The Elbert County tribune., 1911-06-30
Jehovah's Suffering
Servant
s.d.y School Lesss. fer July .. 1911
speeI.Ily Arr.ngsd ior ThI. P.psr

1t brought hope, inspiration. instruction.
life, and light in the darkest period In
the history Of Israel
Gods peculiar people were IN exile
among heather populations. Their
homeland, Palestine, had been deyas-
tated. Jerusalem lay in ashes. The
temple was heap of ruins. The ma
ton was like the stump of mighty
tree which had been cut down. The
tree had been cut down because 1t re-
fused to bear the good fruit for which
God had planted it. But in captivity
the people had been learning their les-
son, and the time had come when it
was possible for a new shoot to
spring up from the barren stump, and
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, and
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 whole. According to
all critics the whole lesson really be-
iOA6o " thC hAtg-lhA ShhPtOA VA
Isaiah. the fifty-second ending at the
twelfth verse. The prophecy consists
of 81 chapters, of which the fifty-third
is the central one, making the whole
prophecy to consist of three sections.
First, the first thirteen chapters are
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 90 pre-
sents the means by which the re-
demption can be accomplished, the
heroic service of his people. and the
supreme self-sacrificing 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
it might be Of service. 1t was neces-
sary that the servant" who Wa %
carry out Gods purpose Of saving tho
world should be 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 was 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, SO 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 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 tho
wicked, but by a striking providence
the same authority gave permission to
a rich man. Joseph of Arimathea. who
provided him with an honorable burial
in his own rock-hewn tomb.
Yet 1t pleased the Lord because he
saw the good to be gained. He shall
see his seed, his spiritual descendants,
filled with his spirit and carrying out
his plans. He shall prolong his days
He rose from the dead, ascended to
heaven. and is the everlasting leader
and king. OF all kings he 10 tho most
glorious. OF all kingdoms his is the
largest, noblest. best beyond all COM I
pare.
This far-off vision of Jesus, and of
the redeemed world. is ono of the
strongest proofs Of revelation from
God. Professor Ramsay declares that
the Bible is unique among ancient re-
Egions in that ito the Hebrew proph-
cts, and to them alone, the better age
lay always in future"
"The best is yet to be,
| Tho 1ac ~ Itfo Eor -~As~l A.
made"
We see in this lesson the one source