Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1911-08-02
SUNDAY SCHOOL.
Lesson VI.--Third Quarter, For
Aug. 8, 1911.
THE INTERNATIONAL SERIES.

Text Of the Lesson. Jer. XVI, 7-19
Memory Verses. 10, 14AGoIden Text.
Ps. xvii. 1-Comment.ry Prepared
by Rev. D. N. Stearns.
jeremiah was a faithful messenger
OF the Lord God OF Israel and coveted
him. He was therefore hated by the
false prophets and by all who would
not submit TO God. The Lord told him
that 1t would be so when He called
him TO be prophet and said: Speak
unto them all that command thee; be
not dismayed at their faces. They
shall fight against thee. but they shall
not prevail against thee. for l am with
thee. saith the Lord, to deliver thee"
DER. 1. II. 10; XIV, POI.
After he had been eighteen years a
prophet compare Jer 1. 2; ii Chron
xxxiv. II and Jehoiakim was now
king. his brother Jehoahaz having
reigned only three months III Chron
xxxvi. Ia, the word Of the Lord came
again to jeremiah saying. Speak all
the words that l command thee to
speak unto them; diminish not a word"
der. XVI, y. Because of Jeremiah's
<aithfulness In delivering the Lords
message against the city and the TEN
pie the priests and the prophets took
him and gathered the people against
him to put him to death tverses I'D
The reason of their hatred is seen I'm
the description given of them In pre-
vious chapters. "a wonderful and hor-
rible thing is committed in the land
the prophets prophesy falsely, and the
priests bear rule by their means. and
My people love to have 1t So" Every
one. from the least even unto the
greatest, is given to covetousness:
from the prophet even unto the priest
every one dealeth falsely" Both
prophet and priest are profane: yea
IN My house have / found their wick
edness. saith the Lord (Jer. v. 80. 81:
wifi, 10; XIII. III. See the same state
XXX. 9-13.
With such an alliance against God
on the part of the people and their
teachers we cannot wonder at their
persecution of such n man OF God as
jeremiah. 1t has always been so. and
the Lord Jesus. when on earth said
that it would be so throughout this
age also Matt Y. 1918; John XIV. 1921 .
XVI. 1-9. We cannot be faithful to
God and on good terms with the
world. lying in the wicked one. Back
Of all prosecutors Of the people OF God
we must see the great prosecutor and
destroyer. the father OF lies.
In verses u to 10 we have Jeremi-
abs defense. and his only plea is, "Of
a truth the Lord hath sent me unto
you TO speak all these words in your
ears" He did not fail to exhort them
10 amend their ways and their doings
and to obey the voice of the Lord their
God. and then he added. do what you
please with me, but know that If you
kill me you will kill an innocent man
The princes and the people then took
Jeremiah's part against the priests
and the prophets because he had spo
ken In the name of the Lord their God.
and they recall the fact that in the
days Of Hezekiah the Prophet Micah
was q faithful witness for the Lord
OF hosts against Jerusalem. but that
Hezekiah. instead OF killing him, re-
pented before the Lord. and the Lord
kept back the evil which otherwise
would have come upon them Micah
told them plainly that they judged for
reward. taught for hire and OWNED
for money. yet professed to lean upon
the Lord (Mic. iii. III. Hezekiah
I'm 70 10 oil
bled himself before God and repented
The last part of our lesson chapter
tells of another true man Of God who
prophesied as jeremiah did. and when
Jehoiakim sought to kill him he fed
into Egypt, but the king had him
brought back out Of Egypt and put to
death. The difference In the fate of
these two men makes us think of
James. the brother OF John. whom
Herod killed with the sword, and Pc
ter. who was saved from a similar fate
by an angel (Acts xiii. 1t Is always a
gain for a true child of God to die. but
IL is sometimes better for the people
OF God on the earth and for sinners
who may through them be saved to
continue yet awhile here Phl |,
20-26)
Jeremiah was prophet Of the Lord
for forty years until Judah was fully
carried captive in the days of Zedeki-
ah, and he seems to have had to con-
tend with lying prophets all the way
through. to one of whom the Lord told
him to say. This year thou shalt die,
because thou hast taught rebellion