The Holt County sentinel., 1911-06-02
ISRAEL'S
PENITENCE

LESSON TExT-liosea H.

LESSON TExT-Hosea H.
MEMORY vERSES-<-e.
GOLDEN TExT-"Thou Art q Goa.
Ready to Pardon. Gracious and Merciful.
Slow to Anger"-Neh. S:1T
TfME-Hosea began to prophesy toward
the close Of the reign OF Jeroboam II. In
Israel. whose reign closed b. c. 10
tBsecherj. or 7ss ,Hastinss,. His prophetic
life extended into the days Of Heaekiah,
king Of Judah. who came to the throne
,Beecher). b. c. ~ (fisstines). III.
Pi.ACE-Hosea was . prophet Of the
northern kingdom.
PRoPHETS-issiah and Micah. perhaps
Amos.
What was the ip.uuity Of Israel
from which Hosea exhorted her to 70
turn unto the Lord. The degradation
Of religion INTO . sensual and revolt.
ing worship Of Idols. and the foolish
and weakening separation from the
Southern Kingdom. The period was
one Of frightful violence and confu
sion: all ties Of social life were
loosened; immortality. irreiigion. gu.
perstition. panic and despa.. contrib.
uted to the common misery and ruin:
IL hardly needed prophetic insight to
foresee the inevitable end In the total
dissolution Of the state.
Their reliance upon Assyria for sal.
walton instead Of upon Jehovah: their
reliance upon Egypt, the land OF
horses: their reliance upon idols. the
work Of their own hands. All the in.
ner woes OF the nation sprung from
It's idolatry. and all lie woes from
without spruf.g from the mischievous
foreign alliances against which the
prophets continually protested. Note
that this is more than a confession: II
10 q promise OF amendment. a vow Of
total abstinence from these sins.
God promises TO the repentant No.
ton. promises for the past. forgive.
ness. will heal their backsliding.
that horrible disease Of apostasy from
the Fathers love: for the present.
love: ! will love them freely. without
money and without price," for what
price could pay for this inestimable
blessing? for the future, ever.in.
creasing progress and blessedness:
God will be TO his restored people an
enriching. stimulating. reviving dew
branches. strike new roots deeper into
the soil. blossom In beauty and fra.
GRANGE. and bring forth fruit In abun,
dance.
What 10 the signiacance Of the
three comparisons used Of the re-
stored people, I. They are TO be like
the lily. In its purity and beauty. .
They are TO BE- like Lebanon. rooted
deep In the earth. with It's foothills
! stretching forth like roots: or perhaps
the reference 10 TO the nrmly rooted
cedars OF Lebanon. a. any rate the
comparison signifies strength. which
Is to be added TO beauty. 8. They are
TO be like the olive tree. which Is no,
lovely Ms the lily but Ia gnarled and
ugly; nor strong and imposing like
the mountain and It's great cedars, bl,
| feeble and insignificant TO the eye.
but IL II green when other trees are
bare. and II brings forth abundance OF
rich fruit.
The confident statement whether
|
mentators and both authorized and re-
vised versions hold. by Ephraim him
self that Ephraim uhst 10. Israel. the
leading tribe being put for the entire
| Northern kingdoml has nothing more
TO do with idols: he 10 through with
them; they are laid away with his un
happy past. This actually happened
/ hA ka1
had enough Of idolatry. and never
again lapsed into that sin.
Hosea certainly did not mean. a. he
10 SO often misunderstood TO mean
that Israel WAS 40 firmly hxed In idol
airy that the nation could never b
moved from that iniQuity. The proph
ct was addressing Judah. the South
ern Kingdom. and bidding her hold
aloof from her idolatrous neighboI
and let him alone. lest she herself
contract the foul disease.
The sum Of wisdom. according tc
Hosea, 10 that wisdsm consists d
three things: Understanding, know
Ing the things thst Hosea had been
setting forth. namely. Gods dealings
with his children. Understanding that
Gods ways are always right. straight
alike when they spread themselves
out In an unbroken level for the pieus
and when they oppose themselves In
rocky stumbling blocks TO the un
cody.
Hosea began his warnings at ths
point where We feel the most pride
Cur nation 10 proud, Of its weahh, and
power. but these two things LEAD e
woridiness, which 10 our creates,
peril.
What would, be the. substance Of
Hosea's message 70 the nation and &c
each one Of us! FAKE with you
words. and return unto the Lord" OuI
sin. must be acknowledged. humbl,
before Ged and frankly before ever
one who should hear the confessior
for any reason. Then We are SIMPLY
In rhrtat'a ssrou 9Th - okav q. -