The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1892-03-10
TIE SUNDAY GChOCL.
Erornise of New Heart-IGzek. 3G:25-c3 |
Memory vcrses 25-21

LESSON roE MARCH ~ loys.
GOLDEN TE3T.-A new heart also Will give
yoss and new spirit will | put within you
7Sse,t. 1926
CENTRAL TRTTH-A new heart and new
life are the need and the hope of the world.
IzEK1EL was the son Of Duzi, Of pricstly
family, living in or near Jerusalem. He was
born about T. G. 623. was carried captive to
Eaapylonia with 1Iiay Jchoiachin. u. c. 59S, and
sisscit on the river TIhebar. a branch OF the
1csphrates, 800 miles north Of Babylon. He
began to prophesy in 593, when thirty years
old (l;D, and rrcphesied for ~ years (s9lO.
Me was married bat his wife died about tho
siIno that Nebuchadnczzar b,gan his last seige
sof Jerusalem [2t:l, 49,
THR BOOK OF EzEEIEL covers % years,
Ss551l. II Is diyitcl into three parts: chapters
"a before the siege OF Jerusalem, chapters
~ 10 3s. during the siege: chapters SO to 42
nftUr the siege, full Of promise. comfort and
hope to the eSiles
CONTEMPORARY PRopuETS-Jeremiah in
JorusGlela arc Daniel in Babylon.
PLACE IN BiBlE uI5ToEY.-a Kings, chaps.
ga. -; Q Chror., chap. 50.
DA-E OF TuIs LEssoN.-Soon after the de-
struction OF Jerusalem. Between b. c. 5S5
sSS:2lg and 5T9 40:lp.
PLACE -Vtrittcn on the banks of the Chebar
rnc sroder1 L-haDour large branch OF the
XuJI3lrate5. entering that river at CarcheIai5h
THIs PROPHECY has its first application to
vhe exiles. But the samo principles apply to
Tho church Ct God in all ages. Only through
new hearts can the world be redeemed.
1IELPs OVER HARD PLAcEs.--25. "Thcn:"
Syhsn God would restore Israel 10 their own
Aard ''Cleun water" as o symbol of cleansing
xro1n sia. "Filthiness:" sin is filthy vile, un-
al son. IAN your idols:" After their return the
6s1aelities never again foil into idolatry. 20.
"A new hsact:" the heart Is the center and
source OF life sending the life blood to every
part OF the body. New heart here is nav dis
ajGsition, new character, new love. stony
heart" q sinful heart is cold, hard, and dead
1ike o stone. 27. my Spirit" the Holy Spirit;
Sulded at pcatecost ana ever since The
.sorreo OF life. Judgments" laws, things God
Judges TO be right. 20. Save YOU" ETC. he
repeats taGt only by being saved from sin can
ahsT enjoy their land. 81. Remember your
own evil Ways" Gods goodness and love will
zmSke them 10 see the vilcness Of their sins.
-'Leathc yourselves" sin is not merely wicked;
1T Is vile, loathsome, hateful. SO. Not for
ycnr sakes:' not because you deserve IT, Sal
vation is Gods free gift. 60. "As the holy
Etpnk:" the inhabitants shall be many, like the
sacred hocks driven In great numbers to the
sacrifice OF the passover.
TEE FCLF1LLMENr Of these prophecies was
partly On he return from exile, still moro when
Christ came, and the complete fulfillment will
be in tie new Jerusalem and the redeemed
word.
LESSON COMMENT.
In IT we find Ezekiel prophesying that
give Israel new heart, and would re-
store her to the land of her fathers, and
give her renewed prosperity. This God
proposes to do, not because of the fact
Ahat Israel deserves such blessings at
Mis- hands, but on account of His own
Iove and favor. Remember that all this
was said after both Israel and Judah
had gone into captivity for their sins
and were in a far-of land, slaves, as
they had once been in Egypt. This
will give much point to the words of
nhe prophet, who himself was also
captive by the great river.
Now to anyone looking at Judah in
her destitution and captivity, it might
sscen1 strange that the prophet dwells
$50 much on great blessing that is some
day to come to her, and then says that
ahe blessing is to be one that shall be
purely spiritual. The natural man
would say that what Judah needed more
than anything else was some powerful
nation that would take up it's cause and
defeat the Assyrian, and liberate them
frpIn their captivity. But in reality
Ih;s would not have helped Judah to
any permanent prosperity.
Now supposing that God should raise
Elp for them some powerful ally, and de-
Aver them from their captivity, and
bring them back to the land from which
they had SO recently marched, but
should leave them in the same evil
Blea-t of unbclief, would it have been
zIny permanent blessing? Would they
mot have gone back to their idols and
All their former iniquities SO that God
would have again been forced to send
them into second captivity? Assured
ly. This shows that the one thing
that they needed, above all others, was
something inward, and not anything
outward.
Now the experience of Israel is
kind of object lesson for individual
Christians all the world over. What
4hey experienced as nation, that is
true for us as individuals. There are
thousands OF poor and destitute people
in this world, made SO by their own
sins. Drink alone has done this in null
6itudes of cases. Now to raise money
and clothe and house and feed all these,
would not really do them any good.
They would simply go on in their sin,
=and not be radically helped. Many
anan is poor to-day because he has
squandered his money in foolish or
riotous living. What is it that he needs
most of all? Not food or rent paid, or
garments, but something inward and
spiritual. If he gets new heart then
all else win come right in course of
tiIne. But so long as he goes with
out that. nothing will ever come right;
3Dr the fountain source of all is cOrruDt
Can you set sweet water from foul
9prntain? No more can you get sue
oesGfll life from foul and corrupt
heart- This is why I'll the injunctions
s1f the Bible aim at the heart OF man; for
ont of the heart are the issues of life.
What we then need, most of all, is to see
10 IT that our hearts are right before
God; for while they are wrong. all is