The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-08-12
Sunday School Lesson for August 13
EZekiel's Great Vision.
EZEK. XXXVI1:1-14.
BY J. e. GILBERT, D. D., Ii. D.,
Secretary of American Society of Religious Education.

AssURANCE.-Promises do not al
ways awaken hope. Sometimes that
which is offered seems to be highly
improbable and encouragement, pos
sibly despair, is the result. The glow
ing words spoken to the captive Jews,
considered in last lesson, may have
produced some effect in them. Their
city and temple were in ruins, they
themselves had been transported hun
dreds OF miles to a foreign country
to be held in bondage. How then
could they ever expect to return to
the land of their fathers, to build the
waste places and become again
prosperous and happy people? There
was no good ground to believe that
such would be their privilege. 1t is
possible that Ezekiel himself, as he
delivered the message, felt that full
fillment was extremely doubtful. BY
some method the spirit of assurance
must displace this feeling of despond-
ency. The prophet and the people
whom he served must feel that what
God had said would surely come to
pass. To secure that end was the
purpose to be served in the events Of
the present lesson.
VISION Oversees / and 2).-When He
designed to make a profound impress
sion upon a man God illumined his
mind, enabling him to see what was
ordinarily impossible. This state was
called a vision, a supernatural dis
play of realities beyond the reach Of
the senses U Samuel iii:D. Such
manifestations were granted from the
earliest times to patriarchs, proph-
cts and holy men, transporting them
beyond themselves UI Cor. Xii:O.
Ezekiel was brought under this in
fiuence. He says the hand of God
was upon him, feeling that his per-
sonality had been touched; and he
was carried out in the spirit of the
Lord as If borne on without any effort
on his part. lie found himself at last
in what appeared to him a valley full
of bones. This was emblematiC of a
grave yard, and so represented to the
prophet the dead hopes of a once pros
porous people. In his vision the
prophet was made to pass round the
valley and contemplate its condition
He discovered that there We're many
bones and that they were very dry.
PROPHECY oversees 3 and G.-Wher
the mind of the prophet was sutiic'
iently impressed by what he saw, a
question was put to him, "Can these
bones live?" Most men would return
but one answer, and that a decided
negative The vital organs and the
| skin have fallen to decay, leaving
| nothing but the parts of the bony
| frame. and these scattered in confu.
sion. In a short time the bones also
| obedicnt to natures laws, must crum
| BILE and return to the elements O
which they are composed. Utter dis
| solution, not life, is the certain fate
| of these heaps in the valley. Bu
| Ezekiel with much hesitation, re
| Trained from uttering his thoughts
| knowing that there was much pOwe,
| in God he said Thou knowest." Ther
came the word of the Lord directing
| him to prophesy, that is to speak a
| the mOuth-pieCe of God, and com
| mand these bones to live. Here wa
to be test of faith. Shall a man or
| der that to be which to all human
observation is impossible? Put tn
prophet must learn a lesson, and thi
is the way to learn it.