
satisfaction are like spending time.
strength and money for naught. But
when we turn to Him who is the fountain
OF life and receive Him, then we have right
eOusness.
8. Incline your ear and come unto me.
hear and your soul shall live" Thus the
prophets were ever pleading with Israel.
See the application to us in John v, "a.
But the everlasting covenant and sure
mercies OF David are specially Jewish (Jer.
xxx, 9; XXI, 81; Luke i, 49, s3). In the
days of the fulfillment of that covenant we
who are now true believers in Christ shall
be manifested with Him in glory as His
body, joint rulers with Him (Col. iii, 4;
Rev. iii, 21).
4. Behold, have given Him for a wit
ness to the people, a leader and commander
to the people," Who can he be but the
true David (Beloved), David's greater son
(Ezek. xxxiv, %, "a; xxxvii. "a, 25), the
faithful and true witness (Rev i, s., the
King OF Israel (John i, 40; xviii, 81. He is
also the captain Of our salvation, and the
captain Of the Hosts of the Lord, God Him.
self our captain (Heb ii, 10; Josh. v, II: II
Chron. Kill, 12). May our hearts say my
Lord and my God"
B. Behold, thou shalt call nation that
thou knowest not, and nations that knew
not thee shall run unto thee because of
the Lord thy God" A nation, and nations
drawn to God through Israel. What can
the first be but that nation referred to by
Jesus and Peter (Math. xxi, 43; Pet ii, 81,
even the church now being gathered out of
all nations. And the nations must be the
"all nations" of millennial days who shall
flow to Israel after the glory of God is re-
stored to her Elsa. TX. 1-3; xii. |. 2: Jer
iii, H.
&. Seek ye the Lord while He may be
found, call ye upon Him while He is near"
The prophet now turns from the future
glory to the present, in which he lived,
urging an Immediate turning to God with
the whole heart that so they might, in
dividually at least, make sure of the glory
of the kingdom.
Z. LET the wicked forsake his way, and
the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let
him return unto the Lord" The encour-
agement to do SO was the mercy and
abundant pardon awaiting any who would
return. So it is to-day
8. "For my thoughts are not your
thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,
saith the Lord" How worse than foolish,
then, to follow our own ways or indulge in
our own thoughts; rather let us be filled
with Gods thoughts as given us in His
word, and so our thoughts shall be crowded
out (Jer. xxx, IL: Ps. xix, II; Mic.
iv, II; II Cor. X. 81. See the folly of our
thoughts in the case of Abram, and of
Naaman (Gen. Xxx, II; II Kings, v, III.
9. For as the heavens are higher than
the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your
thoughts" The Lord knoweth the
thoughts of man that they are vanity, for
the wisdom of this world is foolishness
with God (Ps. xciv, IL; Cor. iii, 10, 2O)
But the thoughts Of the Lord they shall
come to pass, and His purposes shall stand
Qsa. xiv, ~. The thoughts of the church
OF today are that by the preaching of the
Gospel she is to convert the world; but
Gods thoughts are that the church being
gathered out, Israel shall be as a nation
converted, and they shall fill the earth with
the knowledge of the Lord Rom. xi, II,
IL, Is, 26)
10 For as the rain cometh down, and
the snow, from Heaven, and returneth not
thither." In Eccl. i, Z, we learn that the
rain having descended and filled the rivers
which run into the sea, does ascend AGAIN
and so continues to do; but the teaching
here Is that nothing God does is done in
vain.
II. $50 shall my word be-; it shall not re-
turn unto me void; but it shall accomplish
that which please" His word is as the
rain Oeut. xxxii, o. It will always ao-
complish his pleasure.
H. "For ye shall go out with Joy and be
led forth with peace, and all the trees of
the field shall clap their hands," The
preacher who now goes forth is to expect
the hatred and opposition of the world
John XIV, 10; xvi, q and that only q por.
tion of the seed sown will bear fruit duke,
viii, 11-15), and that hypocrites and true
believers will go on side by side until the
harvest; many followers of the devil will
be found in the so called church, and
preachers will preach everything but the
Gospel (Math. xiii, sO-s9. But in the
time Of 1srael's great mission things shall
be very different, for Gods spirit shall
be poured out upon all flesh (Joel ii, 2s, 49,
Is "And it shall be to the Lord for a
name. for an everlasting sign that shall
not be cut off," The Messiah shall then
have come no more to die. Israel shall be
established in her own land, no more to be
plucked up, nor thrown down. The curse
shall be removed from the earth and God
everywhere glorifed (Jer. XXI. 10; Amos
X, 15; Eek. xxxvii, M-2s; Rev. xii, 1-tl
Thorns and thistles were to be the visible
token OF the curse upon the earth (Gen. iii
II. 49, When our Saviour wore the crown
Of thorns He suffered for the whole crear
tion which was made subject to vanity,