Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-06-29
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL:
sERIous SUBJECTS CAREFULLY
CONSIDERED.
A Scholarly Exposition Of the Lesson
Thoughts Worthy of Calm Rehec-
tion-Half an Hours Study Of the
scripturss.-Time Well Spent.

ecriptures-Time Well Spent.
The lesson for July 2 is entitled, Ora
cious Invitations" and Is from Hosea IA:
10. Beginning now a six months study
of the exile of judah and the period fol-
lowing the return from Babylon, consid-
cradle reorganization will be necessary to
get the proper background for the lessons
to come. 1t is singular, and rather unfor-'
tunate, that the first lesson should have
been chosen out Of it's natural chronology
ical place.
The book Of Hosea belongs in the series
of lessons we had last year; 1t dates back
from the quarter-century preceding the
fall of Sainaria. being approximately con-
temporaneous with Amos; in other words,
its date may be put at about TAO b. Q.
Following that time there came century
and half of the history of judah, includ-
ing the great names Hezekiah, Isaiah.
Micah, Josiah and Jeremiah, before the
Babylonian exile which began in 597. =
The warnings and promises of Hosea's
prophecy referred to the northern king
dom, which had not yet fallen, though tot
tering on the verge of collapse. They ap-
ply and are pertinent to the lessons which
we are about to study lessons about Ju-
dahl, only as the general truths which
they contain apply to any sinful nation.
The Introductory lesson to this course, II
1t was desired to use chapter of prophe-
cy, should have been taken from Jeremiah.
However, the lesson from Hosea offers
a good opportunity to review briefly the
history Of the two kingdoms, as it is really
necessary to do in order to prepare for the
further lessons. The general course of
that history is familiar; beginning with
separation of the two southern tribes, Ju-
dab and Benjamin, from the ten northern,
of which Ephram was the most impor-
tant, about the year $50, the two nations
travelled separate courses from that time
on. The capital of the northern kingdom
was at various places, but from Ahab's
time it was the city of Samaria. Judah's
capital was Jerusalem. The history of
Israel is an almost unbroken record of
wicked kings and Baal-worshiping peo-
pie for the two centuries that it endured.
Four great prophets fought nobly
against the side of evil-Elijah, Elisha,
Amos, Hosea. But comparatively speak
ing they accomplished little; and in a
period when Assyria happened to be push
ing her western vassals unusually hard,
the fatal folly of Israel's weak monarchs
brought ruin. The unprecedented age of
luxury and vice which had marked the
reign of Jeroboam III. (7S0-740) had under
mined the foundations Of the national
courage and power Of resistance. Decay
was upon all the natural pillars of the
state; and at blow they fell.
After the fall Of Samaria (722) the
southern kingdom continued, with at least
two excellent reigns, for more than CEN
fury before the lamented death of josiah
and the willful disregard of the great
statesman Jeremiah's counsels brought
Judah to a similar fate at the hands of
Nebuchadnezzar.
Explanatory.
This chapter is dramatic in conception;
that is, there are three speakers, the pro-
phet, who entreats the people; the repent
ant people, who confess their shortcom-
ings to the Lord; and the Lcrd, who gra-
ciously answers.
This interchange of speakers is common
in the prophets and the psalms. The
classic example of it is the first two chap
tiers of Habakkuk. Such passages, read
straight ahead, verse after verse, with
out recognition of the transition or any
particular effort of the mind to understand
the connection, are utterly unintelligible.
A very little thought. however, especially
il aided by the paragraphs of the Revised
Version, will bring order out of confusion
and make the meaning evident. Prof.
Mounton, in the Modern Readers Bible"
has done a great service in this direction
by arranging the prophets and poetical
books according to their literary form.
The prophet. then. entreats Israel to re-
turn to Jehovah. He adds that they must
make confession Of their weakness and
sin, and gives them the words which they
are to speak. There follows the confess
sion, never spoken save in imagination,
because Israel did not repent.-"The
calves of our lips" that is, the sacrifices
of our lips; prayers that are sincere substi-
tutcd for sacrifices that were formal.
"Asahur shall not save u.s.: Israel had
often foolishly trusted to Assyria for aid
rather than to the Lord; and had always
been deceived. Now, is this time of re-
pentance which the prophet imagines, the
people are to confess the impotence of
Assyria, or Of military assistance GIVE
will not ride upon horses'). They are also
to give up the worship Of idols C'the work
Of our hands'o.
The Lord answers verses 4-O) Ills Tree
forgiveness is the outpouring Of the love
that runs all through the reproaches Of
the prophecy. Seldom indeed in the Old
Testament is the wrath of God represent
ed as unquenchable and memorable. Al
most everywhere it may be turned to for
giveness by repentance.
"As the dew: dew is of vast Importance
in dry country, where for months at
time no rain falls. 1t is all that keeps
vegetation alive and makes life endurable.
1t is therefore the symbol of refreshment.
The lily, wild flower not unlike our flags,
which grew in abundance on the meadows
and pains.-Lebanon, with its splendid
forests, was the symbol of vigor and
beauty.
His beauty shall be as the olive tree;"
the olive is not a stately or symmetrical
tree, but has beauty of its own in the
dark, cool shade of its dense foliage and
the attractiveness Of its ripe fruit.
The remuneration of idols is repeated for
emphasis. This had been one of the great
sins of Israel, which nothing could eradi-
cate.
The Lord replies that he has heard and
noted the confession.
Israel rejoices in its renewed vigor, like
"a green fir tree"
The Lord responds, reminding Israel Of
the source of its strength.
The conclusion OF the whole matter is
=