The Elbert County tribune., 1911-05-26
Sunday School Lessss fer Juss 4. 1911
Specially Arranged for This Paper

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Of religion into q 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, irreligion, SUI
perstition. panic and despair contrib
uted to the common misery and ruin;
1t hardly needed prophetic insight to
foresee the inevitable end in the total
dissolution of the state.
Their reliance upon Assyria for sal
vaion 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
Its idolatry, and all its woes from
without sprung from the mischievous
foreign alliances against which the
prophets continually protested. Note
that this is more than confession; It
ia promise ofamendment, vow of
total abstinence from these sins.
God promises to the repentant ma
ton, promises for the past. forgive
ness. l 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
snriching. stimulating. reviving dew.
causing them to throw out new
branches. strike new roots deeper into
the soil. blossom in beauty and fra
GRANGE. and bring forth fruit in abun-
dance.
What is the Significance Of the
three comparisons used of the re-
stored people? 1. They are to be like
the lily, in its purity and beauty. 2.
They are to be like Lebanon, rooted
deep in the earth, with its foothills
stretching forth like roots; or perhaps
the reference is to the firmly rooted
cedars of Lebanon; at any rate the
comparison signifies strength. which
is to be added to beauty. 3. They are
to be like the olive tree. which Is not
lovely as the lily but is gnarled and
ugly; nor strong and imposing like
the mountain and its great cedars. but
feeble and insignificant 20 the eye;
but 1t is green when other trees are
bare, and 1t brings forth abundance of
rich fruit
The confident statement whether
made by Jehovah, or. es some COM
mentators and both authorized and re
vised versions hold. by Ephraim him
self that Ephraim Chat is, Israel. the
leading tribe being put for the entire
Northern Kingdom) has nothing more
to do with idols; he is through with
them; they are laid away with his I'M
happy past. This actually happened
after the exile: the returned Jews had
had enough of idolatry. and never
again lapsed into that sin.
Hosea certainly did not mean, as he
Is SO often misunderstood to mean,
that Israel was SO firmly fixed in idol
airy that the nation could never be
moved from that iniquity: The proph-
ct was addressing Judah. the South
ern Kingdom, and bidding her hold
aloof from her idolatrous neighbor
and let him alone, lest she herself
contract the foul disease.
The sum of wisdom, according to
Hosea. is that wisdom consists of
three things: Understanding, know
ing the things that 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 pious.
and when they oppose themselves in
rocky stumbling blocks to the IN
cody.
Hosea began his warnings at the
point where we feel the most pride.
Our nation is proud of its wealth and
power. but. these two things lead to
worldiness. which is our greatest
peril.
What would be the substance of
Hosea's message to the nation and to
each one Of us? Take with you
words, and return unto the Lord" Our
sins must be acknowledged, humbly
before God and frankly before every
one who should hear the confession
for any reason. Then we arc simply,
in Christ's strength. to obey Sam
Jones' oft-repeated injunction, Quit
your meanness!" We are to cease
to do evil, learn to do we'll"
There is story Of an ancient king
who lighted lamp and had 1t hung in
his palace; he then sent heralds forth
to bring into his presence every crimi-
nal and rebel. that they might obtain
pardon. Those that came while the
lamp was burning were set free; but
those that delayed till the lamp had
gone out, or altogether neglected the
invitation. met with a terrible death.
Unlike this. God forever holds forth
his offer Of mercy. and his loving
heart always yearns after the sinner:
but with each wilful delay we harden