Morgan County republican. (Versailles, Mo.) 1906-1914, 1911-07-06
Jehovah's Suffering
Servant
Suniay Seheel Lesson for JAY 3, 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper
LESSON TEXT-Isaiah 52:l3; 1912.
Specially Arranged for This Paper

the Book of Isaiah.
Whenever written 1t belongs to the time
of the exile. just before the return.
II brought hope. inspiration, instruction.
life. and light In the darkest period in
the history Of Israel.
Gods peculiar people were in exilo
among heather populations. Their
homeland, Palestine, had been devas-
tated. Jerusalem lay In ashes. The
temple was a heap of ruins. The MS
tion was like tho stump of a mighty
tree which had been cut down. Tho
tree had been cut down because It re-
fused to bear the good fruit for which
God had planted 1t. But In captivity
the people had been learning their les
son, and the time had come when II
was possible for a new shoot to
spring up from the barren stump, and
a renewed nation to take up its ap-
pointed mission. But in order to do
this, the nation must be made to see
clearly what they must be and do, ana
the deepest motives toward this end
be inspired within them. All this Is
a parable for the world.
1t throws no little light on our les
son to realize its relation to the
prophecy as q whole. According to
all critics the whole lesson really be.
longs to the iifty-third chapter of
Isaiah, the fifty-second ending at the
twelfth verse. The prophecy consists
of q chapters, of which the f1fty-third
is the central one, making the whole
prophecy to consist Of three sections.
First. the first thirteen chapters are q
trumpet call to the captive %Isrealites
who have been hanging their harps
on the willows" unable to Sing the
songs of Zion,' to awake to faith in
God. and obedience and loyalty to
him. and to be prepared for their de,
liverance. Second: Chapter SO pre-
sents the means by which the 70.
demption "a be accomplished, the
heroic service Of his people, and the
supreme self-sacrifcing love Of his
son. Third: The succeeding thirteen
chapters present the results OF the re-
deeming nation. and the redeemed
world.
The service Of God was a commits
sion to witness and prophesy for God
upon earth" Israel was elected not
to salvation, but to service" or rather
as In the case Of any individual, the
nation was elected to salvation that
1t might be Of service. 1t was neces-
sary that the Servant" who was to
carry out Gods purpose Of saving the
world should be a nation. from the
condition of the ancient world. "Of
all possible combinations of men the
nation was the only form which in the
ancient world stood a chance of sur
viving in the struggle for existence"
The servant of God a the nation Of
Israel.
Jesus Christ did Gods service for
the worlds redemption by bearing the
sorrows and sins OF man. His suffer
ings were not because he himself had
done wrong, but in order that he
might save us from them. He bore
them on his heart and sympathy. He
bore them away by his healing power.
He bore them as the martyr and the
hero suffers that he may save the op-
pressed and the wronged and perse.
cuted from their sufferings. He bore
them away by transforming them into
character. He bore them by giving
his life for our sins, 30 that by re-
moving sin he removed most Of the
griefs of man. Christianity has been
the chief power in removing the griefs
and SORROWS of mankind.
The prophet foresees these things
fulfilled In Jesus Christ. The picture
in these verses Is almost a photograph
OF what took place five hundred years
later. He was oppressed. his suffer
ings were unjustly inflicted on him,
| Read the story of his trial. He opened
not his mouth in protest. He submit
ted to the wrong.
Jesus was put to death with the
wicked on the cross. and they thought
to bury him In a criminals grave
They appointed his grave with the
wicked, but by a striking providence
the same authority gave permission tc
a rich man, Joseph of A~rimathea. who
provided him with an honorable buria
in his own rock-hewn tomb.
Yet 1t pleased the Lord because he
say the good to be gained. He shall
see his seed, his spiritual descendants
filled with his spirit and carrying GU
his plans. ne shall prolorg his days
He rose from the dead, assembled t.
heaven, and Is the everlasting leadel
and king. OF all kings he is the mos
glorious. or all kingdoms his Ia tn
largest, noblest, best beyond all com
pare.
This far-off vision of Jesus, and o