Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1911-12-29

The lessons we have studied during the
past three months have covered a vers
wide range of time and circumstances
They began with Daniel who was enc OF
those carried captive to Babylon with
the first deportation in COG B. c., and they
carry US through the 400 years of silence
to the birth of Jesus. the Messiah Ions
looked for. They have brought us in
contact with jeremiah. Daniel, Ezekiel
Haggai Zechariah, Esther. Ezra and
Nehemiah in order. We have seen Israel
deported and restored, preserved and de-
livered, perverse and repentant, bias
phemous and prayerful, idolatrous and
forsaking idols forever.
There have been many outstanding
characters in the lessons. Stop and
think on each of these names-Daniel,
Nebucha dnezzar, Cyrus, Artaxerxes, Nor
decai, Ezra, Zerubbabel, Joshua, Sandal
lot, Nehemiah. Many others might be
mentioned. who, with these, were giants
in their times, men of force and infiu-
ence An address might be made on each
of them, for they were men OF parts,
some good, some bad Bu the one person
that stands out most prominently In all
the story is God. He is moving in the
center of the stage, though unseen. He is
the principal person in this whole drama
of life. When acknowledgements Is vic
torious in his march to Egypt, it is God
who is giving him the victory and de-
livering Israel into his hands as He had
told them He would do unless they re-
pented. When Daniel came to promi-
,nence politically. 1t was God who pro-
NOTED him that He might have some one
to win the ear of Cyrus 10 years later.
When Cyrus did the unheard of thing IN
setting captives free and restoring to
them their land and them to their land,
it was God who had called him by name
hundreds of years before this and had
raised him up to do this service. When
Esther became queen through the anger
of Ahasuerus, 1t was Gods way of rails
ing up a deliverer for His people in sucn
time as this. When Ezra prepared his
heart to seek the law of the Lord, to
teach it, and to do it, 1t was God fitting
Himself a servant for great work.
When Nehemiah became cup bearer to
the king, it was God that gave him
favor 50 that all his requests were
granted. When he built the walls of the
city, it was God who gave that weak
band such power and persistence that
they succeeded against terrible odds.
And after an interval of 400 years when
there was no vision, it was finally God
who came to His people in the person Of
His son to give them a vision that would
transform them indeed If they would be.
There are two attributes of God that
are illustrated in these lessons so clear
ly that desire to bring them In re-
view now. They are His justice and His
mercy.
GOD is JUST.
God was perfectly just in the captivi-
ty OF Israel. He had warned them
fairly and repeatedly, from the time OF
Moses down. He had told them that IL
they followed strange gods, He would
scatter them among the nations; and
later His prophecies through Jeremiah
became so explicit that He even re-
vealed to them Just how long the cap
tivity should last, and just where IT
would be. When Israel persistently re-
fused all the warnings He sent, there
was nothing for Him to do but to carry
out His promise and punish them. He
could not have been just had He not