Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1911-08-18
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES
The Sunday
School Lesson
Sunday School Lesson for August 20,
1911.
JEREMIAH CAST INTO PRISON.

JEREMIAH CAST INTO PRISON..
Golden Text.-"Blessed are We, when
men shall revile you, and prosecute
you, and say all manner Of evil against
you falsely. for my sake. Matt. oil.
jeremiah 37:4-21 Commit, v. IL.
TIME.-59S B. G. to 5sS B. G.
PLACE.-Jerusalem.
EXPOSITION. Jehovah's wor5
to Jermiah concerning the temporary
departure of the Chaldeans from Jeru
salem, 40. Zedekiah has many fol
lowers who inquire what Gods Word
Is, but do not follow 1t when they md
it. Zedekiah and his people were de-
ceiving themselves with false hopes
". 81, but Gods Word was sure
and their hopes were vain Tvs. s, 1O)
Whatever temporary calamity might
overtake the Chaldeans, their ultf
mate victory was sure, for God had
predicted 1t ". 1O. 1t may have
seemed impossible for the people to
believe that God of love would per
nit the city of his choice to be burned
with fire, but in point of fact 1t was
burned with fire. Gods predictions OF
punishment upon the rebels are true
no matter how impossible 1t may
seem to us to reconcile them with the
doctrine that God is love.
H. jeremiah cast into prison on
false charge, 11-21. Irizah had long
standing grudge, inherited from his
grandfather, against jeremiah ~
49, CT CHI. 28:1, 10, 1917; 3S:1-4).
Irijah brought against Jeremiah the
charge that he was going over to the
enemy. No charge could possibly be
more false, but 1t appeared plausible
There was never truer patriot than
jeremiah (ch. 40:4-7). Jeremiah Ia
not the only man who has been re.
garded as an enemy of his country
because of his faithful denunciation OF
national sins and national doom (cf.
Amos ITO; Luke 1892; Acts Sid.
The one who rebukes the sins OF his
people and foretells their coming
judgment is net their enemy but their
best friend. At an earlier date while
the priests had been hostile to Jere-
miah, the princes had been favorable
(ch. 20:1-3; 26:11, 16), but now "the
princes were wroth with jeremiah and
smote him and put him in prison"
without even Investigating the charge,
This is the kind Of treatment a faith.
full servant of God is to expect from
men G. Tim. 8: Il; Matt. %: "a; 1851,
s.; Jno. 1920; Acts 5:2S, 40; Cor
11:23-27; Heb. 11:36-3S). This par
ticular prison was vile place that
threatened the death of those cast
there ". 20 CT. 1875, 26). Their real
motive In casting Jeremiah there was
not to punish traitor but to satisfy
their anger against one who had re-
buked their sins (cf. John I'D. Jere
miah's imprisonment was long ". 16),
He spent his time there in prayer
liam. 1850. The king himself sent
and took jeremiah out of prison
When the wicked get into trouble,
they always want to consult with
Gods servants. But Zedekiah was
not man enough to consult openly
with Jeremiah (cf. 38: 14-16, 24-27; CT
John 3:2). At heart Zedekiah recog
nized jeremiah to be prophet Of the
Lord. 1t was good question that
Zedekiah put to jeremiah: rs there
any word from the Lord?" The man
who Is governed by fear of Others
will always do more evil than good
jeremiah had word from the Lord
but it was not the kind Of word that
Zedekiah wished to hear ". ~.
When men hear some word from the
Lord they do not relish, they always
search for some other word to con.
tradict 1t. The message that Jere'
miah had was message of doom and
1t took courage to deliver it tcf.
1895; 38-1-4). jeremiah did not him
self relish the message clam. 8: 48,
49,, but it was Gods word and he de.
livered it without changing 1t to suit
his own taste. Jeremiahs bearing
toward the king was most humble and
respectful, but at the same time
fearless Tvs. 1920. The question
that jeremiah put to Zedekiah in
verse l9 ought to have set him tc
thinking (cf. CHI. 14:13-15; 28:15-17). Al
like doom awaits the false prophets
OF today who say: Peace, peace
when there is no peace" and speak
a vision of their own heart and not
out of the mouth of the Lord" and
promise to him that walketh afte,
the Imagination of his own heart, nc
evil shall come upon you" Ger. 23:16
10. The issue had proven Jeremiah
to be true prophet, and the final is
sue will show those who prophesy
doom upon the impenitent in face OF
all contradiction from the false
prophets of today to be the true
prophets. jeremiah betrayed no dis
trust in God in petitioning tho king
for relief (cf. Acts 23:16-22; 25:1O.
II; 28:18, 1917. jeremiah had not lost
anything by his faithfulness